3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I have recently read The 11:05 Murders, by Brain O’Hare, Volume 2 of the Inspector Sheehan Mysteries. It is an entertaining police procedural, centering on the character Sergeant Denise Stewart, just joining on as a detective with the Strandtown Police Serious Crimes unit. Her new boss, Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan, the title character of the series, is the tough but fair head of the department who has to work through the difficulties of Sergeant Stewart’s past position, which included sexual harassment, adding an element of tension and defensiveness with her new coworkers. She also testifies in court about this early in the story, which brings about one of several sub plots that all weave into the main theme.
The primary case involves murders that take place on sequential Tuesdays at 11:05 PM. The detectives have to unravel cryptic clues that often seem to contradict and lead them through a maze of possible scenarios. The other detectives comprise a well- rounded cast of characters, often interjecting humor. It is through their relationships to Denise Stewart that we come to better understand her. There are a few side plots throughout that also provide color and intrigue, adding complexity and some mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, always sad to have to put it down and looking forward to picking it up again. The writing was done well, the characters engaging and believable, with no glaring errors I was aware of, with only one exception in the beginning of Chapter 12, where there was a sentence repeated two ways, as though it was meant to be edited and one choice wasn’t deleted. The only other issue, at least with my copy, was that much of the text was in white highlight, as compared to the regular background of the ecru-colored pages. This came and went, and I couldn’t detect a reason for the highlighted sections.
My only criticism of the story, and this being extra picky, is that I felt O’Hare let on to the identity of the perpetrator a little too soon and too transparently. I felt pretty early into the story that I knew who it was going to be, and hoped I was being led to guess wrong, but alas, no. This didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book, there being many other loose ends to resolve. I recommend this book for anyone who reads police procedurals, and who appreciates likeable characters.
I rate this book a three out of four stars, and I am looking forward to reading Brian O’Hare’s other works. I have already purchased his memoir, A Spiritual Odyssey, telling his journey of overcoming a childhood disease that led to a liver transplant as an adult.
******
The 11.05 Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like Lucy Kelly's review? Post a comment saying so!