Nestled under the shadow of the Tobin Bridge is Charlestown, Boston's oldest neighbourhood and home to many who aspire to more as well as those caught in the undertow of poverty and despair. As a "Townie" and a rising All- American football star at Boston College, Dermot Sparhawk, part-Irish and Part Micmac, is well-connected to many in this close-knit neighbourhood where many of members of Irish families have moved into good jobs as police officers, priests, and politicians. Now, with a wrecked knee, his football career a tattered dream and an addiction to alcohol, Dermot is an outreach worker for the food bank at Saint Jude Thaddeus Parish for those folks ekeing out a living in the projects.

Approached by a lean, dark-haired man with a smile and white teeth (both unusual for the average food pantry client), Dermot's attention is fully caught by the fact the man is deaf as well as being the brother of a murdered Catholic priest, Father Netto Barboza. As Blackie quickly writes out his request, he indicates that he wants Dermot to prove that his brother was not a pedophile and to find out who murdered him. He writes: "I trust you. I know you. You won't stop until you find out the truth."

Despite thinking the idea is crazy and a vicious serial killer on the loose, Dermot becomes more determined to solve this puzzle as he is forcibly warned away. After telling his priest Father Dominic about the situation, Dermot gets the official Diocesan blessing from the Bishop to investigate. But, will his over fondness for alcohol interfere with his instincts? How can he track down the killer when the Boston police have no luck either and the body count quickly mounts?

Not only is the story full of unusual twists, but BEYOND THE BRIDGE is also written in a different sequence to the usual series style. Not only fully effective as a stand- alone book, it is a prequel to Tom MacDonald's highly acclaimed introduction to Dermot Sparhawk in The Charlestown Connection. Charlestown is an area Macdonald knows very well and he realistically and intimately describes both the area and surrounding locations as well as its many varied inhabitants.

As a relatively new author, MacDonald delivers an powerful action packed thriller that quickly pulls you right in the middle of the projects in Boston as well as a series of horrific murders where Catholic priests are being horribly and cruelly crucified, initially seemingly with cause and then seemingly without a pattern. MacDonald's writing is clear, easy to follow, and his characters are strongly drawn with just enough intriguing vagrancies to make them genuinely alive and not stereotypes. Hopefully, many will appear again in future novels in this series. Finding a new role for himself, Dermot relies heavily on his instincts, ingenuity and friends (especially to borrow cars or favours). Battling his own alcohol addiction with the odd AA meeting, Sparhawk is a strong and complex protagonist who is honourable to himself and his word as he doggedly strives to keep the promises he makes to others. Fans of PI thrillers will find BEYOND THE BRIDGE worthy of checking out!