The 11:05 Murders (The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries Book 2)

The 11:05 Murders by Bryan O’Hare is the second book in a thriller series involving the character Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team of investigators for a police division called “Serious Crimes”. The setting is based in Northern Ireland and it is a thought provoking plus fun read for mystery lovers.

A tragic backstory, a gruesome murder, and the induction of female Sergeant Denise Stewart to Sheehan’s team is what begins this engaging story line.  A reader does not have to be familiar with the first book in the series in order to enjoy this novel, as it stands alone on its own very well.

The plot circulates around the mutilation and killing of a banker, named James Fitzpatrick, at exactly 11:05pm on a Tuesday. As Sheehan’s and his detectives begin to dig into the slain man’s backstory they quickly realize that there are many suspects and the strong potential of more victims being taken in the same violent manner.  A mobster claiming to have gone legit in his business dealings, plus two brothers who lost everything because Fitzpatrick called in a hefty business loan leaving them bankrupt are at the top of the suspect list. However, Fitzpatrick has a dark past and his misdeeds during his college days may have led to a young woman committing suicide, which is something Sgt. Stewart and her new team cannot disregard.

Sheehan is a great main character as he directs his investigators to sift through evidence and learn about the background of all involved in the case. He has strong intuition, and is also well admired by those under him in the department. One of Sheehan’s young detectives, named Tom Allen, finds himself falling for Sgt. Stewart in the course of the investigation which makes for a nice side-story. An ambitious prosecutor, some of Stewart’s old disgruntled colleagues, and a “can’t be rushed” coroner round out a large cast of memorable characters.

Fans of whodunits will enjoy this read. Also those that have ever watched and liked the now retired television show “The Closer” or its currently playing spin-off “Major Crimes” on TBS will want to read this book. It keeps a good pace and has enough mysteries happening to keep the reader constantly questioning who is guilty and who is innocent.

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This was an OnlineBookClub.org Book of the Day.