Borderlands

Inspector Devlin #1

by Brian McGilloway

'Brian McGilloway's command of plot and assurance of language make it difficult to believe that Borderlands is his debut.' - "The Times". 'A mystery of labyrinthine complexity' - "Sunday Telegraph". The corpse of local teenager Angela Cashell is found on the Tyrone- Donegal border, between the North and South of Ireland, in an area known as the borderlands. Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin heads the the only clues are a gold ring placed on the girl's finger and an old photograph, left where she died. Then another teenager is murdered, and things become further complicated when Devlin unearths a link between the recent killings and the disappearance of a prostitute twenty-five years earlier a case in which he believes one of his own colleagues is implicated. As a thickening snow storm blurs the border between North and South, Devlin finds the distinction between right and wrong, vengeance and justice, and even police-officer and criminal becoming equally unclear. This is a dazzling and lyrical debut crime novel, "Borderlands" marks the beginning of a compelling new series featuring Inspector Benedict Devlin.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Ireland, Fiction, Irish Literature, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

229 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Brian McGilloway is an author hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. He studied English at Queens University Belfast, where he was very active in student theatre, winning a prestigious national Irish Student Drama Association award for theatrical lighting design in 1996. He is currently Head of English at St. Columb's College, Derry. McGilloway's debut novel was a crime thriller called Borderlands. Borderlands was shortlisted for a Crime Writers' Association Dagger award for a debut novel.

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars My kind of police procedural!

[Effie Saxioni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία με αρκετά δεμένη πλοκή,λίγο αργό-χωρίς λόγο κατά τη γνώμη μου.
Ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες,ενώ δεν είχαν κάτι εξαιρετικό για να γίνουν "εθιστικοί",κέρδισαν εύκολα μια δεύτερη ευκαιρία. Θα τα ξαναπούμε κύριε Ντέβλιν,φυλάξτε μου μια θεσούλα στη Γκάρντα Σιοχάνα,την επόμενη φορά θα έρθω καλύτερα προετοιμασμένη.
3.5⭐

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5? 4? Confusion?

You guys ... whimper. Let me be honest; this book was probably/doubtless part of a misguided search for another series like Julia Spencer-Fleming's, which is just a stupid thing to hope for in any way. The odd thing is that there are quite a few parallels, though the effect is so different I won't call them similarities.

The protagonist is a Garda Inspector (although we don't have "chief of police" as a position - rank structure here for your fascinated reading, he's not the boss, anyway) in a small town, and a very rural area. This is near the Border, and he lives in the Republic - as will be evident to any Irish readers. VERY small town, with all that goes along with that, as with Russ's situation. The body count is as unrealistically high for the area as it is in most of JS-F's, although (this isn't a spoiler, unless you avoid ANY reading of blurbs, back-cover descriptions and the like) the murders turn out to be connected.

The protagonist, Ben, is married, and there's temptation from outside that marriage, though this part of the plot is handled both more realistically and *much* less appealingly, than Russ's temptation from outside the marriage. It's more realistic in that Ben's wife is aware of what's not-going-on-but-might from essentially the first minute it becomes a possibility. In a town as small as Millers Kill, with everyone knowing about Russ and Clare, the fact that Linda wasn't alerted to it went beyond her complete lack of interest in Russ's life in terms of credibility. On the other hand, the "old flame" is a horror (as is her husband, so all fair), and Ben needs the good verbal smacking he gets from his wife about it. I'd have liked him a LOT more if he hadn't been tempted, as he a) has a wife who actually cares and very young children he dotes on; b) should have been over it, and c) the Other Woman is awful. (I think the temptation was there to parallel another part of the story, but I didn't like it either, and it all seemed to boil down to "men are idiots who are no match for their chromosomes/hormones".)

There's also just the one woman Gaurd, and she does have a bit of a relationship with one of the men (as well as an abusive ex), but she's no Hadley! I liked her quite a lot anyway, and there were wonderful moments, like when the Superintendent, older and more than a bit old-fashioned with it, has her leave an interrogation because "Don't want to have a lady have to listen to that kind of chat. No place for a girl like Caroline." Ben is unsure whether to point out that his behaviour would have the Superintendent up in front of an industrial tribunal, but decides there's no point.

