Borderlands [Paperback]

Brian McGilloway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0230020070 | ISBN-13: 978-0230020078 | Edition: Airside ed

The corpse of local teenager Angela Cashell is found on the Tyrone-Donegal border, between the North and South of Ireland, in an area known as the borderlands. Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin heads the investigation: the only clues are a gold ring placed on the girl's finger and an old photograph, left where she died. Then, another teenager is murdered, and things become further complicated when Devlin unearths a link between the recent killings and the disappearance of a prostitute twenty-five years earlier - a case in which he believes one of his own colleagues is implicated. As a thickening snow storm blurs the border between North and South, Devlin finds the distinction between right and wrong, vengeance and justice, and even police-officer and criminal becoming equally unclear. A dazzling and lyrical debut crime novel, "Borderlands" marks the beginning of a compelling new series featuring Inspector Benedict Devlin.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Borderlands" has me, dare I say, green with envy. It's rare I'm jealous of a debut novel but I'm ferociously so of this stunning work. Devlin, the main character of this new series, is going to join the ranks of Rebus, Resnick, Davenport, and Scudder as one of the reference points of character series. Not only is the writing a sheer blast of dark lyricism but the plot is utterly compulsive. Dammit,"" I muttered, it can't be this good, it is . . . and better. This is not only a wondrous addition to the growing canon of Irish mystery writing, it's a terrific bonus to mystery writing as a whole." ---Ken Bruen, author of "Once Were Cops
""Brian McGilloway's command of plot and assurance of language make it dif?cult to believe that "Borderlands" is his debut." ---"The Times" (UK)
"A mystery of labyrinthine complexity." ---"Sunday Telegraph" (UK)
"McGilloway evocatively describes the landscape of the border area . . . and captures small-town rural Ireland. Ben Devlin is an appealing character . . . and the supporting cast are well drawn." ---"Times Literary Supplement" (UK)
"Brian McGilloway is a name to keep in mind. He has written a taut, well-paced story with strong characters and an ingenious plot that seizes the reader's attention from page one and holds it to the last sentence." ---"Irish Independent
""McGilloway conveys a believable portrait of a real, troubled, and coping-as-best-they-can population in the new Ireland, with all its contradictions and complexities." ---"International Noir Fiction
""This is an impressive debut, the writing is tight, the plot is complex but well paced, the characters are well drawn...and the resolution was surprising."---"ReviewingTheEvidence.com
""A gripping thriller."---"The Irish News" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974, and teaches English at St Columb's College, Derry. Previously he has written plays and short stories. He lives near the Borderlands, with his wife and their two sons.

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan New Writing; Airside ed edition (April 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230020070
• ISBN-13: 978-0230020078
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. After studying English at Queen's University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb's College in Derry, where he is currently Head of English.

His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as 'one of (2007's) most impressive debuts.' The second novel in the series, Gallows Lane, was shortlisted for the 2009 Irish Book Awards/Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year. The new Devlin novel, The Rising, will be published this Spring in hardback in the UK, alongside the paperback of the third novel, Bleed A River Deep. The US edition of Bleed A River Deep will be available in Sept. 2010, published by Minotaur.

Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife and their three sons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beginning to this mystery series set in Ireland, March 3, 2009

By 

Cathy G. Cole (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Borderlands (Inspector Devlin Mystery 1) (Paperback)

The body of a young girl is found in the Borderlands, the area between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. The only clues found with the body are a ring and a photograph. The girl's father, a well-known petty criminal, is more hindrance than help in Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin's investigation. Suddenly Devlin isn't handling one case; he's handling three, as an elderly VIP in a local nursing home complains of an intruder in his room and the body of a young accounting student is discovered in the wreck of a burned out car. Do these cases somehow tie themselves together?

I didn't find all that much new under the sun as far as the plot of Borderlands was concerned, but there were elements that I did enjoy very much. The setting brought home how tricky things can still be along the border between the Irelands. I also enjoyed the character of Ben Devlin, a man of determination, compassion, and the ability to make mistakes...and learn from them.

What came shining through in this book to me was the overwhelming feeling of humanity and compassion. As Devlin stands beside the body of young Angela Cashell, he notices that "Snowflakes settled on her body as gently as kisses and did not melt." People are what matter to Ben Devlin. People are the reason he's a Garda inspector:

"While Kathleen Boyle wept, Long and I sat in that room, drank tea and did not speak. We could not leave her-- not as police officers, not as fellow human beings."

As compassionate as he is, Devlin is also a man of anger, and he understands how easy it can be for the police to do the wrong thing. Although Borderlands may not have much new in the way of plot, McGilloway has a talent for writing, for setting and for characterization.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful debut!, June 12, 2007

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Borderlands (Inspector Devlin Mystery 1) (Hardcover)

First Sentence: It was not beyond reason that Angela Cashell's final resting place should straddle the border.

When a body is found on the border between Northern and Southern Ireland, in an area known as the Borderlands, it is the identity of the victim that places the investigation in the hands of Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin. The investigation starts out looking for the killer based on events in the present. When a second body is found, the motive for the case turns to the past and the disappearance of a prostitute twenty-five years earlier.

This may be Brian McGilloway's first mystery, but I sincerely hope it won't be his last. Devlin is an interesting character. He's married with two small children and a dog and put into a realistic dilemma when faced with an old girlfriend. The story is very well plotted and definitely kept me interested all the way through. The story isn't set in a city, but in a rural area where the loss of livestock is a serious issue. It's a human story dealing with families and the sins of the fathers. One small note commending the publisher, it's also a physically nice book; printed and bound in China and includes--when is the last time you saw this?--a sewn-in bookmark. I enjoyed it, recommend it and eagerly await McGilloway's next book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crisp and suspenseful, March 22, 2009

By 

Catherine "L.B.L." (Iraan, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Borderlands (Inspector Devlin Mystery 1) (Paperback)

Other reviewers have summarized the setting and character elements. I read this because I greatly enjoyed Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus series, which is set in Scotland. I like my genre novels with a little extra thrown in, such as the possibility of learning about the customs and culture of another place. I am giving McGilloway high praise when I say I was not at all disappointed. The plot was crisp and moved quickly, and I felt compelled to read the whole book in less than 24 hours.