Graham Masterton: Dead Men Whistling

A reasonably entertaining Garda police thriller. It’s the latest in a series featuring Katie Maguire but it stands well alone - there are references to previous eevnts and characters biut not so many as they become irritating or puzzling.

the Irish setting is very strong - much local lingo, locations etc etc - but I really don’t think that everytime Katie’s phone rings we need to be reminded of the tune that it plays. The violence is pretty gruesome but justified. Where I felt it did at times fall down was in the dialogue, particularly at climactic scenes or conformtations. There there was something slightly false/forced about the way people spoke that rather spoilt the moment(s) for me. It is tricky to put my finger on exactly what it was but there just seemed to be a lack of authenticity.

Still, a decently enjoyable and relaxing read - but I don’t think I will be seeking out others in the series any time soon.