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Galway Homicide: Hays & Lyons #1
Murder on the Old Bog Road
A woman is found dead in a ditch. As the list of suspects grows, a town’s dirty secrets are revealed.
It’s a cold winter evening and rain is sweeping in from the Atlantic when a young woman, having braved the weather to visit her sick mother in a remote part of Ireland, comes across an obstacle in the road. She clears the highway of stones from a damaged bridge only to see the body of a woman in a ditch. With no phone reception, she travels to the nearest police station to report what she has found.
The local Garda waste no time in attending the scene of the crime. The woman is clearly dead, but it needs proper forensics to establish if foul play was the cause. In the meantime, is it not possible that the woman driver was in fact the culprit? She is clearly not telling the whole truth.
A game of cat and mouse ensues when the inquiry is upgraded to a murder investigation. The trouble is, when the victim is recognised as a sex worker, there is no shortage of possible suspects. And few of them, if any, are willing to tell the truth to the police. It will take all of Galway detectives Hays and Lyons’ experience to cut through the web of lies and identify the killer in their midst.
MURDER ON THE OLD BOG ROAD is the first in a series of atmospheric crime fiction titles featuring Detective Inspector Mick Hays and Detective Sergeant Maureen Lyons.
It’s a cold winter evening and rain is sweeping in from the Atlantic when a young woman, having braved the weather to visit her sick mother in a remote part of Ireland, comes across an obstacle in the road. She clears the highway of stones from a damaged bridge only to see the body of a woman in a ditch. With no phone reception, she travels to the nearest police station to report what she has found.
The local Garda waste no time in attending the scene of the crime. The woman is clearly dead, but it needs proper forensics to establish if foul play was the cause. In the meantime, is it not possible that the woman driver was in fact the culprit? She is clearly not telling the whole truth.
A game of cat and mouse ensues when the inquiry is upgraded to a murder investigation. The trouble is, when the victim is recognised as a sex worker, there is no shortage of possible suspects. And few of them, if any, are willing to tell the truth to the police. It will take all of Galway detectives Hays and Lyons’ experience to cut through the web of lies and identify the killer in their midst.
MURDER ON THE OLD BOG ROAD is the first in a series of atmospheric crime fiction titles featuring Detective Inspector Mick Hays and Detective Sergeant Maureen Lyons.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2017
2140 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
David Pearson
33 books119 followersOne of Ireland's most prolific crime writers, David has a total of 24 books published to date across four separate series.
The Galway Homicides - set in and around Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way
The Dublin Homicides - a grittier set of 6 stories set in the capital of Ireland
The Wexford Homicides - introducing DI Vikki Kirkby
The Mayo Murders - a new series set in and around Westport in County Mayo featuring DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deirdre Maguire.
The Galway Homicides - set in and around Clifden on the Wild Atlantic Way
The Dublin Homicides - a grittier set of 6 stories set in the capital of Ireland
The Wexford Homicides - introducing DI Vikki Kirkby
The Mayo Murders - a new series set in and around Westport in County Mayo featuring DI Martin O'Shea and DS Deirdre Maguire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
April 19, 2019
A standard police procedural, set in Ireland, where a woman is found dead in a ditch on a stormy winter's night. This book is short and easy to read, but I found the story and the characters could have been fleshed out a lot more. One for a plane trip or a quiet afternoon.
December 28, 2018
MURDER ON THE OLD BOG ROAD is the first in a series of atmospheric crime fiction titles featuring Detective Inspector Mick Hays and Detective Sergeant Maureen Lyons.
When a woman is found dead in a ditch, the police immediately consider this a murder. But who is she? Where did she come from? Who murdered her? Why? all remain a mystery.
The local police don't have a lot of experience with homicide cases, but they do a credible job in this Irish police procedural.
There are several suspects .... the young woman who found the body .... the woman's brother when he s finally located ... a well-known local man who had a relationship with the woman ... and a few others of dubious character.
While I wouldn't call it thrilling or gripping or riveting, the characters and setting were enough to keep me interested in the story.
July 16, 2018
What to say about this book except that the writing felt very stilted and the characters were poorly developed. The plot was okay but honestly the writing made me cringe at times it felt very amateurish- and I am not one to criticize writing quality, not being any sort of writer myself.
Disappointed in this book..
Disappointed in this book..
March 12, 2020
2.5 stars.
Simple, with some Irish stereotypes, but it was OK for me because I love reading about the Galway area where I spent so much time.
Simple, with some Irish stereotypes, but it was OK for me because I love reading about the Galway area where I spent so much time.
