The Final Game

Seriously. Where has this guy been and why have I never seen one of his books before? LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the story, loved the characters (including the one who was dead the whole time)! Apparently there are other books about these same people, which I now MUST have. (Don't worry the story stands alone.) Hopefully Dorothy will be alive in one of them. It was funny, exciting, suspenseful, had great twists.... Caimh McDonnell is now my new second favorite author of all time! Because no one will ever supplant Stephen King as #1, but as authors go, there's Stephen King and then there's the entire rest of the world. So you just beat out the entire rest of the world and if there's higher praise than that, tell me what it is and I'll give it.

Well, another heartwarming, silly story littered with foul language, evil Russians and insipid fools. Made me laugh a lot. But.like Chinese food, leaves one feeling a bit empty. Well worth the time.

The Final Game is really two distinct stories related to the same event - the death of Paul’s dear friend and surrogate mother Dorothy Graham. Chapters ping pong between a game show like winner take all contest for Dorothy’s money and an investigation Into her murder. The laugh out loud, slapstick comic game show sequences feature Paul, his girlfriend Brigitte, and a despicable group of Dorothy’s relatives. The murder investigation partners retired Garda Inspector Jimmy Stewart and bumbling but lovable Phil Nellis. Ultimately the two threads come together to resolve the plot.Phil’s and Jimmy‘s characters stole the spotlight for me. Jimmy, recently widowed, recently retired, embittered and depressed, with failing health, struggling to find meaning to his life, is forced to partner with Paul, a struggling and quietly desperate young father. Their awkward and antagonistic clashes, though often humorous, are poignant and affecting, and their stories ultimately heartwarming and redemptive. An interesting counterpoint to the belly laugh antics enjoyed/suffered by Brigit and Paul.Oh yeah - a shout out once again for Maggie the heroic retired police dog.The Final Game is a fun and original addition to Paul and Brigit’s Dublin (Trilogy?) MTM Investigations series.

McDonnell’s humor, creativity and quirky but immensely likable characters never fail to entertain me. My only complaint is I don’t want to put the book down and then I’m sad when I’ve finished it! I either need to read slower or McDonnell needs to write faster. If you haven’t read his Stranger Times’ series, it’s another one I recommend to everyone.

As always, Caimh McDonnell has hit the ball out of the park -- into the stratosphere. His excellent characters with all the plot twists take the reader on a fun filled and improbable adventure. I LOVE his books.

A fitting end to a great series of truly funny, no, hilarious books. I gave this a four star rating, which in my book is about as good as you can get. I have rated a very few five straight stars but that's another story. Hats off to Caimh the famous Irish writer who is without peer when it comes to comedy. Well done lad!

I simply wish I could give the book more than 5 stars. Engaging plot with clever dialog. Over the top situations that were laugh-out-loud hilarious. The wild plotting did not overwhelm characterization - characters were real life individuals that you could truly cared about. True emotion, character development and bizarre plotting - I could not ask for more. One of my favorite authors is Carl Hiaasen and this work more than favorably compares. Dublin is a long way from south Florida but the feel for me was the same. Comedy, brilliantly drawn characters, smart dialog and wildly engaging plot. I could not ask for more in a book. My highest recommendation.

I only meant to crack the book for a "read one chapter only" before going to bed. With Mr. McDonnell, I should, especially after reading everything else of his to this point, have known better. Nearly 50 pages later and I had to put the book down. While this is considered a stand alone novel, and Caimh (Kweeve) judiciously supports each character, each plot point with such nuance: it does stand alone, and yet, for constant readers, it does remind/reflect on the first couple of books. Yeah, I did stop and reread book one, "The Man With One of Those Faces" to meet these characters again for the first time--sort of. There is some violence in Mr. McDonnell's plots at moments; but as other folks have mentioned here, his care, the charm of the humor, the rugged love of his characters to each other is very rewarding.

I love Paul and Brigit and their friends all so funny. Paul has been through so much but this you’ll howl laughing too

Not great at writing reviews, but felt i had to as this really deserves recognition, so forgive my crappy writing!Love the intertwined stories that Caimh has knitted together in such a way that they all add to an amazing landscape of characters, stories and myths.You don't need to have read others, but it would certainly make this one more enjoyable, besides you really should as they are all excellent reads.I thought I'd miss Bunny, but the author has created so many other great characters that they all stand alongside him now (but can't wait for the next Bunny read)Plays on a lot of modern themes in entertaining ways.Hope one day to see these on the big screen, or a smaller one if we had to.

He disfrutado como una loca todas las novelas de este autor. Las primeras cuatro, llamadas logicamente la trilogia de Dublin, son una mezcla de thriller, policial con sentido del humor descacharrante y personajes absolutamente inolvidables, desde el policia bizco a la perra Maggie que se pone ciega de cerveza en los pubs. Aun en los momentos mas dramaticos y peligrosos no puedes evitar reir con los dialogos y las descripciones tan inteligentes que hace de sus heroes. Esta novela en concreto tiene poco que ver con las otras, salvo la pareja de actores, pero es muy tierna y divertida. Recomiendo absolutamente todas, y sobre todo, empezar por la primera. Lo demas viene hecho. Tienes que seguir leyendo hasta el final.Espero la proxima que ha prometido el autor este año y no me la perdere.No se porque no estan traducidas al español. El sentido del humor de los irlandeses es muy similar al nuestro, y nosotros tenemos incluso mas palabrotas que ellos. A ver si se anima el editor.

What can I say, superb as expected. I must say, I especially loved Phil, this time around, because you either kiss him or kill him. Maggie is an all-time favourite, too, of course. The death "of a person you like" and Caimh put it, is u fortunate, but the again, there wouldn't have been the story, without it. Thanks once again, Caimh, for a few days of real enjoyment, you made it easy for me to concentrate even at a difficult time like this, with the covid-19 and quarantine and all the crazy stuff going on.

It's hard to tell if it's the Irish pistake on every thing Or these stories are the greatest thing I have read in ages maybe bit of both