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DI Sheen #1
Blood Will Be Born
DI Owen Sheen vowed to his father never to return to Ireland. But years have passed, and Sheen needs answers to the questions he has surrounding his brother’s death.
He is on loan from the Met to the PSNI under the belief he will be helping set up a new Historical Offences Team in Northern Ireland. On arrival to Ireland, plans change and he finds himself partnered with newly promoted DC Aoife McCusker to work on her first appointed murder investigation.
John Fryer, an IRA veteran, has recently escaped from a mental asylum. Sheen thinks Fryer was involved in the killing of his brother, and is now after him. His escape throws him into the path of deranged and dangerous Christopher Moore, and the two begin to work together to execute chaos.
As the investigation begins to unravel, Fryer and Moore’s relationship is compromised.
But will Sheen be able to put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her career long enough to crack the case and prove herself as a detective?
Set in contemporary Belfast, Blood Will Be Born is the first book of a captivating crime thriller series that delves deep in to the dark and political past of Belfast.
He is on loan from the Met to the PSNI under the belief he will be helping set up a new Historical Offences Team in Northern Ireland. On arrival to Ireland, plans change and he finds himself partnered with newly promoted DC Aoife McCusker to work on her first appointed murder investigation.
John Fryer, an IRA veteran, has recently escaped from a mental asylum. Sheen thinks Fryer was involved in the killing of his brother, and is now after him. His escape throws him into the path of deranged and dangerous Christopher Moore, and the two begin to work together to execute chaos.
As the investigation begins to unravel, Fryer and Moore’s relationship is compromised.
But will Sheen be able to put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her career long enough to crack the case and prove herself as a detective?
Set in contemporary Belfast, Blood Will Be Born is the first book of a captivating crime thriller series that delves deep in to the dark and political past of Belfast.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2017
About the author
Gary Donnelly
7 books30 followersGary Donnelly is a crime and thriller writer from Belfast who lives and works in London. BLOOD WILL BE BORN is the first in the DI Owen Sheen Belfast thriller series, published by Allison and Busby in February 2020 with the sequel, KILLING IN YOUR NAME, to follow in September 2020. The audiobook, published by Isis Publishing Ltd, is spoken by Irish actor Stephen Armstrong. Adrian McKinty, the award-winning author of The Chain, had this to say about the book: “A twisty, violent, cop thriller set in post-conflict Belfast... Brilliant. Gary Donnelly is an exciting new voice in Northern Irish noir.”
Gary attended a state comprehensive school in west Belfast, read History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and has lived and worked in London since the late 1990s. In his time he has been a Belfast cemetery manager, a business conference organiser in the City, a council gardener in Neasdon, and gained a further degree in Psychology, which he teaches in north London. Gary is married to the lovely Sacha and has two non-returnable children. He can cook up a storm and play a mean guitar (after a few drinks).
Gary has this to say about his writing: “I always wanted to write a novel and after I enrolled on a course at the City Lit two years ago, the initial outline of BLOOD WILL BE BORN emerged from one of the homework exercises. But the story has been incubating for much longer. I left Belfast 20 years ago but you see it never really left me. The course finished, and I kept writing; on my day off, weekends and while travelling into work. I took the first 3000 words to Crimefest 2016’s Pitch an Agent slot and some top-flight agents gave the sample and the synopsis and big thumbs up, which was very encouraging. Enough, in fact, to get up at 5am to write before work, and finish the first draft.”
Gary attended a state comprehensive school in west Belfast, read History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and has lived and worked in London since the late 1990s. In his time he has been a Belfast cemetery manager, a business conference organiser in the City, a council gardener in Neasdon, and gained a further degree in Psychology, which he teaches in north London. Gary is married to the lovely Sacha and has two non-returnable children. He can cook up a storm and play a mean guitar (after a few drinks).
Gary has this to say about his writing: “I always wanted to write a novel and after I enrolled on a course at the City Lit two years ago, the initial outline of BLOOD WILL BE BORN emerged from one of the homework exercises. But the story has been incubating for much longer. I left Belfast 20 years ago but you see it never really left me. The course finished, and I kept writing; on my day off, weekends and while travelling into work. I took the first 3000 words to Crimefest 2016’s Pitch an Agent slot and some top-flight agents gave the sample and the synopsis and big thumbs up, which was very encouraging. Enough, in fact, to get up at 5am to write before work, and finish the first draft.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 21, 2020
This is an engrossing story set in Belfast where the aftershocks of the Troubles still echo in the lives of those affected. Some want justice, some want peace & others just want to forget.
John Fryer wants a bit of all three. He used to be a hard man for the IRA but is haunted by a young man he “disappeared” in 1976. Now he spends his days in a psychiatric facility, battling mental illness & memories.
Christopher Moore is a young man bent on revenge. His sin was being born to a Protestant father & a Catholic mother. Shunned by his paternal family as a child, he’s back in Belfast to make them pay.
DI Owen Sheen was just a boy when his brother was killed by a bomb. The family fled to England where he eventually became a detective with the Met’s Murder Squad. His childhood left him with few memories & a need for justice. When a chance to lead the PSNI’s Serious Historical Offences Team comes along, he grabs it. He has one week before the job begins & he plans to spend it searching for the elusive bomber.
DC Aoife McCusker has finally landed her dream job with Serious Crimes in Belfast. She made big mistakes in the past but is determined to succeed. So she’s less than thrilled to be assigned babysitting duties. Some British DI has landed in town & she’s to deliver him to their latest crime scene. An elderly woman was murdered in her home. That’s bad enough but what no one realizes is her death will reignite old grudges & trigger a return to sectarian violence.
What follows is a gritty & bloody tale set in a city where peace is a fragile & transient thing. Each of these characters has been molded by their pasts & as their live intersect, the resulting chain reaction kicks off a turf war. As the cops race to find a killer, there are others who see an opportunity to exploit the dead for their own gain. With separate groups vying for control, truth can be a slippery thing & it soon becomes clear it’s not who is guilty that matters. It’s who gets blamed.
Shifty politicians, creepy criminals, hard working cops & the truly psychotic…they’re all part of a large cast. The 4 characters listed above take turns as narrator & it’s a clever choice. How you react is subtly manipulated by that character’s version of events & you might find your self sympathizing with them when you know you should be horrified.
The one false note for me was the romantic angle. Most of the story takes place over the span of one week & it felt rushed & unrealistic, especially given the personal history of one character. I thought it could have been left out entirely as there is more than enough to hold your interest & since this is book #1, there’s plenty of time for that to develop later.
Belfast is a living, breathing character in its own right & provides an atmospheric backdrop for this fast paced story. The action is nonstop & you wonder who will be left standing at the end. If you’re not familiar with the history of the Troubles and don’t know your UDA from your RUC, no worries. There’s a helpful glossary at the end that breaks down all parties involved.
John Fryer wants a bit of all three. He used to be a hard man for the IRA but is haunted by a young man he “disappeared” in 1976. Now he spends his days in a psychiatric facility, battling mental illness & memories.
Christopher Moore is a young man bent on revenge. His sin was being born to a Protestant father & a Catholic mother. Shunned by his paternal family as a child, he’s back in Belfast to make them pay.