And there's the religion. Again, similarity in that it's there - as differently as it's possible to be though! Ben is an apparently devout Catholic, and it leads to some wonderful "only in Ireland" moments. The sadder of those was when he went - as a matter of course - to the wake of the first murder victim, presented a Mass card, and said "prayed three Hail Marys for the redemption of the soul of Angela Cashell". He has a sound investigating reason for going too, and gets to that, but *after* his utterly sincere entering into the spirit of the ritual.

Funnier (well, to me, at least - I've no idea how this would read outside of the country!), with a side of serious chilling, was when he went to the local parish priest during confession and asked him if he could get info from the IRA about one of the victims. And then asks the priest to hear his confession. It's chilling because the parish priest is elderly and only moved to the area from Derry a few years ago. While in Derry he had mediated between the IRA and the British government (while having affiliations to neither), and managed to keep the respect and trust of both. When Ben goes to him he gets in touch with one of his Republican contacts, who is willing - just - to tell Ben about whether the IRA had been involved in the disappearance of a woman years ago. (I thought it a bit unrealistic that Ben would get lecturey to the guy on the phone, having got the information he needed, but whatever.) Especially relevant atm because of the accusations against Gerry Adams for involvement in the IRA's disappearance of a woman in 1972.

Overall, this book was pretty depressing reading, as there were quite a few truly horrible people doing unspeakable things, and the protagonist isn't totally likeable himself. He is on the side of justice for the most part, and occasionally manages an impressive ability to maintain sympathy even for the perpetrators of violent crime. I also liked that, without any major hand-waving, there was a positive depiction of a nun who'd been in charge of an orphanage in Dublin, who pointed the way to the need for compassion in judging some kids. On the flip side again, though, I found the eventual resolution of the present-day murders very hard to buy, as they were so brutal. Also, as they were not even against the people who'd killed their mother, but their children.

Another odd little coincidental parallel was that an outcome I'd thought likely in Through All Evil Days that didn't happen, looked even more likely in this, and didn't happen. The dog even saved Ben and his family too! And was just about to be shot by Ben, when he saw the puma - last-minute reprieves are the best!! No - one more: there's a lot of cross-border cooperation, and Ben reflects on how much better it is now than it used to be, but his counterpart in the North has the kind of cooperative-with-edge relationship Russ and Bob have before book 8. He's helpful and they get along fine (better than Russ and Bob actually), but every time Ben goes to him for help for something on his turf, he has to get in a little dig about the superiority of British intelligence. Like the State Troopers to the MKPD, maybe. Unnecessarily snide, anyway.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first novel in this highly enjoyable series is a very assured piece of work. Quite complex but so well written, it is not difficult to follow. As in the later novels, it deals with the multitude of problems in policing the divided country of Ireland post Good Friday Agreement. The novel gives us a wonderful introduction to the series' central character, Inspector Benedict Devlin of An Gardai Siochana, the "Guardians of the Peace", the Irish Republican police force. A flawed, but basically decent man, frequently overwhelmed by the expectations of his job.
The recent murders of two teenagers seem related to the disappearance of a prostitute 25 years earlier and it seems possible that local politicians, businessmen and even a senior police officer could have guilty secrets to hide. A well paced thriller that builds to an exciting finale.

[Enikő · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book didn't impress me very much. I started reading it because my sister had taken it out of the library and left it in the car. The quotes on the back cover built it up - way up - but it didn't meet expectations. The story seemed to plod along. I plodded along in its wake. Everything unfolded annoyingly predictably. Nothing to sweep me up and keep me reading in a can't-put-it-down kind of way. I was annoyed at the clichéness of some parts. The car make-out scene? Puh-lease! I guess that HAD to be there to make it a good mystery? *rolleyes* It DIDN'T make Devlin seem more human - just weak. My hero. :/
'Brian McGilloway's command of plot and assurance of language make it difficult to believe that Borderlands is his debut.'...hunh? Sorry, London Times, but I disagree! There was no command. There was no extraordinary language. The writing was average, except perhaps in the beginning that one line about how the snowflakes didn't melt on the victim's cold flesh. He pulled that one off, I'll grant.
'A mystery of labyrinthine complexity' Begging your pardon, London Telegraph, but definitely not!

