Bleed a River Deep

Inspector Devlin #3

by Brian McGilloway

When a controversial US diplomat is attacked during the opening of a Donegal gold mine, Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin is disciplined for the lapse in security. The gunman turns out to be a young environmentalist - related to an old friend of Devlin's. Within days, the killing of an illegal immigrant near the Irish border leads Devlin to a vicious people-smuggling ring. Then Bradley himself is found dead near the mine and Devlin begins to suspect that the business is a front for something far more sinister than mere mining. Bleed a River Deep is the new novel from one of the most acclaimed young crime-writers around, a labyrinthine tale of big business, the new Europe, and the dispossessed. World politics, industry and organised crime collide in McGilloway's most accomplished, most gripping, and most powerful novel yet.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Ireland, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Irish Literature

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Brian McGilloway is an author hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. He studied English at Queens University Belfast, where he was very active in student theatre, winning a prestigious national Irish Student Drama Association award for theatrical lighting design in 1996. He is currently Head of English at St. Columb's College, Derry. McGilloway's debut novel was a crime thriller called Borderlands. Borderlands was shortlisted for a Crime Writers' Association Dagger award for a debut novel.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the site of the Donegal gold mine, the long-buried body of a mummified woman in the peat bog was somewhat of a shock. When Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin inspected the site, he had no idea what the find would draw him into.

Illegal immigrants, people smuggling, murder and organised crime were just some of the problems Ben faced in the coming days. But it was the opinion of his superior, Harry Patterson, that Ben was continually getting it wrong – and making things worse for everyone else. So when Ben was suspended for two weeks, what else could he do but continue to investigate…

But when Ben was targeted, then a friend was murdered, he knew he was deeply involved – and in danger of becoming a statistic himself. Would he find the answers he sought? Or would he be in more bother than ever before?

Bleed a River Deep is the 3rd in the Inspector Devlin series by Brian McGilloway and is an intense and heart stopping crime/thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! Set in Ireland, I loved the descriptions of the countryside – the author made it easy for me to visualise it all. Highly recommended.

[Lela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this author and enjoyed the book but didn't feel it was up to earlier books' standards. There were some surprises but really not much mystery. There was one character introduced that I am sure we will hear from, again. One thing I always like is the interaction between Devlin and his wife. They are so obviously in love and have a good marriage. Most books in this genre have the police person in a bad or troubled marriage. Refreshing difference! I will continue to read McGilloway's books even though this one wasn't as good in my opinion.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this highly enjoyable series manages to take in gold-mining, industrial pollution, people smuggling; and end up with a high body count! Once again, Benedict Devlin is faced with the problem of criminals who commit crimes in both the Republic and the North (the latter being officially not his jurisdiction); a perennial problem when one is based only a short distance from the border.
His never-ending problems are exacerbated by the fact his old boss, Olly Costello, has now retired, being replaced by Harry Patterson, a former uniform Inspector, with whom Benedict has frequently clashed in the past. Needless to say, the relationship between the two is hardly improved since Patterson's promotion.
Another well-written and cleverly plotted novel from Brian McGilloway, with several seemingly unconnected threads being brought together in the end for a credible resolution.

[Michael Martz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but Inspector Ben Devlin, eponymous character in this series, may well be the most boring leading man in Irish crime fiction history. Let's see.... he doesn't drink (much), curse (much), chase skirts, tell funny stories, joke around (at all), use quaint Irish phrases, or have brilliant insights into much of anything. In other words, the qualities you'd normally pick up a book by an Irish crime writer to see, he's totally missing. His only vices appear to be an occasional cigarette and the tendency to piss off his immediate superior. In fact, had I re-read my review of Brian McGilloway's previous book in which I said I was finished with the series because of its tendency to induce boredom, I wouldn't have picked this one up.

Despite all that, I soldiered on. 'Bleed a River Deep' has a couple important threads woven together. In the beginning, Devlin is charged with providing protection for a retired Irish-American US Senator as he tours a gold mining property he has invested in near the Northern Ireland border. The ex-Senator survives a fake assassination attempt by a young man who happens to be the brother of an ex-college buddy of Devlin's. Since Devlin was in charge of security, he's blamed for the 'success' of the attack (it was a political stunt using a starter's pistol) and suspended by his boss.

But that doesn't stop Devlin. As the investigation of the incident proceeds, he uncovers what seems to be a human trafficking plot that may somehow be wrapped up in the gold mining operation. The problem, as usual, is in connecting the dots. People associated with different aspects of the various investigations, such as the young man who participated in the initial stunt with the ex-senator, begin turning up dead, obviously hindering the police work. Eventually, it's all sorted out and Devlin lives to investigate other crimes.

In addition to a group of boring characters, McGilloway's tendency to write in straightforward, simple declarative sentences does nothing to enhance the pace of the story. The plot is fine and the conclusion is consistent with where the investigation was leading, but 'Bleed a River Deep' was ultimately a little too slow paced and uninteresting for a genre that is most often exactly the opposite.