DI Owen Sheen was just a boy when his brother was killed by a bomb. The family fled to England where he eventually became a detective with the Met’s Murder Squad. His childhood left him with few memories & a need for justice. When a chance to lead the PSNI’s Serious Historical Offences Team comes along, he grabs it. He has one week before the job begins & he plans to spend it searching for the elusive bomber.
DC Aoife McCusker has finally landed her dream job with Serious Crimes in Belfast. She made big mistakes in the past but is determined to succeed. So she’s less than thrilled to be assigned babysitting duties. Some British DI has landed in town & she’s to deliver him to their latest crime scene. An elderly woman was murdered in her home. That’s bad enough but what no one realizes is her death will reignite old grudges & trigger a return to sectarian violence.
What follows is a gritty & bloody tale set in a city where peace is a fragile & transient thing. Each of these characters has been molded by their pasts & as their live intersect, the resulting chain reaction kicks off a turf war. As the cops race to find a killer, there are others who see an opportunity to exploit the dead for their own gain. With separate groups vying for control, truth can be a slippery thing & it soon becomes clear it’s not who is guilty that matters. It’s who gets blamed.
Shifty politicians, creepy criminals, hard working cops & the truly psychotic…they’re all part of a large cast. The 4 characters listed above take turns as narrator & it’s a clever choice. How you react is subtly manipulated by that character’s version of events & you might find your self sympathizing with them when you know you should be horrified.
The one false note for me was the romantic angle. Most of the story takes place over the span of one week & it felt rushed & unrealistic, especially given the personal history of one character. I thought it could have been left out entirely as there is more than enough to hold your interest & since this is book #1, there’s plenty of time for that to develop later.
Belfast is a living, breathing character in its own right & provides an atmospheric backdrop for this fast paced story. The action is nonstop & you wonder who will be left standing at the end. If you’re not familiar with the history of the Troubles and don’t know your UDA from your RUC, no worries. There’s a helpful glossary at the end that breaks down all parties involved.
February 27, 2020
Blood Will Be Born sets its explosive tone in the mind-blowing prologue. Imagine a bullet ricocheting off the walls in a box room. This is exactly how I would describe this cracking debut novel. That bullet is speeding towards its end goal. It’s impossible not to get hit in the wreckage, this is the delightful experience that Blood Will Be Born will engross you in. every twist, every delightful description has you ducking but also in rapturous attention. The story leaves you with a nasty case of whiplash that leaves you pained and distraught. The deep meaning behind the title is pure poetic brilliance.
Bearing in mind that this is a debut, it is seeping in palpating brilliance. Gary is the Irish Noir Fisherman extraordinaire. He’s pulled you in hook, line and sinker. His narrative pulls you in, ties you up and leaves you for dead.
A revisited past. Anger and anguish. A thirst for revenge. Mixed loyalties. It’s a heady mix
The setting gives you the immense feeling of unrest with a bubbling undercurrent of both events gone by but also events being ready to be perpetrated. The troubles are still at the forefront of everyone’s minds. It won’t do any good to forget, but the want and raw need to forget is what drives the people. It’s that human want -peace and quiet. What I loved most about Blood Will Be Born is just how flawed the characters are. John Fryer is a haunted man. Left in an asylum to basically rot. He is consumed by the death (his own doing) of a young man in 1976. He was a tough guy in the IRA but has his time being locked away really changed him?
Christopher Moore. His only motivator is revenge. Revenge for him and his father. His perceived sin has rotted his brain for years. Apparently being born to a protestant father and a catholic mother is akin to pissing on the altar of Jesus. Harsh words spoken and never forgotten and now he’s back, and he’s going to make people pay.
DI Owen Sheen. Belfast was a painful memory. He hasn’t been back since he was a boy. A bomb that killed his brother. They fled to England for their lives. Time moves on as they say, and he is now a detective in Metropolitan Police, murder squad. When the opportunity knocks on his door to take a position on the Historical Crimes Unit he grabs it by the balls. His hunger for revenge is fuelling his decision.
DC Aoife McCusker is flawed but she is determined to prove herself when she lands a promotion in serious crimes in Belfast. She’s a bit miffed when she has to babysit a new DI Joining their team. They head to the crime scene – the murder of an apparent sweet old lady. Does she have a connection to the individuals responsible for Owen Sheen’s nightmares?
Blood Will Be Born is an utter kick to the genitals. Its swift, brutal and it brings you to your knees. Its utterly compelling and deviously plotted. A dark twisted tale that will leave you gripped from start to finish.
Bearing in mind that this is a debut, it is seeping in palpating brilliance. Gary is the Irish Noir Fisherman extraordinaire. He’s pulled you in hook, line and sinker. His narrative pulls you in, ties you up and leaves you for dead.
A revisited past. Anger and anguish. A thirst for revenge. Mixed loyalties. It’s a heady mix
The setting gives you the immense feeling of unrest with a bubbling undercurrent of both events gone by but also events being ready to be perpetrated. The troubles are still at the forefront of everyone’s minds. It won’t do any good to forget, but the want and raw need to forget is what drives the people. It’s that human want -peace and quiet. What I loved most about Blood Will Be Born is just how flawed the characters are. John Fryer is a haunted man. Left in an asylum to basically rot. He is consumed by the death (his own doing) of a young man in 1976. He was a tough guy in the IRA but has his time being locked away really changed him?
Christopher Moore. His only motivator is revenge. Revenge for him and his father. His perceived sin has rotted his brain for years. Apparently being born to a protestant father and a catholic mother is akin to pissing on the altar of Jesus. Harsh words spoken and never forgotten and now he’s back, and he’s going to make people pay.
DI Owen Sheen. Belfast was a painful memory. He hasn’t been back since he was a boy. A bomb that killed his brother. They fled to England for their lives. Time moves on as they say, and he is now a detective in Metropolitan Police, murder squad. When the opportunity knocks on his door to take a position on the Historical Crimes Unit he grabs it by the balls. His hunger for revenge is fuelling his decision.
DC Aoife McCusker is flawed but she is determined to prove herself when she lands a promotion in serious crimes in Belfast. She’s a bit miffed when she has to babysit a new DI Joining their team. They head to the crime scene – the murder of an apparent sweet old lady. Does she have a connection to the individuals responsible for Owen Sheen’s nightmares?
Blood Will Be Born is an utter kick to the genitals. Its swift, brutal and it brings you to your knees. Its utterly compelling and deviously plotted. A dark twisted tale that will leave you gripped from start to finish.
March 1, 2023
Wanting to know more of the incident that killed his brother during his childhood, Detective Inspector Owen Sheen return to Belfast. Officially on loan from the big-fancy London Metropolitan Police service to help out PSNI with setting up the "Historical Offences Team" but unofficially, he's there to dig up the past in a city where "The Troubles" and the trauma from it never really went away. Things changed, complicating DI Sheen's own quest was when a recently promoted Detective - DC Aoife McCusker was appointed on a murder case and Sheen, to supervise and mentor the rookie detective.
That's basically the first and primary layer of the novel. Beneath it, was the echo of "The Troubles" that reverberating in several other character we met; John Fryer, a former IRA hard man who is haunted by his past deeds. Christopher Moore, who wants revenge on his family on his father's side. Donnelly's writing give breath onto the city where this all take place with all the crook and nanny to bring it all to live that compliment the characters.
