Andrew Nugent, Four Courts Murder - The most detested person in Dublin's judicial system is Justice Sidney Piggott. Police Inspector Denis Lennon would agree that the Four Courts judge is a nasty person, but how widely disliked the man is he has no idea until someone murders His Honor. Denis heads the investigation with an assist from Sergeant Molly Power, but the list of suspects from Piggott's employment circle with motive seems like much of the city.

The two cops have one potential lead: several individuals mentioned that an unknown young man hung around the courtroom while Piggott worked on a particularly minor case. No one could say who this person is or why he would want to observe a tedious trial. Could he have waited for the right moment to kill Piggott? Denis plans to find out.

This is a fabulous Irish police procedural in which the audience sees different perspectives. These include those of the two cops and, interestingly, the negative muses of the missing man who seemingly stalked the victim and is now undecided whether he dreamed or actually killed Piggott. The storyline grips the audience as the case widens beyond Dublin to the Irish countryside where another related death occurred. With a fully developed support cast enhancing the official inquiry, readers will enjoy this powerful who-done-it.

Dunne, May 2005, $22.95, 240 pp.
ISBN: 0312327587

Harriet Klausner