THE DEATH OF AN IRISH LOVER
A Peter McGann Mystery
By Bartholomew Gill
Avon Mystery
May 2001
ISBN# 0-380-80863-3
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Bartholomew Gill's "The Death of
An Irish Lover" is the newest installment in the
Peter McGann collection of mysteries by this
master storyteller. The fictional town of Leixleip, translated
to Salmon Leap, is in the Shannon River region of Ireland. This
story has strong ties to the local salmon and eel fishing industry
and two of the countries best police guards who have been placed
in this town to put a stop to poaching. But when the bodies
of these two guards, Ellen Finn and Pascal Burke, are found
dead, naked in bed, Chief Inspector Peter McGann is called down
from Dublin to investigate.
Ellin Fin is recently married, but when she's
found dead, naked and straddling the hips of the equally nude
Pascal Burke, rumors begin to fly about her infidelity. Her
bridegroom is soon found dead too, after a note to Ellen is
found in the newlywed's kitchen that tells Ellen that he knows
of her infidelity with Pascal. Her husband's apparent suicide
could wrap this double homicide up quickly if it weren't for
the fact that other clues lead to someone else.
As the story develops the reader learns of
Pascal's true life and the plot thickens, bringing in members
of the IRA, a pair of common-law innkeepers, local shopkeepers
and even McGann's own wife and daughter to help solve this
complicated mystery. It's bad enough that two guards have
been murdered, and that his wife has insisted in accompanying
him to a murder scene, but the blatant and cold blooded murder
of McGann's own beloved Austin Mini is fuel enough to spark
an anger in McGann to put this case behind him as quickly
as possible.
"The Death of An Irish Lover" is
a deeply engrossing tale of murder and mayhem. The plot twists
and turns on every page. Just when you think you know who
the guilty party is, the turn of the page will have readers
going back over the facts again and again to see what they
missed. False confessions and conflicting clues keep the reader
on their toes. Secondary characters add the local flavor a
story like this requires, as does typical Irish turn of phrase
and custom. Characters are well thought out yet Gill's ability
to shadow just the right aspects of their personalities keeps
the reader turning pages to see if their guesses are right
in trying to solve the mystery before the end of the book.
All will be revealed, including two naked bodies,
as this story closes, leaving no loose ends. "Who dunnit"
will surprise you. A must read for any Peter McGann fan. A notebook
and pencil are recommended to keep track of clues, suspects
and revelations. Unlike so many other mysteries on the market
today, the guilty suspect in "The Death of An Irish Lover"
is left to be revealed on the last pages. As they say in Ireland,
"Good on ya, Gill"!