That's basically the first and primary layer of the novel. Beneath it, was the echo of "The Troubles" that reverberating in several other character we met; John Fryer, a former IRA hard man who is haunted by his past deeds. Christopher Moore, who wants revenge on his family on his father's side. Donnelly's writing give breath onto the city where this all take place with all the crook and nanny to bring it all to live that compliment the characters.
August 31, 2022
I´d read the rest of the series (brilliant) and only now got around to this one,the first one. Great writing,great characters,great series (hope it continues)
February 24, 2020
Blood Will Be Born is a dark, gritty crime thriller with some immersive scene setting and character building that really digs you in, the story compelling and very authentic so a very good read indeed.
Owen Sheen is a great protagonist, layered and engaging..The mystery element is well plotted and intriguing, historical emotional levels are ingrained throughout the narrative and the whole thing has the kind of tense, edgy atmosphere I love to get from my reading.
Definitely recommended. An author I’ll be sticking with.
Owen Sheen is a great protagonist, layered and engaging..The mystery element is well plotted and intriguing, historical emotional levels are ingrained throughout the narrative and the whole thing has the kind of tense, edgy atmosphere I love to get from my reading.
Definitely recommended. An author I’ll be sticking with.
July 15, 2018
Authentic and bruising, pulsing with memorable encounters, brimming with real character and hard as a Belfast backstreet, Blood Will Be Born is searing, thrilling, thought-provoking and highly recommended.
Loyalties are tested while careers and lives hang in the balance, in a landscape so real you can smell the spit, sawdust and stout. Donnelly expertly examines the true cost and weight of old blood and how far you’ll go to protect it, weaving a bold story brilliantly told.
Loyalties are tested while careers and lives hang in the balance, in a landscape so real you can smell the spit, sawdust and stout. Donnelly expertly examines the true cost and weight of old blood and how far you’ll go to protect it, weaving a bold story brilliantly told.
November 20, 2017
Gary has written a very powerful and poignant crime thriller set in present-day Belfast and has created a rich set of characters. The story is fast-paced and well-written, as well as being brutally realistic. Never far from Northern Ireland’s historical turmoil and political past, when a prominent IRA veteran escapes from a mental asylum and teams up with a deranged killer, there can only be one outcome: blood on the streets and mayhem. The clever interweave of story lines kept me on tenterhooks wanting to know what would happen next; whether DI Sheen would succeed in his personal vendetta to avenge his brother’s death or whether his colleague, DC Aoife McCusker’s hunt for the murderer would be compromised by her own foolishness. Recognising common human frailties and imperfections, yet delving deep inside the human psyche, Gary’s thriller keeps us guessing as it races towards an exciting denouement. Blood Will be Born is a great debut and I can’t wait to read his next book in the series.
February 19, 2018
Homicidal maniacs versus the Police Service of Northern Ireland!
A bloody (believe me – really bloody) tale set in present day Belfast. In a wide cast of characters the lunatic son of a suicide policeman and a mentally traumatised IRA man team up to unleash havoc and mayhem in an orgy of violent vengeance. On the one hand the story is barely plausible, but the author paints a convincing picture of the fractured society that is Northern Ireland and for every fictional atrocity explored in the novel, I can think of a real life equivalent. Horribly fascinating.
A bloody (believe me – really bloody) tale set in present day Belfast. In a wide cast of characters the lunatic son of a suicide policeman and a mentally traumatised IRA man team up to unleash havoc and mayhem in an orgy of violent vengeance. On the one hand the story is barely plausible, but the author paints a convincing picture of the fractured society that is Northern Ireland and for every fictional atrocity explored in the novel, I can think of a real life equivalent. Horribly fascinating.
February 23, 2020
My grateful thanks to Allison And Busby for the blogtour invite and my gifted review copy of 'Blood Will Be Born', which is available in paperback from the 20th February.
As a series opener, this is a cracker-you have the establishment of characters with just enough details to coax the wary reader into committing to a new set of thrillers. And the setting...the setting is so vividly rendered that you feel you are walking the streets of Belfast. I myself have never been there, yet the historical, cultural and physical descriptions are incredibly believable.
Sheen has returned to Belfast as part of the Historical Crimes department, on loan from the Met police with a warning ringing in his ears that other detectives will be snapping at the chance to steal his job whilst he is not looking...
But since the death of his father has voided the promise made to never step foot on Irish soil again, it is open season on trying too work out who planted the bomb that shattered Sheen's family.
Add in Aoife McCusker trying to cut her teeth on her first major investigation, one which threatens a fragile peace that might not even exist beyond the construct of a politician's fevre dream, and you have an odd couple with way more in common than first thought.
At the heart of 'Blood Will Be Born' is the spectre of boogeymen-these both within and without our imagination which haunted a fractured mind and create the bad guy against which good guys rail. But in this instance, no one truly wears a white or black hat to signify innocence or guilt. Sheen is haunted by the death of his brother, McCusker is haunted both by poor decision making in choosing an ex-partner, but also the responsibility for a child which isn't hers. Fryer is haunted by 'the Moley', a creature of myth who is fed on blood,not reaslising that he, himself, is a boogeyman for others.And the Troubles themselves are fed on the blood of the innocent and guilty alike.
The haunting beginning decscribes the disappearance of one of Fryer's victims, him being one of 3 men who worked in a group trained and recruited by Cecil Moore, one of Belfast's most notorious figureheads. Fryer is the only one remaining, a man haunted by what he has done, whose admittance to an asylum has bought him no hiding place from his demons.
Broken out by a man with a mission of his own, these seemingly disparate storylines intersect with a brutal and vicious murder that at first looks like derailing Sheen before he even began his investigations.
What this book showed me is how little we are taught the history of the countries which are part of the UK, especially modern history. In Wales we are taught precious little about our culture and heritage beyond that which intersects with England. By the same token, I remember very little about growing up in the 80's,beyond the television news at 6 p.m , when I'd be ushered from the room and so snap shots of the miners strikes and Meibion Glyndwr were thin on the ground.Trying to get a sense of the country you grew up in was hard when it was informed by cultural stereotypes, and the only time you engaged with this was when you were celebrating the Eisteddfod or the 5-then 6-Nations.
I read with a growing sense of horror about the things done in the name of a God and a religion ,where both sides are absolutely convinced theirs is the right one.There is so much to take in that I feel this review barely scratches the surface of the subject matter of Irish noir, or what it means-it is not my story to understand, but it is my choice to read more about it and try to educate myself about this. And this is a book which I feel will require multiple reads.
It is a mystery, a thriller, a story with a firm and definite sense of place and time which is truly incredible considering this is a debut novel. It is dark, gritty, disturbing and wonderful in all the best ways that a noir novel can be.
And the best bit about turning that final page?
Knowing that there will, in the future, be 2 more novels in the series where we can get to know more about characters who step, fully formed, from the page and about whom you care a great deal.
As a series opener, this is a cracker-you have the establishment of characters with just enough details to coax the wary reader into committing to a new set of thrillers. And the setting...the setting is so vividly rendered that you feel you are walking the streets of Belfast. I myself have never been there, yet the historical, cultural and physical descriptions are incredibly believable.
Sheen has returned to Belfast as part of the Historical Crimes department, on loan from the Met police with a warning ringing in his ears that other detectives will be snapping at the chance to steal his job whilst he is not looking...
