Prominent figures in Belfast are being murdered. The bodies are left naked and posed in grotesquely distorted shapes. No clues are left at the forensically immaculate crime scenes except odd theatrical props and some random numbers and letters concealed at each scene by the killer. How are the victims linked? What is the connection between these killings, the bible, and a famous mediaeval … painting of The Last Judgement?
The Doom Murders has been the recipient of three literary awards – The IDB Award in 2014; The New Apple Award, 2014, for Excellence in Independent Publishing; and the 2015 Readers’ Favourite International Book Awards (Bronze Medal Winner).
“The Chief Inspector, Jim Sheehan, is drawn so deftly and with such genuineness, you can feel him breathing.” (Eugene Fournier, novelist and screenwriter, film and TV)
“The most subtle of clues are intricately interwoven into the storyline, and even the most astute mystery buff is apt to miss them.” (Donna Cummins, Author of the Blacklick Valley Mystery Series)
“Incredibly addictive page turner.” (Meghan, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer)
“O’Hare leans toward the human side of his characters, imbuing them with a real world presence that is in turn witty and passionate.” (Roy.T James, for Readers’ Favourite)
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The Doom Murders by Brian O’Hare hooked me from the start. O’Hare’s concise and succinct writing carried the story along at a great pace.
A respected Bishop in Northern Ireland is killed in a gruesome manner and DCI Sheehan is called in to investigate.
Sheehan is immediately intrigued by the way the body is left naked and posed in a grotesquely distorted shape. There are no clues other than some small random items placed around the body and some concealed numbers. But what do they mean?
A second murder follows. Again the person is killed in a grotesque manner and displayed in a similar way as to the Bishop. Because there are similarities in the murders, Sheehan starts to look for connections between the two people.
By the time the third and fourth murders occur Sheehan is feeling desperate to find the murderer. There doesn’t seem to be any solid leads and he feels his men are going around in circles.
Sheehan starts to wonder if there is a religious connection and not just because the first death was an bishop.
Something has escaped Sheehan. He knows it but can’t think what. What is the connection between these killings and a famous mediaeval painting of The Last Judgement?
As they race to try and prevent the last murder it comes to Sheehan in a flash who the murderer is.
My thoughts
I have always liked murder mysteries whether they be the Cosy type or a little bit more hard-nosed. It was a pleasure reading this book and I enjoyed the fact it was set in Northern Ireland , a setting I hadn’t read before. The characters are all well written. DCI Sheenan is a complex character, with a sharp mind and good hunches, capable of running a busy incident room and leading complex cases, but then we see a different Sheenan when he meets Margaret. I enjoyed seeing a tongue tied sensitive man appear.
I highly recommend this book to people who like murder mysteries and crime dramas. Although the murders themselves are gruesome, details are not constantly repeated during the course of the book. I really couldn’t put this book down.
Five stars
Jim Sheehan is a good leader and a good detective. There was something about his character that I enjoyed too. The fact he suffered from sciatica endeared him to me all the more.
There is a serial killer on the loose, and it eventually becomes clear why the book is called The Doom Murders. The author Brian O’Hare lives in the perfect place for a backdrop. The Irish troubles in the seventies are alluded to, and the author knows exactly what he is talking about with being there at that time. He also understands what part religion played in and could adapt it to his story. The outcome is intriguing and a page-turner.
Although I really enjoyed the story and will read the next one so I can get to know Sheehan better, I got a bit lost in the religious detail and glazed over slightly. Having said that, I understand this, it also gives the story strength. Personally, I liked the romance where Sheehan meets a woman at the scene of one of the murders, and they are both a little rusty when it comes to dating. It was quite endearing.
A good all-round story and one of Crimson Cloak Publishing’s talented authors.Brian O’Hare
When you think of the word Doom, what do you generally think of? It was a shocking discovery, to find out exactly what this reference was to! We had to research the terminology to find out more after reading this first installment of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries. We won’t say anymore because it is a fascinating concept and O’Hare really draws readers into his first book, called The Doom Murders, with the magnitude of this mystery!
Inspector Sheehan has been tasked with solving the case of a murdered Belfast Bishop who has been left naked and mutilated. At first, what appears to be somewhat of a dead end, Sheehan begins to find little clues like a series of letters and numbers etched into the Bishop’s desk and unnecessary objects staged around the body that didn’t contribute to the Bishop’s death in any way. Full understanding dawns on Sheehan as another body with the same pattern, naked and bodily distortion, appears within the next week. Inspector Sheehan is dealing with a killer who has something to say; this killer is very methodical in the way these bodies are laid out and when the third prominent figure makes headway in the news with the same motive apparent, not only is the press breathing down his neck but so too are his superiors. With suspicion rising in the back of Sheehan’s subconscious, he is forced to step back and look at everyone as a suspect, even those who he trusts the most may have something to hide.
O’Hare has a superb story-line, filled with creativity, historical elements, and originality. The Doom Murders has been the recipient of three literary awards and we now know why! The concepts and the plotting are fantastic and will leave the reader with the urge to dive into the next in the series. The pace is quick and steady from the beginning and carries through the entirety of the story. O’Hare provides an urgency to solve the case as every week finds a new disturbingly grotesque body awaiting the Inspector’s eyes. The scenes are vivid for the imagination and characters are credible. This is the first installment in the Inspector Sheehan Mysteries, so readers can jump right in. If you are interested in mysteries, crime fiction, and police procedure, this may be a perfect fit. Fair warning, once you plunge into this novel, you may find yourself picking up the rest of the series soon after.
An older version of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by the author and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating for The Doom Murders by Brian O’Hare.