The unquiet grave by Dervla McTiernan

A fan of McTiernan’s books I was thrilled to read her latest novel, especially as Cormac Reilly features again. This time he is confronted with a body in a bog, a body that suggests a strange ritual. The murdered man is Thaddeus Grey, a local school principal, not seen for two years. There does not appear to be a reason for his murder, and Cormac finds it difficult to concentrate on his investigation as his ex-girlfriend Emma has pleaded with him to help her find her husband Finn, who has gone missing in Paris. As Cormac juggles the two cases, more bodies appear. Is there any connection or is a serial killer on the loose?

The background to the novel was fascinating with its brooding Irish countryside, descriptions of historical bodies found in bogs, military use of cybersecurity and ways of cheating winners of the lottery. Cormac’s struggle with his feelings about Emma and the fact that she is married and pregnant is vividly described, while his internal conflict about taking on a new job in the police force and his relations with his co-workers adds depth the story.

The theme of justice is a thought-provoking one. Cormac is clear that it is the justice system that makes the final decision about guilt or innocence but has fears about tackling police corruption and how his colleagues will react. Meanwhile, his off-sider Peter finds that for him justice is not so easily defined.

I was amazed at McTiernan’s ability to juggle three separate investigations and kept wondering how she would manage to tie all the clues together. Of course she did that brilliantly in this clever, twisty police procedural. I am looking forward to more books with Cormac investigating.

Themes: Murder, Detectives, Ireland.

Pat Pledger