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The body of teenager is found on the Irish border, the Republic take charge of the investigation and Inspector Ben Devlin takes the lead. As the investigation starts another murder takes place and Devlin finds himself under attack, as the case starts to reveal connections with the disappearance of a prostitute in the middle of the Troubles. This is going to be no ordinary case.

A fantastic start to this series, highlighting issues I’d never really considered. Devlin is an interesting character, on the one hand trying to uphold the law but he also has his issues. I look forward to reading more of this series.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed a flawed hero, and the setting was a bonus. His wife was the best character though, and I hope there will be more of her in the future books. I will be looking for more in the series as well as his other books.

[Tom S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a good Irish police series, and this was a great start.

[Andrew Puckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borderlands is set in Southern Ireland, and Inspector Ben Devlin of the Garda investigates the death of a teenage girl whose body is found on the Tyrone-Donegal border between the Republic and Northern Ireland - the Borderlands of the title.

I first read this book about four years ago and have just re-read it. It engages from the first page, mostly because it is written in the first person, which gives an intimate and believable view of the flawed, but human character of the protagonist.

With very few clues (a gold ring placed on the girl's finger, and an old photograph left at the scene) Devlin has to piece together her life. The family is uncooperative, and he has to liaise extensively with his opposite number in the North. One of the book's most attractive features is the relationship of the two police services. A good read.

[Myrna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. I don't know why, but for me, this book was reminiscent of a mystery set in the 1940s, like a Philip Kerr book. I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the early 2000s. I will try the next in the series.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borderlands is book one in the Inspector Devlin series by Brian McGilloway. On a cold winter evening, a local teenager's body was found on the Tyrone-Donegal border, between the North and South of Ireland, called Borderlands. At first, they were unsure who had jurisdiction, the Irish Republic's An Garda Síochána or the Police Service of Northern Ireland. However, Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin took the case when the young girl was identified as Angela Cashell. The investigation into Angela Cashell was slow at first due to no motive or suspects, until the second teenager was murdered. Finally, they were able to link the two murders to the death of a woman 25 years ago. The readers of Borderlands will continue to follow Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin to discover what happens.

I have wanted to read this book for a long time, and I am pleased that the group's buddy challenge forced me to read this book, and I was not disappointed. This book has introduced me to a new detective series and a fantastic new author. Reading this book, I learn about the area between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland called the Borderlands.

I love Brian McGilloway's portrayal of his characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Borderlands was well-written and researched by Brian McGilloway. I like Brian McGilloway's description of the settings of Borderlands, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

I recommend this book.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Przeciętny thriller, wyróżniający się chyba tylko znalezieniem zwłok kobiety na granicy Irlandii Północnej i Południowej. 2,5/5.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

BORDERLANDS (Police Proc-Insp. Benedict Devlin-Ireland-Cont) – VG
McGilloway, Brian – 1st in series
Macmillan New Writing, 2007, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780230020061
First Sentence: It was not beyond reason that Angela Cashell’s final resting place should straddle the border.
*** When a body is found on the border between Northern and Southern Ireland, in an area known as the Borderlands, it is the identity of the victim that places the investigation in the hands of Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin. The investigation starts out looking for the killer based on events in the present. When a second body is found, the motive for the case turns to the past and the disappearance of a prostitute twenty-five years earlier.
*** This may be Brian McGilloway’s first mystery, but I sincerely hope it won’t be his last. Devlin is an interesting character. He’s married with two small children and a dog and put into a realistic dilemma when faced with an old girlfriend. The story is very well plotted and definitely kept me interested all the way through. The story isn’t set in a city, but in a rural area where the loss of livestock is a serious issue. It’s a human story dealing with families and the sins of the fathers. One small note commending the publisher, it’s also a physically nice book; printed and bound in China and includes—when is the last time you saw this?—a sewn-in bookmark. I enjoyed it, recommend it and eagerly await McGilloway’s next book.