But since the death of his father has voided the promise made to never step foot on Irish soil again, it is open season on trying too work out who planted the bomb that shattered Sheen's family.
Add in Aoife McCusker trying to cut her teeth on her first major investigation, one which threatens a fragile peace that might not even exist beyond the construct of a politician's fevre dream, and you have an odd couple with way more in common than first thought.
At the heart of 'Blood Will Be Born' is the spectre of boogeymen-these both within and without our imagination which haunted a fractured mind and create the bad guy against which good guys rail. But in this instance, no one truly wears a white or black hat to signify innocence or guilt. Sheen is haunted by the death of his brother, McCusker is haunted both by poor decision making in choosing an ex-partner, but also the responsibility for a child which isn't hers. Fryer is haunted by 'the Moley', a creature of myth who is fed on blood,not reaslising that he, himself, is a boogeyman for others.And the Troubles themselves are fed on the blood of the innocent and guilty alike.
The haunting beginning decscribes the disappearance of one of Fryer's victims, him being one of 3 men who worked in a group trained and recruited by Cecil Moore, one of Belfast's most notorious figureheads. Fryer is the only one remaining, a man haunted by what he has done, whose admittance to an asylum has bought him no hiding place from his demons.
Broken out by a man with a mission of his own, these seemingly disparate storylines intersect with a brutal and vicious murder that at first looks like derailing Sheen before he even began his investigations.
What this book showed me is how little we are taught the history of the countries which are part of the UK, especially modern history. In Wales we are taught precious little about our culture and heritage beyond that which intersects with England. By the same token, I remember very little about growing up in the 80's,beyond the television news at 6 p.m , when I'd be ushered from the room and so snap shots of the miners strikes and Meibion Glyndwr were thin on the ground.Trying to get a sense of the country you grew up in was hard when it was informed by cultural stereotypes, and the only time you engaged with this was when you were celebrating the Eisteddfod or the 5-then 6-Nations.
I read with a growing sense of horror about the things done in the name of a God and a religion ,where both sides are absolutely convinced theirs is the right one.There is so much to take in that I feel this review barely scratches the surface of the subject matter of Irish noir, or what it means-it is not my story to understand, but it is my choice to read more about it and try to educate myself about this. And this is a book which I feel will require multiple reads.
It is a mystery, a thriller, a story with a firm and definite sense of place and time which is truly incredible considering this is a debut novel. It is dark, gritty, disturbing and wonderful in all the best ways that a noir novel can be.
And the best bit about turning that final page?
Knowing that there will, in the future, be 2 more novels in the series where we can get to know more about characters who step, fully formed, from the page and about whom you care a great deal.
April 18, 2020
Blood Will Be Born is a fast-paced, gritty, Northern Irish crime fiction must-read. Gary Donnelly has managed to create his own Belfast with the raw roots and history of the grand city. Gary Donnelly has great strength in his world-building and with incredibly crafted and detailed characters I was sucked into the pages of the books and I savoured the writing. It is so clever and I honestly haven’t read writing this good in a long time.
I lived in Northern Ireland myself for a few years The city and surrounding towns have their own beat. It’s much different from anywhere else even Edinburgh where I am from beats a different tune. The people are friendly and welcoming but they all have a story about the troubles and the effect it had on their lives or there Mums and Dads. Loss is the feeling I think that is underlying. Religion is ever present, as much as you would be asked do you like plain crisps or cheese and onion? In NI, someone will ask what religion you are, whether your standing in a pub or at the bus stop. It’s scary as you don’t know what the right answer should be.
Gary Donnelly manages to respectful and accurately portray the varying opinions of his characters. With Blood Will Born I feel its own beat is revenge. Its the key issue for many of his characters Even years later the pain and the loss is still felt and time doesn’t matter.
I love DC Aoife McCusker she is balsy and determined but underneath all that tough exterior is a kind-hearted loving mother. Finding her own feet in a male-dominated environment and trying not to be overlooked because of her stature or sex.
Gary Donnelly writes both male and female characters with the same ease. He also is extremely talented in setting the scene for the reader. Even at times giving you scents as well as visuals so his writing is like a Smörgåsbord for the senses.
When I started reading the prologue I knew something extremely special was to come and as I kept reading I was floored by each chapter. I have read a plethora of crime fiction novels, lots about Dublin and Belfast. None of them hit the spot, they have felt commercial and that the City behind them could be anywhere. This is not the case with Blood Will Born, Belfast pulses through the pages. Gary Donnelly has kept his writing authentic and with his ability to bring to life such a jumble of amazing and memorable characters, means the book has the ability to run into a long series.
Image result for Belfast city
Gary Donnelly is an author to watch, I am hoping that the Belfast crime festival gets him on the bill. That Newcastle Noir invite him over for 2022. Crime fiction fans don’t hesitate to go now and purchase Blood Will Born. If you enjoy authors like Helen Fields, for example, you will love Gary Donnelly. I know I do and I will buy anything he writes. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to read and review Blood Will Born, I will treasure my copy.
“Remember the name, Gary Donnelly for he has arrived and has set the Northern Irish crime fiction bar very high indeed”.
I lived in Northern Ireland myself for a few years The city and surrounding towns have their own beat. It’s much different from anywhere else even Edinburgh where I am from beats a different tune. The people are friendly and welcoming but they all have a story about the troubles and the effect it had on their lives or there Mums and Dads. Loss is the feeling I think that is underlying. Religion is ever present, as much as you would be asked do you like plain crisps or cheese and onion? In NI, someone will ask what religion you are, whether your standing in a pub or at the bus stop. It’s scary as you don’t know what the right answer should be.
Gary Donnelly manages to respectful and accurately portray the varying opinions of his characters. With Blood Will Born I feel its own beat is revenge. Its the key issue for many of his characters Even years later the pain and the loss is still felt and time doesn’t matter.
I love DC Aoife McCusker she is balsy and determined but underneath all that tough exterior is a kind-hearted loving mother. Finding her own feet in a male-dominated environment and trying not to be overlooked because of her stature or sex.
Gary Donnelly writes both male and female characters with the same ease. He also is extremely talented in setting the scene for the reader. Even at times giving you scents as well as visuals so his writing is like a Smörgåsbord for the senses.
When I started reading the prologue I knew something extremely special was to come and as I kept reading I was floored by each chapter. I have read a plethora of crime fiction novels, lots about Dublin and Belfast. None of them hit the spot, they have felt commercial and that the City behind them could be anywhere. This is not the case with Blood Will Born, Belfast pulses through the pages. Gary Donnelly has kept his writing authentic and with his ability to bring to life such a jumble of amazing and memorable characters, means the book has the ability to run into a long series.
Image result for Belfast city
Gary Donnelly is an author to watch, I am hoping that the Belfast crime festival gets him on the bill. That Newcastle Noir invite him over for 2022. Crime fiction fans don’t hesitate to go now and purchase Blood Will Born. If you enjoy authors like Helen Fields, for example, you will love Gary Donnelly. I know I do and I will buy anything he writes. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to read and review Blood Will Born, I will treasure my copy.
“Remember the name, Gary Donnelly for he has arrived and has set the Northern Irish crime fiction bar very high indeed”.
