A fascinating, charmingly descriptive murder mystery, where disturbing elements of satanism, visions, and ghosts creep through the story. Leo Moran, fastidious, exacting, and a private investigator, assists the police in a murder case. I will admit that it took me a little while to settle in, yet as I read, and as I got to know Leo, and explored his visions, I found myself rather enamoured with this unlikely leading man. Leo is occasionally cantankerous, often flounders, can be a decided glutton, and yet his moral integrity and soft heart shine through. At times this tale feels as though it is set in a bygone era, then Charles E. McGarry sends a blast of the here and now to bring you flying back to the present. ‘The Ghost of Helen Addison’ is the first in the ‘Leo Moran murder mystery’ series and sets the scene perfectly, there is real depth to this story, and I look forward to the next. ~ Liz Robinson
Leo Moran is not your average private detective. An avowed gourmet and wine connoisseur, he enjoys the pleasures of life to the hilt in the splendid isolation of his West End apartment. Ordinarily, his most pressing concerns involve which vintage of wine to pair with the finest organic steak, but at times he has more unsettling concerns: visions of violent crimes. After the ritualistic murder of a young woman in rural Argyll Leo decides to help the police. He arrives at a brooding, majestic landscape in the grip of winter and meets a host of strange and colourful characters who congregate in and around the Loch Dhonn Hotel - including the ghost of the victim. Frustrated by forces of evil summoned up the killer, at first Leo fails to make headway, and his intemperance wears thin the patience of his allies and the police. Cast out and close to despair, Leo must draw on all his powers to unmask the murderer before he himself becomes the next victim.
Charles E. McGarry lives in Glasgow where he was born and bred, although he spent several years living in London and Edinburgh. He has played in bands, is widely travelled and graduated from Glasgow University in 1994 with an honours degree in History and Politics. He currently works as a newspaper page designer and sub-editor, having formerly been a business analyst for British Telecom. He is the co-author of The Road to Lisbon (Arena Sport, 2016).
