The Fourth Victim (Belfast Murder Mystery Book 7) by Brian O’Hare; Cold Case Gets Heated By Inspector Sheehan and Co.

 The Fourth Victim (Belfast Murder Mystery Book 7) by Brian O’Hare; Cold Case Gets Heated By Inspector Sheehan and Co.

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: If you are interested, please read my reviews for previous volumes Murder by the Coven, Murder on the Dark Web, Murder of a Runaway, and Conduit to Murder

 In Belfast, if you want a murder, new or old to be solved, then you call Inspector Thomas Sheehan and his team. In this seventh book in the Belfast Murder Mystery Series, The Fourth Victim, they do just that work on a current murder case which takes them to an old one.

In this volume, Sheehan and his partner, Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart are called into investigate the murder of Seamus Higgins, MLA who was beaten to death in his apartment. He has a very colorful past, as part of the New IRA and may have been targeted by them or members of other terrorist or paramilitary groups. Besides that, the team discovers that 14 years ago, he was involved with an unsolved murder concerning four wayward law students, a little girl, a grieving mother/attorney, and an errant vehicle.

This volume covers two specific murder cases, the current one and the one from 14 years ago. The investigation into Higgin’s death is efficiently handled especially when there are similar murders suggesting a pattern. There are some red herrings that are slightly hampered by a flashback occurring too early in the text for the Reader, but they provide some interesting leads for the investigators to uncover.

Unlike many of the other books in The Belfast Murder Mystery Series, this one doesn't get too involved with the personal lives of the investigation team themselves. The only subplot is Malachy McBride, one of the detectives, becoming a bit too friendly with a person of interest. It is charming but not overpowering leaving the mystery to do most of the heavy lifting.

In fact the strongest characterization occurs during the murder from 14 years ago. It's very reminiscent of movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer in which an early murder occurred, was never solved, and a grief stricken loved one takes it upon themselves to do what the law couldn't and execute vigilante justice even if it takes years to get it done.

The flashbacks contain a fascinating story that is the highlight of this volume. From the callous wayward self-serving youths who caused this tragedy to the family who found their motivation to fight against it either by latching onto a cause, trying to move forward with their lives, or seeking blood for blood, it is a strong look on the effect that murder has on the people involved. 

The Fourth Victim reminds us that sometimes time can change the way that we see an investigation and what we thought then may not be the same now. That often, a case is never really cold. It just takes a bit longer to heat up.

Conduit to Murder (A Belfast Murder Mystery Book 6) by Brian O'Hare; Conduit to an Excellent Mystery

Conduit to Murder (A Belfast Murder Mystery Book 6) by Brian O'Hare; Conduit to an Excellent Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: A conduit is someone or something that conveys, protects, and sends things like information, goods, money, and ideas. When it comes to crime, a conduit could send information, order, or bribery money to various criminals and can be beneficial in creating an organized network of such individuals.

Brian O'Hare’s latest Belfast Murder Mystery, Conduit to Murder is a thrilling murder mystery in which Inspector Thomas Sheehan and Co. have to find a conduit to a large criminal network.

Sheehan and his team investigates the murder of an antiques dealer/politician found bludgeoned to death and who is part of a sinister criminal network. They discover someone has been leaking information about the case to the press. They receive alarming death threats that escalate into violent attacks and kidnapping. There appears to be a spy on the police force but who? How large is this network anyway and who are they? Above all, who is the conduit who is conveying information and payments to the various members and bringing all of these people together? 

This is a solid mystery all around. Many of the frequent tropes found in O’Hare's series like corrupt rich people, conflict within the team, suspenseful moments when one or several of Sheehan's team are in danger, are dialed up in this volume. This makes it a winning installment in the Belfast Murder Mystery series.

Many of the best moments are those that concern Sheehan's team and their close proximity towards danger. In one chapter, Sheehan and his wife, Margaret, are almost run off the road by a violent driver who is not only expressing road rage but is tied to their investigation. The incident causes Sheehan to put Margaret into hiding and their separation is heartfelt.

In another chapter, Sheehan's partner Denise Stewart and her boyfriend, Sergeant Tom Allen go undercover as a vacationing couple while chasing a lead to the South of France. Unfortunately, their targets are aware of their presence and people are killed. It's a very violent graphic trap and shows the long reaches that their antagonists possess.

The mole in the police force subplot is well played and dips into suspicion almost to the point of paranoia. It's tense reading about every word that the team says even in confidence, every lead that they investigate even if they are red herrings, and their homes and loved ones used as collateral. It really brings home the thought of constant surveillance and what happens when you can't even trust those you see every day.