February 16, 2020
Readers in the United States may be under the illusion that the Troubles in Northern Ireland ended simply because they don't highlight our news broadcasts anymore. In Blood Will Be Born, author Gary Donnelly shows us that it isn't true. There are too many still living from those days, too many who like their little crime syndicates, too many children who will never forget the wrongs done their families in times past.
The story is a steamroller with a stellar cast. John Fryer, a patient in a psychiatric hospital who is tortured by a beast he calls The Moley. Christopher Moore, a young man who should be in a psychiatric hospital but is free to begin a bloodthirsty rampage. Cecil Moore, a crime boss who enjoys his position and doesn't really want the past forgotten because it's what gave him his standing in the community. It's an excellent cast of bad guys, but the good guys are even better.
DI Owen Sheen, part of the Murder Squad of London's Metropolitan Police, has secured a three-month break to work on the Serious Historical Offences Team, a move which he thinks will be the perfect cover for him to find the man who killed his beloved brother (and nearly killed him). Whenever he and his partner stumble across a clue that could be related to his personal quest, Sheen tends to get tunnel vision, and readers really don't know if he's going to go off the rails or not. His partner, DC Aoife (EE-fuh) McCusker, is brand new to the Serious Crimes squad and eager to make a good impression. She's sharp and observant, and it's obvious that she's going to make an excellent detective, but she's got some baggage that could easily ruin her career. (In fact, it's Aoife's baggage that raised the one annoying little question in my mind that won't go away. Her blackmailer had plenty of time to carry through with his threat. Why didn't he?)
Blood Will Be Born moves from one point of view to another as the story progresses, letting readers know what's going on in the characters' minds, but we're still kept guessing to the end. With this high-powered start to a new series, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book.
The story is a steamroller with a stellar cast. John Fryer, a patient in a psychiatric hospital who is tortured by a beast he calls The Moley. Christopher Moore, a young man who should be in a psychiatric hospital but is free to begin a bloodthirsty rampage. Cecil Moore, a crime boss who enjoys his position and doesn't really want the past forgotten because it's what gave him his standing in the community. It's an excellent cast of bad guys, but the good guys are even better.
DI Owen Sheen, part of the Murder Squad of London's Metropolitan Police, has secured a three-month break to work on the Serious Historical Offences Team, a move which he thinks will be the perfect cover for him to find the man who killed his beloved brother (and nearly killed him). Whenever he and his partner stumble across a clue that could be related to his personal quest, Sheen tends to get tunnel vision, and readers really don't know if he's going to go off the rails or not. His partner, DC Aoife (EE-fuh) McCusker, is brand new to the Serious Crimes squad and eager to make a good impression. She's sharp and observant, and it's obvious that she's going to make an excellent detective, but she's got some baggage that could easily ruin her career. (In fact, it's Aoife's baggage that raised the one annoying little question in my mind that won't go away. Her blackmailer had plenty of time to carry through with his threat. Why didn't he?)
Blood Will Be Born moves from one point of view to another as the story progresses, letting readers know what's going on in the characters' minds, but we're still kept guessing to the end. With this high-powered start to a new series, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book.
February 20, 2020
Northern Irish Noir at its best. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Happy publication day to @garydonnellywriter Blood Will Be Born. @allisonandbusby thanks so much for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’m so excited that this book is the first in a series and two other books have been signed.
Synopsis: DI Owen Sheen vowed never to return to Belfast, but he needs answers about his brothers death. He’s on loan from the Met to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, though before he can dig into the past Sheen must babysit DC Aoife McCusker on her first murder investigation. As the case slides into chaos, can Sheen put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her job long enough to prove herself as a detective?
Thoughts: I’ve never read an Irish noir book before, this was amazing. Donnelly had you hooked from the start, I felt like I just needed to know what was going to happen next. The two main characters were very likeable and I hope it’s both of them returning in the second book in the series. A fantastic gritty crime novel, so happy there’s a next one. I need to find out what happens next!
I’m so excited that this book is the first in a series and two other books have been signed.
Synopsis: DI Owen Sheen vowed never to return to Belfast, but he needs answers about his brothers death. He’s on loan from the Met to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, though before he can dig into the past Sheen must babysit DC Aoife McCusker on her first murder investigation. As the case slides into chaos, can Sheen put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her job long enough to prove herself as a detective?
Thoughts: I’ve never read an Irish noir book before, this was amazing. Donnelly had you hooked from the start, I felt like I just needed to know what was going to happen next. The two main characters were very likeable and I hope it’s both of them returning in the second book in the series. A fantastic gritty crime novel, so happy there’s a next one. I need to find out what happens next!
September 18, 2023
I believe the last book I read set against the background of the Troubles in Northern Ireland was Gerald Seymour’s brilliant Harry’s Game. This wonderful, engrossing thriller from Gary Donnelly is in the same high class. The main protagonists are Belfast police officers DI Owen Sheen and DC Aiofe McCusker who investigate the violent death of an elderly woman in her home. The woman turns out to be the mother of a violent Protestant hard man and as the complex story develops other vicious characters from both sides of the Northern Irish paramilitary divide take their place on the stage. This is an extremely powerful book with a wonderful sense of place and compelling characters. There are two other books in the series which I look forward to reading. Gary Donnelly is definitely an author to watch out for.
March 8, 2020
A compelling crime thriller Blood Will Be Born is the first book in DI Sheen and the first book I have read by this author. An edge of your seat read that kept me engaged throughout I enjoyed the dynamics and the delivery of this read and look forward to exploring more.
March 8, 2020
A compelling crime thriller Blood Will Be Born is the first book in DI Sheen and the first book I have read by this author. An edge of your seat read that kept me engaged throughout I enjoyed the dynamics and the delivery of this read and look forward to exploring more.
July 21, 2023
Read this as a recommendation... A lot of characters and a decent enough story, but also quite typical and unimaginative for a detective novel.
December 18, 2023
Only took me so long as been in a reading slump. But decent story. More 3.5 but had dragged moments. But decent and would read more of the DI Owen Sheen series
July 4, 2020
Solid first novel. Will probably read the next in the series.
February 25, 2022
Quite good at keeping you wanting more and I was engrossed enough in the characters but maybe I’m missing something as I don’t feel it’s as good as other reviewers here. Maybe it’s because I’m from Belfast, know the rivalries & hatred as well as the locations that I found it cringey at times.
Saying all that I did enjoy it & it got me through the work commute :)
3.5/5 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
Saying all that I did enjoy it & it got me through the work commute :)
3.5/5 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
July 11, 2019
Up-and-comer Gary Donnelley offers a very solid piece of hard hitting crime fiction set in modern-day Belfast, capturing all the contradictions, beauty & simmering tension that lies beneath its renewal as a great U.K. city. A feat, I may add, only accomplished by a writer who walked these streets, absorbed it’s sights, sounds & fragilities.
Donnelly’s prose is splendid, character development deep and scene-setting you’d expect from an author with a large backlist. The lingering after-affects of The Troubles always lurks within the pages, from the political shenanigans, to the paras, clergy and monied masters who remained well-clear of the danger which every day Belfast residents faces down daily, for years.
An IRA prisoner is freed from a mental institution by what seems to be an equally unstable character half his age. And that young man has one thing on his mind: retribution.
DI Sheen is on the case. Yet he has past wrongs to correct, namely the killing of his brother at the height of The Troubles. Will vengeance win out over justice? Either way, only one result is guaranteed: violence.
