Review by Niamh Andrews -- The 11.05 Murders

[Niamh Andrews]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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The 11.05 Murders By Brian O’ Hare

Genre: Crime

Rating 3 out of 4

Summary

Sergeant Stewart a newly promoted detective is facing her first case in the serious crimes unit. A man has been brutally murdered in his home. More victims follow. Each is killed at 11.05 on a Tuesday night. Alongside DCI Sheehan and his team of detectives, Sergeant Stewart will go on a journey full of twists and turns to find the culprit.

Writing Style

The language used in this novel is simplistic yet descriptive when needed. There is some ‘police talk’ used but nothing that I had trouble understanding. A simple, relaxing read that you can finish within a day or so, or a book you can put aside for a couple of days and pick back up where you left off with very little stress.

Characters

The principal characters are likable. The support around them have distinct personalities. Each character has their own personal characteristic, that makes them feel more real to the reader. The team as a unit was portrayed very well during the novel and I enjoyed the sense of unity between the characters involved. The villains of the piece are nasty and vicious as expected in a crime novel.

Plot

The main storyline is a fairly straight forward ‘whodunnit’ scenario. It was the other plots throughout the book that really made this story interesting. The story develops like a usual detective novel but also touches on the troubles in Northern Ireland as well as sexism and abuse. It moves along swiftly and makes you hungry for more. Quick paced and fairly straightforward makes this plot if not exactly memorable, at least entertaining.

Conclusion

As I am from the Republic of Ireland, I could really appreciate the glimpse we get of the North post troubles. Some without a knowledge of Ireland’s history may find this aspect of the novel confusing. Brian O’Hare doesn’t shy away from the impact of sexism in the workplace which gave me a lot of respect for him. The story itself was entertaining and fast paced which I enjoyed. I was however disappointed that I had figured out many of the unfinished plot lines and the murderer about 60% into the book. I like crime novels to keep me guessing till the very end and this just didn’t give me that satisfaction. I did however really like the characters and would like to read more about them. Overall I rate this book a 3 out of 4 and will read more of his novels.

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The 11.05 Murders
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[Izesicle]

Thank you for your review. I was wondering about the point of view of an Irish reviewer to an Irish based book. I rated the novel two out of four stars.