Review by Jhirsch1230 -- The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare

[Jhirsch1230]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Review of The 11:05 Murders by Brian O’Hare

The 11:05 Murders is a Mystery / Detective novel based in Northern Ireland. Recently transferred Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart has had a rough few months. While her promotion is nice, she’s in a new police station, with a new boss and colleagues and a variety of problems facing her. First, she has to testify against her corrupt former Inspector. Second, after swearing off men, she has a plethora of them chasing her and finally, her first case seems to be the work of a serial killer. And why is a mysterious informant calling her and offering her insights into the case? Is he trying to help her or hurt her?

The 11:05 Murders is a fast paced, enjoyable story. Detective Stewart and the host of other characters are easy to like. The book is fun and draws the reader in almost immediately. The author uses imagery and description beautifully painting a vivid picture of the world and the characters. There is a darkness in the writing, especially in the writing of the antagonist that is both uncomfortable and intriguing. O’Hare seamlessly brings the reader into the mind of a sociopath.

While there are some issues, the storytelling overcomes most of them. However, for the reader who craves perfection, this is likely not for you. First of all, the beginning of the book is rough. When readers enter the mind of a sociopath, it could be expected that this would be the most edited and perfected section of the book. However, the writing heaves and jerks. While the reader gets a taste of the darkness, the lack of flow breaks the illusion.

Second, in the scenes that feature Sgt. Stewart, there are examples of a bouncing narrator. The author is telling the story from Stewart’s perspective when suddenly, the perspective shifts to another character. For example: “His gaze became an unashamed leer as he noted the trim figure, the blond hair, the exceptionally pretty face.” There are several examples of this throughout the story.

Third, the story takes entirely too long to develop. In the first 100 pages only a single murder happens. Given that this is a book about a serial killer, this is too long. The book does well with pace, but given that the synopsis of the book describes a series of murders, these should happen near the beginning and close together in the writing. Finally, and this is a pet peeve more than anything else, the majority of the characters are beautiful or charismatic or exceptional in some way.

I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. The 11:05 Murders is a good book for readers looking for a fun detective story and more specifically, would like a taste of a detective novel in the United Kingdom. Unlike the inept detectives of Scotland Yard in the Sherlock Holmes stories, these police officers are talented and capable. While it has its flaws, it is still an enjoyable yarn.

******
The 11.05 Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords

Like Jhirsch1230's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Izesicle]

I like your synopsis of the book. I can imagine it as a blurb on the back cover of the novel. I rated the novel two out of four stars.