Also the mole reminds the characters and Readers how wide this crime ring is and how their power and influence surrounds everyone and everything. In fact, this is only one of many crime ring conspiracy groups in the entire series. These groups are made of rich influential people who believe that they are above the law and feel entitled to do anything that they want including theft, rape, assault, forced prostitution, human trafficking, and murder without repercussion. They are insulated in their own worlds and think that those under them are theirs to play with, ethics, laws, or basic human decency be damned. 

It seriously makes one wonder if these various groups in each volume are connected as one large supergroup and there is some mysterious head pulling all of the strings that has yet to be revealed. 

Conduit to Murder is tightly put together with its clues, investigation, witness questioning, suspect interrogation, and resolution. It's not the type that relies on twists except for the mole reveal. Mostly it focuses on this war between the crime ring and Sheehan's team. This is a conduit into an excellent mystery.

 

Weekly Reader: Murder of a Runaway (A Belfast Murder MysteryBook Five) by Brian O'Hare; Sheehan and Co. Are Back To Top Form In This Mystery Involving Human Trafficking

 

Weekly Reader: Murder of a Runaway (A Belfast Murder Mystery Book Five) by Brian O'Hare; Sheehan and Co. Are Back To Top Form In This Mystery Involving Human Trafficking

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Brian O'Hare's Murder by The Coven took a brief unnecessary trip into the supernatural with a case that involved a Satanic cult and demonic possession. This time with his fifth book, he brings the Belfast Murder Mysteries back to form with the police procedural novel, Murder of a Runaway

While Murder on the Dark Web still remains the gold standard of the entire series with its subversion of good and evil by making the murderer more understandable and even sympathetic than their so-called victims, the Murder of a Runaway is still a great volume in the series. Good and evil are more defined and there are less shades of gray between guilt and innocence. However, it is still a suspenseful piece of work that develops the characters into those who truly need justice and those who provide it.

The body of a young Chinese girl is found. She is identified as Cheung Mingzhu, a scholarship student from Shenzhen University to study at Queen's. Unfortunately, she was seduced and forced to join a human trafficking ring. Alina Balauri, A Romanian woman is similarly forced into prostitution, and plans her escape in alternating chapters with the murder investigation. Meanwhile, there's a mysterious character called The Shadow who oversees all of this and is someone that you don't want to cross.

One of the more interesting aspects to this book is how it details the human trafficking process. Alina's chapters and Mingzhu's backstory explain exactly how people are brought into this system of buying and selling human beings. Sometimes it's not just a simple process of avoiding strangers or turning down what appears to be a shady job request.

The recruiters are often very charming and know how to play on their target's weaknesses such as low self esteem or familial poverty. They promise the person a job or a trip with them and the next thing that person knows they are in another country, forced into hard physical labor or sex work, deprived of their passport, abused and isolated from all contacts except their handlers. According to statistics the average age of a trafficking victim is 27 years old and often fall between 19 and 33. Some are as young as 11 to 14 years. Not to mention the children born to trafficked victims creating another generation that is being exploited. It's a terrible world.

Despite Murder of a Runaway being a fictional novel, it is very realistic on how this problem is portrayed and how it affects those who are caught up in that world.

Thankfully as terrible as the trafficking world is written, there are people like Sheehan and his team that fight it. As I mentioned before, these are the type of police officers that you wish would exist in real life, but don't always. They are good people who are truly protective of the innocent and immerse themselves fully in a case until it is solved and the guilty are punished.

The stand out is Andrew Jones, a coroner who between this and Murder by the Coven seems to be gaining a reputation as the Team Romantic. In both books, he becomes involved with a woman who plays an integral part of the investigation. In this book, he gets some cute moments where he dates Mingzhu's friend, Lin.

Often the side plot romance in a mystery ends badly or is a distraction from the main plot. But here there is enough charm between the couple, that this Reader couldn't help but hope that their relationship continues into future volumes.

Murder of a Runaway is not as good as Murder on the Dark Web but is miles better than Murder by the Coven. That is a marked improvement.

Weekly Reader: Murder By The Coven (A Belfast Murder Mystery Book 3) by Brian O'Hare; Supernatural Unnecessarily Brought In For Otherwise Thrilling Police Procedural Murder Mystery

 Weekly Reader: Murder By The Coven(A Belfast Murder Mystery Book 3) by Brian O'Hare; Supernatural Unnecessarily Brought In For Otherwise Thrilling Police Procedural Murder Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Granted, I have only read two books in Brian O'Hare's the Belfast Murder Mystery Series, so it's hard to tell which is the weird one: Murder by The Coven for openly involving the supernatural or Murder on the Dark Web which is a police procedural which does not. Judging by the description of the other three books in the series, Murder by The Coven is the most likely outlier. Because of that, it is nowhere near as powerful and graphic as Murder on the Dark Web.

