The ninth Peter McGarr mystery ( The Death of a Joyce Scholar ) offers a stylish, literate look at Ireland today. When banking tycoon/philanthropist/political aspirant Paddy Power dies on the eve of an economic conference he's called in Kerry, his doctor cries murder, and head of the Irish homicide squad middle-aged, first-time father McGarr is put in charge. Rumors of scandal are whipped up with the appearance of portions of Power's diary. A wealth of suspects includes Power's ex-partner at Eire Bank; his perfectionist assistant/ex-lover; his coarse, melodramatic physician; and his ex-wife, an Eire Bank shareholder. Plot twists abound--one turns on a mass political assassination. But the main joy is Gill's distinctive voice and viewpoints: ``What good is it being Irish . . . if you can't make fun of the little you allow yourself to know of the rest of the world.'' With some lovely set pieces--a rural funeral feast, for one--Gill gives us a sympathetic, warts-and-all glimpse of Ireland and lifts his latest above more commonplace novels in the genre. (Mar.)
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Another procedural, this latest in a long-running series. Irish policeman Peter McGarr goes to the Irish resort of Parknasilla to determine whether the digitalis-induced death of a famous and beloved philanthropist, about to turn politician, was planned or accidental. With the aid of his much-younger wife and several undercover detectives, McGarr questions the man's doctor, his athletic ex-wife, his mistress/assistant, and several powerful politicians. Violent action combines with aptly depicted peculiarities of Irish place and speech to create an involving mystery with a heavy mix of political intrigue. The IRA background and Irish idiom may be heavygoing for some, but fans will like this.
