Review by MrunalT -- The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare

[Mrunal Tikekar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dark Web Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

A new prisoner dies under suspicious circumstances in the Magilligan Prison. Six years later, Judge Trevor Neeson is found gruesomely murdered at his residence. It appears that the judge was being blackmailed by an unknown assailant. Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan’s team is called in to investigate the judge’s murder. Soon, some deceptively intelligent blogs begin appearing on the Dark Web. Simultaneously, killings continue, eliminating some elite and important residents of Northern Ireland. Is there a connection between the judge and the other victims? Are their murders connected through a common motive? Or are they just accidental victims of a deranged sociopath? The Dark Web Murders, by Brian O’Hare, is a thrilling murder mystery novel that investigates the dark side of humanity.

This is the fourth book in the Inspector Sheehan Mystery series but perfectly stands on its own. Accurately praised as a captivating ‘whodunnit’, I regretted having discovered this book so late. I was drawn to it from the start and never wanted to put it down. The only reason I kept taking long breaks from reading the book was to regain my calm after reading the psychologically disturbing actions emanating from the darkness residing in human souls. The book is mostly written in the form of discussion among Sheehan’s team members as they struggle to make sense of the brutality of the murders and the killer’s motives. There are too many characters involved, but following his readers’ suggestion, O’Hare has added a list of characters along with their brief description at the beginning of the book.

The Dark Web blogs and The Club were the two elements of the book that I enjoyed the most. The blogger on the Dark Web calls himself Nemein, the one who metes out punishments. Philosophically pondering on topics like justice and revenge, his Victorian style of writing belies Nemein’s narcissistic tendencies. He describes his killings in such garish details that his otherwise intelligent arguments appear to be only a façade covering a maniacal sociopath. The Club, on the other hand constitutes the elite of the society. These are the white-collared people who can roam the streets with their heads held up high while their money conveniently covers the darker sides of their lives. Their riches allow them to revel in unthinkable fetishes without caring about the consequences of their actions. Whether or not places like the Dark Web or The club exist, the author has portrayed a realistic picture of evils humanity is capable of.

Sheehan’s investigative forays were so exciting that I felt I was one of the team members looking for clues to solve the mysteries. The book is replete with red herrings. Just when you think you have identified the killer a piece of new evidence suggests otherwise. One noteworthy thing about Sheehan’s team is that all the members are treated with equal importance. My favorite character was Sergeant Denise Stewart. She is the only lady in Sheehan’s team and boldly calls out the unconscious bias against women. Despite the disturbing nature of the murders, she insists on being actively involved and does her job fearlessly.

I have no complaints about the book. The pace of narration is perfect. The character development is immaculate. The Northern Irish setting was refreshing. The book is professionally edited. I did not come across any grammatical errors. To clarify, the author has provided a note saying that the book is written using British spelling and not American English. I gladly rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. But the book is not for the faint-hearted. There are gruesome murders, mentions of bizarre human experimentations, sado-masochism, etc. that can repulse some readers. The book is strictly for adults who can bear reading dark murder mysteries. If you are one of those readers, I highly recommend this book. I cannot wait to read other books by O’Hare. This book has set a new bar for crime thrillers.

******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Jackie Holycross]

I live a good murder mystery. This might be one for me.

[DBNJ]

I have read and reviewed this novel. This is a really interesing book and difficult to put down as you have very correctly said. Very well written and a descriptive review!

[UzmaKhan]

Suspense. Thriller. Action.
Just the perfect book blending my favourite genres.