A Man with One of Those faces: Caimh McDonnell 5 STARS
Author: Caimh McDonnell
Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: McFori Ink (August 27, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0995507503
ISBN-13: 978-0995507500
Source McFori Ink/via NetGalley
Genre: Humorous Crime
5 STARS
Publishers Summary
A darkly comic Irish crime thriller.
The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident.
The second time was deliberate.
Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history . . .
. . . or else they’ll be history.
Review
I loved this book! It appeared without the usual publishers’ fanfare and hyperbole of many a lesser book and so I feel lucky to have come across such a gem.
Now,
a bit about our hero…
Paul Mulchrone is twenty-eight years old and “five foot nine of sheer ordinariness”. He is a man whose only friend seems to be Mickey, the delivery driver for a Chinese takeaway, The Oriental Palace which proudly boasts of an in-dining area (with ambience).
Pauls Great Aunt Fidelma, whom he’d only met twice and didn’t much like, died and left everything to the donkey sanctuary. She didn’t forget Paul though, he was to be allowed to live in her house and was to receive 500 euros a month - with conditions!
1: He could live there until he found gainful employment
2:He must not get into any trouble with the law and
3: In order to improve himself he must undertake six hours of charitable work each week, to be monitored by Mr. Greevy of Greevy and Co. solicitors.
When Paul learned of these conditions he determined that, just to spite Aunt Fidelma, he would live off her 500 euros forever - hence he lived a very frugal life!
…and now just a little bit about the story
We meet up with Paul at the hospice where he is carries out his charitable duties; he becomes whatever the confused patient wants him to be, son, nephew, grandson, Paul didn’t mind.
He was about to go home and was wanting Nurse Brigit Conroy to sign his work note when she asked him a for favour, Nurse Brigit has a bit of a mouth on her and despite having worked five minutes overtime that week Paul found her to be a woman who was difficult to refuse.
The old fella she wanted him visit mistakes Paul for someone else, someone he obviously disliked because, with the last of the strength left in his body he attacked and stabbed Paul in the shoulder. At the hospital Dr. Sinha, trying to cheer up Paul tells him that being stabbed is better than being shot, and how much nicer it was to be stabbed by someone you didn’t know rather than by someone you did know, as that wouldn’t be very nice at all.
Before long it became apparent that somebody somewhere thought that Paul knew something about something, and for that he must be taken out.
Paul had no idea what that ‘something’ might be.
Not having much faith in D.I. Jimmy Stewart and his sidekick Wilson to protect them, Paul and Nurse Brigit go on the run.
Somewhere along the way the awful police officer Bunny McGarry intrudes himself into the case, Paul having been “one of his boys” in his hurling team from way back, justified Bunnys poking his nose in to everything.
Paul and Nurse Brigit are given temporary shelter by Dorothy, who believes that Paul is her grandson Gregory. In an effort to remain ladylike, Dorothy transposes the first letter of every cuss word with an “m”, so “muckin’and “ munt” appear quite frequently.
Eventually their hideout is discovered and that is when the real adventure begins, Nurse Brigit, whose only experience of crime is from watching the telly is secretly thrilled to be involved, she decides they must investigate. That is, until it gets really dangerous!
This is humorous crime at its finest, droll, witty and highly entertaining. The characters are well fleshed out and engaging - wait ’til you meet the very pregnant Nora Stokes, Pauls solicitor. - What a Woman!
The writing is skilled and captivating, I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
Review copy provided byMcFori Ink via NetGalley
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