Now don't get me wrong, I love supernatural mysteries. I love when the protagonist has psychic abilities along with massive powers of deduction in their arsenal. I love when "murder by dark magic" could logically be considered as a means for murder. I don't even mind when genres mix. However, in a long term series it has to do it from the beginning. To throw supernatural demonic influences on a mystery series which was fine being a typical police procedural with human murderers and pedophiles is jarring at best and sends mixed messages at worst.

Maybe I am particularly hard on Murder By The Coven because I loved reading Dark Web Murders so much. In fact it was one of my favorite mysteries that I read this year so the follow up was bound to be lacking in comparison. Murder on the Dark Web subverted the ideas of heroes and villains, good and bad, by making the murder victims reprehensible and guilty of crimes in which they were never caught nor charged because of their wealth and power. The murderer was victimized by these horrible people and seeks vengeance the only that they can. However, the fact that they take it too far and harm innocent people makes the murderer a bit hard to root for though understandable. The subversion is ever present and was what made The Dark Web Murders so great.

Murder by the Coven also has some of those same themes. When it explores that theme, it is very exciting and thrilling.

The prologue is set in 1995 and takes place during a terrifying ritual. A woman is brutally murdered in a sacrifice by a Satanic cult. The cult members are hooded and unidentified. Twenty one years later, an older couple is murdered. Meanwhile, Sheehan and his team investigate the skeleton of a woman that has been dead for over 20 years. After some investigating, the team learns that there is a connection among the skeleton, the couple's murders, and the Satanic coven which is alive and well.

Murder by the Coven is similar to Murder on the Dark Web which the rich and powerful's crimes are buried because of names and connections. Many people are left suffering in their wake and one seeks vengeance because of a lifetime of suffering from actions that have gone unpunished. Some of the murderer's actions are unconscionable and their overall personality is very different from the previous murderer of the Murder on the Dark Web. Many times they are just as cold blooded and methodical as the coven of Satanists. The Satanists created the circumstances in which the murderer acts and the murderer takes it to a higher level. The Satanists are the cause and the murderer is the effect.

There is some heart stopping suspense and a nice subplot involving coroner, Andrew Jones and Selena Carrington, a young woman involved in the investigation. When Murder by the Coven is set in the procedural world, it works.

That is how this book should be, unfortunately it isn't always like that. In the last book (and from reading the descriptions of the other books), faith is a strong theme throughout the series. Sheehan is a die-hard Catholic and in Belfast, the struggles between Catholics and Protestants are still present. In fact, the book is set against the backdrop of The Twelfth, an important day in Ulster history honoring William of Orange, the Protestant King of England. The Twelfth is still a day of contention between the Christian denominations in Northern Ireland. Sheehan and his team put their own religious divide and personal animosity to keep the peace. Faith and spirituality is important to the series but it has always been in the background until Murder by the Coven.

What doesn't work is that the book takes a hard left into the paranormal. One of the coven members invokes a demon to curse Sheehan and his crew. Suddenly,this awesome police force and their loved ones act like bickering and whining children accusing each other of infidelity, police corruption, and sloppy investigation tactics. If these were presented as legitimate concerns that the characters have had over the years that manifested itself into internal suspicion, petty bickering, or even joking asides or disagreements, it could be symptomatic of buried resentments now coming into focus because of a stressful case. But no, instead one minute they are acting as a team and the next they can't stand to be in the same room together. It takes the work of an exorcist to break the curse.

This subplot could have worked as a maybe magic maybe mundane situation where coincidences or hidden circumstances that could be attributed to otherworldly forces but it is so blatant here and seems to come from The Exorcist rather than a realistic crime drama.

This passage almost sends the book to an unnecessary detour into the supernatural. The Sheehan series seemed to exist in a regular real world where human beings sometimes did despicable hateful

things to other human beings. They didn't need demonic influences to act. Sometimes the darkest hearts can be with humanity itself and they get justly punished for their actions. Inserting paranormal forces into a series that didn't occur before is like throwing a dragon into Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series. It may shake things up and it was probably O'Hare's intention to do something different with this book. But it comes across as awkward and in this case contradicts messages from the other books.

Murder by the Coven seems to imply that the coven got where they were: rich, powerful, and corrupt because of their pact with Satan. It's the old "Devil Made Me Do It" defense that demonic influence, not human behavior, is the real enemy. So in this world if the Devil influences characters, does that work for the rest of the series? (I hope not. That club in Murder on the Dark Web are complete human a$#@_&es who definitely didn't deserve such an out.) Putting demons in a series that previously didn't have it removes the thought that ultimately humans are responsible for their actions for good or bad.

In a different book, the supernatural might have been an interesting addition to a crime drama series, but not in this one which operates and depends so much on real world issues and real world laws. Perhaps instead O'Hare could do a supernatural based series which directly involves such diabolic vs. angelic conflicts but not in a 

police procedural series and, volume in particular, which worked just as well without it.