[Carol Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another whiny protagonist and a lot of chapters that end with "If only I'd known...." Blech

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An der Grenze zwischen Nord- und Südirland wird ein ermordetes Mädchen gefunden – Familiendrama, verschmähte Liebe oder ein Opfer der Drogenszene?

Die 15-jährige Angela Catchell ist tot. Ihre Leiche wurde an der Tyrone-Donegal-Grenze gefunden, dem Grenzgebiet zwischen der Republik Irland und dem Nachbarn Nordirland. Das Opfer stammt aus einer typischen Unterschichten-Familie, die sowohl in der Region als auch in Polizeikreisen zweifelhafte Berühmtheit genießt. Angelas Vater Johnny ist bereits mehrfach mit dem Gesetz in Konflikt gekommen und als Folge von Kneipenschlägereien oder Diebstählen schon häufig im polizeilichen Gewahrsam gelandet. Umso überraschter sind die Ermittler um Inspektor Benedict Devlin über den teuren goldenen Ring am Finger der Leiche, der so gar nicht zu dem ärmlichen Leben der Familie passt.

Warum musste die 15-jährige Angela Catchell sterben?

Wenig überraschend stoßen Devlin und Kollegen bei den Catchells auf eine Mauer des Schweigens, da diese nach den zahlreichen vergangenen Aufeinandertreffen mit den Gesetzeshütern kein Interesse an einer Zusammenarbeit haben. Johnny Catchell nimmt die Sache lieber selbst in die Hand und macht sich eigenmächtig auf die Suche nach dem Mörder, wobei er den nächstbesten jugendlichen Drogendealer ins Visier nimmt, der einen regelmäßigen Umgang mit seiner Tochter pflegte. Devlin muss also nicht nur seine eigenen Ermittlungen leiten, sondern zudem dem Rachefeldzug des wütenden Familienvaters Einhalt gebieten…

Ein Krimi aus der rauen irischen Provinz

„Borderlands“ ist der Debütroman des nordirischen Autors Brian McGilloway, der mit seiner Familie auch unweit jener im Buch thematisierten Grenzregion zwischen den beiden irischen Nationen lebt. Man darf also erwarten, dass der Autor weiß, wovon er spricht und das Leben in der ländlichen Provinz anschaulich vermitteln kann. Dies gelingt McGilloway auch durchaus gut, sodass die irischen Eigenheiten sowie die raue Landschaft für den Leser auch wirklich spürbar sind. Dadurch, dass die Handlung zeitlich auch noch um die Weihnachtsfeiertage angesiedelt ist, bekommt man es zudem noch mit einer kalten und unwirtlichen Jahreszeit zu tun, sodass die Atmosphäre des Romans insgesamt eher kühl ist.

Ein nur auf den ersten Blick einfacher Fall

Der Fall selbst scheint schon nach wenigen Seiten klar: Angela Catchell war zu Lebzeiten alles andere als ein biederes Mauerblümchen und trieb sich gerne in eher zweifelhaften Kreisen herum. Zu ihrem Alltag zählte regelmäßiger Drogenkonsum, für den sie bei Geldknappheit auch gerne mal mit sexuellen Gefälligkeiten bezahlte. Da liegt die Idee nahe, den Verantwortlichen für ihren Tod auch in der örtlichen Drogenszene zu suchen, was sich auch der hitzköpfige Vater des Mädchens zusammenreimen konnte. Natürlich wäre es aber langweilig, wenn die Geschichte wirklich so simpel gestrickt wäre, denn dann wäre das Buch auch nach knapp 50-100 Seiten zuende. Glücklicherweise hat Brian McGilloway seine Story aber schon etwas komplexer angelegt, sodass den Leser ein zwar nicht sonderlich spektakulärer, aber immerhin doch unterhaltsamer Kriminalfall erwartet.

