Mark C. McGarrity (July 22, 1943-July 4, 2002) was a newspaper features writer and columnist, writing about nature and outdoor recreation for the Newark Star-Ledger. Under the name Bartholomew Gill, his maternal grandfather’s name, he published 16 mystery novels set in Ireland between 1976 and 2002, featuring Chief Inspector Peter McGarr of the Dublin GardaÃ.
In McGarr at the Dublin Horse Show (Scribner, 1979), his fourth case, the murder of an unassuming stay-at-home elderly mother becomes a complex tale of terrorists, a musically gifted young woman, her boyfriend who seems to be around when burglaries occur, his ambitious politician father, a crime gang or two, and business men who have pinned their financial hopes on success at this year’s Dublin Horse Show. There are people who have more money than they should and an academically talented priest whose superiors have banished him to a small parish for the perceived sin of pride. Questions about a farm owned for generations by one family that suddenly is taken over by someone else crop up.
McGarr is a thoughtful, sometimes introspective character with some sharp insights about human nature and motivation. The urban and countryside settings are strongly developed and add to the depth of the story. The vivid descriptions of the horse show, the jumping competitions, the barn workers, and the crowds of hopeful attendees were especially interesting. Keeping all of the players straight was a challenge for me. In addition to McGarr’s colleagues, of which there are at least a half dozen, more than a dozen characters have something to contribute to a multi-threaded plot.
Some reviewers suggest that the McGarr books should be considered historical, as they largely predate the forensic developments of the 21st century. I have a weakness for police procedurals that rely on intelligent and perceptive detectives instead of a laboratory, and this series is a good example.