The dueling story lines are almost stunning in their elegance for a first time author. Donnelly’s gift is to thread these competing interests without confusion on the readers part. While simultaneously creating a tension with his partner, Aoife McCusker that starts heavy and only builds in weight. Will she bollocks up Gary’s plan for vengeance? Or steer him towards the path of justice? Alternatively, will McCusker’s rash behavior prevent both delivery of justice for the PSNI and Sheen’s planned retribution? Donnelly keeps the reader on edge, leaving him guessing which path will be taken and whether justice will or even can be achieved.
This book contains all the messiness of everyday life. There are no perfect characters, no blow dried DI’s with perfect lives and 2.5 children at home, walking in to solve a crime and punch out at night. These are characters with demons, physical & emotional pain. Donnelly does human imperfection beautifully, adding wonderful layers to his fast-paced roller coaster story.
I can’t wait for the next in the DI Sheen series and mark Gary Donnelly as well be to watch. A welcome addition to the crime fiction genre.
Donnelly’s prose is splendid, character development deep and scene-setting you’d expect from an author with a large backlist. The lingering after-affects of The Troubles always lurks within the pages, from the political shenanigans, to the paras, clergy and monied masters who remained well-clear of the danger which every day Belfast residents faces down daily, for years.
An IRA prisoner is freed from a mental institution by what seems to be an equally unstable character half his age. And that young man has one thing on his mind: retribution.
DI Sheen is on the case. Yet he has past wrongs to correct, namely the killing of his brother at the height of The Troubles. Will vengeance win out over justice? Either way, only one result is guaranteed: violence.
The dueling story lines are almost stunning in their elegance for a first time author. Donnelly’s gift is to thread these competing interests without confusion on the readers part. While simultaneously creating a tension with his partner, Aoife McCusker that starts heavy and only builds in weight. Will she bollocks up Gary’s plan for vengeance? Or steer him towards the path of justice? Alternatively, will McCusker’s rash behavior prevent both delivery of justice for the PSNI and Sheen’s planned retribution? Donnelly keeps the reader on edge, leaving him guessing which path will be taken and whether justice will or even can be achieved.
This book contains all the messiness of everyday life. There are no perfect characters, no blow dried DI’s with perfect lives and 2.5 children at home, walking in to solve a crime and punch out at night. These are characters with demons, physical & emotional pain. Donnelly does human imperfection beautifully, adding wonderful layers to his fast-paced roller coaster story.
I can’t wait for the next in the DI Sheen series and mark Gary Donnelly as well be to watch. A welcome addition to the crime fiction genre.
October 23, 2017
Superb debut.
One of the best debut novels I have read in the past couple of years. A thoroughly engrossing journey into the dark heart of Northern Ireland and the lasting damages of the Troubles.
Whilst the dark psychological elements are not new, Gary Donnelly has twinned them with the backdrop of a police procedural that grips the reader.
The violence is explicit and brutal; but a novel about the sectarian paramilitaries would not ring true if it wasn't. The characters are believable as interesting as the plot.
All in all a highly satisfying read but with a word of warning; give your self sometime, this is a book that is difficult to put down.
One of the best debut novels I have read in the past couple of years. A thoroughly engrossing journey into the dark heart of Northern Ireland and the lasting damages of the Troubles.
Whilst the dark psychological elements are not new, Gary Donnelly has twinned them with the backdrop of a police procedural that grips the reader.
The violence is explicit and brutal; but a novel about the sectarian paramilitaries would not ring true if it wasn't. The characters are believable as interesting as the plot.
All in all a highly satisfying read but with a word of warning; give your self sometime, this is a book that is difficult to put down.
October 18, 2017
Fantastic debut!
I got this book free but would have been happy if I had paid for it! A really fabulous thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat I'm a Londoner so don't really know too much about the troubles. I feel like I have been educated but not bogged down in details Crime fiction is my favorite genre of books and I really loved the two main characters. Can't wait to meet them again☺ I highly recommend this book
I got this book free but would have been happy if I had paid for it! A really fabulous thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat I'm a Londoner so don't really know too much about the troubles. I feel like I have been educated but not bogged down in details Crime fiction is my favorite genre of books and I really loved the two main characters. Can't wait to meet them again☺ I highly recommend this book
February 22, 2020
Well what a cracking, powerful thrill of a Debut that was!
If you’re looking for a new Author who writes a Crime thriller that’s engrossing, addictive and certainly unique in many ways, then you really need to snag this! If the first book from Gary is this good, I can’t WAIT to see what he does next!
The Characters aren’t perfect, but nor are they the oh so common flawed clichés we see so frequently from our crime main characters now, in fact they’re brilliantly HUMAN. They act in ways that make sense, but at the same time you can see the slightly skewed logic that we are all guilty of. You can completely understand these Characters because they really do come across as just being PEOPLE. They’re perfectly imperfect.
Now for myself, I have never been to Belfast so I couldn’t tell you how accurate the Geography is, but what I can tell you is that the descriptions are absolutely delightful, some are beautiful and some are gritty and dark depending on the scenario. They suit each scene perfectly, and I have certainly been left with a burning curiosity to learn more! After reading this, I really wish I could jump on a flight! But regardless, Belfast is certainly now at the top of my ‘I need to visit’ list.
The story progresses at a wonderful pace, the main characters making various choices that don’t all go well, some are more selfish in consideration, just as any person may do. Their interactions with one another and characters throughout are entirely believable and more entertaining for the plausibility.
I was incredibly impressed by how well written the story was, it didn’t feel to drag or jump about, there weren’t any moments that I felt the plot seemed a bit confused and I didn’t feel lost at all with where it was going. Sometimes with a Debut, it feels like the plot line stumbles and loses the point occasionally, not so in the case.
If you’re looking for a new Crime with some great characters that will make you laugh at times, shake your head, want to give them a kick by turns, then this is one to dive in ASAP!! And keep your eyes peeled, because if this is where the Author is starting? I imagine we WONT want to miss a thing!
If you’re looking for a new Author who writes a Crime thriller that’s engrossing, addictive and certainly unique in many ways, then you really need to snag this! If the first book from Gary is this good, I can’t WAIT to see what he does next!
The Characters aren’t perfect, but nor are they the oh so common flawed clichés we see so frequently from our crime main characters now, in fact they’re brilliantly HUMAN. They act in ways that make sense, but at the same time you can see the slightly skewed logic that we are all guilty of. You can completely understand these Characters because they really do come across as just being PEOPLE. They’re perfectly imperfect.
Now for myself, I have never been to Belfast so I couldn’t tell you how accurate the Geography is, but what I can tell you is that the descriptions are absolutely delightful, some are beautiful and some are gritty and dark depending on the scenario. They suit each scene perfectly, and I have certainly been left with a burning curiosity to learn more! After reading this, I really wish I could jump on a flight! But regardless, Belfast is certainly now at the top of my ‘I need to visit’ list.
The story progresses at a wonderful pace, the main characters making various choices that don’t all go well, some are more selfish in consideration, just as any person may do. Their interactions with one another and characters throughout are entirely believable and more entertaining for the plausibility.