Sympathischer Ermittler mit geringfügigen Ecken und Kanten

Auch mit der Figur des Inspektor Devlin wird man recht schnell warm. Der Ermittler ist auf Anhieb sympathisch und legt zumeist auch ein freundliches Auftreten an den Tag. Außerdem erweckt Devlin den Eindruck eines liebevollen Familienvaters, dem seine Frau und seine beiden kleinen Kinder sehr am Herzen liegen. Allerdings hat der Protagonist auch ein paar Kanten, die sich zum einen beim Umgang mit widerspenstigen Verdächtigen, aber auch bei der Konfrontation mit seiner Jugendliebe offenbaren. So kann der nette Herr Inspektor auch durchaus kräftig austeilen und bringt sich darüber hinaus in eine brisante Dreieckskonstellation, die seine Ehe auf eine ernste Probe stellt. Diese Charakterzüge setzen willkommene Reizpunkte, wenngleich sich mir nicht wirklich erschlossen hat, was Devlin an einer dauerbetrunkenen und stets herablassenden Frau so begehrenswert findet…

08/15-Krimi ohne große Stärken und Schwächen

Das Problem von „Borderlands“ ist jedoch, dass das Buch nichts bietet, was man so nicht schon hundertmal auch in anderen Kriminalromanen gelesen hätte. Die Story ist zwar ordentlich, aber nicht wirklich mitreißend, und auch die Hauptfigur strotzt nicht gerade vor Originalität. Da der Roman mit knapp 280 Seiten auch verhältnismäßig kurz ist, sollte man zudem keine großen Charakterbeschreibungen oder einen unglaublichen komplexen Fall erwarten. So findet man beim Lesen zwar kaum Anlass zur Kritik, andererseits aber eben auch wenig bis gar nichts, was für Überraschungen oder Begeisterung sorgen könnte. Besonders schade ist meiner Meinung nach, dass McGilloway so wenig aus der potenziell recht interessanten geografischen Lage des Handlungsschauplatzes und den damit verbundenen politischen Verstrickungen herausholt. Obwohl der Leichenfund genau in das Grenzgebiet zwischen Nordirland und der irischen Republik fällt und der Autor die beiden zuständigen Ermittlungsbehörden – die Garda Siochana auf der südlichen Seite und den Police Service of Northern Ireland im Norden – sogar mehrmals erwähnt, so spielen die zu erwartenden bürokratischen Schwierigkeiten praktisch gar keine Rolle. Im Gegenteil: Statt brisanter Revierstreitigkeiten ist man nur allzu bereit, den Fall in die Hände des jeweils anderen zu legen, sodass hier in meinen Augen ein wertvoller Spannungsfaktor verschenkt wird.

Unterhaltsam, aber belanglos

Wie fällt also das Fazit zu „Borderlands“ aus? Schwierig, denn als Kriminalroman schlägt sich das Debüt von Brian McGilloway durchaus wacker, allerdings fällt mir kein überzeugender Grund ein, warum man ausgerechnet dieses Buch empfehlen sollte. Der Roman hatte auf mich eher den Charme eines Sonntagabendkrimis im ZDF: ein sympathischer Ermittler ohne große Reibungspunkte, ein bisschen schöne Landschaft und eine Story, die den Blutdruck nicht gerade in bedrohliche Höhen schießen lässt – unterhaltsam, aber eigentlich belanglos.

Fazit:
Solider Kriminalroman vor rauer irischer Kulisse, der sich aber kaum aus der breiten Masse des Genres abhebt und keinen nachhaltigen Eindruck hinterlässt.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borderlands is a rather slow paced crime novel with not much thrill to it. It invites you to guess and riddle and wonder who the culprit might have been and surprises you with some unforeseen twists. Yet, I wasn't that intrigued by it and wasn't as hooked to the story as I would have wanted to be. There were far too many different characters and I found it hard to keep track of all of them. Of course that made it harder to guess who the murderer was but it also made it harder to enjoy.

Plotwise the involvement of the protagonist's family was very thrilling but in reality they would all need therapy and the inspector should quit his job. So don't know how to feel about this.

