In book one, we're introduced to Matt Costello in Watchers. He's a retired police detective with the Irish Gardai who's been asked to look into the discovery of the remains of a woman in Drohola Woods. Matt discovers she's one of ten women who disappeared ten years earlier.
In book two, Sleeping Dogs, Matt is back on the case, investigating the murder of a judge. The murder weapon belonging to a young man who disappeared three years earlier. Matt finds himself embroiled in deep deceit but leaves no stone unturned in the search for missing man, Billy Hannan.
And today, we're introduced to Wild Justice. A chance meeting with a ten year old girl who seems in need of help sets Matt on the hunt for her father, David Toner, and ultimately his killer.
This is another wonderful edition to the Matt Costello Mystery series. Brid sets the tone with a side of Ireland the tourism board steers away from. Matt's character is easy to fall for, and it's easy to see the author has a great fondness for him, as he's written with good depth of character. We see him as a person rather than an automaton on a mission. Description of setting is well balanced in the plot, and Brid draws from past true crime examples to bolster her story. Another fine, well-rounded edition from this author.
Tirgearr Publishing is giving away a copy of Sleeping Dogs to one lucky commenter. So get your skates on and be sure to leave your contact email address so we can get a hold of you if you win.
• • •
After a chance encounter with an unhappy young girl, Matt is moved by her sadness and offers to help, giving her his card. When his phone rings that night, he finds the girl sobbing on the other end, begging for help. Matt finds himself thrown into the hunt for her father and his murderer.“Sorry, Matt. I’ve just got one other thing to do. Would you mind hanging around for a few minutes?” a flustered Dennis asked in the lobby of the Four Courts mid-morning on Friday.
“Relax,” Matt returned. “I’m not in any hurry.”
“Thanks. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going,” Dennis groaned, moving quickly away.
He disappeared through a crowd emptying from Court No. 4 into the cavernous domed hall, where the hum grew loud as debate gathered momentum among the emerging horde. In splintered groups throughout the hallway, they paused briefly to discuss the judge’s ruling, before committing the case to memory and the annals of the law.
Matt reached into the pocket of his jacket for the pack of cigarettes. Dennis’s few minutes could turn into half an hour, but if he was truly under pressure and anxious to get back to his office, he might return just as Matt lit up. So he dismissed the idea and cast a casual glance around the area where, already, the crowd had dispersed. Barristers and clerks headed back to the inner chambers, while members of the public moved towards the exit to the street.
Soon, the only one remaining with him in the bleak, echoing hallway was a pretty blond girl of around ten, who sat on one of the bench seats by the wall with her head lowered and her gaze fixed on the floor. A child alone was an unusual sight in the Four Courts and, as he walked in her direction, Matt wondered where within the halls of justice she had become misplaced.
“Hello,” he said cheerily, sitting down on the seat beside her; his eyes rested upon the many shades of blond in long, shining hair that fell forward and almost hid her face. “Are you waiting for someone?”
Almost in slow motion, she turned her head to look up at him, and in that brief moment her large blue eyes penetrated his soul. A sense of despair hovered around her, creating an uneasiness that left him struggling to sustain his smile. Inside the crystal clear orbs there was deep anguish.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She didn’t answer or show any response. Instead, she continued to stare at him before dropping her head once more.
“What’s wrong?” he asked tenderly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Again there was no response and, with the sound of approaching footsteps, Matt looked up to see Dennis hurrying towards him. On impulse, he drew out one of his business cards and pushed it into the pocket of the girl’s cotton jacket before standing up. She didn’t move.
“That’s it. I’m done.” Dennis glanced down at the girl. “Who’s your friend?”
“I don’t know,” Matt said with an uneasy frown. “She doesn’t want to talk.”
Dennis opened his briefcase and drew out a file while, from a corridor facing them, a barrister in silks appeared, accompanied by a dark, good-looking man dressed in an expensive business suit. Following a brief handshake, they separated and the man came towards the girl.
“Come on, Nicky. It’s time to go,” he ordered sharply.
Curiously, Matt observed the instruction that fell just short of clicking his fingers, and he watched for the girl’s response. Without meeting the man’s gaze, she stood up. He led the way to the door and she followed with her hands in her pockets and her shoulders hunched. But, before exiting, she paused and looked across to Matt.
“Lovely kid,” Dennis said, following Matt’s gaze.
“Do you know the guy she’s with?” he asked, as he watched her go.
“No, but his counsel is Rory Sheridan so, whoever he is, he’s got money.”
• • •
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Brid’s family hails from the inner city, making her a true blue ‘Dub’. One of four sisters, she was educated by the Holy Faith Nuns in Larkhill. Always drawn to the arts, Brid studied piano at the Municipal School of Music. Later she joined a band where she played the electronic organ and sang harmony with her sister. They were known as The Honeybees.
At nineteen, she met her future husband and travelled to Manchester for a year before returning to Ireland where they married and she settled down to become a stay-at-home mum to their three children. At that time she learned to paint, which led to her joining The North Dublin Craftworkers’ Association, on whose behalf she ran the annual Christmas Craft Gift Fair in the city centre. This led to a new career within the exhibition industry.
In 2001, seeking a change of environment, Brid moved to Kilkenny City and began to write. An avid armchair detective, she chose her favourite genre; crime fiction. Her aim was to create a character in a series of mystery stories based in modern Ireland. Matt Costello is that character. In 2006, she relocated to Inistioge, a picturesque village outside Kilkenny City, where she continues to write and paint.
Find Brid Online --
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BridWadeAuthor
Tirgearr Publishing - http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Wade_Brid
Tirgearr Publishing is giving away a copy of Wild Justice to one lucky commenter. Leave her a question or comment here with your email address to be automatically in the draw.
Or you can grab a copy of Wild Justice now for just $3.99 through Tirgearr Publishing.
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| Wild Justice, book three -- grab a copy here |
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| Watchers, book one -- Grab a copy here |
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| Sleeping Dogs, book two -- Grab a copy here |
