Book Review: The Wrong Kind of Blood

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Wrong Kind of Blood     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Declan Hughes
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller   Private Investigator
Morrow, Mar 2006, $23.95

Over twenty years have passed since Edward Loy left Dublin for the United States, but the private investigator returns home for his mom’s funeral. On the same day his mother is buried, an old school chum, Linda Dawson tongue kisses Edward while asking him to locate her missing husband Peter gone four days. Though he struggles with the concept of tonguing one man while allegedly missing your spouse, Edward agrees to investigate as his mother’s death serves as a reminder of his tragedy back in L.A. that has left him with a bottle as his only comfort; this is an opportunity to begin the climb back out of the alcoholic haze.

Loy follows Peter’s last known trail, which leads him to a corpse in town hall. From there he runs afoul of an organized crime mob, the IRA, and the Garda; each in their own style warning him to not just back off, but to go back across the ocean. Other murders and more kisses follow as Loy continues his inquiries refusing to allow anyone to scare him off as death seems easy compared to the fall into the ooze beneath the food chain that he already has taken.

Although there are too many subplots intruding in this violent exhilarating Irish private investigative tale, readers will appreciate Loy’s first person lament. What is fascinating is the comparison between Loy’s “world” filled with hostility and cruelty vs. the pastoral setting of Dublin. Loy is an interesting protagonist whose hard boiled investigation makes for a fun armchair tour of the Irish capital.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner