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

I write this review as a member of the Online Book Club org.

This police procedural novel, the second in The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series, is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and it has it all: mysterious murders, a complex set of suspects that will keep fans of the genre spinning the wheels of their brains, a fascinating backdrop that includes political and religious issues, secondary themes that are in everybody’s minds (police corruption, sexual harassment, domestic violence, rape, stalking, financial crisis…), a team of policemen made up of distinct and realistic individuals, great dialogue, detailed crime scene investigation, touches of humour and even a dab of romance.
The story is told in the third person and it is narrated from the point of view of a variety of characters (mostly members of the police team, although also some chapters by some of the suspects), but there are no sudden changes in viewpoint and it does not cause any confusion. Instead, the style of the storytelling helps create a puzzle where the reader has more clues than any of the given characters, but there are also delayed discoveries and many red herrings, so things aren’t quite as easy as one might initially think. Being able to share in the different characters’ opinions and motivations gives the reader a multifaceted view that increases the intrigue.

At the beginning of the story we have a female Sergeant Detective, Denise Stewart, join Sheehan’s team. She has been through a harrowing experience at her previous post that has made her defensive and suspicious. Despite that, it doesn’t take long for her to realise Sheehan’s team is different and she starts to relax. Unfortunately, other things start going on in her life that seem, initially, completely unrelated to the murder they are investigating, a rather gross and well-planned crime that took place on a Tuesday at, exactly, 11:05 pm. There are several lines of enquiry, a fragment of a cufflink that keeps popping up, suspects galore, assaults on one of the detectives (young and handsome Tom Allen, who has taken an interest in Stewart), and Sheehan has the feeling that he’s missing something. His famous intuition seems to be letting him down but…
This is the second book in the series and although I have not read the previous one, I had no difficulty getting into the story. This is a standalone book that can be enjoyed without having read the first one but after having read this one I hope to read more in the series.

This novel could serve as an illustration on how to write mystery and police procedural books. The writing is precise, with enough descriptions and fleshing out of the characters to make the readers recognise them and care for them, with clues masterfully shared throughout the book, with no extraneous details or anything that does not move the story forward included. Even seemingly innocuous or passing comments have a reason and the twists and turns of the story will have readers choosing and discarding numerous suspects, keeping them always on their toes. The pacing and timing of the reveals work very well. When I was getting close to the end, I kept stopping and trying to run all the clues in my head to see who the perpetrator was. I had my suspicions from the beginning but kept changing my mind as the story went. Ah, and the ending did not disappoint. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is a great example of the genre and the characters and the setting complement the mystery perfectly.

Both the murder being investigated and the detectives are interesting in their own right and readers will end up feeling a part of Sheehan’s team. The light and humorous moments alternate with tense and scary moments enhancing both. The local touches and references to locations and historical events (the troubles) make it particularly memorable and distinct. I recommend it to any readers who love police procedural mysteries with great characters and complex plots. A word of warning, due to the nature of the crime and to some of the other scenes, this is not a book for the faint-hearted and is definitely not a cozy mystery.

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The 11.05 Murders
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This is such a great review. I've been eyeing this book and now I know I should read it. You said that this is the second in a series. How many are there?

Thanks very much for your comment. When I wrote the review there were only two, but I hope there will be more to come. As I said in the review it can be read individually. A great book.

This is a complete and comprehensive review. Great job. I agree that beside the mystery murder investigation there are moments of humor and romance. I would like to read the other books in this series, also. Thanks for your excellent comments.

Thanks very much for your comment, kdstrack.

I agree that this is not a cozy mystery. The author's description of the bodies and the way in which the individuals were killed were my least favorite parts of a book that was otherwise enjoyable.

I have a fairly strong stomach (I also appreciate detailed investigations where things tie together, so I'm never sure what I really think about cozy mysteries, although I enjoy the characters), but I try to warn people about graphic violence as I know it puts off some readers. (I love horror, both in movies and books and I am aware that my tastes are probably more extreme than those of many readers). Thanks for your comment.

Nice review OlgaNM. Mystery NOVEL! I like this type of stories, If content is fresh and different. I will try to read it. Thanks.

Thanks very much! I hope you enjoy it!

I agree about the local touches in the book. I learned a little bit about the Irish police force and procedures. I rated the novel two out of four stars.

I've been wanting to read this book for some time. The plot is so intriguing.