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about this series of books featuring DI Devlin that keeps drawing me back. I do not love them but do admire the scope and complexity that shrouds each episode with its ever larger and tightening web of characters.

I wonder if my reservations are that Devlin is neither maverick nor tortured, he is a church-going family man yet policing deep in sectarian border country. The plot contains people smuggling, Irish-American links, guns, environmental issues and even a localised gold rush yet, whilst page turning, layered and slippery it has no palpable tension like others of this genre.

That said, I keep reading the next volume so there is definitely an element of curiosity that keeps reeling me in.

[Camilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't decide if I liked this book or want to read more in this series. I have the next one, so i'll give it a go. The writing was unadorned, which I like, but occasionally drifted towards flat and, even, boring.

[Steve Munoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading a few series this year, McGilloway’s Devlin being one of them. Enjoyed this even more the second time around as the true measure of Devlin comes through. A regular family man, who happens to be with the police, whose only vice may be that he smokes too much, and whose cases reveal what we value - family, right over wrong, the importance of a promise and commitment. While I enjoy the grittiness of crime, especially UK Crime like Rankin’s Rebus, Billingham’s Thorne, and Ford’s Bliss, Devlin is refreshing in his ‘human-ness’- self doubt, anxiety, worry, and realizing how valuable life is in the smaller moments of watching and hearing your children navigate life, in the kindness we can show both friends and strangers.

[Madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh god, this book took me forever to get, but the wait is so worth it! I can't wait to dive right in!!!

Ohhh this book was good. Although it didn’t interest me as much as the firs one, I found it intriguing all the same. I kinda figured out a bit of the mystery this time. When Devlin think f it right away I was so frustrated. Lol it was really good tho, although I wish it were available in more places.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A controversial US diplomat is across for a visit, Devlin is put in charge of arrangements for security, but all goes wrong when the diplomat is attacked. With the gunman being a relative of an old friend of Devlin, things start to get complicated. Can Devlin restore his name?

This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, when compared to the two previous novels. The story seemed too complicated and the tension wasn’t there.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Inspector Benedict Devlin
SETTING: Ireland
SERIES: #3 of 3
RATING: 3.5

It’s hard to imagine that there might be gold in Ireland, but the fact that a man named Ted Coyle found a nugget in the area outside Donegal has sparked a modern-day gold rush. At the same time, a local company owned by John Weston is opening a gold mine. Their figures indicate that the vein is a rich one; profitability is sky high. The opening of the mine is attended by a US senator, Cathal Hagan, who is an old friend of Weston’s father. The ceremony is marred by an attack on the senator; a local environmentalist shoots at him, despite the efforts of the local police to protect Hagan.

The police protection unit was headed by Inspector Benedict Devlin, and it turns out that the shooter is the brother of one of Ben’s old college chums, Fearghel Bradley. Leon Bradley turns out to be a bit more innocent than he first appears; however, his actions in attempting to disrupt the opening ultimately lead to his own death. Why would anyone feel a need to murder Leon? He is basically an innocent who got carried away by his causes. There’s more at stake than the gold mine; Devlin soon finds a connection to illegal immigration that could destroy some very powerful people. And a bog body is unearthed at the site of the gold mine, which leads to a reawakening of Ben’s relationship with Fearghel.

BLEED A RIVER DEEP is the third in the Ben Devlin series, and McGilloway does an excellent job of expanding the development of his protagonist. Devlin makes several bone-headed blunders during the investigation and in his work in general; he is called to task by his superior, Superintendent Harry Patterson, who makes no secret of the fact that he despises Devlin. Patterson seems poised at every moment to indict Ben of wrongdoing and get him removed from the job. This was one area of the book that I found inconsistent. Through much of the narrative, Patterson is, as Devlin states, a real “prick”. As the book winds down, he shows Devlin much more respect and is a lot more tolerant towards him. Part of that is due to self interest; but it didn’t feel entirely credible to see the change in Patterson’s behavior.

Devlin shows some real heart as he unravels the illegal immigration situation. In some ways, he is an ordinary man. He values his home life—the scenes with his wife and children are intimate and touching. In crime fiction, it’s rare to see that kind of balance in a detective’s life.

The plot is fairly ordinary. It was hard to relate to a group of people living in a flourishing economy (at the time of the book) who would dash into a gold rush, based on one person finding one nugget. There’s not a lot of action in the book; the real pleasure of it is found in the character of Ben Devlin, a moral man in an immoral world.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite of the Ben Devlin novels, fast paced and interesting storyline.

[Janice Staines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body and a gold rush...

This novel opens with the discovery of a body in the bog lands surrounding a Donegal gold mine. Ben Devlin and his team are called in to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that this is an archaeological case, not a recent killing.

In the meantime, Devlin is assigned protection duties for a US Senator flying in to officially open the gold mine.

This novel certainly packs in the plot lines and twists as it ventures into the dark and seedy areas of people trafficking, industrial espionage, political and environmental issues and tax and duty evasion.