All in all it was a nice novel. But no more than that.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The body of a teenager is found on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Based on the location of her home, the case is handed to Inspector Ben Devlin of Lifford in the Republic, but the case continues to straddle the border with characters in Strabane in Northern Ireland involved as well. Soon a a student is found dead in a burnt out car and Inspector Devlin's family is also at risk. A fascinating setting, complex plot and interesting characters. I look forward to the next in the series.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

En enää muista, miten alun perin tulin hankkineeksi Brian McGillowayn "Rajamailla" (Blue Moon, 2010) -esikoisromaanin omaan hyllyyni, mutta kiinnostavalla miljööllä - Irlannin ja Pohjois-Irlannin välisellä rajalla sijaitsevalla pikkukaupungilla - on saattanut olla oma osansa asiaan. Nuoren tytön murhasta alkunsa saava poliisiromaani osoittautui kuitenkin melko epäuskottavaksi kaikkine kimurantteine käänteineen, ja jännittäväksi tarkoitetut toimintakohtaukset olivat hämmentävän hengettömiä.

Sarjan toinen osa on käännetty suomeksi, vaan enpä usko palaavani enää McGillowayn pariin.

[Sharon Corina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dead teenage girl is found in the Borderlands- the area between Republic of Ireland and North of Ireland. Another body is found of a young man who had been shot in the head, in his burned out car shortly afterwards. The deaths seem connected, both occuring just before Christmas. A young traveller teen is arrested in connection with the teen girl's death, he is a known drug dealer and has a long record. He dies in custody Xmas eve. There are politicians, travellers, prostitutes and police all involved in the story and cover up. The lead detective also has a young family, so there are normal every day events that occur for him too. This is the first book I've read by this author, a quick and easy read, I will definitely read another.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of a series and I really enjoyed the various twists and turns of the plot to the extent that I will read on.
We are introduced to Inspector benedict Devlin of the Irish Garda who has to investigate the suspicious death of a girl whose body is found on the border. As he investigates more casualties and bodies emerge and he has to look at a disappearance going back to 1989. Dodgy politicians and policeman , together with an old flame setting out to wreck his marriage add to the interest in the plot so that by the end I was rapidly turning the page. a good read and I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Maddie Margioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk how i ended up reading this for a graduate class but i will say it was a fun beach read kind of book and i was like 50/50 satisfied with the end reveal

[Michael Martz · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Borderlands" is a competent mystery and a promising beginning to Brian McGilloway's 'Inspector Devlin' series. However, there's room for improvement. The plot is well-constructed, the pace is fine, but character development is lacking and the writing is, well, boring.

The story, as we often see, is more complex than initially thought. The body of a young lady is found in the borderland area between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and the police force begins the job of solving the mystery of her death. It's complicated by a number of factors: the proximity to the border and the fact that police forces from 2 countries are interested in the investigation, local crime figures, drugs, Irish politics, and, seemingly at the middle of it all, a ring found on the young lady's finger. Again, the plot is nicely done, maintaining and building interest throughout. The conclusion wouldn't have been suspected early in the book, but solid police work and some luck led to it. Lots of violence and murder along the way, maybe a little too much?

Devlin, seemingly the 'star' of the series, is a caricature in that he's a blend of nearly every detective in modern crime writing: competent, heart of gold, doesn't always follow procedures, personal flaws, physically capable, somewhat irresistible to the ladies. His 'spin' is that he's Irish, Catholic, and a little more family oriented than most. It's a short book clocking in a a bit over 200 pages- I'd normally consider that a good thing, but it didn't provide much opportunity to do deeper into the characters of the main players.

The writing was competent, but almost too unadorned and uninteresting. I liked the 'Irishness' of the conversations and names, but the descriptions of the terrain and so forth were bland. I just felt the writing took too much of a back seat to the intricacies of the story.

Brian McGilloway is definitely a writer to watch and Borderlands was a good start for his series. I hope that further installations show growth in matching the excitement of his stories to his writing style.

[Sunnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written police procedural is one of the reasons I'm so addicted to crime fiction. A good police procedural will introduce you to the police,take you by the land and lead you through their investigation as they unearth clues by interviewing people, sifting the evidence and following leads. There will be a careful balance of detecting and learning about the lives of the detectives. If the author has done the job properly s/he doesn't deliberately hold back clues or have the the detectives catch the culprit in the act, just two pages before the end.

