FALLEN MEN by Brian O’Hare

Reviewed by G.J. Griffiths

It was amazing: Five Stars

I will admit to feelings of dismay and reluctance when I first began to read this book. The acknowledgements and the prologue indicated that it was to be about a young Catholic priest in Ireland. While I always attempt to remain neutral and objective in my reviews of books, I find that also being honest will often lend itself to accumulate too much cynicism when I’m reading books about religion, particularly books containing too much religiosity. Thankfully, Brian O’Hare’s novel was gripping from the first few pages and so well written, with balance and tactful insight, that I was able to retain my respect for another person’s religious beliefs while entering the curious world of Irish Catholicism.

Fallen Men is an excellent novel about the fragility and emotions of real people. It is a story about a priest, Ray Canavan, who makes a serious mistake when he becomes involved with Maria, a young student from a local girls’ school. She reminds him strongly about Karen, the woman he could have married had he not become devoted to God and the Church. There is much in Ray’s past life to discover and explain about his intense feelings of guilt, his vulnerability as a sensitive human being, and his apparent human frailty at a deeply emotional time in his life.

The reader is easily swayed between condemning Ray one moment, as the responsible adult, and the next sympathising with his inner child, with heart-felt sadness. There are several serious issues discussed and considered in the novel, such as abuse, abortion, and faith, notwithstanding the intricacies of certain aspects of Irish Law. We are present during several court scenes and witness various conflicts between an individual’s duty to God, the Church and one’s humanity. Each of these concepts is handled so well by the author, within such beautiful dialogue and description that I was often left in awe, so full of admiration was I for the writing on the pages before me. Ray’s close friends, Dan and Tony, as well as Maria and Mrs Toner, the housekeeper are all characters well-drawn and easily identifiable.

I would never, ever, have thought beforehand that a book tackling the religious issues in this novel could make me stick with it so intensely. It is a page-turner in the highest sense of the word and for me rates alongside books by Orwell, Dickens, Angelou, Steinbeck and Harper Lee etc. Highly recommended

 

IS WOKERY STULTIFYING ART?

I am a writer. I write fiction and non-fiction. Very few people have ever heard of me.  I used to think that was a bad thing.  Now I’m not so sure. At least, because I am relatively unknown, I do not have to suffer the malignant intensity of the wokerati minutely examining my every dot and comma for transgression against their unforgiving ideology.

For the past year or so, I have found myself constantly chagrined by the extent to which the tyranny of political correctness is infiltrating every stratum of society -  universities, schools, the theatre, the cinema, journalism, sports, literature. Nothing and no one is safe from their fanatical scrutiny. The irony is that the woke brigade scream stridently their aim in life is to ensure equality of opportunity and freedom of expression for all groups in society, yet it has become increasingly clear that this equality is only for those who agree one hundred percent with their views. Those who disagree are castigated, hounded and ultimately cancelled. JK Rowling, after reading an article which was sprinkled with numerous repetitions of the awkward and inelegant phrase, ‘people who menstruate’, had the temerity to tweet that she recalled the use of a simpler, much more precise word to describe this societal grouping – women. Howls of outrage, even death threats, followed that perfectly sensible comment.  She was, of course ‘cancelled’, even by those three mindless ingrates, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who made millions on the back of Rowling’s talent.

I recently had my own, very minor, skirmish with a ‘woke’ reviewer. My most recent novel deals with human trafficking and a key character is an evil gang-lord who happens to have come from China. One of the detectives investigating this personage referred to him during a conversation as, ‘the Chinaman.’ This was in dialogue, I point out again, not part of my narration. I have always been of the opinion that the truth of dialogue in real life is that it is intrinsically careless. Should characters in a story operate by different rules? Apparently they should, says this reviewer. I was vociferously berated for my inherent racism and was awarded one star for my book. The reviewer went on to point out that I got ‘one star’ only because there was no facility to award ‘no stars’. (In the interest of balance, I should note that of the hundred plus reviews for this book from countries as far apart as the USA, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, almost 80% are five stars. Just sayin’.)

The rot is everywhere. Almost every aspect of art must now be seen through the prisms of gender diversity, white privilege, left-leaning ideology ... etc., etc., etc. One of Hollywood’s most cherished traditions is the knockabout think tank where a group of writers will sit in a room tossing out all sorts of wild and idiotic ideas. It is banter, it is fun, but it is also serious and invariably some great ideas come from it. Now I read of one writer who says, “I sit there now and am afraid to open my mouth. These brainstorms have become potential death-traps for the politically incorrect where loose talk can cost careers.” Shades of 1984! The thought police are everywhere and they are determined to reshape society into their own image and likeness.

Even the great classics of literature are under attack at schools and at universities. The most glaring example I have come across is the ‘cancelling’ of To Kill a Mockingbird because of its institutional racism. Good heavens! When we studied this wonderful book during my schooldays, my entire class were made fully aware that the book’s central message was about the evil injustices of racism. But logic seems to hold no sway with the wokerati.  Even university lecturers are writing ridiculous triggers about Shakespeare and other great classics. Students about to read Kidnapped, for example, are warned that the book may contain ‘episodes of abduction’.  I despair!

