The Doom Murders is a mystery thriller,set in modern Belfast. It is the first of a series of mystery thrillers featuring Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan
Prominent figures in Belfast are being murdered. The bodies are left naked and posed in grotesquely distorted shapes. No clues are left at the forensically immaculate crime scenes except odd theatrical props and some concealed random numbers and letters left by the killer. How are the victims linked? What is the connection between these killings and a famous mediaeval painting of The Last Judgement? Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan is baffled. Faced with one of the most complex cases of his career, he turns to an eminent professor at Queen’s University and a senior cleric who is a biblical expert. With their help, Sheehan begins to piece together some understanding of the killer’s psychopathy but can he learn enough to identify the killer and put an end the murders?
Professional Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars COMPELLING, SUPERBLY-WRITTEN MYSTERY!
By Donna Cumminson September 27, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
If you’re looking for a murder mystery that goes beyond the mundane to the extraordinary, that offers a well-crafted and cleverly-devised plot, that intrigues to the very last page, then THE DOOM MURDERS is the book you’ve been searching for.
The author’s solid and consistent style of writing drives the story forward at a steady clip, piquing your interest, challenging your wit, and clutching you in its grip for the entire suspenseful ride. Along the way, the most subtle of clues are intricately interwoven into the storyline, and even the most astute mystery buff is apt to miss them. O’Hare’s strong command of the English language is readily apparent and allows him to easily paint the scene, set the mood, and bring his characters to life. At the same time, his intermittent use of Irish colloquialism adds a spicy, genuine flavor to the dialogue.
The story itself is a murder mystery set in Belfast, Ireland, where Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan is confronted with a series of murders that appear to have religious undertones—murders based upon the famous Doom paintings of the Last Judgment. As murder victim piles upon murder victim and the ongoing criminal investigation fails to unearth a viable suspect, Sheehan begins to question his ability to solve the case. Eventually, the killer’s profile points him in a direction he’d rather not take, a direction abhorrent to his sensibilities.
Along with the murders, however—and just as importantly—Sheehan is also confronted with the question of his faith—a faith that he had abandoned long ago. O’Hare convincingly, and with finesse, addresses Sheehan’s struggles—not only to face the identity of the killer but also to acknowledge his own spiritual re-awakening.
An excellent read well worth your time and one I would highly recommend!
ByDonna Cumminson September 27, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
If you’re looking for a murder mystery that goes beyond the mundane to the extraordinary, that offers a well-crafted and cleverly-devised plot, that intrigues to the very last page, then THE DOOM MURDERS is the book you’ve been searching for.
The author’s solid and consistent style of writing drives the story forward at a steady clip, piquing your interest, challenging your wit, and clutching you in its grip for the entire suspenseful ride. Along the way, the most subtle of clues are intricately interwoven into the storyline, and even the most astute mystery buff is apt to miss them. O’Hare’s strong command of the English language is readily apparent and allows him to easily paint the scene, set the mood, and bring his characters to life. At the same time, his intermittent use of Irish colloquialism adds a spicy, genuine flavor to the dialogue.
The story itself is a murder mystery set in Belfast, Ireland, where Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan is confronted with a series of murders that appear to have religious undertones—murders based upon the famous Doom paintings of the Last Judgment. As murder victim piles upon murder victim and the ongoing criminal investigation fails to unearth a viable suspect, Sheehan begins to question his ability to solve the case. Eventually, the killer’s profile points him in a direction he’d rather not take, a direction abhorrent to his sensibilities.
Along with the murders, however—and just as importantly—Sheehan is also confronted with the question of his faith—a faith that he had abandoned long ago. O’Hare convincingly, and with finesse, addresses Sheehan’s struggles—not only to face the identity of the killer but also to acknowledge his own spiritual re-awakening.
An excellent read well worth your time and one I would highly recommend!
5.0 out of 5 stars: Absolutely Gripping
ByMeghanTOP 1000 REVIEWERon November 20, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
Even now I can’t really get over Brian O’Hare’s incredibly addictive page turner, ‘The Doom Murders’. If you love the better titles of Dan Brown works or other similar gripping murder mysteries, then you’ll love O’Hare’s book because—heck, it’s even better crafted and skilfully written that it chokes you with mounting excitement and never actually lets go.
At the heart of ‘The Doom Murders’, as you can very well glean from the title itself, are a series of grotesque murders that seem to have been performed as some sort of “message,” thereby making the city of Belfast uneasy and on the brink of a mass nervous breakdown. Who is committing the murders, and what do those numbers and letters mean? It’s all up to Jim Sheehan to solve it—that is, if only he could manage the constant distraction brought on by one beautiful woman.
I have been recently watching ‘Ripper Street’ on the BBC, and my excitement over the TV series is carried over to O’Hare’s book, and with good reason: O’Hare’s uncanny knack for mood and setting and atmosphere makes this book a deeply entertaining experience. Moreover, the author’s got an immense talent for “weaving” the plot intricately, pushing you down the meat grinder of suspense, but still emerging from it all with a flourish and grace that only the best honed literary talents could pull off.
I love ‘The Doom Murders’ to shreds—if there is anything that you must read this coming weekend, make it this book. A few pages into it and you’ll be helplessly hooked—no, the first page alone can reel you in effortlessly. Order a copy of this book—it’s also the perfect gift to friends and loved ones who love a good, suspenseful, gripping read. Five stars for this one.
Disturbingly Deep and Satisfying
ByEugene Fournieron August 19, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
A disturbingly deep and satisfying Irish novel that pretends to be just an intriguing murder mystery set in Belfast. The setting is modern but with the often evoked backdrop of "the troubles" and the resultant daily hazards of being a cop in a shuttered, rebellious city, that world becomes timeless.
Despite its dark topic and the gruesome series of almost medieval killings that form its backbone, The Doom Murders surprises the reader with its wonderfully warm yet constricted microcosm of police and crime scenes, victims and suspects. Everything is drawn with an acerbic pen - whether it's the city, its institutions, or the gaggle of fascinating characters that populate the novel - all are at once engaging and, at the same time, flawed. All have conflicted pasts and hidden sides but everything is authentic and thoroughly Irish. The Chief Inspector, Jim Sheehan, is drawn so deftly and with such genuineness, you can feel him breathing. The way he works a crime scene is much more human than the highly clinical approach so often portrayed in the American media. The give-and-take at the macabre crime scenes between himself, his investigators, and the quirky state forensic pathologist are off-beat and refreshing - not to mention, oddly funny.
There is much of humor and insight as the plot unfolds, and much more to make you sad, and just enough to give you hope before the end. There are moments in the book that ring so perfectly true that you simply have to stop and admire Mr. O'Hare's craft or, as in my case, you have to interrupt your wife's activities in order to read a bit out loud to her.
In summary, I suggest that this is a well thought out book designed to be savored and not rushed through. The internal struggles of the main character are the heart of the novel. Chief Inspector Sheehan's personal journey is what sets this murder mystery apart and, in my opinion, sets it above its genre. Yes, the serial crimes are thought-provoking and the clues make sense and the motivations ring true and all is resolved in a very satisfying manner, but in the end, that's not what this book is about. At its core it is a surprising journey into the war for souls and the high cost of true faith in our secular age.
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