I was incredibly impressed by how well written the story was, it didn’t feel to drag or jump about, there weren’t any moments that I felt the plot seemed a bit confused and I didn’t feel lost at all with where it was going. Sometimes with a Debut, it feels like the plot line stumbles and loses the point occasionally, not so in the case.
If you’re looking for a new Crime with some great characters that will make you laugh at times, shake your head, want to give them a kick by turns, then this is one to dive in ASAP!! And keep your eyes peeled, because if this is where the Author is starting? I imagine we WONT want to miss a thing!
January 17, 2021
Blood Will Be Born by Gary Donnelly
DI Owen Sheen vowed never to return to Belfast, but he needs answers about his brother’s death. He is on loan from London’s Met to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, although before he can dig into the past, he must babysit DC Aiofe McCusker on her first murder investigation.
As the Case slides into chaos, can Sheen put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her job long enough to ensure that this first case is not her last?
Political crime thriller is not my usual choice of genre, but when a story is written well, it can be read and appreciated by anyone. Donnelly’s writing is wonderfully lyrical, it has both dark and poetic moments that I enjoyed immensely. The book is a compulsively readable page-turner, I didn’t put it down for days. The plot is devised cleverly, (maybe being a little naive to the genre) had twists and turns, I didn’t see coming. There were chilling, unforgettable moments, characters that make your skin crawl and signs of madness that are truly disturbing. What more could you ask for in a thriller?
Owen Sheen is our main man, but cleverly Aiofe MCCusker and Sheen are placed on equal footing. Aiofe does not exist purely to bolster the main male lead. I found this remarkably refreshing. Aiofe has depth, strength of character and mystery which makes her just as interesting as Sheen, if not more so, especially to a female reader like me. Without going on and giving away any spoilers, I am looking forward to finding out what happens to Aiofe in the second book.
One of the things I love most about reading is the way you are transported to somewhere you may never have been, and/or given a snippet of a culture or a time that you could never have experienced. Northern Ireland is not far from where I live, but my understanding of the political situation and the reasons for the division there has been deepened from reading this book and a curiosity to learn more has been sparked. For that I am always thankful.
‘Blood Will Be Born’ is the first in a series of novels. 'Killing In Your Name’ is the next one, I have just ordered it, as I wished to have it finished before ‘Never Ask the Dead’ is released in Feb 2021. I’m well and truly hooked.
DI Owen Sheen vowed never to return to Belfast, but he needs answers about his brother’s death. He is on loan from London’s Met to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, although before he can dig into the past, he must babysit DC Aiofe McCusker on her first murder investigation.
As the Case slides into chaos, can Sheen put his personal agenda aside? And will McCusker keep her job long enough to ensure that this first case is not her last?
Political crime thriller is not my usual choice of genre, but when a story is written well, it can be read and appreciated by anyone. Donnelly’s writing is wonderfully lyrical, it has both dark and poetic moments that I enjoyed immensely. The book is a compulsively readable page-turner, I didn’t put it down for days. The plot is devised cleverly, (maybe being a little naive to the genre) had twists and turns, I didn’t see coming. There were chilling, unforgettable moments, characters that make your skin crawl and signs of madness that are truly disturbing. What more could you ask for in a thriller?
Owen Sheen is our main man, but cleverly Aiofe MCCusker and Sheen are placed on equal footing. Aiofe does not exist purely to bolster the main male lead. I found this remarkably refreshing. Aiofe has depth, strength of character and mystery which makes her just as interesting as Sheen, if not more so, especially to a female reader like me. Without going on and giving away any spoilers, I am looking forward to finding out what happens to Aiofe in the second book.
One of the things I love most about reading is the way you are transported to somewhere you may never have been, and/or given a snippet of a culture or a time that you could never have experienced. Northern Ireland is not far from where I live, but my understanding of the political situation and the reasons for the division there has been deepened from reading this book and a curiosity to learn more has been sparked. For that I am always thankful.
‘Blood Will Be Born’ is the first in a series of novels. 'Killing In Your Name’ is the next one, I have just ordered it, as I wished to have it finished before ‘Never Ask the Dead’ is released in Feb 2021. I’m well and truly hooked.
February 22, 2020
Well what a cracking, powerful thrill of a Debut that was!
If you’re looking for a new Author who writes a Crime thriller that’s engrossing, addictive and certainly unique in many ways, then you really need to snag this! If the first book from Gary is this good, I can’t WAIT to see what he does next!
The Characters aren’t perfect, but nor are they the oh so common flawed clichés we see so frequently from our crime main characters now, in fact they’re brilliantly HUMAN. They act in ways that make sense, but at the same time you can see the slightly skewed logic that we are all guilty of. You can completely understand these Characters because they really do come across as just being PEOPLE. They’re perfectly imperfect.
Now for myself, I have never been to Belfast so I couldn’t tell you how accurate the Geography is, but what I can tell you is that the descriptions are absolutely delightful, some are beautiful and some are gritty and dark depending on the scenario. They suit each scene perfectly, and I have certainly been left with a burning curiosity to learn more! After reading this, I really wish I could jump on a flight! But regardless, Belfast is certainly now at the top of my ‘I need to visit’ list.
The story progresses at a wonderful pace, the main characters making various choices that don’t all go well, some are more selfish in consideration, just as any person may do. Their interactions with one another and characters throughout are entirely believable and more entertaining for the plausibility.
I was incredibly impressed by how well written the story was, it didn’t feel to drag or jump about, there weren’t any moments that I felt the plot seemed a bit confused and I didn’t feel lost at all with where it was going. Sometimes with a Debut, it feels like the plot line stumbles and loses the point occasionally, not so in the case.
If you’re looking for a new Crime with some great characters that will make you laugh at times, shake your head, want to give them a kick by turns, then this is one to dive in ASAP!! And keep your eyes peeled, because if this is where the Author is starting? I imagine we WONT want to miss a thing!
If you’re looking for a new Author who writes a Crime thriller that’s engrossing, addictive and certainly unique in many ways, then you really need to snag this! If the first book from Gary is this good, I can’t WAIT to see what he does next!
The Characters aren’t perfect, but nor are they the oh so common flawed clichés we see so frequently from our crime main characters now, in fact they’re brilliantly HUMAN. They act in ways that make sense, but at the same time you can see the slightly skewed logic that we are all guilty of. You can completely understand these Characters because they really do come across as just being PEOPLE. They’re perfectly imperfect.
Now for myself, I have never been to Belfast so I couldn’t tell you how accurate the Geography is, but what I can tell you is that the descriptions are absolutely delightful, some are beautiful and some are gritty and dark depending on the scenario. They suit each scene perfectly, and I have certainly been left with a burning curiosity to learn more! After reading this, I really wish I could jump on a flight! But regardless, Belfast is certainly now at the top of my ‘I need to visit’ list.
The story progresses at a wonderful pace, the main characters making various choices that don’t all go well, some are more selfish in consideration, just as any person may do. Their interactions with one another and characters throughout are entirely believable and more entertaining for the plausibility.
I was incredibly impressed by how well written the story was, it didn’t feel to drag or jump about, there weren’t any moments that I felt the plot seemed a bit confused and I didn’t feel lost at all with where it was going. Sometimes with a Debut, it feels like the plot line stumbles and loses the point occasionally, not so in the case.
