Synopses & Reviews
A “gripping thriller” (The Buffalo News), the first in a series of Dublin-based mysteries introducing Inspector Mike Mulcahy, who is pitched into a deadly battle with a diabolical villain.Gerard O’Donovan puts Dublin on the crime-fiction map with this riveting tale steeped in Ireland’s Catholic history. Struggling to find his feet back in Ireland after a lengthy posting with Europol in Spain, drugs specialist Mike Mulcahy is plunged into unfamiliar territory when the daughter of a foreign politician suffers a horrific sex attack. Dragged into the case against his will, Mulcahy becomes convinced there is more to it than a random, frenzied sexual assault. But his know-it-all colleagues and politically motivated bosses, eager for a quick, uncontroversial result, ignore his belief that the attack had religious as well as sexual overtones. Sidelined and overruled, Mulcahy sets out on his own parallel investigation. But frustrations abound at every turn—until reporter Siobhan Fallon turns up, asking awkward questions and proving to be a distraction in more ways than one.
As more young women are attacked, and assault turns to murder, Mulcahy and Fallon are drawn deeper into an uneasy alliance. Each step they take hurtles them ever closer to the monstrous killer known only as The Priest and a final showdown that’s as explosive as it is unforgettable.
Review
"The Priest is an addictive beginning by an author who is positioning himself as a major talent."--Bookreporter.com
Review
"Good stories run through The Priest."--Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
Now in paperback, a gripping tale steeped in Ireland’s Catholic history—from the most riveting writer to come out of Ireland since John Connolly.Struggling to find his feet back in Ireland after a lengthy posting with Europol in Spain, drug specialist Mike Mulcahy is plunged into unfamiliar territory when the daughter of a foreign politician suffers a horrific sex attack. Dragged into the case against his will, Mulcahy becomes convinced there is a more to it than a random, frenzied sexual assault, especially when he discovers that the weapon used by the attacker to “brand” his victim was a crucifix. But his know-it-all colleagues and politically motivated bosses, eager for a quick, uncontroversial result, ignore his belief that the attack had religious as well as sexual motivations. Sidelined and overruled, Mulcahy sets out on his own parallel investigation. But frustrations abound at every turn—until reporter Siobhan Fallon turns up asking awkward questions. As more young women are attacked, and assault turns to murder, Mulcahy and Fallon are drawn deeper into an uneasy alliance, as each step they take hurtles them ever closer to the monstrous killer known only as The Priest, and a final showdown that’s as explosive as it is unforgettable.
Synopsis
A “gripping thriller” (The Buffalo News), the first in a series of Dublin-based mysteries introducing Inspector Mike Mulcahy, who is pitched into a deadly battle with a diabolical villain.Gerard ODonovan puts Dublin on the crime-fiction map with this riveting tale steeped in Irelands Catholic history. Struggling to find his feet back in Ireland after a lengthy posting with Europol in Spain, drugs specialist Mike Mulcahy is plunged into unfamiliar territory when the daughter of a foreign politician suffers a horrific sex attack. Dragged into the case against his will, Mulcahy becomes convinced there is more to it than a random, frenzied sexual assault. But his know-it-all colleagues and politically motivated bosses, eager for a quick, uncontroversial result, ignore his belief that the attack had religious as well as sexual overtones. Sidelined and overruled, Mulcahy sets out on his own parallel investigation. But frustrations abound at every turn—until reporter Siobhan Fallon turns up, asking awkward questions and proving to be a distraction in more ways than one.As more young women are attacked, and assault turns to murder, Mulcahy and Fallon are drawn deeper into an uneasy alliance. Each step they take hurtles them ever closer to the monstrous killer known only as The Priest and a final showdown thats as explosive as it is unforgettable.
About the Author
Gerard O’Donovan was born in Cork and grew up in Dublin. After a brief career in the Irish civil service he travelled widely, working as a barman, bookseller, gherkin-bottler, philosophy tutor, and English teacher before settling down to make a living as a journalist and critic for, among others, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph. In 2007 he was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association’s prestigious Debut Dagger competition.