David J. Pearson

A nice follow up to A DEADLY DIVIDEND. Good to see Fiona Moore coming out of her shell and doing more leg work. An interesting setting on the outskirts of Dublin. Didn't guess the killer! Looking forward to more in this series.

I quite enjoyed the first book, and I would likely enjoy others, but this one was all around disappointing. The small thing, the partner relationship between the main two characters had started to evolve in the first book, and I was curious how that would develop, but they seemed like barely acquaintances in this one, without any explanation. It made his character, especially, feel one dimensional, and their strained relationship was no fun at all.

But more disappointing, the mystery was show more very flat and felt like it consisted of 'Who *doesn't* want to kill gay people amIright?!?'... This book was only published in 2020! Wth? I could absolutely buy a couple villains thinking that way, but sheesh, even the main male character, a law enforcer, was basically 'I can't condone it, but I do sympathize' in his own mind. ?? The killer didn't just swerve his car into him, which could be argued to have been a split second of madness or something- he left, returned, attacked a stunned and unarmed man, murdering him, and then stripped him naked and carved a slur into his chest with a *stick*? wtf? And the main character *sympathizes* with this %$er just because he's 'from a different time'?? The majority of Irish voters passed marriage equality five years before this. But even way before that it wasn't just legal to murder people because you disapproved of them! major spoilers -> The author makes a big deal that juries were understanding of the criminals as well. I think the embezzling human traffickers served just 2 years, and the mutilating murderer got out in 5. Ffs. It was a very strange and disturbing stance to take.

On top of that, I'm not sure the mystery entirely held water. major spoiler -> It's possible I heard wrong, but I believe the daughter said she decided to murder her father after witnessing him with another man in his office, but I think it was that same night that she texted her boyfriend asking if he'd gotten the "stuff" (poison). So apparently that plan had already been put in motion even before she was certain her dad was gay? But no one mentions that hitch.
It was all around pretty terrible. show less

These books just get better and better; like I imagine a fine wine would, if I could hold on to a bottle for more than a day or so.
In Passion for Murder, foreign students in Dublin get into a bit of a pickle, to put it lightly. The reality of their language school doesn't quite match watch what was in the brochure.
Moore is once again the driving force of the investigation and Burke is going off the rails. I do wonder what will become of him.
A really good, engaging read.

I love Ireland so the setting was the main draw, and I wasn't disappointed. The story is filled with descriptions of places and people that is atmospheric.
The plot was not too predictable, but the red-herrings were not convincing enough to divert attention. The culprit is quite easy to guess. Also, the blurb focuses on the woman who discovered the body as if she has a main part to play in the story - but she doesn't. I found the relationship between the two investigators a little wooden and show more false.
Nevertheless, the writing is good and the action fast paced. I enjoyed reading it and if the plots are better thought out, I may even purchase the next installment. show less