August 22, 2018
I picked this up earlier in the year mainly because of the setting in the West of Ireland. Sadly, it fell far short of my expectations. The murder was straightforward enough, but there was zero suspense or even much in the way of 'mystery'. Much of the expostion was just flat factual statements -- the pathologist report said this, the forensic techs found that. I'd say it would have been helped by some more dialog but the dialog there was felt stilted and unnatural. The whole thing was the quality of a c+ high school assignment.
There was a 'romance' subplot thrown in for no reason at all -- it had zero bearing on the resolution and didn't even serve to add dimension to otherwise flat characters. After the resolution, there was a bunch more 'story' that basically said what happened to everyone next. Made no sense.
All in all, a disappointment. I bought the second book at the same time as this and have deleted both from my kindle account entirely. The only reason I didn't give it one star is that I did finish it. But I don't recommend the series.
There was a 'romance' subplot thrown in for no reason at all -- it had zero bearing on the resolution and didn't even serve to add dimension to otherwise flat characters. After the resolution, there was a bunch more 'story' that basically said what happened to everyone next. Made no sense.
All in all, a disappointment. I bought the second book at the same time as this and have deleted both from my kindle account entirely. The only reason I didn't give it one star is that I did finish it. But I don't recommend the series.
July 30, 2019
Murder on the Old Bog Road is book one in the Maureen Lyons series by David Pearson. Cold winter evening a young woman in the remote part of Ireland travelling to see her mother found a body in a ditch on the side of the road when she got out of the car to clear an obstacle. Detective Sergeant Maureen Lyons and Detective Inspector Mick Hays caught the case. The readers of Murder on the Old Bog Road will continue to follow the twists and turns in Detective Inspector Mick Hays and Detective Sergeant Maureen Lyons investigation into the death of the young woman.
Murder on the Old Bog Road is another fantastic book to read in this excellent series set in Ireland. I love David Pearson portrayal of his characters and the way they react with each other that at times makes me laugh. David Pearson does a fantastic job in describing his settings and ensures that his readers engaged with the book. Murder on the Old Bog Road is well written and researched by David Pearson.
The readers of Murder on the Old Bog Road will learn about the problems and pressures that young people have while studying. Also, the readers of Murder on the Old Bog Road will start to understand the role of different law enforcement departments in Ireland.
I recommend this book.
Murder on the Old Bog Road is another fantastic book to read in this excellent series set in Ireland. I love David Pearson portrayal of his characters and the way they react with each other that at times makes me laugh. David Pearson does a fantastic job in describing his settings and ensures that his readers engaged with the book. Murder on the Old Bog Road is well written and researched by David Pearson.
The readers of Murder on the Old Bog Road will learn about the problems and pressures that young people have while studying. Also, the readers of Murder on the Old Bog Road will start to understand the role of different law enforcement departments in Ireland.
I recommend this book.
May 5, 2018
Readable,but flawed
Story has enough twists and turns to keep me reading, but for me, there was too much telling and not enough showing. Two characters start an affair, with almost nothing in the way of foundation, and no consideration at all of their jobs. Perhaps Ireland is like this, but I sort of doubt it. Not much sense of place, although both Galway and Krakow appear in the story.. I would read another of I got it free, and I would hope the writer had shown some growth.
Story has enough twists and turns to keep me reading, but for me, there was too much telling and not enough showing. Two characters start an affair, with almost nothing in the way of foundation, and no consideration at all of their jobs. Perhaps Ireland is like this, but I sort of doubt it. Not much sense of place, although both Galway and Krakow appear in the story.. I would read another of I got it free, and I would hope the writer had shown some growth.
April 3, 2018
Dead
This was one of the worst books I have ever tried to read and I read a lot. Could not get past the first couple of chapters. Almost as if the author had ADHD. Simply all over the place.
This was one of the worst books I have ever tried to read and I read a lot. Could not get past the first couple of chapters. Almost as if the author had ADHD. Simply all over the place.
May 28, 2018
This was really quick so I missed a lot of the character development. I felt like there was more to the story with the Garda than what was told in the story.
August 18, 2020
Pretty average
January 5, 2021
Intriguing tale with a twisted path to the end. Love the narration by Brian Walsh. 👍🏼
September 7, 2021
Ok so this book was super quick and fairly easy to read but the writing was stilted and very matter of fact, there was no character building and no story telling to get lost in and it was almost like reading a report. It was however good for some mindless reading and to boost the book count ;)
April 7, 2018
So badly written I could not get past chapter three. Do not waste your time. Normally I can read anything. Not this.
