A Wee Review - Bleed A River Deep by Brian McGilloway

Bleed a River Deep is the first of Brian McGilloway’s three-book deal with Pan MacMillan, and the third Inspector Devlin Mystery. If, like me, you’re impressed by those apples, get this; there’s talk of a TV series as well. Now, as far as TV goes, nothing is definite until it’s actually on the screen*, but you know, it’s still an excellent compliment for Mister McGilloway. Hats off to the man.

But what about the book? Isn’t that the important thing?

Yes, it is.

Bleed a River Deep revolves around a Donegal gold mine, Ireland’s recent immigration trend and a visit from a US senator with Irish republican sympathies. And as with the other Devlin novels, the procedures and politics between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda Síochána, for which Inspector Devlin works, play a huge role. There are a number of great twists and reveals from the get go, so a closer examination of the plot is only likely to spoil a lot of the nice surprises McGilloway has set for the reader along the way. Just know that if you’ve enjoyed the previous books, this won’t disappoint, and if you’re a crime fiction fan yet to find this series, Bleed a River Deep won’t fail to intrigue you. So get stuck in.

I’ve had the great fortune to read the Inspector Devlin series in chronological order. In Borderlands and Gallows Lane, I’ve seen Benedict Devlin overcome many challenges, professionally and personally, and I’ve gone away from both novels impressed by the good inspector’s character journey. Bleed a River Deep was no exception to this trend. If anything, McGilloway has tightened the screws on his protagonist and made life as difficult as possible for the man. And yet, he still reacts like no other police inspector in modern crime fiction. He doesn’t fall into depression and despair. He doesn’t seek solace in cheap and tawdry sex. He doesn’t even drink away his sorrows, for God’s sake! Nope, Devlin is a rare breed of character. A devoted family man, who brings work home, not as angst or fury, but as the odd question for his wife to help him figure out (during the commercial breaks – how real is that?) and as a resolve to look after his young children, come what may. Not that he’s completely free of vices. That’d be boring. He smokes, he has a bit of a temper and his job can get to him. He’s human. It’s a brave choice to have such a ‘normal’ man as your protagonist in police procedural crime fiction, but in McGilloway’s case, it’s also the perfect choice.

And the setting ain’t too shabby either. Socially and economically, so much has happened and will continue to happen in modern Ireland, in both the North and the South. You’d have to be a complete eejit not to find it fascinating. And savvy Mister McGilloway is enjoying the best of both worlds in this border-straddling backdrop. Oh, and you might have read that a part of the book takes place in Belfast. That's not the case. It all goes on west of the Bann.

“Devlin is going to join the ranks of Rebus, Resnick, Davenport and Scudder as one of the reference points of character series.” Ken Bruen

I’ll not argue with that blurb. Seriously, do yourself a favour and jump on the McGilloway wagon. If you get left behind, you’re only going to have to catch up with the early titles in a few years time. Check out Bleed a River Deep in April 2009.

*Gleaned from a comment made by Colin Bateman over at Crime Always Pays.