Book 4, in the Nora Gavin series
As in the previous installment “The Book of Killowen” is born from events and figures from Ireland’s rich past and mysterious present. The author’s vivid imagination has added to her historical mystery a tad of science and a wonderful murder caper to captivate us.
Nora Gavin, her protagonist is a forensic pathologist who has found a new life in Ireland with her lover, archaeologist Cormac Maguire. They are called to investigate murders rooted deep in Irish history, often involving ancient bodies found in bogs.
This story begins as each of the previous books did, with an archaeological discovery. The inspiration came from real life experience when in 2006 a heavy machinery operator digging in the bog in the County of Tipperary spotted a leather bound book. With this in mind Ms. Hart spun a fascinating tale.
Nora and Cormac are sent to Killowen to investigate a ninth century body found in the trunk of a car submerge in the bog. Pinned under him was the body of Benedict Kavanagh, the missing pop philosopher who is known to tear apart rivals on his television debates.
While on the case, Cormac and Nora lodge at a nearby artists’ colony, organic farm, and sanctuary for eccentric souls. … Working parallel with local detective Stella Cusack, they soon discover that the people there have a lot of secrets…
The story is told from a different point of view weaving the past and the present together in different chapters. It is a richly layered creation, an entertaining mix of forensic, archeology and history that teases with hints and slowly reveals its dark secrets. This story is character driven and there are a number of them to keep track of. The author has crafted a wonderful glimpse into the world of monasteries and ancient manuscripts and once again has provided a texture and multifaceted plot that held my attention from beginning to end. The author doesn't linger on background stories so I highly suggest starting with “The Haunted Ground”, the first installment, in order to fully comprehend and enjoy this series
This is definitely a unique story with apparently lots of humour well I guess I have a lousy sense of it. I was not able to grasp the essence of the story, where it was leading to and simply thought it was due to poor writing (too much slang) and a lousy plot, well apparently I am totally out in the left field since many have expressed the opposite. This Bonny and Clyde à la 21st century was not able to tickle my fancy in the first few pages and upheld my full attention subsequently, although I did manage with great patience to read it to the last page hoping everything will gel eventually, it never did. In retrospect, this romantic western crime comedy was without any doubt not meant for me I should have read between lines and paid more attention to the synopsis before tackling it.
Let me be fair to the writer, he is after all a professional writer with a fertile imagination and great capability to simulate particular accents, those who can understand the nuance will most likely enjoy it. This book is a crime lite set in Texas and features lovebirds doing just fine shooting up South Texas and making hair-rising getaway and eventually getting over their head with real robbers and crooked politicians, mixed up with an embezzler nerd, a grizzled bounty hunter, wild bikers, etc. This is a caper like you never read before narrated in a southern drawl with plenty of local slang. It has unique twists along the way and cock-eyed romance to entertain. Some may find the writing to be rich and spunky and have amazing characterization unfortunately I fail to see this….. Well my lost.
This thriller/mystery may be Simon Kernick’s second novel but far from the second one I have read through the years. I am just catching up with his repertoire. In fact, I have highly recommended his novels in the past and I have a sneaking impression I will do so for many more years, yes I admit being a huge fan….
“The Murder Exchange” is a gritty exploration of London’s underworld. The engaging plot is cleverly written, has a touch of humour to it and provides numerous twists to keep us tuned in and flipping pages. Told from the points of view of its two lead characters and in alternate chapters, this dual narrative delivers an interesting contrast and proves to be an excellent way of building the tension, albeit confusing at first. Mid-way through the book the action really kicks off and the reading gets exciting, though some twists seem rather far-fetched and some scenes have plenty of violence. Mr. Kernick’s books are known to be fast paced and for pulling the readers in a matter of a few chapters, this one is no exception. We have a wide scope of characters all intricate in their own way and surprising brief appearance from recurring ones (or maybe they appeared in later books).This novel is another excellent read hard to put down.
Book 4, in the Nora Gavin series
