A JUNE OF ORDINARY MURDERS

Not all mysteries are created equal. I found this one to be a few steps above the run-of-the-mill pap, like the Agatha Raisin I had just finished reading. The author, a former editor for The Irish Times newspaper, knows his turf--and his history. The story is set in 1887 Dublin in the midst of a heat wave. (Yes, Ireland has them occasionally.) Without losing track of the narrative, the author is able to depict the climate of a country emerging from years of famine and heading toward revolution. Brady writes a scene so graphically that the reader almost feels the heat of the Dublin streets before the era of air conditioning. This is Detective Inspector Swallow's first foray into the world of print, but if the loose threads at the end of this story are any indication, he will provide material for more captivating reads ahead.