Each of the storylines interweave as the author tells this complex tale and it is Devlin’s task to unpick who the villain is at the centre, directing each of these operations.

This is an interesting and well written novel, as you’d expect from this author. The characters are well drawn, believable and three-dimensional. Indeed, if you were to go in any pub or club, either side of the Irish border, you wouldn’t be surprised to see them sitting in a corner enjoying a vodka or a pint of the black stuff.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Devlin finds himself suspended when the visiting US senator for whose safety he is responsible faces a gun at a local event. An attempt to assist a women who has been smuggled into the country illegally also goes horribly wrong and an old school friend also finds trouble. Feeling frustrated that everything seems to be going wrong and not trusting the new station commander, Devlin faces a tough time. I really appreciate how the author is able to combine a number of seeming disconnected story lines into a fairly short narrative and highlights some of the social issues faced by many. The border between the Republic and Northern Ireland again adds complexity to the plot. I am really enjoying this series.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third in this series of books about a Garda officer who juggles his investigations with his family life and wanting to be part of his children's lives.
Here he is also battling a new boss who seems to resent Devlin's presence so when a big American corporation want to exploit gold reserves found in a local river the boss seems sensitive to Devlin's investigations into a nasty gang of people traffickers ,a dead foreign national, as well as a bog body discovered on the land , and uses it as an opportunity to push Devlin out.
A page turner that straddles the Irish border and a series and character that I really enjoy.

[Terry Slaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an engaging mystery with several interesting subplots involving larcenies large and small. More than a few people end up dead. Inspector Devlin, the hero of the series, can’t seem to buy the respect he deserves, and has several dark nights of the soul as he perseveres in his investigation notwithstanding a suspension from duty. My main criticism — call it persnickety if you will — is that the author apparently reached his word limit or his patience before the story is fully told. He resorts to an Epilogue to tie off the loose ends, which strikes me as the coward’s way out.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 1 out of 5]

2/10 2% TBH a bit of a stinker - interesting to read about Ireland but way too many plots elements to the story, most of which added little value. In the end, who cares who’d done it or why. Major events like the shooting of a colleague and death of a friends brother illicit little emotion which doesn’t feel real - plus the usual “boss who doesn’t understand you” add up to little better than story telling by numbers, not passion for the genre. Two more in the series to try before writing off this author - but this one’s straight to the charity shop.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love everything about this series *except* how many crimes occur in each book. Most other books start out with one murder and the whole book is about that. These books start out with one murder and it then leads to 5-8 more murders or violent crimes. That’s just a *lot* of darkness in 300 pages. The stories are so well written and so entrenched in the Irish borders — they’re also just so dark. I wish he didn’t include sooo many crimes in each book.

[Jelena Milašinović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely an improvement from the last book! I loved that the author chose to incorporate illegal immigrants to Ireland and UK to the story and that there was more cooperation between the Irish police and PSNI in the book. Devlin's character was getting the development he needed, so I hope the other books continue in this vein 'cause this book was awesome!

[Glyn Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favourite of the series so far, it paints devlin as a bit thick in some parts and i feel the author did this to suit the plot. There is a lot going in "Bleed a River Deep", the shooting of a controversial US Senator, corporate greed, illegal immigrants, environmentalists, gold prospectors, an archaeological find . So just go out and BUY the book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because of the setting--Donegal, Ireland. It's a decent Irish police procedural, but there is a bit too much crammed into one book--human trafficking, bog bodies, crooked politicians, murder, environmental pollution and cover-ups, and the list goes on. I did like Inspector Devlin though--like most Irish detectives, he realistically makes mistakes but solves the case in the end.

[Jo-Ann Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated underpinnings to this plot that don't, in the end, redeem the novel. Devlin perseveres where the rest of the police force sits on their arses, which seems to be the best the character has to recommend him. How his boss Patterson ever managed to achieve his position is impossible to understand. Harder yet is how Devlin speaks to Patterson and manages to have a job at all.

[Sandra McCourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read this one. The series is growing on me now. This one involves Irish Americans gold mines and murder. DI Devlin seems to get an idea in his head and tries to fit blame around it all until he eventually finds out it was the exact opposite. I like this author but not so sure yet. Have to try another

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. The cases don’t seem that complex, but the detective still appears challenged by them. As a character he’s a bit more tolerable than he started out I’d say. I just keep hoping for more.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not as good as was expecting, found it quite slow

[Deepika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was good in parts. The ending left a lot to be desired....

[Shauna Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book loved again being familar of the places some parts of the story is based on for me it brings a greater enjoyment to the book definitley a book to keep you guessing i enjoyed it alot

[Kormak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime novel with a soul, morality and kindness - a rarity.

[Sheridan Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me a bit of Devlin. 💜
Looking forward to the next!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and fast read set on the border of No and So Ireland...with tales of immigrant running, scoring gold from a river, pollution, etc. Can't wait to start another by this author.

[Janice Melvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This is a great installment in a fantastic series. Have two more books teed up and am very much looking forward to them. Highly recommend.