The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan

Publisher's Synopsis

Police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy and the mystery of a little girl's silence - three unconnected events that will prove to be linked by one small town.

While Detective Cormac Reilly faces enemies at work and trouble in his personal life, Garda Peter Fisher is relocated out of Galway with the threat of prosecution hanging over his head. But even that is not as terrible as having to work for his overbearing father, the local copper for the pretty seaside town of Roundstone.

For some, like Anna and her young daughter Tilly, Roundstone is a refuge from trauma. But even this village on the edge of the sea isn't far enough to escape from the shadows of evil men.

My Review of The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan

The 3rd Cormac Reilly book continues what has been a strong police procedural series set in Galway, Ireland. DS Cormac Reilly has finally settled into his job after transferring from Dublin but there’s friction between him and his commanding officer over the chronic shortage of officers available for day to day policing roles. It’s a complaint that’s about to play out in dramatic circumstances.

A brazen abduction of a young girl off the streets in plain view of residents kicks off a desperate hunt with all of the time pressures that are linked to these cases. But with most detectives assigned to working a major drugs operation it’s left to the inexperienced Garda Peter Fisher to chase up the case.

With Cormac unavailable interviewing the missing girl’s family and a solid lead to be followed, Fisher makes the decision to pursue it on his own. The resulting chaos finds Peter transferred to the small town of Roundstone and Cormac on suspension.

To make matters hugely difficult for Peter, the Roundstone police sergeant is his father, a man he has despised for years. And, hardly surprising, his father appears hell bent on making his life a misery. An outstanding murder case provides Peter with the opportunity to immerse himself in work that somewhat distances himself from his father. It’s a seemingly simple case that turns out to have legs.

Back in Galway and Cormac is left contemplating his own career. He feels he’s been harshly treated and is highly suspicious of some of the actions of his fellow Garda. But suspecting and proving are two very different things and exposing corruption in the police force is a very dangerous game.

Whereas the earlier books in the series focused on a single case investigated with Cormac as the lead, this one has multiple storylines running in tandem. The focus is shared between Cormac and Peter who, up until now, has been a peripheral player in the series. Through his banishment to the tiny town of Roundstone we get to learn more about him, his background and his talents as a careful and insightful detective.

The dual focus is handled very deftly with alternate chapters flipping our attention between Peter and Cormac. It creates a sense that everything is unfolding at an accelerated pace and also allows for the creation of dramatic moments to build our anticipation of what’s going to happen next.

Wedged neatly into the police work is the unpacking of a significant amount of personal baggage. The father / son relationship in Roundstone and the Cormac and Emma relationship in Brussels helps humanise both main characters to an even greater extent. It underlines the fact that neither men are automatons, they’re burdened by human emotions and have to deal with more than the simple facts of a criminal case. It highlights the fact that this is far more than a by-the-numbers police procedural story and helps to draw even greater empathy to both men.

I enjoyed The Ruin and The Scholar, books #1 and #2 in the series, but felt The Good Turn had greater depth and a more intricate plot. My way of saying I feel this is the best of the series.