The Doom Murders (Inspector Sheehan Mysteries #1) in Genre Specific Review Groups

Sep 15, 2014 Donna Cummins rated it it was amazing

COMPELLING, SUPERBLY-WRITTEN MYSTERY!

If you’re looking for a murder mystery that goes beyond the mundane to the extraordinary, that offers a well-crafted and cleverly-devised plot, that intrigues to the very last page, then THE DOOM MURDERS is the book you’ve been searching for.

The author’s solid and consistent style of writing drives the story forward at a steady clip, piquing your interest, challenging your wit, and clutching you in its grip for the entire suspenseful ride. Along the way, the ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 John Matsui rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A Catholic Bishop found brutalized, naked, and oddly posed in his Belfast study sets DCI Jim Sheehan and his detectives on the trail of a killer who police suspect sees himself as the hand of God.
That suspicion deepens as the murder toll rises. All victims are Catholic, hold positions of leadership and all appear to have violated the killer’s notion of what God wants in those entrusted to uphold the faith.
Each victim, a Catholic Secondary School Principal, a Youth Worker, a Politician, and an A A Catholic Bishop found brutalized, naked, and oddly posed in his Belfast study sets DCI Jim Sheehan and his detectives on the trail of a killer who police suspect sees himself as the hand of God.
That suspicion deepens as the murder toll rises. All victims are Catholic, hold positions of leadership and all appear to have violated the killer’s notion of what God wants in those entrusted to uphold the faith.
Each victim, a Catholic Secondary School Principal, a Youth Worker, a Politician, and an Abbess are found naked, dead and mutilated. Each has been killed in a manner and pose that in the murderer’s mind reflects his or her sin.
Bishop Charles Loughran promoted a more liberal approach, blocked Latin masses and wrote articles seen as appealing to a secular audience. For the sin of spreading the false word of God, the killer ripped out his tongue.
Sheehan and his team sift through the evidence, follow leads, and interview potential witnesses that take them on a journey through scripture and into a mind beset by delusion disorder in their search for the serial killer.
Author Brian O’Hare’s whodunit is a masterful blend of gruesome murders and fully formed, likable characters in a style that reminds me of Ann Cleeve’s steadfast detective, DCI Vera Stanhope.
Like Stanhope, Sheehan isn’t flashy. He’s not Sherlock Holmes smart, James Bond handsome, or even average when the 40+ year old bachelor tries to talk to a woman he finds attractive.
He is, however, a bulldog in the pursuit of evidence leaving no stone unturned. The task is made more difficult by the perpetrator’s know-how in eradicating forensic evidence.
Sheehan, a lapsed Catholic, is also hampered because he has no idea where to find clues in religious texts and symbols. He’s ably assisted by Monsignor Byrne in his religious journey, provided the monsignor, himself a suspect, isn’t the murderer.
I love fiction that gives a bit of the real world to think about. For me, The Doom Murders worked at all levels. It touched on the trailing angst of “the troubles” in Northern Ireland as an inescapable but minnow-sized red herring. And it landed with both feet into the clash of views over liberalizing the Catholic church through relatable people rather than the comic book characters and overblown plot devices of The Da Vinci Code. ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Scott Spotson rated it it was amazing

Wow, what a great detective story! I don't read mysteries very often but this one is superb. I loved the plot which draws upon a very specific pattern in Christian theology (at least, I hope the passages cited by the author as used by the murderer are real). The author has done his research on certain Christian doctrine and investigative methods. I loved the main detective's conversation with a professor who specializes in psychology. This is a very unique way of categorizing a serial killer and ...more

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Sep 14, 2014 Susanne Leist rated it it was amazing

I enjoy reading murder mysteries, where the clues are presented along the way and then are tied together at the end. If the plot has twists and turns at the same time, then I'm happy. This book delivers on both. The crimes are a little gory but if I don't have to actually see them but only visualize them, then I'm good. In the midst of the blood and gore, there are clues and a higher purpose for it all. The serial killer is following a higher authority--the Roman Catholic Church. And if people a ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Brandon Collier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Bodies are piling up fast. Odd evidence is left at the crime scene. The works of a serial killer are on full display. What is the reason? The Doom Murders is a mystery novel with a religious twist. The story moves at a good pace and thorough research had been conducted. This is something I really appreciate. Chief Sheehan carries the story until the end and is the driving force. All in all, a good read if you like mystery.

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Aug 19, 2013 E.A. rated it really liked it

A disturbingly deep and satisfying Irish novel that pretends to be just an intriguing murder mystery set in Belfast. The setting is modern but with the often evoked backdrop of “the troubles” and the resultant daily hazards of being a cop in a shuttered, rebellious city, that world becomes timeless.

