2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The 11:05 Murders, by Brian O’Hare is the second book in a series of mystery novels surrounding Inspector Sheehan, the Chief Inspector of the Serious Crimes division in the Strandtown Police Department. The 11:05 Murders is set in Ireland and primarily follows two of the other detectives in the Serious Crimes division: Woman Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart and Detective Tom Allen. Denise joins the division in the opening chapters of the book and the team of detectives begin investigating the mysterious and gruesome murder of an almost universally disliked banker, James Fitzpatrick. The suspects are numerous, but begin to be pared down as the three main characters delve into the life, past and present, of the victim. Denise begins to receive mysterious and anonymous tips by phone while she is at home. These tips lead her further into the past of the victim and turn up pivotal information related to the case. She also begins to sense that she is being followed—a sense that is confirmed when, after being driven home one night by fellow detective Tom Allen, he is purposely rammed into by a mysterious and unidentified vehicle. Denise and Tom begin a separate investigation into who this mysterious stalker might be, focusing in on former colleagues of Denise’s who might be holding a grudge. The murder investigation is further complicated by the brutal beating of one of the suspects’ wives and another, almost identically gruesome, murder. It appears that the team is now investigating a serial killer. As the detectives continue their work the case comes to a conclusion when Inspector Sheehan is finally able to piece together all the information they have gleaned and, in the nick of time, solves the case.
I would give Brian O’Hare’s The 11:05 Murders 2 out of 4 stars. As an avid reader (and watcher) of mystery, suspense, and detective stories, I found the “surprise ending” to be not much of a surprise at all. In fact, before I was even halfway through the book, I was pretty sure who the perpetrator was, even if I was a little unsure about why. I enjoyed the basic premise of the story and the brain-teaser like aspect of following the detectives along in their work. The plot was certainly complicated and multi-faceted enough to keep me interested; although the final conclusion of the book was not a surprise to me, there were many surprise twists along the way that kept me involved. I particularly enjoyed the various Serious Crimes Division team meetings, where they updated each other on the progress of their separate investigations. These scenes were well-written and interesting. However, I felt the main characters, Tom and Denise, were not well drawn. Their motivations and emotions seemed a little flat to me and I found I had trouble being interested in their budding romance and angst-ridden thoughts. Inspector Sheehan and his wife seemed more fully drawn as characters, and I found myself wondering if I would have enjoyed the first book in this series more than I did this one.
My other problem with this particular story came in the gruesome sexual nature of all the crimes involved. I felt things were more explicitly described than I would have liked. This, however, is a personal preference and other readers might not have the same issues I had with it. In my mystery novel reading, I have most enjoyed Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mysteries and Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Whimsey novels. These books, written in a less explicit time, manage to keep me enthralled without using overly scintillating subject matter, and I find I enjoy those kinds of mysteries better.
Despite my 2 star rating, I do not feel I wasted my time reading this book. It was entertaining enough to keep me reading and to get me interested in possibly reading the prequel. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining mystery to pass the time, this will fit the bill, especially if you are not as leery of sexual situations as I am.
The 11:05 Murders, while a little simplistic in its character development and overly sexualized in its content, is an entertaining read. Its intricate plot development and the variety of characters involved, keep you reading to the end. And even if you are not surprised by the stunning conclusion, you at least will not feel you have wasted your time in reading it. You may even find you enjoyed it, as I did.
******
The 11.05 Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Rebecca Parks's review? Post a comment saying so!
