Review by centfie -- The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare

[Sophy Chunge]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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In the fourth book of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries, namely The Dark Web Murders, detective Jim Sheehan and his partner Denise Stewart, investigate mysterious homicide cases. The victim of the first murder is a high profile judge known as Judge Neeson. The killer inserts a police truncheon in the dead judge's rectum. It's tough to investigate a judge since many people want him dead and some people he had sent to prison gave him explicit threats. For instance, Edgar Doran, Neeson's judicial assistant, had scheduled a meeting with someone who was blackmailing him before the judge was murdered.

Afterward, a series of murders follow. The murders seem to be connected to a top-secret organization called "Fulfilment of the Enlightened Club" whose members are provided with an avenue to fulfil questionable sexual appetites. Sheehan and his team are baffled while trying to understand the serial killer's motives.

Meanwhile, the murderer recounts his exploits in the dark web and gains many followers. The detectives find out about the blog hidden in the dark web. The blog helps them to narrow down the list of suspects. [Spoiler Removed]

This book is well-written and thoroughly edited. The author invokes various literary devices which improve the readability of the story. For example, he uses poetry, flashback, humor and satire which make it more interesting to read. Furthermore, the author handles the sensitive theme of gender equality through the character of detective Stewart. Also, all the supporting characters have a relevant role in the plot.

The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare deserves a spot on the shelves of readers of crime fiction and mystery. I enjoyed poring over this book. I give it 4 out of 4 stars. The author narrates from the detectives' and the criminal's perspective. It's a masterpiece. The language is rich and humorous at various instances despite the harrowing themes. Although part of a series, The Dark Web Murders reads comfortably as a standalone.

What I did not like is that at some point I thought the author slowed down the narrative to prolong the story. The detectives seemed not to establish the motive of the killer despite being clearly explained in his blog posts. However, toward the end it seems Inspector Sheehan had already figured it out, but had not told anyone yet.

Some parts of the book are horrifying. May the reader beware. There is mention of sex trade, children being sexually abused, and brutal murders that can make you cringe in your seat. The Dark Web Murders involves respectable characters who live a life of facades. In Denise Stewart's words, "people have hidden depths."

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The Dark Web Murders
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