November 28, 2019
A very satisfying mysery, this story takes place in a remote part of Ireland, where Ciara is on her way to visit her ill mother. As she is driving along in a terrible storm, she stops to remove rocks from the road and discovers the body of a dead young woman in the ditch. She calls the police for help as soon as she gets to the nearest house, and help comes, but she is for a while considered a suspect since she was first on the scene. The story gets complicated when the identity of the victim and her profession are discovered, and there are several suspects, including one from her native Poland. This story is a quick and satisfying read for cozy mystery lovers, who will look forward to more from this author.
July 23, 2018
I was looking forward to this book - murder/mystery etc., I enjoy. And this is set in and around Galway, where we have relatives, so the locations were familiar.
However, although it COULD have been a good yarn, the book was more like an initial draft - the notes around which the story would be built. Description and dialogue were seriously lacking, the characters had, well, no character, and the whole novel seems destined to be unmemorable.
I hope David Pearson's later novels have a greater injection of life and personality - perhaps this was a case of the author being afraid to reveal his own feelings, afraid to 'let go'? So, I'd say, go on, and don't be frightened of what others might say or think. Your novels will benefit.
However, although it COULD have been a good yarn, the book was more like an initial draft - the notes around which the story would be built. Description and dialogue were seriously lacking, the characters had, well, no character, and the whole novel seems destined to be unmemorable.
I hope David Pearson's later novels have a greater injection of life and personality - perhaps this was a case of the author being afraid to reveal his own feelings, afraid to 'let go'? So, I'd say, go on, and don't be frightened of what others might say or think. Your novels will benefit.
July 14, 2019
The only good parts of this book are the setting and the possibilities available.
Stilted, trite dialog. Poor character development. Excessive and irrelevant background information. Shallow, stereotypical characters. Trite ridiculous love affair. Random plot points.
I was excited about the setting and the concept of this series, but I won’t be reading more of these books.
Stilted, trite dialog. Poor character development. Excessive and irrelevant background information. Shallow, stereotypical characters. Trite ridiculous love affair. Random plot points.
I was excited about the setting and the concept of this series, but I won’t be reading more of these books.
June 19, 2021
This story was not for me. The plot might have worked, but I thought the writing was amateurish . The characters were very one dimensional .e.g.Although the two main players were jumping in to bed together, there was no explanation of emotional or any reason why.The tale was just too flat.
Let's hope experience will improve the writing for this author.
Let's hope experience will improve the writing for this author.
July 28, 2018
The plot is not particularly interesting, the prose is heavy going and the characters are inconsequential. Really nothing to recommend it.
October 11, 2020
During a raging storm, a young woman travels across Ireland to visit her sick mother and finds a body laying in the road. She can’t get cell phone reception, so she has to travel to the nearest Garda station to report what she found. Of course she’s a suspect, since she found the body, but as DI Mick Hayes and DS Maureen Lyons investigate further, the lists of suspects grows and grows.
I am a fan of British/Irish/Welsh police procedurals, and this one did not disappoint -interesting plot, beautifully described settings, well-developed characters, and snappy dialogue. The mystery elements kept me guessing, and the characters were intriguing enough to make me want to read more. I liked the relationship between Hayes and Lyons, and the descriptions of how they went about their work. He respects her knowledge, listens to her opinions, and values her contributions. He also treats the rest of his team well. I also enjoyed the wrap up on all the characters at the end of the story. I like knowing what happened to them after the excitement died down. I will read more in this series.
I am a fan of British/Irish/Welsh police procedurals, and this one did not disappoint -interesting plot, beautifully described settings, well-developed characters, and snappy dialogue. The mystery elements kept me guessing, and the characters were intriguing enough to make me want to read more. I liked the relationship between Hayes and Lyons, and the descriptions of how they went about their work. He respects her knowledge, listens to her opinions, and values her contributions. He also treats the rest of his team well. I also enjoyed the wrap up on all the characters at the end of the story. I like knowing what happened to them after the excitement died down. I will read more in this series.
September 22, 2019
I really liked the premise - finding a body in a ditch. It's what attracted me to buying the book. I trusted that the book would be well-written. I liked the setting Conemara, Ireland and a road called the Old Bog Road. The beginning was slower than I like, and I love British suspense and psychological suspense so I don't mind slow beginnings. I noticed that many times, especially in the first quarter of the book that details were repeated such as the time of day and character names. The "We really need to find out who this girl is" is repeated more than twice. But then the action picked up and the suspects became more plausible so by the end I was really convinced that author knew what he was about. I bought the next one.
