Death of an Irish Sea Wolf by Bartholomew Gill Review

Avon, Oct., 1997.
Paperback, 293 pages.
ISBN: 0380725789.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.

Death of an Irish Sea Wolf
by Bartholomew Gill

Peace has reigned on Clare Island, a remote community off the west coast of Ireland, for many years. Although the community is not wealthy, the inhabitants seem to do quite well. Whenever anyone is in dire straits - due to accident, illness or financial hardship -- the mysterious Clare Island Trust quietly cuts a check for the best medical care, an interest free loan or whatever is necessary. Though never openly discussed, all the Island knows that reclusive, kindly Clement Ford is the real owner of the Clare Island Trust although no one knows where Ford would have gotten the money to fund the philanthropic venture. One night, a mysterious figure from Ford's shadowy past appears on the Island. By morning, three people have been brutally murdered - including Ford's beautiful, blind wife - and Ford has disappeared. Chief Superintendent Peter McGarr, head of Ireland's Special Crimes Unit, and his crack staff from the Murder Squad arrive on the Island to determine what happened that night. They meet an Island full of hostile people loyal to the generous Ford and a seemingly impenetrable mystery shrouding Ford's past, involving violence, treachery and a missing Nazi treasure from World War II. This is the 12th novel in this series starring Superintendent McGarr and his staff.

Death of a Irish Sea Wolf is a fascinating, action-packed mystery that combines the excitement of an espionage thriller, lyrical descriptions of a wind-swept island in the North Sea and an intriguing slice of historical drama. The result is an extraordinary tale that transcends the ordinary police procedural which sometimes have a tendency to become a bit tedious as they bog down in the endless minutiae of routine investigation. There's no danger of that here, however. A rollicking good read.