The Death of an Irish Sea Wolf

This 1996 Peter McGarr mystery takes place primarily on the remote island of Clare where a man named Clement Ford washed up on the beach 50 years before and has lived ever since.As the book opens, Ford is alerted to the arrival of a strange boat in the harbor. After so many years, his pursuers have caught up with him, in search of revenge and the treasure Ford absconded with at the end of World War II. By morning, several people are dead, Ford is missing and Chief Superintendent McGarr's fishing holiday is over.With the help of his familiar Murder Squad team, his feisty, scholarly wife, Noreen, and the efficient mainland computers, McGarr begins to put together the pieces. Of less help are the closed-mouth islanders, many of whom despise "foreigners," whether they be mainland police or longtime benefactors like Ford, known to be behind the anonymous Clare Trust.McGarr soon realizes that the killers did not achieve their objective - the treasure - and will return, losing themselves in the annual reunion of several thousand of the world's O'Malleys.Gill is at his best here; his literary wit in top form, his characters gregarious and sharp, and the suspense heightened by harsh, windswept terrain and sudden, violent spring storms.

This intelligently written mystery takes place off the coast of Ireland on Clare Island. The story centers on Clement Ford, a well-liked 80 year old Sea Man. Clem and his wife Breege live a modest lifestyle in their cottage on the island. They are personable and well respected by the remote communities citizens, however, they hold a deep dark secret.One night after a violent storm, three people on the island turn up murdered and Clem and Breege mysteriously disappear. Detective Peter McGarr and his colleagues are assigned to the case. Police are baffled as to why anyone would commit these murders and how they could be tied to the quiet elderly Ford's.Bartholomew Gill's story is unique in that you know who the killers are right from the beginning. However, the mystery lies in why did they kill? What do they want? Will they strike again?The prose in this book is wonderfully descriptive. You will smell the salty air, see the rolling green hills, and watch the colorful Irish sunsets. The characters are refreshing and believable, and Gill provides the reader with accurate historical facts about the land and its people. This was my first Bartholomew Gill book, but it certainly won't be my last. What a terrific discovery!

One the best books i have ever read..A real page turner

This is my third Gill novel and I can't wait to read the next one! As one reviewer said, The Death of an Irish Sea Wolf is so much more than a mystery story - it's poetry, history, adventure, and description- such marvelous description that I wish I could take off tomorrow for Ireland! Gill's characters are so alive that I feel after three McGarr stories that I know them personally!Any lover of the written word will love Gill's works!

Gill's 12th book could have opened with the hackneyed phrase "It was a dark and stormy night," but it didn't. Instead, Gill opened with a deceptively mild line: "Clement Ford heard the phone ring in the hall of the Clare Island cottage that he had occupied now for over fifty years." And the story begins. I just finished reading Bartholomew Gill's -The Death of an Irish Sea Wolf- which I found to be extremely involving. This book is the latest in the series on Peter McGarr and the Murder Squad. The book has everything, wealth, obsession, love, murder, and Irish history. It is a very well-crafted Irish Police Procedural, which got me involved from the very first page. If you haven't met up with Gill's, McGarr, I would suggest starting with the first book and continuing as the characters grow. I will admit I enjoy reading books in order, but each book stands alone.