A most rare personal comment from me before further reviewing Starving Men by S.E. Finkielman. Man, can the Irish tell a story! As subtle as English Brits, (not redundant here), but somehow more ruthless and poetic. Bloodless, yet emotionally overwhelming. Proven once again by this deeply talented author of a ruthless and poetic, bloodless and emotional mystery/thriller, itself connected inextricably to the recognizably potent history of famine, troubles, and vengeful murder. Subtle, too, in masterful understatements and allusions; never underestimating the intelligence of readers. A story that bowls one over with the power of delayed impact. One cannot write well enough to properly praise this writing.

Starving Men is a tale of serial murder. S.E. Finkielman deftly makes of it a tale of justice. Revisiting the historical past, not with the objective dryness of a historian but the ardor of an unwilling co-participant, the author co-opts the utterly captive reader into an emotional co-conspiracy. The Doolough Walk (1849) alone will chill your very soul. One would openly applaud the admittedly twisted “protagonist” were it not for the obvious diminishment of one’s own self-image in the process. One does not applaud serial killing. Except in secret. But the secrets held prisoner by all the characters in this roadrunner of a novel demand even an inequitable accounting. Or, at least an outing. And thus, with the inevitability of apocalypse and the perverse eagerness of defeat, the reader is overtly seduced and, also thus, kept reading on toward the inevitable climax. Strained. Emotionally wrought. Satisfied.

In S.E. Finkielman's Starving Men, Dr. Michael Gleeson had lived through difficult and hard times and had the dark memories to prove it. He recalled many of the hardships and the names of those who forced difficult times upon Ireland. When his new patient, Turlough O'Sullivan, an employee of a decommissioned IRA associate, creates an undeniable bond between them, Michael decides to ask for this murderer's aid in bringing justice to people he never knew but whose names had been remembered by history, carved in blood and suffering. However, one cannot take such actions and expect to remain unnoticed. Detective Margaret 'Maggie' O'Malley becomes as obsessed with this case as she is with obtaining historical justice. Will she close in on the killer, or will he remain hidden in the shadows, executing justice in the name of his homeland? 

S.E. Finkielman's Starving Men is a gripping crime thriller set mainly between London and Dublin. The writing style gives a great atmosphere of both places. I especially enjoyed how we delved into the main character's memories and knowledge to uncover the consequences of past historical horrors, and how we even relived some of the horrors experienced during and after the time of The Great Hunger through snippets from other people and saw how their repercussions continued for countless years to come. The smooth first-person narrative from Michael's perspective gives readers an instant connection to him; he is well respected in his field but harbors a grudge he cannot release. For me this book was as educational as it was entertaining, bringing to light atrocities and a history I was never taught in school. The characters are well-defined and realistic and added a believable spin to the unfolding plot. A murder mystery like no other, with not only historical motives but an engaging plot that in places put me in mind of Red Dragon. Psychology and history combine to create a riveting and engrossing read.