So, what now for writers? When we write, must we forever write with one eye on equality and diversity? Must our characters be fully representative of different races, the LGBTQIA spectrum, and the extreme views of the Left? Must our dialogues be whitewashed of all human foible and become bland vehicles for political correctness? Many movies and series on TV have become so woke-conscious, so inclusive, pushing so many agendas, that they have become unwatchable.  Are novels to head that way, too? 

 I think I'll just go on doing what I'm doing and risk the wrath of the woke.

 

THE BEST OF THE BEST TOP 20

Today I received an email from blogger and reviewer, JULIE SARA PORTER, BOOKWORM REVIEWS,  telling me that The Dark Web Murders, the fourth volume of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteeries series, was No. 6 in her Top 20 of The Best of The Best books she has read and reviewed duringn2021.

Julie says:

This disturbing murder mystery subverts the notions of good and evil, right and wrong, innocent and guilty. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his colleagues investigate the murders of members of an affluent club. However, what starts out as a typical murder investigation turns far worse as the Reader learns the real motives of the club. They are a truly horrible depraved bunch that hurt others, particularly children, without a thought and the murderer was someone who had been hurt by them. The backstory about the Club makes it easy to understand and sympathize with why someone would want to stop them in any way possible.

 

 

 

ONLINE BOOK REVIEW of THE TRAFFICKING MURDERS

by Lunastella » 28 Oct 2021, 18:49

The discovery of the murdered body of a young woman on a wealthy homeowner's lawn sends Inspector Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit following an intricate thread of clues and red herrings. The investigation begins to unveil the harrowing realities of a human trafficking net in Northern Ireland, apparently led by a mysterious figure only known as “The Shadow”. How does this relate to Alina, a beautiful young Romanian woman who was recently offered a life-saving job opportunity in Belfast? Or to Lin Hui, a brilliant student at Queen’s University? Will the ominous threat “Cross The Shadow; become a shade” ring true? The Trafficking Murders by Brian O’Hare follows a Belfast detective team in their job to bring human traffickers to justice, as well as their persecution of different suspects, some of them seemingly respectable citizens, involved in this macabre network.


The stellar feature of this novel is how well it handles racial and cultural issues. The novel mainly deals with Romanian, Chinese and Irish cultures. While the author acknowledges racism, because this is a reality, and he even portrays some minor mistakes we could all make when engaging with people from other cultures, he never condones these behaviors. Moreover, he doesn’t label one culture as the “good guys” and the other ones as “the bad guys” as we often see in other novels. Every single nuance he added comes to show the reader that there’s good and evil in every culture and that it is our actions and not our race that unites us or separates us.


The psychological realities that a horrible crime like human trafficking entails are correctly portrayed, without drawing upon shock value, but without diminishing the diverse facets of suffering (blame, fear, learned helplessness) that victims experience. Likewise, Brian O’Hare explores other usually overlooked aspects of human trafficking, such as tricks and grooming.


Another exceptional feature of the novel is the diversity of the cast of characters. I especially love Sergeant Denise Stewart who is a strong and unstoppable woman, and Dr. Jones, who shows that men can be sensitive too. Mr. O’Hare creates such compelling characters that I still remembered most of them from a previous installment of The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series, which I read in 2019.


Perfect pacing is the cherry on top of this brilliant novel. The book opens with a bang and keeps the reader on their toes, without a single boring moment or predictable incidents.


Brian O’Hare sheds a light on a grim reality with this perfectly executed thriller. The novel has unforgettable characters, heart-pounding pacing, and an unpredictable plot while keeping a balance between sensitivity and reality.


This is a perfect novel for anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers, who is interested in the realities of human trafficking, in the psychology of violence victims, or in learning the intricacies of police work. However, I would not recommend it to readers who lack the patience for a numerous cast of characters. This, and the many acronyms used, can be confusing at the beginning, even if the author kindly provided a list. Readers who prefer the “Sherlock Scan” trope where the lead detective solves everything just by superhuman observational skills could feel frustrated by the realities of the tiresome police job (multiple interviews, toxicology reports, and other minutiae) portrayed in this novel. Finally, readers who are especially sensitive to violence and rape might want to reconsider reading the novel, though these topics are not detailed explicitly.

Now Published

ANGEL OF DEATH

Alina Balauru departs a poor farm in Romania for well paid work in Northern Ireland. Lin Hui and Cheung Mingzhu have won scholarships from Shenzhen University in China to study at Queen’s University in Belfast. Three lives harbouring long-cherished dreams. Three lives headed for tragedy.

Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit, discover the body of a beautiful Chinese girl in the garden of an upmarket residence. Confronted with violent Chinese racketeers, brutal people-traffickers and a fiendishly clever killer, they are baffled by a case that seems to lead in two entirely different directions. They learn about the three victimised young women. One has already been murdered. Can they find out who The Shadow is in time to save the other two?



