Review by Twylla -- The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare
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Twylla
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Review by Twylla -- The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare
[Following is a volunteer review of "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
The 11.05 Murders by Dr. Brian O’Hare is a fast-paced murder mystery featuring Sergeant Denise Stewart. Denise always wanted to be a police officer just like her father and his father before him. Denise has just been promoted to detective and her new assignment is in the community of Strandtown in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She was formerly a uniformed police constable in Lisburn where she testified against a detective who was leaking information to a Chinese prostitution ring, warning them of police raids before they happened. The “boys’ club” in the precinct labeled her a traitor and, as a result, Denise was on the receiving end of abusive behavior. Even under the best circumstances, it would not be easy to be the only female detective working in a police station. In spite of this difficult time in her career, Denise never wavered in the ideals that drew her to law enforcement. Denise could have become bitter and closed herself off to the people around her, but she decided to trust her colleagues. In an interesting side story, she and young detective, Tom Allen, develop a budding romance.
In her new position, Sergeant Stewart takes the lead in an important murder case. The first victim of a gruesome murder was found at 11:05 p.m. on a Tuesday. Then a second victim was found in identical circumstances. Denise has extraordinary intuitions about people. Her new boss, Chief Inspector Sheehan quickly comes to trust Denise’s judgment.
I enjoyed watching the detectives lay out the clues and the facts about the case in their whiteboard sessions in the Serious Crimes Squad Room. The clues to the murders seemed to be random facts with no apparent relationship to each other. I liked the way Chief Inspector Sheehan channeled the great Sherlock Holmes as the clues came together in his mind like pieces of a complicated jigsaw puzzle to form a cohesive picture of the crimes.
I liked the way the story flowed so easily from scene to scene. Dr. O’Hare paints the characters to be colorful and interesting. Some of the supporting characters fit the familiar stereotypes of television sit-com cops. All of them lived every day lives just like everyone else. I couldn’t stop reading this book. I couldn’t wait to see what was on the next page.
I think I would have liked the book more if the story had focused more on the central characters. I think there were just too many characters and it cluttered the plot. I would also have liked to hear more about the location and culture in Northern Ireland. A few times, American sayings like “throwing a curveball” were used. I would have liked to see more Northern Ireland sayings.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was highly entertaining. It made me feel good to know that Denise Stewart finally found her place in the world, doing what she loved most, in a team environment where everyone had each other’s backs.
******
The 11.05 Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
The 11.05 Murders by Dr. Brian O’Hare is a fast-paced murder mystery featuring Sergeant Denise Stewart. Denise always wanted to be a police officer just like her father and his father before him. Denise has just been promoted to detective and her new assignment is in the community of Strandtown in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She was formerly a uniformed police constable in Lisburn where she testified against a detective who was leaking information to a Chinese prostitution ring, warning them of police raids before they happened. The “boys’ club” in the precinct labeled her a traitor and, as a result, Denise was on the receiving end of abusive behavior. Even under the best circumstances, it would not be easy to be the only female detective working in a police station. In spite of this difficult time in her career, Denise never wavered in the ideals that drew her to law enforcement. Denise could have become bitter and closed herself off to the people around her, but she decided to trust her colleagues. In an interesting side story, she and young detective, Tom Allen, develop a budding romance.
In her new position, Sergeant Stewart takes the lead in an important murder case. The first victim of a gruesome murder was found at 11:05 p.m. on a Tuesday. Then a second victim was found in identical circumstances. Denise has extraordinary intuitions about people. Her new boss, Chief Inspector Sheehan quickly comes to trust Denise’s judgment.
I enjoyed watching the detectives lay out the clues and the facts about the case in their whiteboard sessions in the Serious Crimes Squad Room. The clues to the murders seemed to be random facts with no apparent relationship to each other. I liked the way Chief Inspector Sheehan channeled the great Sherlock Holmes as the clues came together in his mind like pieces of a complicated jigsaw puzzle to form a cohesive picture of the crimes.
I liked the way the story flowed so easily from scene to scene. Dr. O’Hare paints the characters to be colorful and interesting. Some of the supporting characters fit the familiar stereotypes of television sit-com cops. All of them lived every day lives just like everyone else. I couldn’t stop reading this book. I couldn’t wait to see what was on the next page.
I think I would have liked the book more if the story had focused more on the central characters. I think there were just too many characters and it cluttered the plot. I would also have liked to hear more about the location and culture in Northern Ireland. A few times, American sayings like “throwing a curveball” were used. I would have liked to see more Northern Ireland sayings.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was highly entertaining. It made me feel good to know that Denise Stewart finally found her place in the world, doing what she loved most, in a team environment where everyone had each other’s backs.
******
The 11.05 Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Contagion Domination by William Nisol
