A Stone of the Heart

In a gripping second appearance (after A Kind of Homecoming), Belfast cop Cecil Megarry is rescued from disgrace and set loose on a convoluted case that begins with a simple bank robbery. Perhaps it's not so simple, Megarry suspects when he realizes that the elaborately planned heist yielded very little cash. He is convinced that the thieves were after bank records, especially those pertaining to the account of a shadowy man whom no one claims ever to have seen. Alternating with passages about Megarry and the bank case are those about Sean Morgan, a crippled young man from the hard streets of Catholic West Belfast who earns extra money stealing and driving fast cars. While Megarry battles booze and the growing conviction that he was rescued from career limbo for a specific reason, Sean, buffeted by a legacy of poverty and violence, becomes involved in a kidnapping scheme. And both men, whether they know it or not, are about to confront their pasts. The nature of the shadowy figure's work isn't made sufficiently clear, but McEldowney untangles the lines that link Megarry and Morgan with admirable expertise. Most impressive is how he steers clear of atmospheric excesses as he hews to a somber tone and deft understatement. (Oct.)