Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Priest by Gerard O'Donovan

He only got involved because he could speak Spanish...


Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, will be publishing this book in March.  They graciously allowed me to read an eGalley for review (thank you).


The Inspector grew up in Ireland, but had just returned from Madrid, Spain.  He's in the drug enforcement unit and between major assignments at the moment.


When a Spanish teenage girl is sexually assaulted in Dublin, he's called in to translate.  It doesn't take long until he's caught up in the case.  Originally he's to be the liaison between the police and the Spanish Embassy.  But when the girl is snatched from the hospital and whisked back home with no warning, Inspector Mulcahy finds himself in a predicament.


And when another girl is hideously disfigured in the same way and almost dies, the investigation steps up its efforts to find the rapist.


It's a well-done tale of cat and mouse with various subplots and a taste of romance thrown in.  The evil in this book is palpable and the motivation for the sexual assaults is unknown.


The author does a very good job of setting the mood regarding life in Ireland vs. Spain.  He also gives you an insider's look at the political world of the Garda and the minor and major spats they have internally.


This is the author's first book and there will be more in this series.  That's good because he has created a fascinating complex character that is still evolving and I'd like to read more about him.


Watch for this book next month and grab a copy at your local bookstore.

1 comment:

SusanB said...

This one is certainly going on my tbr list! Thanks for the review.
SusanB

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