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It's 1982, and "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland continue to rage on. Every day, there is an endless stream of firebombs, shootings and insurrections. The national media, however, is focused on only one thing—the invasion of the Falkland Islands by the UK. Rest assured, life (and death) goes on in Belfast. When Detective Inspector Sean Duffy discovers a man's torso in a suitcase at an abandoned factory site, he finds himself involved in a different kind of international affair. The victim, Bill O'Rourke, was an American ex-serviceman and tourist who was poisoned by an obscure plant. When Duffy and his team, Sergeants McCrabban and McBride follow his actions before his death they are mystified. The clues lead them to a remote place called Islandmagee, known for being the site of a DeLorean car factory. Strangely, a local farmer was murdered by the IRA, which Sean finds even more puzzling. The situation becomes increasingly muddled by the murder of the older and largely incompetent detective who originally investigated the farmer's death. Sean is a Catholic who lives in a Protestant neighborhood and whose work colleagues are largely Protestant. Interestingly, given the inflammatory times, most people who learn about his religious leanings are surprised rather than hostile. He's a great character - intuitive and always willing to roll up his sleeves to do whatever needs to be done. He's not always appreciated by his superiors, and the book concludes with an unexpected change to his career. I loved the first in this trilogy, THE COLD COLD GROUND, and this one only a little bit less. That was more because it was set largely outside the urban area, and I found it far more illuminating to read about the challenges of day-to-day life in the city than an outlying area. I fully expect that McKinty will receive major recognition upon completion of the Sean Duffy trilogy. The third, IN THE MORNING I'LL BE GONE, will be released in the UK in July 2013. I hope that publication in the US will follow shortly thereafter. § Formerly a training development manager for a large company, Maddy is now retired and continues to enable the addiction of crime fiction fans as owner of the online discussion group, 4 Mystery Addicts(4MA), while avidly reading in every possible free moment herself.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, May 2013
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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