‘When all that’s left is the fall, the fall is everything.
And even the mighty fall’
I have been a fan of Caimh McDonnell’s books from the get-go. Packed full with Irish wit and charm, these are novels that will make you cry both tears of laughter and tears of sadness (more of laughter!!)
I cannot believe the series, The Dublin Trilogy, featuring my main man, the brilliant Corkonian, that is Bunny McGarry, has come to an end with Last Orders, just released on 3rd March.
As with each of Caimh McDonnell’s books I thoroughly enjoyed Last Orders. Read on for my full thoughts…
Book Blurb:
Just because you’re done with the past, it doesn’t mean the past is done with you.
When long-buried bodies are discovered in the Wicklow Mountains, Bunny McGarry’s past starts closing in on him. He soon finds himself with nowhere to turn and who can he trust when he can’t even trust himself?
Meanwhile, the other two thirds of MCM Investigations have problems of their own to worry about. When Paul finds out a rival detective agency played a role in an incident from his past, he drags the company into a bitter feud that they can’t hope to win. Soon they’re faced with the prospect of going out of business and Brigit going out of her damn mind.
Book Review:
Caimh McDonnell brings us to the end of our journey with The Dublin Trilogy, in this the last installment, Last Orders. I have followed the journeys of Paul, Brigid, Phil and Bunny over all the series including the prequel and I’ve come to know them as more than just characters in a novel.
Last Orders brings all the previous novels together in an unexpected ending, yet one I think all Caimh McDonnell fans will agree is a fitting finish.
A Man with One of Those Faces (Book #1) introduced the reader to each character. We got a little of their back stories and how paths were crossed and new relationships were made. From the very beginning I connected with Bunny McGarry, a Corkonian, one of my own from my home city of Cork. Bunny and his right hand accessory, Mable his hurley, were a wonderful match. The wit, the comic timing, the pent up anger of a frustrated member of the local police force who spares noone in his fearless attacks was, in my eyes, the top character of the trilogy. As I have read through the full collection of Caimh McDonnell’s novels over the past couple of years, I have witnessed Bunny as he has dealt with the criminal faction in his own gutsy way, but I also I have seen a little of the true man that lies beneath that very tough veneer. Angels in the Moonlight, as a prequel, brought us back to Bunny as a slightly younger man. It reveals to us a little about where his anger and frustration with life originated. We get to see the softer side of Bunny as he falls in love. We witness his close friendship with his colleague Gringo. We see Bunny McGarry as a person with hopes and feelings, providing an excellent backdrop to the trilogy.
In Last Orders, Brigid, Paul and Phil are now the proud owners of their own private investigation firm, MCM. Bunny is what we would call a silent partner. Now retired from the force, he still has his trademark anger and dark humour about him, but there is trouble brewing. With the firm, MCM, in some difficulties with another company, business gets a little fraught. Brigid tries her hardest to hold it all together but even she is struggling to make ends meet and to keep the business afloat.
Meanwhile DSI Susan Burns and her sidekick Detective Wilson are embroiled in a very delicate case. Human remains have been discovered in the Wicklow mountains, remains that have been buried for nearly twenty years. DSI Burns does not suffer fools gladly and when the FBI come knocking, in the shape of Agent Alana Dove, Burns discovers that there is a hell of a lot more to this case than originally expected.
Caimh McDonnell ties up a lot of loose ends in Last Orders and leaves us, as ever, wanting more. If you have followed their stories, you will surely love all the characters, including the rather temperamental and flatulent Maggie. We have witnessed Phil, now on the cusp of fatherhood, with his simplistic, yet sometimes brilliant, ideas as he grows into a man, now with responsibilities. Brigid has become a woman of the world, a far cry from the nurse we met in Book 1. Paul…well, Paul, I think, still has a little growing up to do. And Bunny. Obviously I am NOT going to speak of Bunny in any great detail, as to do so would kind of spoil the story don’t you think? It’s enough to say that I miss him already…the streets of Dublin will never be the same again….
Last Orders is now available to purchase, but I would recommend you read the previous books first, in order to fully understand the characters with all their flaws and eccentricities. As the novels have progressed, Caimh McDonnell’s ability as a wonderful story-teller has grown. Caimh’s books are all self-published which really shows the passion he has for his writing. He believes in his characters, as do I and I know you will too!!
Last Orders is packed with charm, wisecracks, banter, playfulness and soul. A really entertaining collection of books…all now available!!
Purchase Links:
Angels in The Moonlight (Prequel )
A Man With One of Those Faces (Book 1)
The Day That Never Comes (Book 2)
Bio:
Caimh McDonnell is an award-winning stand-up comedian, author and writer of televisual treats.
In his time on the British stand-up circuit, he has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce. He performs regularly at all the major clubs and is equally at home doing a set or acting as MC. He regularly supports Sarah Millican on tour and has also brought the funny worldwide, doing stand-up tours of the Far East, the Middle East and once, the near east (Norwich). He brings a new stand-up show to the Edinburgh festival most years, mainly as an excuse to eat things that’ve been deep fried……
For more ~ http://whitehairedirishman.com/
Twitter ~ @Caimh
Thanks ever so much Mairead. I’m glad you enjoyed Bunny’s exploits.
I always do Elaine So v welcome x