Monday, April 24th 2017

"Detective Ryan McBride stared into Mullan's bedroom, the metallic smell of old blood stronger here. Prisha Hill the supervising crime scene investigator, laid her hand on his arm. "I've never seen anything like this, " Prisha said. "Have you?" "No," Ryan said. "No, I haven't."

Blood Relations by J.Wollcott is part of the DS Ryan McBride two-book series. The first is A Nice Place to Die both books take place in Belfast Northern Ireland. In Blood Relations retired Chief Inspector Patrick Mullan is found deceased in his bed. Detective Sergeant McBride and his partner Detective Sergeant Billy Lamont are tasked with investigating the murder. The question is, can a man be murdered twice?

In their investigation, they found that the deceased had a past of corruption and violence. As they question who it could be, a person from the past or present. Patrick Mullan was bashed over the head, stabbed in the torso, and throat slit. Someone must have really wanted him dead.

Different storylines within the novel tell the story of each of the characters. Morris Sweet is the local crime boss and a man by the name of Dinger Bell who was recently released from prison, for a crime that he took the fall for. He has since disappeared.

Other characters are Dereck McGrath who is an IT expert, and young officer Maura Dunn. He has a current girlfriend Rose and an ex Bridget. I noticed that even though this book/series takes place in Northern Ireland, it is not bogged down with names and places that are hard to pronounce.

The story is very detailed in the descriptions of people and places and can be read as a stand-alone novel. I am interested in any stories that take place in Ireland. The author is very knowledgeable and tells a great story!

I give the book 5 stars.