Brian McGilloway Books In Order

Publication Order of Inspector Devlin Books

Publication Order of DS Lucy Black Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

He is a well known an author from Derry, Northern Ireland. Brian McGilloway was born in 1974, he later joined Queens University Belfast where he studied English and turned to be very active in student theatre. In 1996, he won a Prestigious National Irish Student Drama Association Award for theatrical lighting design. Currently, he is the Head of English at St. Columbs’s college found in Northern Ireland. His debut novel was a crime thriller known as Borderlands. It was shortlisted for a Crime Writers’ association Dagger Award for a debut novel. In 2007, he signed a deal with Pan Macmillan to write three thrillers in his inspector Devlin series.

His first two novels in Inspector Devlin series include:

Borderlands

This is the first novel written by Brian McGilloway and was published in 2007. The title borderlands refer to the area between Eire and Northern Ireland. In the introduction part, the body of a teenage girl is found in the borderland, which is also referred to as a modern no man land and two police detectives from each side of the border have to make a decision on who is to take the case. The girl turns out to live in Lifford, where the inspector general Devlin of the Garda comes from, therefore; he becomes the winner of this grim award. His opponent Jim Hendry from the North becomes the loser. Basically, the next couple of hundred pages is a procedural set during the next few days of Christmas and the new year; a critical investigation which is hindered by the weather, holidays and the lack for coordination among the southern and northern administrations acting as witnesses, suspects, and lack of substantial evidence in the towns, hamlets and countryside of the twisting border on either side.

In fact, the author uses a complex set of characters and motives. McGilloway work of art expands as another Vitim is found and drugs seem to be involved. Devlin own superior and colleagues come under suspicion as his own slightly apprehensive domestic life is destabilized by an aggressive neighbor and by an old flame. Even though he stays away from the straight and narrow, both in running the investigation and his marriage, Devlin is in actual fact a good man whose innate honesty take him further into an increasingly twisted web. Generally, when it comes to best crime fiction novels, the strengths of this novel lies both in its convincing portrayal of place and in the shadows of the past. Devlin with his junior partner Caroline Williams have to travel so as to make better connections, and hence sense, typically of the present. McGilloway barely puts a foot wrong on this confident book. The minor and major characters in the novel are portrayed with an efficient ease which makes them appear real people; basically through a combination of their personal difficulties and significance to the plot make a persuasive whole.

In the last chapters, McGilloway tries to stray away from the solid believability of the rest of the novel. Even though having read the last quarter of the novel it is relatively easy to figure out who is responsible for the deaths and the reasons that led to such deaths, McGilloway keeps the reader guessing as to the identity of who right to the end.

Gallows line

This is the second novel by Brian McGilloway published in 2008. It is a quiet satisfying novel which delivers on the entire plot promises; providing a strong judgment of humanity and leaving the readers looking for more and more. In this novel, the main character is Ben Devlin of Lifford Garda. Even though Lifford appears to be a small town which is on the south of the Ireland border, it surprisingly has a lot of crime. In the chapters, an old arm reserve is found in woods, and a young girl is again attacked and killed in a house which was still under construction on an estate. A pharmacy is also burgled, woman reports a prowler her garden. In addition to this, Devlin is ordered by his boss who is a superintendent Costello to make sure that a certain local man called Jim Kerr, who was just released from jail after serving a sentence for armed robbery, disappears from the neighborhood, since he is a big trouble.

Devlin is involved in office politics when he tries to cope up with these turning events. Superintendent Costello approaches his retirement turn and therefore he encourages Devlin to apply for this job position. Surprisingly, this seems to upset his colleagues Colhoun and Patterson. They are the ones who discovered the secret arms reserve, but specifically Patterson. Patterson, who is the senior most partners of the pair, becomes one of Devlin’s biggest rivals for the post.

The strength of the novel is basically portrayed in the plotting, particularly in Ben Devlin’s local knowledge. Caroline Williams, Ben’s attractively sympathetic partner helps him to keep an eye on each, accompanying him to some night clubs, and as well as eventually discovering that a stolen Tamoxifen which is a breast cancer drug could help prevent a condition referred to moobs. The term moobs turns out to mean a man boobs. The trouble keeps on haunting as it was with Borderlands as constant presence affects the investigation but don’t take the center stage. A situation where murders escalate, nevertheless, the respective national police are brought in to assist. Caroline Williams with Devlin take the core investigation as they are forced to work on more minor crimes. As times goes on, it becomes clear that they have a strong connection and in the end, they start working together with a growing mutual respect. Devlin is depicted as an imperfect hero, who is not completely sincere, prone to terror attacks and the strange bid of extra marital temptations; in the novel the danger is depicted in Caroline’s shape. In fact, Debbie, Devlin’s wife is quite unformed, and his children to some extent idealized. Devlin’s stronger feelings towards Caroline pose a great danger to his marriage; readers will find it not easy to believe that Devlin could possibly leave his wife for Caroline Williams.