November 17, 2018
I love Ireland so the setting was the main draw, and I wasn't disappointed. The story is filled with descriptions of places and people that is atmospheric.
The plot was not too predictable, but the red-herrings were not convincing enough to divert attention. The culprit is quite easy to guess. Also, the blurb focuses on the woman who discovered the body as if she has a main part to play in the story - but she doesn't. I found the relationship between the two investigators a little wooden and false.
Nevertheless, the writing is good and the action fast paced. I enjoyed reading it and if the plots are better thought out, I may even purchase the next installment.
The plot was not too predictable, but the red-herrings were not convincing enough to divert attention. The culprit is quite easy to guess. Also, the blurb focuses on the woman who discovered the body as if she has a main part to play in the story - but she doesn't. I found the relationship between the two investigators a little wooden and false.
Nevertheless, the writing is good and the action fast paced. I enjoyed reading it and if the plots are better thought out, I may even purchase the next installment.
February 28, 2024
Wouldn’t recommend.
Poorly written with short/stiff dialogue. It’s like, Person A says “xyz” and Person B says “abc” end paragraph. The characters aren’t developed at all - very one dimensional with no personality or anything to connect to/with. You don’t even truly get to know the characters. The storyline was sluggish and it became evident within the first few pages who *might* be the killer but it’s not solidified until halfway through. I think there was a romance plot line thrown in here but, it was so flat and undeveloped but also - why? This extra underdeveloped plot line didn’t serve any purpose in moving the story along. Was looking forward to starting a new series with many books, especially one based in Ireland but, this isn’t it.
Poorly written with short/stiff dialogue. It’s like, Person A says “xyz” and Person B says “abc” end paragraph. The characters aren’t developed at all - very one dimensional with no personality or anything to connect to/with. You don’t even truly get to know the characters. The storyline was sluggish and it became evident within the first few pages who *might* be the killer but it’s not solidified until halfway through. I think there was a romance plot line thrown in here but, it was so flat and undeveloped but also - why? This extra underdeveloped plot line didn’t serve any purpose in moving the story along. Was looking forward to starting a new series with many books, especially one based in Ireland but, this isn’t it.
August 31, 2018
This was the first book I had read by this author and it won’t be the last. I love that area of Ireland and the author describes it so well. With enough twists and turns in the plot to keep me interested, the author gradually builds the tension. Well drawn characters so I’ll be looking forward to seeing how they develop and interact. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys Irish crime fiction.
March 21, 2022
A decent police procedural set in Ireland where Hays and Lyons try to solve the murder of a Polish sex worker. This was quite short so things went forward with great speed. Lots of different suspects and different leads. I liked how in the end it was told what happened to the characters after the case was solved.
Want to read
December 27, 2019TheFussyLibrarian
August 10, 2018
New series, new author (for me). Well written. Just basically good detective work. Enjoyable.
November 30, 2022
Slow
Slow book felt compelled to finish it because it's Irish I may read the second to see if it's any better .😊
Slow book felt compelled to finish it because it's Irish I may read the second to see if it's any better .😊
September 12, 2023
The story was probably worth a 2 star rating. A very simple, straighforward murder investigation. I hesitate to call it a mystery because it was more like a summary of a case. We cound a clue, checked the dead girls phone, talked to people, found out who didn't have a solid alibi. It wasn't bad. The female police who wasn't sure if her colleagues respected her and felt she was given the irrelevant tasks and then immediately jumps into bed with her supervisor was the worst part. Other than that the story was OK.
But I had the audio book. Completely awful. If it wasn't so short there is no way I would have finished it. It appeared to have been read by a text to speech engine from about 10 yrs ago. Read fast with little to no inflection and almost like a giant run on sentence.
(I already had book 2 in my library so I pulled it up and it appears with the first couple of minutes to be a better reading.)
But I had the audio book. Completely awful. If it wasn't so short there is no way I would have finished it. It appeared to have been read by a text to speech engine from about 10 yrs ago. Read fast with little to no inflection and almost like a giant run on sentence.
(I already had book 2 in my library so I pulled it up and it appears with the first couple of minutes to be a better reading.)
June 3, 2018
I was looking forward to reading a book set in Ireland but this was a bid disappointment. There was no real sense of place and very little character development. The affair came out of nowhere. Can’t really recommend it
August 1, 2024
I was shocked this was written relatively recently because of the way the women were described! The idea a male detective couldn't interview an attractive woman! Also sooooo many adjectives. I gave up reading it which I very rarely do. No idea about the actual story line as the negative features detracted from it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews