Down on Cyprus Avenue

September 1, 2014
Irish author Charles (A Pleasure to Do Death with You) launches his new Brendy McCusker series with this twist-filled tale of betrayal and revenge. McCusker, a retired detective inspector and contract employee of the Belfast police, assists Det. Insp. Lily O’Carroll with the kidnapping case of two Internet entrepreneurs, brothers Ryan and Lawrence O’Neill. In addition, McCusker leads the investigation into the murder of 33-year-old Adam Whitlock, an American lawyer whose attacker nearly decapitated him. Suspects are initially difficult to find, but with the help of diligent Det. Sgt. Willie John Barr, McCusker uncovers secrets in Adam’s past—and his millionaire father’s—that could provide motive. The two crimes are tied together for an unexpected resolution. The banter between McCusker and O’Carroll, whose desperation to find a man leads to bad dates and philosophical musings, effectively acquaints readers with their backstories and struggles. Engaging secondary characters, such as Barr, and a hint of romance at the novel’s end are a plus.

October 15, 2014
The creator of DI Christy Kennedy (A Pleasure to Do Death with You, 2012, etc.) auditions a new police hero who isn't really a police officer at all. DI Brendy McCusker retired from the Portrush constabulary only to have his wife, Anna Stringer, run off with his nest egg and leave him behind. So now a temp agency has sent him to Belfast, where he's helping DI Lily O'Carroll and correcting everyone who calls him inspector. There are a lot of people to correct because McCusker's involved with two different cases. The first involves the disappearance of two 20-something brothers, Lawrence and Ryan O'Neill, whose mother, Polly, is certain they've been kidnapped and whose stepfather, James, is equally certain that O'Carroll and McCusker are trespassing in his home and need to leave. Not even a ransom demand changes James' mind, but it does get Polly to press him (never mind how) to plunk down 999,950 for the safe return of the brothers. In the meantime, McCusker's been saddled with a second case: the savage stabbing of Adam Whitlock, a young American solicitor who's been working for the law firm long associated with his wealthy father, Wesley Whitlock III. McCusker digs up plenty of suspects in the murder, but the most promising have alibis, and the others don't pan out. Eventually he's nagged by his memories of the O'Neill kidnapping, as most readers will be too, and unearths an audaciously inventive connection between the two crimes. Unevenly paced but continuously absorbing, with a nice rapport between the hero and heroine even though they clearly aren't destined to share a romantic relationship.

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October 15, 2014
The author of the Christy Kennedy mysteries starts up a new series with this story of kidnapping and murder in Belfast. The adult sons of a very wealthy man have been kidnapped; their father, who isn't exactly the most helpful or likable fella (he absolutely forbids his wife even to call the police about his missing sons), might possibly be a suspect in the case. Meanwhile, an American man working in Belfast is murdered. Brendy McCusker, who thought he'd happily retired from the police force until his wife took off with most of their money, is now back on the job, newly relocated to Belfast and paired up with a young partner, Lily O'Carroll, whose exuberance is a nice counterpoint to McCusker's world-weary temperament. Charles could have told this same story (with minor alterations) with Christy Kennedy, but introducing a new lead character and a new settingBelfast replacing Camden Towngives the book a real sense of freshness. Readers will definitely want to see more of Brendy McCusker.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)