A master at work

[John Dean]

Book Review

Murder at the Caravan by David Pearson (The Book Folks)

 

The opening pages of this novel tell you everything you need to know about David Pearson as an author, that he is supremely confident in the way that he handles the task of crime writing. The story begins at Christmas when nothing is happening and few people are about and, in the hands of some writers, this could make for dull reading. David, however, takes it as an opportunity to steadily create atmosphere through the strong sense of place that characterises his books.

Of course, it is not long before the author shows his capacity for creating compelling crime fiction and the reader is drawn into the story, as a local woman calls Sergeant Séan Mulholland at the local Garda station in Clifden, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, to say that her brother has not turned up for a festive meal. A search is organised and eventually a badly-beaten body is found hidden in undergrowth.

As the investigation gathers pace, we are able to enjoy once again the interaction between the usual cast of characters that feature in David Pearson’s hugely popular Galway Homicide series, of which this is the fifteenth novel to be published, plus plenty of new characters to pique the reader’s interest.

As ever, the strong characters, sense of place and a plot that twists and turns blend beautifully and make for a hugely enjoyable book. Much to be recommended.