Despite its dark topic and the gruesome series of almost medieval killings that form its backbone, The Doom Murders surprises the reader with its wonderfully warm yet constricted microcosm of police A disturbingly deep and satisfying Irish novel that pretends to be just an intriguing murder mystery set in Belfast. The setting is modern but with the often evoked backdrop of “the troubles” and the resultant daily hazards of being a cop in a shuttered, rebellious city, that world becomes timeless.

Despite its dark topic and the gruesome series of almost medieval killings that form its backbone, The Doom Murders surprises the reader with its wonderfully warm yet constricted microcosm of police and crime scenes, victims and suspects. Everything is drawn with an acerbic pen – whether it’s the city, its institutions, or the gaggle of fascinating characters that populate the novel – all are at once engaging and, at the same time, flawed. All have conflicted pasts and hidden sides but everything is authentic and thoroughly Irish. The Chief Inspector, Jim Sheehan, is drawn so deftly and with such genuineness, you can feel him breathing. The way he works a crime scene is much more human than the highly clinical approach so often portrayed in the American media. The give-and-take at the macabre crime scenes between himself, his investigators, and the quirky state forensic pathologist are off-beat and refreshing – not to mention, oddly funny.

There is much of humor and insight as the plot unfolds, and much more to make you sad, and just enough to give you hope before the end. There are moments in the book that ring so perfectly true that you simply have to stop and admire Mr. O’Hare’s craft or, as in my case, you have to interrupt your wife’s activities in order to read a bit out loud to her.

I would be remiss not to mention that there are a few technical problems in the book. For one, there are a few too many typos and word repetitions. For another, there are sections that suffer from intermittent formatting problems. For example, at some points the text indentations get out of hand and at a few other points the text suddenly becomes grey in color instead of black. Neither issue lasts for long and neither renders the book unreadable, but they are nuisances that need to be remedied.

In summary, I suggest that this is a well thought out book designed to be savored and not rushed through. The internal struggles of the main character are the heart of the novel. Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan’s personal journey is what sets this murder mystery apart and, in my opinion, sets it above its genre. Yes, the serial crimes are thought-provoking and the clues make sense and the motivations ring true and all is resolved in a very satisfying manner, but in the end, that’s not what this book is about. At its core it is a surprising journey into the war for souls and the high cost of true faith in our secular age.
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Nov 14, 2013 Brian O'Hare added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. By Vincent - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Doom Murders (Kindle Edition)
I remember once seeing a movie called "Seven". It was something to with the seven deadly sins and, as I recall, the murders reflected some version of these sins. The Doom Murders reminds me a bit of that movie. Here you have a killer, obsessed by the bible and an old masters painting of The Last Judgement, and who is using inspirations from these two sources to murder publics figures that he thinks are not livin By Vincent - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Doom Murders (Kindle Edition)
I remember once seeing a movie called "Seven". It was something to with the seven deadly sins and, as I recall, the murders reflected some version of these sins. The Doom Murders reminds me a bit of that movie. Here you have a killer, obsessed by the bible and an old masters painting of The Last Judgement, and who is using inspirations from these two sources to murder publics figures that he thinks are not living up to their faith. The murders are gory but there are additional elements that at first appear meaningless. It later transpires that these elements represent hand-of-God scenarios, a kind of divine vengeance against the ungodly. The bible-linked killings have a gruesome fascination that gives this mystery story an added dimension that keeps the reader wondering what the killer is going to come up with next.
Review of The Doom Murders Brian O'hare) by Vincent
This all might sound a bit religious but in this writer's hands The Doom Murders becomes a fascinating murder mystery, with a psychopathic but extremely clever killer who might almost have got away with the murders had it not been for the sharp mind of DCI Sheehan. Sheehan is a personable and likeable character, a great detective but almost an awkward bumpkin when he meets and falls for Margaret, a church organist. Their initial meeting in a Starbucks is quite amusing but their developing romance shows a soft side to the DCI's character.

The story is set in Belfast in Northern Ireland and the author is not simply content to mention the city's name once or twice and leave it vaguely in the background. I like the fact that the city features strongly in the book, that the author has taken time to research the city's roads, streets and restaurants. This, together with occasional reference to Northern Ireland's history and politics, give the story an intelligent authentic feel.

I enjoyed this story from an unknown writer. You will, too. I guarantee it! ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 J.D. Tew marked it as to-read

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Jan 01, 2015 James Cardona marked it as to-read

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