All Souls: An Inspector Matt Minogue Mystery [Paperback]

John Brady (Author)

Book Description

Series: Inspector Matt Minogue Mystery | Publication Date: June 2002

When Inspector Matt Minogue returns to his hometown in County Clare, a brilliant but radical IRA lawyer convinces him to reopen the case of Jamesy Bourke, a convicted arsonist and murderer recently released from prison. What Minogue doesn’t suspect is that the investigation will threaten his own life as he uncovers tangled motives, bitter emotions, and dark secrets. “Brady’s writing is masterly and moving.” — Booklist

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Steerforth Press (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586420437
• ISBN-13: 978-1586420437
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,362,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Irish Novel, December 11, 2010

By 

Eric C. Welch (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: All Souls: An Inspector Matt Minogue Mystery (Paperback)

Excellent police procedural that takes place in and around Dublin and the Burren, a rocky land in the west of Ireland. Inspector Matt Minogue describes it this way: " Not enough earth to bury a man. Not enough timber to hang him. Not enough water to drown him." Yet the monks who founded Corcomroe Abbey in the 12th century blessed it, "Holy Mary of the fertile rock."

Matt, who was raised in the area on a farm he has few ties but family to, is called back by his family to look into his nephew's legal problems. The book, which was written in 1992,, reveals the fractures of Ireland and the tension between rural and city, that, I suppose, exists just about everywhere. Eoin, Matt's nephew, proclaims, "T'was the country people brought us our freedom in `21. The people of Clare and plenty more that won our land back from the landlords in Parnell's day. We took pikes in our hands when we had no guns. We deserve every blade of grass that's under our feet."

Ostensibly on holiday, Matt's investigation into the trial and sentencing of Jamey Bourke. Bourke had set fire to his girlfriend's house hoping she would run out into his arms. Instead she was trapped and died. Supposedly on medication, Bourke has been released, but he has his own agenda. Matt's investigation is hampered by the attempted suicide of his sergeant and the conflict between The Garda Commissioner Tynan, the local Garda Superintendent, Tom Russell, and Minogues boss Kilmartin on the national murder squad. Each has his own reasons for wanting the other to wind up with mud on his face and Minogue's quasi-investigation into the shotgun death of Bourke by a German national wanting to buy up local land bring tourism to the area. Then there are the tensions caused by an IRA arms clash and the desire of the local superintendent to ask for "new commando type outfits to patrol the place. The ones trained to eat their children and run through walls with their heads." It doesn't help that Eoin is suspected of IRA sympathies. (Remember this was written in 1990 or so.) The investigation soon becomes intertwined with an IRA plot and police corruption. A very Irish book.

Some lovely Irish words and pronunciations: iijit, bejasus, smucking fart.