Another rainy day in Portland provided the perfect setting for reading Brian McGilloway's absorbing debut, Borderlands [St. Martin's, Sept.]. Benedict Devlin is a member of Ireland's police force. When the body of a young girl is found, Devlin and his team must work with officers from Northern Ireland to track down the killer. Suspects are plentiful, including the girl's own father, her boyfriends and even a group of “travelers,” Irish Gypsies who had been seen in the area. The crime, the suspects, the clues and red herrings are all handled smoothly. But McGilloway's poetic storytelling skills set this mystery apart. He's descriptive without being flowery and his characters feel Irish without succumbing to stereotypes. Ireland itself is very much a part of the story, with bits of history woven into the narrative, adding to the richness of the story. McGilloway transports readers to a snowy Ireland, and I loved the trip.