If you’re looking for a new Crime with some great characters that will make you laugh at times, shake your head, want to give them a kick by turns, then this is one to dive in ASAP!! And keep your eyes peeled, because if this is where the Author is starting? I imagine we WONT want to miss a thing!
May 26, 2026
This is book 1 in the DI Owen Sheen series and is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. While Sheen was born in Belfast, he has spent most of his life in England, following a move after a family tragedy. When a transfer from The Met Police to Northern Ireland opens to lead the Serious Historical Offences Team, Sheen sees it as an opportunity to finally get some answers about his family history.
What a great book. It is action packed from the get go! We have secrets, lies, religious persecution, death, destruction, loss, grief, regret, unanswered questions, battle lines are drawn, or perhaps redrawn is more apt, and history repeating itself. But in the midst of all that we also have love, laughter, family, friendship, joy, support.
I really enjoyed Gary’s writing style. The pace is fast, the characters are well developed. The “good guys” are not perfect, they make mistakes, like we all do, they are completely and flawed, and that’s what makes them human and relatable. The “bad guys” are, well bad obviously, but Gary has managed to show their human side too, they have layers to them, mostly rotten, but layers none the less! Gary gave us a glimpse of the dark underbelly of Belfast, of lives still affected by The Troubles, people doing the best they can and finding joy despite the darkness. This was a great 4 star read for me and I would definitely recommend.
What a great book. It is action packed from the get go! We have secrets, lies, religious persecution, death, destruction, loss, grief, regret, unanswered questions, battle lines are drawn, or perhaps redrawn is more apt, and history repeating itself. But in the midst of all that we also have love, laughter, family, friendship, joy, support.
I really enjoyed Gary’s writing style. The pace is fast, the characters are well developed. The “good guys” are not perfect, they make mistakes, like we all do, they are completely and flawed, and that’s what makes them human and relatable. The “bad guys” are, well bad obviously, but Gary has managed to show their human side too, they have layers to them, mostly rotten, but layers none the less! Gary gave us a glimpse of the dark underbelly of Belfast, of lives still affected by The Troubles, people doing the best they can and finding joy despite the darkness. This was a great 4 star read for me and I would definitely recommend.
January 27, 2020
With thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.
As debut novels go, this is right up there.
Extremely well written, brilliant characters and a hard hitting story that is all too believable.
DI Owen Sheen arrives in Belfast from the Met in London to join the Historical Crimes division, but before he can start he's thrown headlong into a murder investigation.
He has history of his own in Belfast, having been born there and seeing his brother blown up there by the IRA.
He teams up with DC Aoife McCusker , herself new to the murder team and investigating her first murder.
On the other side of the equation we have two absolute mad men in the form of former IRA man John Fryer, recently escaped from a secure Psychiatric unit and Christopher Moore, a man with more mental health issues than most.
This is a bloodbath of a book, murders are plentiful and gruesome.
The main protagonists are well fleshed out with plenty of back story, even the support cast are interesting and well rounded.
An exciting new voice in the genre.
Really looking forward to the seeing where Donnelly takes these characters next.
As debut novels go, this is right up there.
Extremely well written, brilliant characters and a hard hitting story that is all too believable.
DI Owen Sheen arrives in Belfast from the Met in London to join the Historical Crimes division, but before he can start he's thrown headlong into a murder investigation.
He has history of his own in Belfast, having been born there and seeing his brother blown up there by the IRA.
He teams up with DC Aoife McCusker , herself new to the murder team and investigating her first murder.
On the other side of the equation we have two absolute mad men in the form of former IRA man John Fryer, recently escaped from a secure Psychiatric unit and Christopher Moore, a man with more mental health issues than most.
This is a bloodbath of a book, murders are plentiful and gruesome.
The main protagonists are well fleshed out with plenty of back story, even the support cast are interesting and well rounded.
An exciting new voice in the genre.
Really looking forward to the seeing where Donnelly takes these characters next.
May 16, 2018
There's a good deal to recommend here. The author's ability to put the story front and centre - without any discernible whiff of where he happens to be from himself - struck me more than once. But mostly it's just a properly absorbing read with some great characters in a hell of a setting. With enough real life stuff to keep the curious bystander Googling without spoiling the flow (or patronising any readers that know the place like Donnelly does) and some of the most vivid, nasty violence I've read in awhile, it's what they used to call 'a real page turner', before that became 'a proper scroller and a half'. Also - like with any cop double act worth its salt - you can't tear yourself away from the two central characters, who keep you glued in fine Dempsey and Makepeace style, albeit minus the tweed jackets and satin.
If you liked them, and/or Stiff Little Fingers' first album, you'll probably like 'Blood Will Be Born'.
But don't take my word for it - read the damn thing anyway, regardless.
As another Belfast boy used to say;
'It's a cracker!'
If you liked them, and/or Stiff Little Fingers' first album, you'll probably like 'Blood Will Be Born'.
But don't take my word for it - read the damn thing anyway, regardless.
As another Belfast boy used to say;
'It's a cracker!'
June 26, 2020
Blood Will Be Born
by Gary Donnelly
***SPOILER*** Contains monsters - both real and imagined
My previous knowledge of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland was limited to the horrors I would see on the evening News from the late 60s to the late 90s. I had never really considered the impact that this continued violence might have on those who lived through it.
This book concentrates on exactly that. It brilliantly and brutally focuses on the physical, emotional and psychological damage done to those caught up in those explosive times and events and well illustrates how the sins of the fathers back in those days impact on their sons today.
It appalled and intrigued me, frightened and thrilled me - but it never once disappointed me.
The writer has a beautifully cinematic writing style, so much so, that if it ever goes to film, I won’t need to watch it, as I’ve already seen it in my mind’s eye!
Would I recommend it? Well, if the reader has the stomach for it, very much indeed... so much so that I’ve already preordered the author’s next book, ‘Killing In Your Name’.
by Gary Donnelly
***SPOILER*** Contains monsters - both real and imagined
My previous knowledge of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland was limited to the horrors I would see on the evening News from the late 60s to the late 90s. I had never really considered the impact that this continued violence might have on those who lived through it.
This book concentrates on exactly that. It brilliantly and brutally focuses on the physical, emotional and psychological damage done to those caught up in those explosive times and events and well illustrates how the sins of the fathers back in those days impact on their sons today.
It appalled and intrigued me, frightened and thrilled me - but it never once disappointed me.
The writer has a beautifully cinematic writing style, so much so, that if it ever goes to film, I won’t need to watch it, as I’ve already seen it in my mind’s eye!
Would I recommend it? Well, if the reader has the stomach for it, very much indeed... so much so that I’ve already preordered the author’s next book, ‘Killing In Your Name’.
March 8, 2020
How far would you go to get revenge? DI Owen Sheen has transferred to Belfast so that he can track down the man that killed his brother all those years. He has been warned to tread lightly but everything changes when he is partnered with DC Aoife McCusker as he is about to be on the trail of his killer. An old woman has been murdered in her home but the worst thing is that she is the mother of Cecil Moore, a man many want dead. Who would kill her this way? Can they find all the answers that they need before even more bodies start appears? Sheen has just found out that the man he is looking for is the same one that has something to do with the recent murders. But who is his partner? And why is he intent on destroying the peace? Will they be able to figure this out together without giving away their secrets? A great read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley & the publisher’s in exchange for my honest review.
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