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D.I. Mahoney
The Square Up: A D.I.Mahoney Mystery
When D.I. Mahoney is called to the scene of a ritualistic murder in southern Tasmania, he and his team must unlock the mind behind the murder before the killer can claim his next victim.
The theatrically staged crime scene confounds the detective as he quickly realizes that he’s faced with apprehending a psychotic, yet methodical, killer. Although Mahoney is confident in the forensic and investigative arms of his Homicide Squad, he’s unsure that he has the necessary psychological insight to apprehend a murderer who seems so unhinged.
After a second ritual slaying, Mahoney makes the startling discovery that the victims come from a seemingly privileged upbringing and that the killer is intent on squaring up with those who he sees as being unjustifiably advantaged.
In pursuit of a potential suspect, the detective finds that his quarry is relishing the cat-and-mouse game that the two are playing. Now, Mahoney must use every resource available to him if he is to end the killing spree of this dangerous psychopath...and if he is also to save one of his own.
The theatrically staged crime scene confounds the detective as he quickly realizes that he’s faced with apprehending a psychotic, yet methodical, killer. Although Mahoney is confident in the forensic and investigative arms of his Homicide Squad, he’s unsure that he has the necessary psychological insight to apprehend a murderer who seems so unhinged.
After a second ritual slaying, Mahoney makes the startling discovery that the victims come from a seemingly privileged upbringing and that the killer is intent on squaring up with those who he sees as being unjustifiably advantaged.
In pursuit of a potential suspect, the detective finds that his quarry is relishing the cat-and-mouse game that the two are playing. Now, Mahoney must use every resource available to him if he is to end the killing spree of this dangerous psychopath...and if he is also to save one of his own.
- GenresCrime
Audible Audio
Published July 15, 2022
4 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Brown
4 books9 followerssjbrown is the pen-name of Hobart author, Stephen Brown. His novels are set in his home state of Tasmania: a locale he seeks to explore thoroughly via the Detective Inspector Mahoney series of police procedural investigations.
When not writing the latest instalment in the series he is to be found tour-guiding overseas visitors around the state: a welcome vocational change after many years in the classroom!
A long-term fan of the crime fiction genre his reading preferences are works by Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin and James Lee Burke. Naturally, his aim is to create narratives that resound with readers to the same extent as his role models.
His work will appeal to readers seeking distinctive settings, intriguing characterisation, and narratives that reflect the complex nature of detective work.
His world of TasNoir is proving to be very popular with readers across the globe.
When not writing the latest instalment in the series he is to be found tour-guiding overseas visitors around the state: a welcome vocational change after many years in the classroom!
A long-term fan of the crime fiction genre his reading preferences are works by Peter Robinson, Ian Rankin and James Lee Burke. Naturally, his aim is to create narratives that resound with readers to the same extent as his role models.
His work will appeal to readers seeking distinctive settings, intriguing characterisation, and narratives that reflect the complex nature of detective work.
His world of TasNoir is proving to be very popular with readers across the globe.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 7, 2021
The images of the opening scene stay with you throughout the entire novel and keep you curious until the end.
December 27, 2024
I've enjoyed the first two in the series, and felt like finishing the year with some good old police work.
What to Expect
Expect the last published novel in the series (though one hopes for more in the future). Mahoney is faced with a brutal but methodical serial killer, committing murders as a social statement. He has to bring in a psychological profiler, but despite the mounting forensic evidence gathered at each crime scene, zeroing in on the perpetrator is proving difficult -- each murder is carefully planned and executed, and the suspect seems to stay two steps ahead.
What I liked
I loved the portrayal of police work. While DI Mahoney is the lead investigator, he's leading a team. We get to view how the full resources of a police force are brought to bear, with the various forensic, pathology, and uniformed leg-work grinding inexorably to uncover the evidence that will lead to the killer. This team-work is a realistic view of modern policing, not a hero-detective that operates alone.
Add a strong sense of place (spooky when you've just visited a few places mentioned), almost a love letter to the city of Hobart, and you get a gritty, realistic, and highly immerse murder mystery in this remote part of the world.
What to be aware of
This is book 4 in the series, but outside of some passing references to previous cases you can jump right in. The series is maintaining consistently high quality, and each case is independent.
This novel sees Mahoney battling a bit with modern social media so we get a bit of an explanation on how Facebook works (the book feels like taking place pre-COVID, closer in time to the earlier books). But that is just a side thing for the younger and hipper officers on his squad, while Mahoney focuses on more traditional face-to-face investigation techniques (as police are often obligated to do).
Felix's and Jack's Reviews
Felix enjoyed Mahoney's previous cases, and certainly enjoyed this one as well. He marvels at the workings of modern police-work, with a whole team at his disposal. He usually has to rely on his wits alone (well, that and Borax covering his back when violence invariably erupts), but both share a dogged persistence in bringing criminals to justice.
Jack, on the other hand, is quite familiar with the workings of police investigations in Australia, and approves of Mahoney's approach to running a police squad and resolving crimes. Being new to Tasmania, as the new head of the Unusual Crimes Squad, he's sure he'd run into (the somewhat alternate universe version of) DI Mahoney, and that they'd enjoy swapping tall tales over been at the pub.
Summary
It's a great series if you enjoy police procedurals, especially with the lesser-known real locale.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck are those Felix and Jack fellows? Glad you asked! Felix is the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome, and Jack is the police detective running the Unusual Crimes Squad, dealing in occult crimes in modern-day Australia.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Expect the last published novel in the series (though one hopes for more in the future). Mahoney is faced with a brutal but methodical serial killer, committing murders as a social statement. He has to bring in a psychological profiler, but despite the mounting forensic evidence gathered at each crime scene, zeroing in on the perpetrator is proving difficult -- each murder is carefully planned and executed, and the suspect seems to stay two steps ahead.
