Review of The Trafficking Murders
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Liana Mayhew
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Review of The Trafficking Murders
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Trafficking Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
A cargo ship loaded with young Romanian men and women, and the body of a young attractive Chinese woman, murdered then discarded in the garden of a prominent businessman. Two heinous crimes, but could there be a link? That is the mystery for Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his Serious Crime Unit to solve. Set in Belfast, Ireland, The Trafficking Murders follows Sheehan and his team as they attempt to solve these terrible cases, and bring down the illusive character known as 'the shadow'.
Although this is the fifth book in the series, it stands alone very well. I had never read any of the others before so I didn't know what to expect, however, that is going to change! The author, Brian O'Hare has done an amazing job with The Trafficking Murders, and his painstaking research definitely shows. The Characters are all very well written, and you can easily imagine them in detail. Even down to Sheehan's limp and McNeil's stutter, the author didn't miss a beat in making the characters completely believable. Sadly though, this also means you can feel the victims' pains and sufferings, as the author perfectly sets each scene to a point where you really can believe that you are in the story witnessing the events for yourself. An excellent achievement, but it is a hard read at times.
One of the many positives I found about the book, was that the Author included an index of characters at the beginning, which was helpful as this is part of a series of books. Also, he kindly added a glossary of all Northern Ireland's policing acronyms, so that any reader not from Ireland or the Uk would be able to understand the terms and initials in the book. I couldn't find anything about this book that I didn't like, and I couldn't spot any errors in spelling or grammar, showing the professional editing. For these reasons, along with the fantastic plotlines, and amazing characters, I would have to give this book the full 5 out of 5 stars.
Surprisingly, given the nature of the crimes involved, there weren't many instances of profanity, but there were a few in Romanian. The content might be a bit strong for younger readers though, so I would advise an age of sixteen years and over on this book. I would very highly recommend this book to any reader that loves getting stuck into a crime mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the clues are explained so that you can try to solve the case along with Sheehan.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Trafficking Murders, and I cannot wait to get lost in the other books in the series. On an added side note, this book, and probably the others, would make a brilliant TV or film detective series, as there are 'A Touch of Frost', 'Bones' and 'NCIS' vibes, with the serious elements of the crimes and the lighthearted banter between characters that adds a nice breather from the violence. I for one would definitely be watching!
******
The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A cargo ship loaded with young Romanian men and women, and the body of a young attractive Chinese woman, murdered then discarded in the garden of a prominent businessman. Two heinous crimes, but could there be a link? That is the mystery for Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his Serious Crime Unit to solve. Set in Belfast, Ireland, The Trafficking Murders follows Sheehan and his team as they attempt to solve these terrible cases, and bring down the illusive character known as 'the shadow'.
Although this is the fifth book in the series, it stands alone very well. I had never read any of the others before so I didn't know what to expect, however, that is going to change! The author, Brian O'Hare has done an amazing job with The Trafficking Murders, and his painstaking research definitely shows. The Characters are all very well written, and you can easily imagine them in detail. Even down to Sheehan's limp and McNeil's stutter, the author didn't miss a beat in making the characters completely believable. Sadly though, this also means you can feel the victims' pains and sufferings, as the author perfectly sets each scene to a point where you really can believe that you are in the story witnessing the events for yourself. An excellent achievement, but it is a hard read at times.
One of the many positives I found about the book, was that the Author included an index of characters at the beginning, which was helpful as this is part of a series of books. Also, he kindly added a glossary of all Northern Ireland's policing acronyms, so that any reader not from Ireland or the Uk would be able to understand the terms and initials in the book. I couldn't find anything about this book that I didn't like, and I couldn't spot any errors in spelling or grammar, showing the professional editing. For these reasons, along with the fantastic plotlines, and amazing characters, I would have to give this book the full 5 out of 5 stars.
Surprisingly, given the nature of the crimes involved, there weren't many instances of profanity, but there were a few in Romanian. The content might be a bit strong for younger readers though, so I would advise an age of sixteen years and over on this book. I would very highly recommend this book to any reader that loves getting stuck into a crime mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the clues are explained so that you can try to solve the case along with Sheehan.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Trafficking Murders, and I cannot wait to get lost in the other books in the series. On an added side note, this book, and probably the others, would make a brilliant TV or film detective series, as there are 'A Touch of Frost', 'Bones' and 'NCIS' vibes, with the serious elements of the crimes and the lighthearted banter between characters that adds a nice breather from the violence. I for one would definitely be watching!
******
The Trafficking Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
