Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart joins Inspector Sheehan’s Serious Crimes Unit as the only woman on the team, in this second book of the series, set in Belfast, Ireland. (Her official title is Woman Detective Sergeant). Stewart has bitter experiences of former colleagues who were not only misogynist, but corrupt. She also has a reputation for fighting back, and seeing justice done. Will she be able to adjust to the collegial atmosphere of her new unit, or will she forever have a chip on her shoulder?

In this second book of the series, the perspective shifts from that of Inspector Sheehan to that of WDS Stewart. O’Hare succeeds in rendering believable this thoughtful depiction of the perspective of a woman working in a male-dominated field. The story tackles some tricky topics, such as the difficulties faced by women not only in defending themselves against harassment, but in figuring out how to respond to attractive colleagues who show interest in them. More unusually, this story also delves into the challenges for a woman of retaining her femininity, and of resisting the temptation to punish good men for the sins of bad ones. In this case, Denise allows her touchingly gallant colleague to attempt to protect her. The result is a romantic relationship between these two characters that might strike some readers as unwise.

These issues are not irrelevant to the plot of the mystery: on the contrary, the killer that the team finds itself chasing has a history of violence against women. And WDS Stewart is only just beginning to adjust to her new job, when she herself becomes the target of a stalker. When her colleague offers his protection, and she struggles with whether or not to accept his help, she is grappling with a threat of physical harm that she might not be able to handle by herself. (American readers may be intrigued at the absence of firearms in the story. These Irish detectives are not always carrying guns). But there is a predator on the loose who has demonstrated his ability to commit murder, and Inspector Sheehan attempts to profile his psyche. Without spoilers, let’s just say that crazy is good enough when you’re looking for a fast-paced mystery-thriller. 

The story does begin with a rape scene, so it is not without disturbing moments. It also delves into the tragedy of victimized women who turn against themselves and commit suicide rather than seeking help. Inspector Sheehan’s Catholic conscience occasionally intrudes, when questions come up as to the ethics of some of his team’s investigative methods. For the most part, though, his role in this volume is that of a consultant with a Sherlock Holmesian intuition who remains mostly in the background. Our sympathies are drawn into WDS Stewart’s dilemmas, both on the personal front and as she attempts to unravel a mystery that reaches years into the past. The creepy twist is that past crimes and present craziness are not as distinct as she at first assumes. Die This Hour is a good read for fans of the genre who don’t mind a romance mixing in with their mystery plot. If you are interested in a female detective who is not hard-boiled and who needs to be rescued herself when she gets in over her head, you will enjoy this story.