What I liked
I loved the portrayal of police work. While DI Mahoney is the lead investigator, he's leading a team. We get to view how the full resources of a police force are brought to bear, with the various forensic, pathology, and uniformed leg-work grinding inexorably to uncover the evidence that will lead to the killer. This team-work is a realistic view of modern policing, not a hero-detective that operates alone.
Add a strong sense of place (spooky when you've just visited a few places mentioned), almost a love letter to the city of Hobart, and you get a gritty, realistic, and highly immerse murder mystery in this remote part of the world.
What to be aware of
This is book 4 in the series, but outside of some passing references to previous cases you can jump right in. The series is maintaining consistently high quality, and each case is independent.
This novel sees Mahoney battling a bit with modern social media so we get a bit of an explanation on how Facebook works (the book feels like taking place pre-COVID, closer in time to the earlier books). But that is just a side thing for the younger and hipper officers on his squad, while Mahoney focuses on more traditional face-to-face investigation techniques (as police are often obligated to do).
Felix's and Jack's Reviews
Felix enjoyed Mahoney's previous cases, and certainly enjoyed this one as well. He marvels at the workings of modern police-work, with a whole team at his disposal. He usually has to rely on his wits alone (well, that and Borax covering his back when violence invariably erupts), but both share a dogged persistence in bringing criminals to justice.
Jack, on the other hand, is quite familiar with the workings of police investigations in Australia, and approves of Mahoney's approach to running a police squad and resolving crimes. Being new to Tasmania, as the new head of the Unusual Crimes Squad, he's sure he'd run into (the somewhat alternate universe version of) DI Mahoney, and that they'd enjoy swapping tall tales over been at the pub.
Summary
It's a great series if you enjoy police procedurals, especially with the lesser-known real locale.
--
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck are those Felix and Jack fellows? Glad you asked! Felix is the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome, and Jack is the police detective running the Unusual Crimes Squad, dealing in occult crimes in modern-day Australia.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
July 20, 2021
The latest book in the 'DI Mahoney' series - The Square Up - is the first book I've read by SJ Brown. I'm always interested to read books set where I live (Tasmania, Australia), and especially when the author is a native Taswegian as well.
Crime fiction isn't my most favourite genre, mind you, but I'm slowly being converted due to great books by other Australian crime writers such as Chris Hammer and Jane Harper.
This story begins with a real bang. You're inside the head of the protagonist from the get-go and you see the first murder taking place through his eyes. You revisit his head at points throughout the book and it's always a chilling encounter when you do - for you understand something dramatic is about to take place whenever his voice emerges. So, yep - there's a serial of murders in this one.
And those parts of the writing are nicely contrasted with the main character - DI Mahoney and his team of detectives and police professionals who we follow during the investigation and eventual manhunt. Their world is one of grinding hard-work, frustration, spurious leads, conflicting evidence, lucky breaks, and the overarching stiffness of police policy and procedure. Oh, and the media and public opinions. There's some nice insights into how their personal lives impact investigations, and vice-versa, although I'd like to have seen a few more. These aspects are really well crafted in the story, and while I'm not expert on police procedure, you get a sense the author is very well informed here.
The writing is tight and minimalist, but the character and scene descriptions and the sense of place are still ample and believable. The writer doesn't get in the way of his own story and you can tell this one's been edited and proofed very well (and better than some of the big publishing house novels I've read recently, I must say!)
It was entertaining to read of places and people I know here in our hometown. It's great to see an author not fictionalise all the place names for whatever reason other authors do.
In summary, it was a really good read and I enjoyed the experience. If you enjoy a well-crafted crime novel, or a police-procedural with an authentic feel, or even if you're simply a fellow Tasmanian, I recommend this book for sure.
Crime fiction isn't my most favourite genre, mind you, but I'm slowly being converted due to great books by other Australian crime writers such as Chris Hammer and Jane Harper.
This story begins with a real bang. You're inside the head of the protagonist from the get-go and you see the first murder taking place through his eyes. You revisit his head at points throughout the book and it's always a chilling encounter when you do - for you understand something dramatic is about to take place whenever his voice emerges. So, yep - there's a serial of murders in this one.
And those parts of the writing are nicely contrasted with the main character - DI Mahoney and his team of detectives and police professionals who we follow during the investigation and eventual manhunt. Their world is one of grinding hard-work, frustration, spurious leads, conflicting evidence, lucky breaks, and the overarching stiffness of police policy and procedure. Oh, and the media and public opinions. There's some nice insights into how their personal lives impact investigations, and vice-versa, although I'd like to have seen a few more. These aspects are really well crafted in the story, and while I'm not expert on police procedure, you get a sense the author is very well informed here.
The writing is tight and minimalist, but the character and scene descriptions and the sense of place are still ample and believable. The writer doesn't get in the way of his own story and you can tell this one's been edited and proofed very well (and better than some of the big publishing house novels I've read recently, I must say!)
It was entertaining to read of places and people I know here in our hometown. It's great to see an author not fictionalise all the place names for whatever reason other authors do.
In summary, it was a really good read and I enjoyed the experience. If you enjoy a well-crafted crime novel, or a police-procedural with an authentic feel, or even if you're simply a fellow Tasmanian, I recommend this book for sure.
August 6, 2023
This series just gets better and better. Brilliant. It would help to know some key police officers from the previous books, but I don't think its essential. Fast paced; great dialogue; believable characters. Almost credible crime. Would have been 5 stars except for the denouement which I found a bit cliched.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews