cover image The Price of Blood: An Irish Novel of Suspense

The Price of Blood: An Irish Novel of Suspense

Declan Hughes, . . Morrow, $24.95 (312pp) ISBN 978-0-06-082551-5

Hired by Father Vincent Tyrrell to find Patrick Hutton, a jockey missing for 10 years, Ed Loy quickly finds himself investigating not one but two grisly murders in playwright Hughes’s stellar third novel to feature the Dublin PI (after 2007’s The Color of Blood ). At the same time, Loy must stay on his guard against members of the Halligan family, who blame him for the incarceration of one of their own. An innocent fling with the mysterious Miranda Hart leads Loy ever deeper into the heart of a complex drama that spans decades and involves several members of the powerful Tyrrell family. At least one murder turns out not to be what it seems. Beaten up, warned off and yet undaunted, Loy uncovers a horrible series of secrets, leading to a violent and labyrinthine conclusion at a famous Irish horse-racing festival. This intelligent, often brutal thriller will have readers’ hearts racing from start to finish. (Mar.)