Association Renewed by Nicholas Dinnear

Product Description

'Ireland 1924
When a series of bizarre and unexplained deaths occur throughout the country, Detective Eoghan Ryan of the Dublin Metropolitan Police volunteers to work the investigation. Solving a case like this could mean big things for his career, but events start taking a strange turn when his superior officer forces him to partner with his estranged ex-best friend, a disreputable psychic named Aidan Walsh.
Reluctantly, the two men travel the roads of Ireland in a bid to unravel the mystery. As all signs begin to point towards a paranormal explanation, is it even possible for them to identify the culprits and bring them to justice? And can this be done without losing their own lives in the process?
Murder, guns, drinking and general supernatural goings on in 1920s Ireland, all wrapped up in a tale of a strange Society, a mysterious Institute and, at its core, two boyhood friends reconnecting after years apart!'
Source:Amazon.com

This is quite a good read-a fast paced historical/paranormal/murder mystery set in Ireland in 1924.

I really liked the background story between Aidan and Eoghan. The other characters did not have the same degree of development. Eventhough it was set in the Free State during the immediate years after the War of Independence historical fact was sparse. I didn't find it convincing in that respect. I would have expected to read more about how the Revolution and civil war shaped the mindset of the society both politically and culturally in which the characters found themselves. They didn't encounter anyone speaking Irish on their visit to the Galway coast and the dialogue between the characters was quite stilted and formal. The overuse of the word 'whom' was irritating and more annoyingly the writing was interspersed with American grammar and expressions that are not widely used here in Ireland.

Despite these flaws- the story itself is very enjoyable and the author shows much promise. It has parallels with Jane Anne Krentz's 'Arcane Society' series which may appeal to that fan base. I hope Aidan and Eoghan's adventures are not over. Who knows, maybe they'll even travel as far as Inis Eoghain in a future investigation!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars.