She should be happy with a quick open and shut case. God
knows life hasn't been easy lately; a bout with breast
cancer, a family feud brewing and trips to a counsellor
over the death of a criminal who would have been even
more happy about killing her. Still, something is
nagging at the back of Detective Inspector Serena
Flanagan's mind. Despite his wealth, it is understandable
that Henry Garrick would want to take his life. An
automobile accident five months earlier had left him
burned, bedridden, legless and needing constant care for
his horrific injuries. Why would he want to live?
The crime investigation team have all gone from the
wealthy home and the medical examiner indicates it is a
suicide, so why can't she just let it go and sign off on
the case. What is it about the pictures that won't let
her rest?
Written by the award winning Irish author Stuart Neville,
SO SAY THE FALLEN is one of the most exciting and page
turning police procedural I have read in a long time!
Not having read any of Neville's books before, I can
certainly attest SO SAY THE FALLEN is a great stand alone
crime novel; yet, it is the third in his DCI Serena
Flanagan series and his seventh novel in total.
Neville's fans are sure to be pleased and I, for one, am
definitely planning on getting my hands on those earlier
books by Neville and reading them as well.
Neville is a gifted writer with an awesome ability to
have his characters spring vividly to life. Their
emotions, thoughts, mannerisms and actions are what makes
the story so authentic and engrossing. DCI Serena
Flanagan is a feisty, intelligent and determined
protagonist. Her hot-headed temperament is quite the
opposite of serenity of her name and she has been known
to be sharp and abrasive, especially with some of her
male colleagues. Making life difficult for her is her
husband Alistair who has taken over her role as a parent
and is intent on pushing her out of their marriage unless
she quits her job while her immediate superior, Detective
Superintendent Purdy is days away from retirement and
just wants out with a clean record. All very aptly done
and too true to life for many professionals in similar
situations.
The secondary characters in SO SAY THE FALLEN are also
all very realistic and I particularly liked how Neville
describes Reverend Peter McKay's spiritual struggles and
those of others in the story as well as how police and
other politics can interfere with an investigation. If
you are looking for a great police procedural crime story
or simply an utterly absorbing read, look no further
than Neville's latest, SO SAY THE FALLEN! I can't wait
for the next in the series!
Henry Garrick, a local car dealer who was maimed in an accident five months before, has apparently taken his own life. A simple case, it should be wrapped up in a few days. But something doesn’t feel right to Belfast detective Serena Flanagan, despite the fact that there is no evidence of foul play. As she investigates, Flanagan interviews Roberta Garrick, Henry’s widow, who is comforted in her grief by Reverend Peter McKay, rector of the local church and a close family friend. Flanagan is carrying heavy personal burdens, her mind and marriage nearly at breaking point, and on impulse she confides in the rector, seeking his spiritual help. But with the secrets McKay is keeping, he is in no position to help anyone. His faith long gone, he is lost in a spiral of lust and guilt from which he sees no escape. Until, that is, the policewoman offers him a glimpse of salvation. Flanagan ignores her superiors’ advice to close the case, call it a suicide, and be done with it. As she picks at the threads of the dead man’s life, a disturbing picture emerges, and she realizes the widow Roberta Garrick is not what she seems . . .
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