4 out of 4 stars
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The 11:05 Murders is a mystery set in Northern Ireland in current times. It is the second book in the Crimson Cloak’s Inspector Sheehan Mystery Series. This book introduces Woman Detective Sergeant (WDS) Denise Stewart to the Serious Crimes Unit of the Strandtown Police Station, B District, Police Services Northern Ireland, led by Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jim Sheehan. Serious Crimes is WDS Stewart’s first assignment as a plain clothes officer.
The team’s first serious crime is the disfigurement and murder of a ruthless Belfast banker. There are plenty of suspects and two interesting encrypted files on the victim’s computer.
The team thinks they may be onto something when a second murder and disfigurement happens exactly one week, to the minute, after the first. With the help of an anonymous tipster, they are able to connect the two murder victims. They also had no problem connecting the second victim to their main suspect.
When the team identifies the third victim before the murder takes place, they set up an op to catch the murderer in the act but everything goes off the rails before they even get started. You’ll have to read the book to find out why one team member has several attempts made on his life and what happens to their op.
I rate The 11:05 Murders as a solid 4 out of 4 stars for the authentic dialogue, the professional editing and the fantastic twists and turns. O’Hare is a master at keeping the reader engaged and invested even when the story is heading in all the wrong directions.
O’Hare makes you feel like you know all the characters personally; no detail is too small to include. He, then, weaves the story into the characters’ lives instead of molding the characters to the storyline. The flow of the dialogue is much more natural and it feels like you could walk into the Strandtown Station and ask to speak to any one of the characters.
Another thing that makes this book fun to read is that you can follow the characters' movements via Google Maps. O’Hare stays true to the topography of Northern Ireland throughout the book. I enjoy looking up the places in the books I read to see if I’d be able to drive the same routes if I visited the area. It makes the books seem more real to me.
I can’t wait to read what happens next in the lives of DCI Sheehan, WDS Stewart and the rest of the team!
A couple of side notes:
O’Hare uses a phrase that is well over used in the mystery and suspense genres: “…expelled a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.” (near the end of chapter 23) Fortunately, he only used it once and alluded to it a second time later in the book.
This book is written in authentic Irish English syntax. In some places, the grammar seems a bit off, but given that I am used to the formal American English syntax, it's no surprise to me. I actually enjoy it and feel it's a credit to the authenticity of the book.
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The 11.05 Murders
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