Weekly Reader: Murder on the Dark Web (Belfast Murder Mystery Book 4) by Brian O'Hare; Dark and Sinister Murder Mystery Plays On Notions of Innocent and Guilty

 

Weekly Reader: Murder on the Dark Web (A Belfast Murder Mystery Book 4) by Brian O'Hare; Dark and Sinister Murder Mystery Plays On Notions of Innocent and Guilty

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: I will try not to reveal too much about this book, but one of the things that I like the most about it is somewhat tied to a huge spoiler so I will just say this review contains SOME MAJOR HEAVY DUTY SPOILERS!!!!

Murder on the Dark Web by Brian O'Hare is one of those types of murder mystery novels that completely subverts and flip flops the ideas of innocent and guilty and right and wrong. Not in some time have I detested a group of murder and blackmail victims more. Not in some time have I empathized, understood, and almost completely sided with the murderer more. It is only when the murderer takes things a step too far that the empathy ends.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team are called in when Judge Trevor Neeson is found murdered in his study. Sheehan's team are the usual brave good-hearted characters that you would find in most police procedural novels. 

Sheehan is the wise leader and father to his men (and woman) and has a happy home life. Sergeant Denise Stewart, Sheehan's partner, is the only woman on the team. She is dating one of the other detectives and has to deal with the other team members trying to protect her so-called "delicate femininity" and dismissing her because she's a woman. Detective Declan Connors and Malachy McBride are an odd pairk (Connors is middle aged, street smart, and surly, McBride is young, educated, and enthusiastic). The two care for each other and may be partners, more than just on the force. Sheehan's team are a great well-written bunch that help provide light in the darkness by protecting those in trouble and punishing the truly guilty.

At first Neeson's murder investigation seems routine. On the night that he died, he had a gathering of wealthy guests. While investigating the guests, each one insists that they were just talking about Brexit. Well, okay rich folks talking politics nothing wrong with that. Except every time that the group says the reason behind their meeting, they use the exact same words as though they were reciting them. They seem like they are covering up their real conversation.

The book alternates between Sheehan's team's investigation, the murderer, and Neeson's colleagues. The Reader is one step ahead of Sheehan's team through the entire book, so it becomes not so much a Whodunnit, but more of a when will they find out?

What the Reader learns is that Neeson's gathering had nothing to do with Brexit. Instead he was part of a secret organization called The Fulfillment for the Enlightened Club, a group of wealthy elites who meet to fulfill their sexual pleasures. The club consists of high society members such as judges, professors, stockholders, property moguls, socialites, and millionaires. One member even flies in from South Africa to fulfill their sexual pleasure.

It is the activities of this club that are detestable. The club meets and pays for various sadistic pleasures like items on a menu, literally. (Seriously, there is a menu that lists all the sexual escapades and how much the members can pay for them.) The sexual activities include making snuff films and having sex with children as young as three or four years old. (sickened yet?) Neeson and the others are a detestable decadent bunch that take delight in other victim's pain. Neeson and another judge, Adams, have acquired a reputation for bidding and fighting over the younger pretty boys and young men. 

The Club members are the sorts that are so comfortable with their wealth and status that they believe that they can get away with anything. This is probably why they make the same lame alibi. They play Sheehan's and his team just like their young victims. They have no shame, sorrow, remorse, and consider themselves above the law. The more the Reader gets to know these awful people, the more they want to see them taken down.

Sheehan and the other detectives aren't the only ones trailing the club. On the Dark Web, a character named Nemein has been leaving messages on his blog confessing to Neeson's murder and taking credit for other murders of club members. No one knows who he is except that he seems to be a well educated individual (he writes in the style of 19th century literature) and has a knowledge of the legal and judicial process. He claims that he is serving justice. This causes Sheehan and the other detectives to wonder who Nemein is and what is his connection to the Club. Is he a member or one of their victims?

What becomes clear is that Nemein has been hurt and is disgusted with the Club's actions. He is out for revenge about something personal and won't let the club's wealth and status be a barrier in his particular brand of justice. Much like other antagonists in other crime books that I read like Damien Linnane's Scarred or Karina Kantas' Lawless Justice, Nemein becomes understandable in his illegal activities. When Nemein reveals his connection to the club, his story is genuinely heartbreaking. The Reader can't help but feel for this character who once had love and showed kindness only to meet hurt and betrayal in the worst way.

What shifts our sympathies against Nemein is in the way he dispenses justice, especially against someone who was not a club member. He doesn't mind hurting innocent bystanders to make his point or forcing someone whose only crime was doing their job to make a sadistic choice. In his pursuit of justice, Nemein turns into the very monsters that he hated and upon whom he swore vengeance.

Murder on the Dark Web is a dark but gripping murder mystery. It shows us that sometimes the line between good and evil is not so defined. In fact, it can be quite blurry.