A Carra King: An Inspector Matt Minogue Mystery

Reading a writer for the first time and loving it is a wonderful thing. Knowing that the writer has more books out there is better. Knowing that several of those books are among a series centered around the same fully-developed character featured in the book that grabbed your attention in the first place, is as good as it gets.John Brady is a first-rate writer who deserves more attention; "A Carra King" is a smartly constructed mystery novel filled with rich, lively dialogue, tense action scenes, and believable characters. If you appreciate superior writing in any genre, read it.

I'm a long-time John Brady fan, so it was with great anticipation that I laid hands on A Carra King. After a somewhat confusing start, with seemingly disparate scenes, the basis of the essential mystery gets laid out (the body of a young American--son of a wealthy Irish-born millionaire--is found in the trunk of a rental car at the airport) and the sleuthing begins. Matt Minogue, Brady's long-time Garda hero, and his partner, Tommy Malone, cover a great deal of territory, and history, in getting to the truth.Brady's wonderful accomplishment in the creation of Minogue is the tracking of a fine mind as it skitters over thoughts--of art, of music, of history, of character and weather and fatherhood--and, in the process, reveals both the intellect and intuition that go into getting to the truth.Once past the first few chapters, the book races along. It's a book filled with quirky characters, superior plotting, and a relentless narrative drive.Highly recommended.