REVIEW: Dark Mire – J.S. Cook

Genre: Suspense

LGBTQ+ Category: Gay

Reviewer: Maryann

Get It On Amazon

About The Book

You never know what trouble will rise from the bog. 

When the body of an unidentified woman is found in a Newfoundland bog, Inspector Danny Quirke must scramble his team of investigators to find her killer. But what initially seems like a straightforward case soon becomes mired in a tangled web of lies and deliberate obfuscation. 

With the strange mutilation of the body—one eye gouged out completely—evidence seems to lead to a fringe religious group with bizarre beliefs. But while the pathologist indicates mushroom poisoning as the cause of death, Danny thinks circumstances point to something more sinister—especially when he begins to receive anonymous messages with links to horrific pictures of damaged human eyes. 

Three more bodies join the first, with seemingly nothing to link them but a little girl in a yellow party dress who flits in and out of the mystery like a creature from the old legends. Then an old friend from his childhood reappears, and Danny is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about his own nearest and dearest. 

On an island, everyone is a suspect….

The Review

“Fairies were demons from hell who had assumed the shape of men to lead people astray and damn their souls to darkness.”

Nothing ever happens in the small community of Kildevil Cove.

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector Deiniol “Danny” Quirke is supervisor over the Kildevil Cove substation. His life has changed for the better. Well, almost. He and Tadhg have both been overly busy with work and the harsh weather that seems to occur on a constant basis.

Danny still resides in his rental in Kildevil Cove, but he would give anything to be with Tadhg and Lily on Eigus Island.

Lily, Tadhg’s daughter is struggling with growing pains at the age of fifteen.  As she suffered through her illness, she missed out on a lot. When Tadhg gets upset with Lily’s situation, Danny is always there to help him and Lily through them.  But now as she approaches fifteen, she’s really becoming obnoxious.

With his promotion, Danny has two new officers: twins June and Kevin Carbage. He also runs into an old friend, Ford Maddox, who seems to have some problems of his own. Officer Cillian Riley is now helping with a trespassing case, and Danny doesn’t want to revisit a one-time situation between them.

Trouble just seems to start snowballing, and thingsquickly become eerie – Tommy Power’s complaint about a religious group, the Harvest, that has trespassed on his property; the body of a young women; a dead baby; various body parts; disappearances; strips of yellow material; and some creepy phone messages.

Where will all this lead Danny, and what dangers and death will it bring to Kildevil Cove?

Cook brings out the Scottish/Irish dialect between Danny and Tadhg.  The vivid description of the Newfound setting, with its harsh weather, adds more tension to the plot.

Cook outdid herself with the second installment in “Kildevil Cove Murder Mysteries” series.  Psychological, twisted, dark, emotional, suspenseful, and at times just plain scary!  “Dark Mire” is very frightening, with paranormal tones imbedded in the story as it digs deep into dark secrets. With every incident and shocking murder, the tension and fear keeps building.  The plot is mind-boggling!  

I highly suggest reading “Dark Water,” previously titled “Wind & Dark Water,” first, as it takes the reader into the tragic and at times sad lives and dark secrets of Danny Quirke and Tadhg Heaney.  There are so many characters and secrets in “Dark Mire” that there have to be more stories to come in the “Kildevil Cove Murder Mysteries” series.

I’m really excited to hear that Cook is continuing things – a third book is the works and a fourth on the horizon. It’s always a pleasure to read her novels!

The Reviewer

Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California.  Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018.  My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen.  New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.

I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.

My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012.  She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series.  Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book! 

As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.

My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing.  I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.

I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews.  One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group.  Joining her site was such an eye opener.  I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.

But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.