After two decades in Los Angeles, Ed Loy returned to Dublin to deal with his mother’s death (Wrong Kind of
Blood - also reviewed on Myshelf.com).
He is now adjusting to life in Dublin as a private investigator.
He is hired by dentist Shane Howard, who is the son of a legendary doctor. Howard has received pornographic
pictures of his errant daughter, Emily, and he wants Loy to locate her.
When Loy finds Emily he learns she is involved in an intimate relationship with her cousin and is unwilling to
return to her father. After several murders (one of which is Emily’s ex-boyfriend, a porno film maker) Loy delves
into the past and finds that the roots of the violence may be in the family’s past. He has a long list of
suspects to investigate before he can find the truth.
This is a gripping and gritty story which is packed with history, emotion and detail. There is lots of action.
The dialogue is authentic with many hilarious colloquialisms. The background is strong with local color, showing
how Dublin had changed in the 20 years Loy had been away. The description is vivid giving the reader the sense of
walking the sidewalks and smelling the air of Dublin.
Though this is a suspense story in itself, if the reader were to read the preceding book (The Wrong Kind of
Blood) he would have a greater appreciation of the story.