Review by guzi-reviews -- The Dark Web Murders
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Review by guzi-reviews -- The Dark Web Murders
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dark Web Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
In the prologue, we are met by an imprisoned young man, who, in an attempt to defend himself from two inmates trying to rape him, suffers fatal head trauma. Six years later, the narrative shifts to a home of a murdered judge, his body, described as lying with a police truncheon sticking out of his bottom. Throughout the narrative, the sexual depravities of a wealth ridden club come to light, and within the following fortnight, three more murders with similar sexual undertones occur. Each murder, supplemented by a gruesome and detailed explanation and justification, is uploaded to The Dark Web. Detective Jim Sheeran works day and night to catch the killer and stop him from continuing his twisted escapade.
Brian O'Hare’s The Dark Web Murders is a fictional mystery novel and a fourth book following the detective work of Chief Inspector Jim Sheeran. Although it could be true, that being familiar with its predecessor would add an extra layer to the thrill, the book reads comfortably, even without the three-book background. The first-time reader should not hesitate to pick this mystery up.
What I liked the most, is the author’s s effort to connect with his reader. With The Dark Web Murders, being set within the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland Police Service, Brian O'Hare does the exceptional first step towards his reader, by acknowledging the potential unfamiliarity with jargon and including a list of characters and their rank, as well as acronyms most commonly used by the Northern Ireland Police Service. By making sure the reader is able to follow the journey of his characters with ease, and from the very beginning, the book is off to a great start from the very first page. The rest of the book is no disappointment either - it is clever and unexpected, and although one might consider sexual depravity too much to stomach, the confessions and anonymous broadcasting on the dark web blog, add an extra layer of mystery, which makes the whole book feel well-planned and intriguing.
If I had to choose one thing I disliked the most, it is his occasional awkward use of adjectives and adverbs. He can describe the setting and mood exceptionally well, and often chooses unlikely parings of adverbs, adjectives and nouns, to describe events in truly new and inspired light, that is right on spot. However, he sometimes pays for this, by slipping too much detail and description into scenes with a lot of tension and build-up, that are inadvertently harmed by his (truly) clever use language.
Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars, because of its captivating plot and an ending I did not see coming, which made this book a late-night-read nail-biter till the very end. I would definitely recommend this to the mystery fans out there. Gruesome mental pictures and descriptions of sexual depravity are, however, much too common for those with light stomachs.
(The rich imagery could be a potential trigger for victims of sexual violence, which is what I believe the reader should consider before picking this one up.)
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the prologue, we are met by an imprisoned young man, who, in an attempt to defend himself from two inmates trying to rape him, suffers fatal head trauma. Six years later, the narrative shifts to a home of a murdered judge, his body, described as lying with a police truncheon sticking out of his bottom. Throughout the narrative, the sexual depravities of a wealth ridden club come to light, and within the following fortnight, three more murders with similar sexual undertones occur. Each murder, supplemented by a gruesome and detailed explanation and justification, is uploaded to The Dark Web. Detective Jim Sheeran works day and night to catch the killer and stop him from continuing his twisted escapade.
Brian O'Hare’s The Dark Web Murders is a fictional mystery novel and a fourth book following the detective work of Chief Inspector Jim Sheeran. Although it could be true, that being familiar with its predecessor would add an extra layer to the thrill, the book reads comfortably, even without the three-book background. The first-time reader should not hesitate to pick this mystery up.
What I liked the most, is the author’s s effort to connect with his reader. With The Dark Web Murders, being set within the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland Police Service, Brian O'Hare does the exceptional first step towards his reader, by acknowledging the potential unfamiliarity with jargon and including a list of characters and their rank, as well as acronyms most commonly used by the Northern Ireland Police Service. By making sure the reader is able to follow the journey of his characters with ease, and from the very beginning, the book is off to a great start from the very first page. The rest of the book is no disappointment either - it is clever and unexpected, and although one might consider sexual depravity too much to stomach, the confessions and anonymous broadcasting on the dark web blog, add an extra layer of mystery, which makes the whole book feel well-planned and intriguing.
If I had to choose one thing I disliked the most, it is his occasional awkward use of adjectives and adverbs. He can describe the setting and mood exceptionally well, and often chooses unlikely parings of adverbs, adjectives and nouns, to describe events in truly new and inspired light, that is right on spot. However, he sometimes pays for this, by slipping too much detail and description into scenes with a lot of tension and build-up, that are inadvertently harmed by his (truly) clever use language.
Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars, because of its captivating plot and an ending I did not see coming, which made this book a late-night-read nail-biter till the very end. I would definitely recommend this to the mystery fans out there. Gruesome mental pictures and descriptions of sexual depravity are, however, much too common for those with light stomachs.
(The rich imagery could be a potential trigger for victims of sexual violence, which is what I believe the reader should consider before picking this one up.)
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington
