Official Review: Banshee by Michael McDonnell

[Airam Velarde]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Banshee" by Michael McDonnell.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Banshee is the second book in the Dermot O’Hara Mystery Series written by Michael McDonnell. In this second installment, we find Detective Inspector O’Hara trying to solve the mystery of what at first seemed like an old local legend, but that soon escalates into an impending doom.

In the small, quiet Irish town of Kenmare, something unexpected is lurking underwater. When Peter Foley’s fishing boat, “Saoirse”, capsizes, Detective Inspector Dermot O’Hara is called on the scene. The last thing seen by Foley was a massive dark object directly below him. From this object came the sound of what some locals can only describe as the singing of the Banshee. However, this incident is only the tip of the iceberg. An encounter with Assistant Commissioner Quinn reveals a far greater problem that can jeopardize the relations between two countries and place the citizens of Kenmare in grave danger. O’Hara finds himself trapped between his duty and his responsibility to the people as events escalate. In this small town, he is discovering there are less and less people in whom he can trust. The clock is ticking and O’Hara must solve this mystery at all cost if he is to save his small town.

Banshee is a page turning mystery complemented by a sweet love story. We follow our protagonist and his companions on a journey filled with political themes as well as family and romantic matters. Everyone in this story has a part to play as they are unwillingly thrown into a political game that threatens their normal day-to-day lives. Although it is a simple mystery, the stories of the characters and their interactions are what I feel kept me interested.

What I enjoyed the most from Banshee was its colorful cast of characters that are welcoming and easy to empathize with on many levels. The author’s warm descriptions of Kenmare and its inhabitants also leave you with the need to visit the Irish town. Reading through the story, you feel a connection with these characters and realize just how real the author has made them. This I felt enriched the story greatly as you are able to feel everything they are going through when their lives hang in the balance.

A minor drawback that I found throughout the reading was the amount of grammatical errors present. Although there is a need for a few revisions, I did not feel these errors took away from the story. I was still able to enjoy the reading and of course, the story itself as a whole outshined them.

Overall, Banshee is a book that I very much enjoyed reading and that I would recommend. It really left a nostalgic feeling in me for both Kenmare and its inhabitants. For this reason I will be looking forward to more installments in the Dermot O’Hara Mystery Series. I give Banshee 4 out of 4 stars.


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Banshee
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Like Airam Velarde's review? Post a comment saying so!

[bookowlie]

Thanks for the great review. I like books with a sense of place, so this is right up my alley. Your description of the plot makes the book sound so interesting. I may have to start with the first installment of this series, since I usually like to read a series in order.

[ALynnPowers]

This is kind of weird.... the title of the book sounds like something I would love, but then I read the description and it turns out that maybe it's not something I would love after all. I'm not a big fan of political themes in books. But still, the whole banshee angle sounds kind of cool.