Jim Lusby is the creator of Inspector Carl McCadden, head of detectives in the Waterford Garda and hero of the recent RTE television series, Making the Cut and DDU. He is one of the very few Irish writers who have managed to crack the fiercely competitive crime genre and make his way internationally. It's not hard to see why. He is a gifted writer with a strong feel for character, a fluency with dialogue and the ability to construct solid storylines which hold the reader's interest and keeps him or her turning the pages. All vital ingredients for a successful crime novel.
In addition, Lusby has made the brave decision to locate his stories, not in Dublin, but in the Waterford area where he grew up. As a result, the writing radiates a vibrant sense of place, often missing in novels set in more glamorous international locations - it was Patrick Kavanagh, I think, who said the village is the world.
Readers of a certain vintage will immediately recognise the title of this, the fourth McCadden mystery. It's a Sandy Denny song from a Fairport Convention album, and Lusby uses it to link the hippy ethos of the 1970s and the brash materialism of the 21st century in a story that involves murder, drugs, betrayal and dashed ambition. It's also a tale of corporate corruption and political intrique which will strike an immediate response with most readers. As usual, Lusby keeps a masterful grip on the narrative and skilfully pumps up the adrenalin like a good crime writer should. But it's all neatly tied up in the end. Strongly recommended.
Eugene McEldowney's latest novel, The Faloorie Man, is published by New Island Books.