In his first novel, BORDERLANDS, Brian McGilloway has succeeded in all of the above. He has also avoided producing a door stop of a book. At just 227 pages, BORDERLAND doesn't muck about. You're straight into the story with no unnecessary padding. It's something I wish more authors would try to achieve.

If, like me, you enjoy police procedurals, you can't go wrong with BORDERLANDS. I look forward to reading more of McGilloway's writing.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second in the Inspector Devlin series, Gallows Lane, first. This is the first in the series, and it would be extremely difficult to summarize the book without giving away huge spoilers. I’ll just say that it involves the investigation into the deaths of several young people, all connected by a ring, a woman who disappeared many years before, financial misdeeds by a politician, possibly the IRA, and some policemen.

Then there’s also something that’s been ripping up Devlin’s neighbor’s sheep. The neighbor is sure it’s Frank, Devlin’s daughter’s dog.

A really good police procedural with so many twists and blind alleys it’s difficult to keep up. My only complaint is that, unlike Adrian McKinty, McGilloway isn’t as skillful in delivering a sense of place which I especially like in stories that take place in Ireland.

Nevertheless, I look forward to the third in the series. I’ll buy all of them. I will also have to sample his other series with DS Lucy Black as the protagonist.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book as I recently reviewed Little Girl Lost which I really enjoyed. I didn't think the story line in this one was quite as good, but that didn't stop it being an enjoyable read.

The story opens with the body of a dead girl being found on the border of Northern Ireland and Eire and so there is a degree of co-operation between the two police forces as they attempt to find the person/people responsible.

There are a number of characters in the book, the main one being Inspector Devlin who is presented as a flawed but likeable man. By the end of the book the number of dead bodies has mounted as the twists in the story rattle along.

I liked the conclusion and will be ordering the second in this series Gallows Lane (Inspector Devlin Mystery 2) I'm sure that now we have met the key characters and set the scene this is a series to look out for.

[Val Sanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm captivated by the location--Ireland, and had hoped to be more interested in the characters. The plot is full of twists and surprises, but perhaps it is the frail humanity of Benedict Devlin that unsettled me rather than made me care. His guilt, his sense of failure and his insecurities and unsettling. We expect George Gently, or C.I. Foyle and their slightly righteous approach to police work. Devlin is haunted, more in the lines of Simon Serraillier or Wallender. It's an uncomfortable book but I give it 3 stars for the rush to tie up the end of the book than for the unsettled and uncommitted affection for Declin.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of the Inspector Devlin series. Written by an Irish author, the setting is in the border area of Donegal and Tyrone. Three murders in a short period of time appear to be linked and Ben Devlin is assigned to the case. Although there are twists and turns, the plot is not fast-paced, rather it is realistically paced. I really enjoyed the storyline and loved the introduction of the Irish culture as a part of the plot. I am looking forward to reading the subsequent books in this series.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a superb book. I had this recommended to me and I wasn’t disappointed at all. The main character Ben Devlin is a likeable character and interestingly it’s written in first person narrative which allows us to see his thought processes. The plot is fast paced with plenty twists and turns to keep the reader guessing till the end. I particularly loved the setting in the borderland between Northern Ireland and Eire and the way the past still influences the present. A fast paced and tense novel which kept me gripped to the end. I’ve already started reading the second book in the series!

[Margaret Innes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a well-written police procedural as much as the next person and I was really looking forward to this book after reading the reviews, but in the end it disappointed me. It's not badly written, but I didn't find the characters or the story compelling. Time to check the release date of the next Robert Crais novel, and I think Michael Connelly's new book is going to be available any day now ...

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one more than the second book in the series ("Gallows Lane"). Excellent plot overall. The only serious weakness I spotted was the ridiculous obviousness of Devlin's having made a mistake (although not a fatal one as it turned out) when he told Williams to leave the nursing home and send Harvey in alone. I will probably read more of this series, even though I still don't love Devlin as much as I usually have to love a series detective in order to keep going.