Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

 

Dervla McTiernan’s Three Reasons for Revenge is a master class in crime fiction writing. It’s an intriguing story with a main character who is definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill police detective. Judith Lee prefers black jeans and tee shirts, rides a motor bike and is totally committed to her job. When Alexis Turner comes into the police station and asks to see Judith to report a sexual assault, Judith agrees to investigate although she works homicides these days, having left sex crimes eight years ago.

I loved not being able to see the twist in the story until only a few pages before it was revealed. I also love a book which has me yelling (inside my head) for a character to go back and take another look at this or that detail and stop mucking around. This is a good, complicated plot where it’s up to Judith, when she finds she is investigating a murder after all, to stay clear-eyed and objective while at the same time coping with a major, unrelated development in her working life.

Having read this terrific book into the small hours I hope my brain has woken up enough to do it justice. I’ve always liked Dervla McTiernan’s books but I think this one is her best. I would urge lovers of good crime fiction to get hold of it, find a secluded space and settle in for a treat!

Published by Harper Collins