This was certainly a dark but brilliantly written book that kept me gripped from beginning to end. [Samantha Wells Amazon Reviewer]

Someday we will speak of Brian O'Hare in the same breath as other great crime novelists, such as Michael Connelly, James Ellroy, and Jo Nesbo. [Laurent Duperval Amazon Reviewer]

The characters' emotions are visceral and real, and as the reader it's impossible not to respond to that. That is amazing writing! [Shannon Matheny (Amazon Reviewer)]

Although it is a work of fiction, it provides us with a powerful reminder of what everyday life is like for some people, even today. One of my favourite police procedural series. [Olga Miret, Ph. D, M.Sc (Criminology) Author and Blogger.]

SERENDIPITY

A chance encounter with an internet post from Babelcube came at a time when a Spanish lady asked me to consider translating my book, The Miracle Ship, into Spanish. Had either event occurred at separate times, I probably might have ignored both. The serendipitous nature of the two event s, however, made me stop and think.

Babelcube brings authors and translators together and arranges to have the resultant translations made available on many different sales outlets. And the beauty of the arrangement is that everyone relies on royalties to pay all expenses. There are no upfront costs. Having nothing to lose, I followed Babelcube's instructions and was soon able to take the photograph below of two books that now sit side by side on my study shelves.





Encouraged by this, I am now working with a pleasant and highly qualified Italian gentleman who is undertaking to translate my Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series into Italian. Who'd have thought this would ever be possible?

This review was posted yesterday on the Online Book Club Website

5 Stars

Brian O’Hare’s Dark Web Murders is as exceptionally thrilling as his initial three novels in his murder mysteries series. The plots are all incredibly diverse and imaginative, and O’Hare offers the perfect amount of detail for reader imagery, but not too much as to overwhelm the readers. The 11:05 Murders, I will say, contains the least amount gore among the works, but they are all written with a tasteful amount of detail.Dark Web Murders plays on religion enough that I should mention it, but it is nothing compared to the Satanist characters involved his last work The Coven Murders. The mention of religion is not obscene or repeated enough to cause anyone to overlook this piece of fiction on that basis alone. However, this work does, in its entirety, involve and revolve around sexual deviancy. Homosexuality is a major theme explored in the work, but nothing that should prevent readers leery of such topics from enjoying this literary puzzle. The sex crimes mentioned in this book, however, may be a red flag for those sensitive to rape, pedophilia, or abuse. As mentioned previously, O’Hare leaves much to the imagination while still painting a relatively good picture for his audience. Furthermore, the sadistic nature of O’Hare’s criminals is not for the faint-hearted, so this murder mystery series is definitely directed towards a mature audience of literary intellect privy to solving murder scenarios similar to those witnessed on famous crime shows such as CSI.Dark Web Murders encompasses Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team as they work to uncover the identity of a psychotic serial killer with an affinity for police truncheons. This thrilling tale is unique to the previous novels in the series because the murderer leaves the reader clues to solve the case in the form of blog posts on the dark web. The imaginative nature of this novel leaves me in utter awe at O’Hare’s talent as an author. This is the first novel in the series that I have come close to solving before the intuitive Chief Sheehan, and I hope to finally beat him at his own game in the next installment.

The characters develop even more in this novel and we get a sneak peek into the romance of Tom and Denise, a romance I enjoyed reading about in The 11:05 Murders. This book is strictly about the case, so readers looking for a romantic side story may be misled by O’Hare’s second installment of the series, but, with another addition to the series in the works, there is no predicting where O’Hare decides to go next with his well-written characters.

The aspect I like most about this book is O’Hare’s consistency in initially giving a glimpse of a seemingly unrelated crime that the audience is left to tie into the story. The idea to include ciphering and codes in this novel was also exciting, and I was surprised that I could not figure it out before the characters did! There were no aspects to this novel that I disliked; while I would have enjoyed more character development in Denise Stewart, I realize the intent of the series is focused on the mind-boggling clues that the reader, along with Sheehan’s men, must decipher.

Incredibly well edited, O’Hare creates a seamless environment for the reader to be immersed, and I have come to realize that starting one of his novels on a busy day is never a good idea because I am never able to put it down! Once again, I have solved a murder in just two days! If only results were that fast in real crime-fighting.

I rate Dark Web Murders by Brian O’Hare a 4/4 for providing another amazing puzzle that never fails to baffle. The previous works of this series have been phenomenal, so this novel had high expectations to meet. O’Hare has once again knocked it out of the park! I should mention though, that the Northern Ireland setting includes language that is unnatural to myself, being an American, but this did not deter me in the slightest or hinder my reading experience in the least. I recommend this book to all avid readers who enjoy a puzzle just as much as they enjoy working with the detectives in realistic fiction television series.

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Murders-Inspector-Sheehan-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NYH1FK4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12JO6TRPMY7WZ&dchild=1&keywords=the+dark+web+murders+by+brian+o%27hare&qid=1587488347&sprefix=the+dark+web+mu%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-1