Review by Kadzo mae -- The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare

Kadzo mae · Post by **Kadzo mae** » 24 Nov 2017, 11:22

[Following is a volunteer review of "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The 11.05 Murders is the second book in the "An Inspector Sheeran Mystery" series. One could think it's just another who dunnit book but it's much more interesting than that. The author has managed to incorporate topical events which occur in society, such as the impact of a brutal sexual assault on a young university student, the politics of being an ambitious, young, attractive woman in the police force, the repercussions of whistle-blowing and domestic abuse. The book captures the feelings of its characters and draws the reader in with the prologue which really sets the scene and really wets the appetite.

Set in Northern Ireland post "troubles" newly promoted Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart is given a new post in another station but she is somewhat haunted by the treatment which she received from her previous colleagues and is concerned that the circumstances of her promotion could be viewed in a bad light and wonders if she will face the same problems. However, she finds that in this station every member is considered part of a team and she easily fits in, becoming a popular and respected colleague.

There are many characters involved in the story but the main ones are Inspector Sheeran, who comes across as empathetic to the needs of his staff and gives them quite a lot of leeway to explore their theories and he makes sure they get the credit they deserve. Detective Tom Allen, clearly a gentleman which is not how we often view the stereotypical police officer but we soon learn that he has a sensitive to his nature as well as a desire to protect Detective Stewart. Turner, the Crown Prosecutor whose arrogance you can actually feel and Jones, the pathologist who comes across as detached and without emotion but who seems to memorise the ladies with his deep, drawing voice. The other characters complement the plot and add depth to the story. I particularly liked the way that the author was able to move back and forth between the case with which they were dealing and their private lives. It someone made the scenarios appear realistic and plausible. The reader's chain of thought was uninterrupted by these intermissions and the plot flowed at a good pace throughout.

Whilst investigating the case the detectives become involved in a race against time to catch the killer before he or she strikes again whilst at the same time missing some clues which could ultimately lead to the death of one or more of their colleagues. You can feel the tension as if you yourself were part of the team, being drawn in as the plot unfolds. There are a few obvious clues as to who the real villain is but, as always, there are various twists and turns so you never really know for sure who the murderer or murderers is/are - is it a man, a woman, or is there more than one person involved, who? There are a number of red herrings in the story so watch out for them.

I have given this book a 4 out of 4 star rating because I believe it is well written, with a good racy plot which will appeal to all readers interested in murder mystery genre and, not having been aware that there was a first book in this series, I am looking forward to reading it and also other books from this author whom I have added to my list of favourites.

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The 11.05 Murders
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kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 22 Jan 2018, 21:32

Your review really reflects the mystery of the book. Very excellent writing. You really make people want to read this book to find out what happened. Thanks.