Review by Robyn_original -- The Dark Web Murders

[Robyn_original]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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A judge is brutally murdered in his home. Soon more killings follow; their disturbing details revealed in the killer’s online blog, which the police discover on the Dark Web. Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team need to unravel the mystery before more people are killed, but they always seem to be one step behind the murderer. A sordid secret is uncovered in the investigations, one that will affect several prominent figures in society.

The Dark Web Murders by Brian O’ Hare is a well-written crime novel. The writing flows easily and is a comfortable read. The search for the murderer kept me curious about who, out of the many suspects, it could possibly turn out to be.

I did, however, feel that some clues and moments were clumsily written. I managed to guess who the murderer was before the climax, purely because some of the clues were rather obvious. I also felt that the characters were quite one-dimensional, and I didn’t feel myself connecting with or caring about any of them at all.

I also had an issue with the attitude towards LGBTQ+ characters. The homosexual and bisexual characters, of which there were several, were only depicted as sexual deviants. There was also a discussion between Jim Sheehan and his wife about a transgender student at her school. Rather than it being a sympathetic or progressive conversation, the focus was on how it was an inconvenience for the school.

I felt that the detectives were a little slow at times, and less intelligent than they should have been as an investigative team. The Detective Sergeant didn’t know what the word hypothetical meant and couldn’t even say it properly.

I think this book would appeal to fans of the crime genre, although personally I would prefer more focus on the characters. It wouldn’t appeal to anyone who is squeamish or of a sensitive nature. The murders are graphic, and there are plenty of themes of sexual violence and abuse. I give the book 3 out of 4. I found barely any errors in spelling or grammar. I feel that because it is professionally edited, and the language and writing is good, that it doesn’t deserve a 2. The issues I found with the book are largely a matter of personal taste.

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The Dark Web Murders
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[danielleamy]

I also found the clues (i.e the anagram) to be obvious. I also agree with your comments about the sexuality issues. I wish I'd brought those up in my review. Well done on writing a thorough and fair review! You've made some great points

[Sanju Lali]

The murder mystery seems to be nicely plotted and nicely written. Thanks for your honest review which gives much insights about this book.