The Coven Murders (The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries, Book 3) – a Review

The story opens on the dark night of July 31, 1995. That night is dark in more ways than one. A ritualistic human sacrifice is being made. Oh, and the woman being sacrificed is pregnant. Then the story skips ahead to twenty-one years later. Has the sacrifice been forgotten? What about the child she was pregnant with? What became of it?

From July 5 to July 31, 2016, Inspector Sheehan and the policemen he works with are taken on a dark, terrifying ride they’ll never forget.

A 21-year-old skeleton is found buried by a dilapidated church. Then there are a string of murders, all the victims murdered in the same fashion as was the owner of the discovered skeleton. Is this a coincidence? Or could all the murders be related to the one that took place so many years ago?

In Inspector Sheehan’s previous cases, the guilty parties have all been human. In this case, he delves into the terrifying side of the spiritual as he takes on Satan and his demons while being educated about ritual sacrifice, the Black Mass, and the Illuminati (a religious sect that claims superior enlightenment). They all learn about demonic oppression in such a way that they will never forget the experience.

The coven that was behind the very first ritualistic sacrifice has another festival approaching, one where another human is to be sacrificed. Will Sheehan and the other policeman be able to stop them in time? If you are prone to have bad dreams, you don’t want to read this one right before you go to bed.

Red herrings, misdirection, and people who pretend to be something they aren’t cloud the vision of those investigating these murders. Obstacles worse than any they have encountered before attempt to block their way and affect the way they behave toward each other.

I always look forward to reading Brian O’Hare’s books, and this one did not disappoint. In previous reviews, I have compared the Inspector Sheehan mysteries to the mysteries that Agatha Christie wrote. If she had written one that involved ritual sacrifice, demonic oppression, and the occult, I’m sure it would have been similar to The Coven Murders. Inspector Sheehan was even compared to Hercule Poirot in the last chapter: “You’re about to do your Poirot thing, aren’t you, sir?” That made me smile.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to experience the darker side of the spiritual realm with Inspector Sheehan—and the safest way to experience that is by reading about it in a book—I’ve provided an Amazon link for you below.

Amazon Link: The Coven Murders (The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries, Book 3)

Recommended Articles:
The 11:05 Murders – a Review

The Doom Murders – a Review

Three Inspector Sheehan Short Mysteries – a Review

Writing: To Impress or to be Understood? – Guest Post by Brian O’Hare

Favorite Sentences:
His lifestyle for the past five years had been so unidirectional that now, finding himself with spare time, he didn’t know what to do with it.

Why can’t we just for once get the ordinary dopy perp who leaves clues all over the place?

He could see clearly pinpricks of fury in the depths of the man’s black eyes and experienced again the aura of power emanating from him.

The temperature in the room continued to drop and a low growling would be heard, although none of the listeners could pinpoint its source.

Looks like all his occult paraphernalia was about as much use as a step-ladder for a carpet fitter.

New Words Learned:
aggro – aggressive, violent behavior

atavistic – relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral

athame – (in Wicca) a witch’s ceremonial knife, usually with a black handle, used in rituals rather than for cutting or carving

biro – a ballpoint pen

cabalistic – relating to or associated with mystical interpretation or esoteric doctrine

 charcuterie – cold cooked meats collectively

ciabatta – a type of flattish, open-textured Italian bread with a floury crust, made with olive oil

incipient – an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop

incongruous – not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something

inimical – tending to obstruct or harm

labradorite – a feldspar mineral of the plagioclase group, often characterized by a brilliant change of colors, with blue and green most common

levity – humor or frivolity, esp. the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect

narthex – an antechamber or large porch in a modern church

Orangemen – a member of a secret society formed in the north of Ireland in 1795, having as its object the maintenance and political ascendancy of Protestantism

orgonite – a substance made of resin, metals, and quartz that balances and harmonizes bio-energy, otherwise known as orgone, chi or prana
https://orgoniseyourself.com/how-orgonite-heals/

reredos – an ornamental screen covering the wall at the back of an altar

sigil – an inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power

slavering – slobbering

snug – a small, secluded room in a tavern, as for private parties

stroppy – bad-tempered or hostile; quick to take offense

symphysis – the process of growing together

tourmaline – any of a group of silicate minerals of complex composition, containing boron, aluminum, etc., usually black but having various colored, transparent varieties used as gems

About the Author:
Brian O’Hare, MA, Ph.D., is a retired assistant director of a large regional college of further and higher education. He is married, and he has three children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He plays golf three times a week off a ten handicap and does a lot of voluntary work. Any writing he has previously done was academic…very much restricted to a very specific readership. Several articles in educational journals were followed by a number of book-length reports for the Dept. of Education and the University of Ulster.