It seems that Joseph O'Connor can turn his writing hand to just about anything: literary fiction, travel books, journalism, that male confessional comedy which doesn't have a name yet but is generally referred to as Hornby-esque - and now, a crime novel. OK, Inishowen isn't strictly a crime novel since the mystery at its heart doesn't concern a murder - but it feels like a crime novel, and its central character, Inspector Martin Aitken, a cop of a certain age whose sense of humour works considerably better than his life, is one of the most memorable - and probably the most agreeable - detectives yet seen in Irish fiction of any sort. If the book has a flaw, it is that it is set partly in the US and, though intended as highly satirical, the American scenes strain for authenticity, in contrast to the Irish parts, which fairly roll along, fuelled by an easy, knowing irony. That mild quibble aside, if you're looking for an effortlessly entertaining holiday read, you've found one.
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