The Cold, Cold Ground

DS Sean Duffy has just gotten home from riot duty when he is called out to investigate a body in Carrickfergus.  A young man has been shot in the chest and the back of the head.  Also, his right hand had been cut off.  Signs that he was an informer for the police or the army.

Nobody seems to know who the victim is, and his prints bring nothing up either.  The next day, Dr. Cathcart, the pathologist, informs Duffy that the hand doesn’t belong to the victim.  She also hands him a piece of paper with music on it, which had been placed in his rectum.  He had also had anal sex either pre or post death.  What kind of a weird case did Duffy have on his hands?

Once Duffy discovers what the words are to the music, he realises that the killer is mocking the police.

The following day a second body is found.  It happens that Dr. Cathcart is available to view the body in situ.  The victim had been shot just inside his door.  His right hand had been cut off and the hand of the other victim casually tossed on top of the body.  This time the victim is quickly identified.

DC McCrabban tells Duffy that the dead man is a known homosexual.  The next morning in the post, Duffy receives a post card from the killer telling him he doesn’t have it in for homosexuals.

They have a serial killer on their hands.

Shortly after this the body of a young woman is found hanging in nearby woods.  Had she done it because her estranged husband had started a hunger strike in jail?  She had been missing for some time before being found.  Dr. Cathcart informs Duffy that she had recently been pregnant and breastfeeding.  She also tells him that the victim’s throat had additional bruising beside that caused by the rope.  Could they have another murder on their hands?  Another question arises - where is the baby?

Duffy receives a phone call, which he interprets to mean that the first victim actually had high standing in the IRA.  Duffy is fortunate to have a quick chat with Gerry Adams and point out that they are actually on the same side on this case.  But will that help anything?

Author Adrian McKinty’s thriller is fast paced, yet the hero, DS Sean Duffy at times seems to bumble his way about.  Being a detective in Belfast during The Troubles is not an easy task.  McKinty has some surprises in store for the reader, which create a very good read.  This book was hard to put down.