Dermot Sparhawk, a former All-American Boston College football hero, is stacking cans in a parish food pantry in Boston's Charlestown, when his godfather, Jeepster Hennessey, shows up with a knife in his back and dies at Dermot's feet. Once slated for a professional football career, now a recovering alcoholic with a torn-up knee, Dermot sets out to solve the murder of his godfather with the help of his Micmac Indian cousin, his paraplegic tenant, and a former teammate.
Dermot's investigation has him tangling with members of the IRA, FBI, and the Boston mob. He is also forced to contend with Charlestown's code of silence and the norms of the neighborhood where he grew up. Feeling like he did at the height of his game, Dermot uses his Native American intuition and Irish good looks to help him uncover clues. Dermot stumbles upon bits and pieces of information that he cobbles together into an unlikely theory which leads him on an unexpected trail, and to a new mystery that could cost him his life.
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"If you enjoy the Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight series, I suspect you will also enjoy this story. (I have no concrete reasons for the comparison; but, there is something about the feel and tone of the story.) It is a simple tale that quickly turns into a complicated mystery - with much history behind it. It starts with a murder, a code word, and a key - and becomes so much more. I was disappointed to see that this is the only book with this character as I feel this could easily be turned into a series - as the main character and his two sidekicks have much potential for future adventure. I will most likely look into other books by this author in the hopes that it is as much the writer as the story and characters." — Kristine (5 out of 5 stars)
"If you enjoy the Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight series, I suspect you will also enjoy this story. (I have no concrete reasons for the comparison; but, there is something about the feel and tone of the story.) It is a simple tale that quickly turns into a complicated mystery - with much history behind it. It starts with a murder, a code word, and a key - and becomes so much more. I was disappointed to see that this is the only book with this character as I feel this could easily be turned into a series - as the main character and his two sidekicks have much potential for future adventure. I will most likely look into other books by this author in the hopes that it is as much the writer as the story and characters."
" The Charlestown Connection was not the greatest mystery ever writen but it was not the worst either. This will go into the pile of books that I have read but will not likely read again. "
" I thought it was ok. I stuck with it and read the entire book but several times I almost quit. "
" Meandering plot. Needed a lot of tightening. Cool idea though, once you finally get there. "
" Really enjoyed this book! MacDonald has a writing style reminiscent of Dennis Lehane, another of my favorites. "
" This was an ok book. The mystery was interesting, and kept me interested. My biggest gripe about the book in all the language in it. Also, it wasn't the best written book ever, but I still liked it well enough. "
" I did not enjoy this and actually gave up and skimmed through to the end. The plot revolves around the murder of Dermot Sparhawk's godfather and what Dermot goes through to find the killer. I do read murder mysteries. This one just didn't hold my interest. "
" Fun, comfort food read. Familiar terrain and plenty of local Boston references, sites and color. A white trash Spenser. "
" I really enjoyed this book. it is going to make a great movie "
" The Charlestown Connection is a smart story. The writing is crisp and vivid. The characters are well defined and interesting. I think this would make a great movie. Looking forward to more of MacDonald's work. "
" Couldn't get into it. Didn't gab my interest. "
" I don't care for the writer's style. Did not read much of the book, not even half. "
" Some high points and an improbably ending make this book enjoyable, though with all the shady characters, it is difficult to know if one should be rooting for anybody. "
" I liked the twist of the world of art forgery that this book brings. "
" This book was just OK. It was the author's first one. He does need some polishing in his writing style. I happen to like books about Boston, especially Dennis Lehane but this author has a long way to go. "
" A wonderful story, with a very interesting main character. I would have given it another star if there wasn't so much profanity. Thankfully most of the profanity is in the first chapters. The story and the language gets better and better! "
" I won this book from First Reads!! This book is a fast paced mystery that could easily be considered a beach read. I had trouble keeping up with all the characters that were introduced. I would probably try another of Tom MacDonald's books. "
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