A Great Day For Dying [Mass Market Paperback]

Jonathan Harrington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

Saints and sinners.

An assassin wearing a leprechaun mask guns down the grand marshal of New York's St. Patrick's Day parade, and it's Danny O'Flaherty's Irish luck to be the only witness. The victim -- brash, inflammatory journalist Fintan Conway -- had many enemies, but when police accuse Danny's friend and IRA activist Brendan Grady, Danny is determined, despite Grady's refusal of help, to prove his innocence.

While juggling teaching at an inner city high school, romance with feisty Irish beauty Fidelma Muldoon and threats that go beyond politics into the world of hard drugs and danger, Danny uncovers some shocking truths about Conway, Grady and the thin line between ethnic loyalties and greed. It is a line that reaches back to his own past, to a woman he once loved and the caprices of fate that can both bless and shatter our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For a third-time charm, Harrington moves from Ireland to New York for another Danny O'Flaherty mystery (following The Death of Cousin Rose and The Second Sorrowful Mystery), adding bits of Irish folklore and ancient history and demystifying current Irish politics in the process. And what better time for an Irish mystery than St. Patrick's Day, with the victim none other than the parade's grand marshall, Fintan Conway? An iconoclastic columnist for the New York Voice, Conway has made plenty of enemies over the years with contrary positions. As grand marshall, he has managed to insult every group imaginable, from the Gay Irish & Lesbian Alliance and abortion rights advocates to IRA "thugs" and Loyalist paramilitary "scum." Danny and his Irish girlfriend, Fidelma Muldoon, who are near witnesses to Conway's collapse as the parade moves by, are later shocked to learn that a friend of theirs from Ireland, Brendan Grady, has been charged with the killing. Although Brady rejects their offer of help and won't explain why, Fidelma insists that Danny step in to do what he can. An inner city schoolteacher, Danny manages to squeeze enough time from his daily routine to do a little research into Conway's past and poke his nose into the police investigation. Despite a weak plot and little suspense, the congenial characters and Irish theme, coupled with a release pegged close to St. Patrick's Day, may give the book a boost. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Teacher/sleuth Danny O'Flaherty (The Death of Cousin Rose), now back at his job in New York City, and illegal immigrant/ girlfriend Fidelma witness the murder of opinionated Irish American journalist Fintan Conway. Police arrest their secretive Irish friend Brendan for the murder, so Danny investigates. Suspects include the Conways' estranged gay son, a "dork brain" Celtic-rock musician, an "other" woman made rich by Conway's will, numerous Irish political extremists, and perhaps the police themselves. Harrington's prose may be overly methodical and unconvincing at times, but series fans should appreciate the plot. For larger collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Worldwide Library (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373264135
• ISBN-13: 978-0373264131
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,366,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast, Fierce and Funny, April 29, 2001

By 

Charles Holdefer (France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Great Day for Dying (Hardcover)

A first-rate novel here, from all angles. The mystery story twists and turns engagingly. This time Danny O'Flaherty is back in New York, and it's not in wannabe hip circles downtown but far uptown above 200th Street where the work is tough and the people live in fear of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Harrington moves with authority from the complications of a Dominican neighborhood to the internecine strife of the Irish community. And along the way he offers incisive and often funny characters - Detective Washington, Mr. Zhang, surly Ian Masters, and above all, the opinionated Fintan Conway who, even dead, is larger than life. These creations linger in the mind long after the story is over. The climax is a fitting mix of resolution and tragedy, with a promise of romance to come. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read It In One Day!, March 21, 2001

By 

Patti Biringer (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Great Day for Dying (Hardcover)

A GREAT DAY FOR DYING Jonathan Harrington

A Great Day for Dying is a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable mystery. In Harrington's two previous books Danny O'Flaherty solved murders while teaching in the quaint, Irish town of Ballycara. In the third book in the Danny O'Flaherty series, A Great Day For Dying, the tone changes somewhat as Danny returns to his job teaching in an inner-city high school in New York. His girlfriend from Ballycara, Fidelma Muldoon, has also come to New York and wants to go to the infamous St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. Danny hates the parade, believing it is more about politics than Irish pride, but eventually agrees to go. Finton Conway, the Grand Marshall of the parade, is killed right in front of them and Danny is an eyewitness. Clues seem to point to another Ballycara resident and friend, Brendan Grady, who may be mixed up with the IRA. Danny is determined to prove his friend innocent, although Brendan makes it clear he does not want Danny's help.

A Great Day For Dying is spiked with enough Irish history and politics to peak my interest without overwhelming me. I am Irish American and learned more about my ancestry.

The characters in the Danny O'Flaherty series are growing and maturing as the series continues. I really enjoyed A Great Day for Dying, and recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Day--Great Book!!, March 17, 2001

By 

Austin Layman (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Great Day for Dying (Hardcover)

Mystery connoisseurs who have not discovered Jonathan Harrington's Danny O'Flaherty series will be delighted to do so. O'Flaherty--New York City Irish--after the death of his father, visits Ireland to research his roots. Ultimately, this protag finds himself investigating two seemingly unplumbable mysteries in, The Death of Cousin Rose and the Second Sorrowful Mystery. Harrington's latest mystery novel, A Great Day for Dying, is anything but small town. Back in New York City O'Flaherty resumes his role as a tough but fair inner-city high school teacher. While attending a St. Patrick's Day parade the controversial Grand Marshal, Fintan Conway--whose enemies stretch from the IRA to the Papacy to Miami drug traffickers--takes to the chest, three bullets from a masked assassin and is left for dead. O'Flaherty, witness to the events, soon finds himself unraveling the mystery behind the shooting at the urging of his fiancee, Fidelma Muldoon. Muldoon is a modern day Maureen O'Hara equal to her beauty, spirit, and individuality. Harrington knows the mystery genre well and it's obvious that he demands of himself taut writing, swift pace, bushels of humor, Irish wit, and above all, fairplay plotting. There's no sorcery in O'Flaherty's conclusions and there are no wasted tributaries on the road to culpability. A Great Day for Dying also introduces Detective George Washington. A seasoned, New York City cop--McCoy from the get go. readers may at first feel uncomfortable with the author's "George Washington" device, but much like Arthur Upfield's shamus, Napolean Bonaparte--"Boney" to friends--Washington quickly emerges as a keeper. He could easily carry a series on his own. In a Great Day for Dying Danny O'Flaherty and his world around him develop wonderfully. An excellent, swift, and satisfying read. --Andrew McAleer is the editor of Crimestalker Casebook and the author of Appearance of Counsel.