A Great Day for Dying

For a third-time charm, Harrington moves from Ireland to New York for another Danny O'Flaherty mystery (following The Death of Cousin Rose and The Second Sorrowful Mystery), adding bits of Irish folklore and ancient history and demystifying current Irish politics in the process. And what better time for an Irish mystery than St. Patrick's Day, with the victim none other than the parade's grand marshall, Fintan Conway? An iconoclastic columnist for the New York Voice, Conway has made plenty of enemies over the years with contrary positions. As grand marshall, he has managed to insult every group imaginable, from the Gay Irish & Lesbian Alliance and abortion rights advocates to IRA ""thugs"" and Loyalist paramilitary ""scum."" Danny and his Irish girlfriend, Fidelma Muldoon, who are near witnesses to Conway's collapse as the parade moves by, are later shocked to learn that a friend of theirs from Ireland, Brendan Grady, has been charged with the killing. Although Brady rejects their offer of help and won't explain why, Fidelma insists that Danny step in to do what he can. An inner city schoolteacher, Danny manages to squeeze enough time from his daily routine to do a little research into Conway's past and poke his nose into the police investigation. Despite a weak plot and little suspense, the congenial characters and Irish theme, coupled with a release pegged close to St. Patrick's Day, may give the book a boost. (Feb.)