When three people are murdered in bizarre circumstances, there are plenty of suspects – though the evidence is thin on the ground. Rookie Sergeant Denise Stewart may be a little out of her depth when she joins the team at Strandtown Police Station, but she gets a chance to jump ahead of the game when a mysterious stranger starts calling her with information. Meanwhile, faced with a seemingly unconnected rape, a stalker and attacks on one of his team, Inspector Sheehan has some tough decisions to make. Will he be in time to save another life?
This police procedural is the second in the Inspector Sheehan series and the first Brian O’Hare book I’ve read. I liked the setting (Belfast, Northern Ireland), and the characters are an interesting mix of stereotypical coppers and new blood striving to do the right thing. Though the plot was well-thought-out and the tension nicely done, I never quite warmed to the author’s writing style, but I guess with this type of thriller it’s hard to break away from the thousands of others in the genre, so that’s probably just me.
All in all, a clever plot with well-drawn characters and a challenging bag of red herrings.
Colin Garrow 