THE DEATH OF AN IRISH LOVER [Paperback]

Bartholomew Gill (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Unknown (2000)
• ASIN: B0028Q6TH2
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, don't you know., June 19, 2000

By 

James E. Tenuto (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Death of an Irish Lover: An Inspector Peter Mcgarr Mystery (Hardcover)

Bartholomew Gill's latest Peter McGarr police procedural seems a wee bit strained. The plot has promise, a philandering member of the "eel police" is half of a double homicide, with a young, recently married co-worker sharing death's bed. Tim Tallon is the inn-keeper, and a childhood acquaintance of McGarr's; in fact, the playground bully. Hughie and Rut'ie are back to their old tricks. We have a whiff of the IRA. There are some ancient jokes told to polish the bona fides of raconteur Benny Carson. In all, the characters are going through the paces. Despite the tragedy you find it hard to muster sympathy. Despite the "humor" you find it hard to smile. Loose ends, gratuitous violence (in his mid-fifties, McGarr must prove he's still a tough guy), and an improbable ending by half. Gill has done an admirable job in keeping an ongoing series fresh and intersting, but he misses here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could be depressing for women, June 16, 2006

By 

Mystery Lover (Annapolis, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death of an Irish Lover: A Peter McGarr Mystery (Peter McGarr Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Death of an Irish Lover is a well-crafted mystery but reading it could prove to be a bit depressing for any woman over say, 35. In this mystery the hero, Peter McGarr, has a wife much younger, better looking, and wealthier than he is who simply adores him. The only other woman in the story the author casts as attractive to men is the younger, drug-addicted prostitute. All other women are unattractive by virtue of their age, desperation for a baby or desperation for a man or craziness. One of McGarr's employee's, Ruth, is supposedly so desperate for her ultra masculine co-worker Ward that she is willing to have his baby, live with him half time and share him with the mother of his other children! A good mystery but at the same time a male fantasy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Ireland the tourists never see--if they are lucky., August 28, 2001

By 

Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Death of an Irish Lover: A Peter McGarr Mystery (Peter McGarr Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Bartholomew Gill is an Irish writer of intriguing police procedurals which blend hard realism with romantic story-telling, set always in very confined settings, full of local color and local characters. The intricacies of eel-fishing on the River Shannon, and eel-poaching by IRA sympathizers, who sell the eels at high prices to finance IRA activity, are the offbeat sources of the realism and romance here.

When two members of the "eel-police" are found shot to death in bed, in what appears to be a slaying by a jealous husband, Detective Superintendent Peter McGarr and his motley assistants from Dublin are called in. As they investigate the killings in the seemingly idyllic town of Leixleap, the reader is exposed to the slippery underbelly of small town Irish life--the petty jealousies, the abusive liaisons, the manipulations of those clever enough to play "the system," the limited expectations of the young women, and the ties that bind everyone to a beautiful village which has few legitimate opportunities.

Ultimately, it's the characters which make the novel come truly alive. McGarr, his family, and his assistants are colorfully drawn, all with unique characteristics which make them memorable. His psychological acuity makes their behavior plausible, and the limited setting provides for much interaction among them and the townspeople. These interactions, not outside sources, lead to the complications which enliven the plot. Gill alternates pathos and humor to moderate the most violent scenes, and his depiction of a child caught unwittingly in the turmoil is especially affecting. This is an absorbing mystery and a welcome change of pace from urban thrillers--no less violent, but perhaps more affecting because its world is so small and its characters, so chummy. Mary Whipple