Book Review - The Killer In Me ~ Olivia Kiernan

‘The Killer In Me’ by Olivia Kiernan

Genre: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths

Published: April 4th 2019 by riverrun

Swathi’s Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: Atmospheric and totally addictive!

Howdy Bookies!!
So long since I talked about books, but hey I have had the pleasure of reading some UM-Mazing books in the past 2 months and am SOOO excited to share them with y’all!! Hope you’re having a great week as mine!

Plot:

A deadly past refuses to stay buried in Olivia Kiernan’s masterful new novel.

Death is no stranger to Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan, but she isn’t the only one from her small, coastal suburb to be intimately acquainted with it. Years ago, teenager Sean Hennessey shocked the tight-knit community when he was convicted of the brutal murder of his parents and attempted slaying of his sister, though he always maintained his innocence. Now, Sean is finally being released from prison—but when his newfound freedom coincides with the discovery of two bodies, the alleged connection between the cases only serves to pull Frankie further from answers even as it draws her closer to her town’s hidden darkness. With a television documentary revisiting Sean’s sentence pushing the public’s sympathies into conflict on a weekly basis, a rabid media pressuring the police like never before, and a rising body count, Frankie will need all of her resources if she is not only to catch a killer, but put to rest what really happened all those years ago.

A dark, irresistible cocktail of secrets, murder, and family, Olivia Kiernan’s latest is an impossible-to-put-down triumph.

Story Locale: Dublin, Ireland

Series Overview: The second novel featuring female Dublin detective Frankie Sheehan

Swathi’s Review:

It’s only yesterday that I finished reading this gripping thriller ‘The Killer In Me’ by Olivia Kiernan and man, I miss the book already! It was totally atmospheric and I can’t get enough of Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan. Although, I have not read Olivia’s first book featuring Sheehan, this book can be totally read as a standalone.

As the blurb says, there are two stories stunning the little beach town of Clontarf, Dublin. One of them is 17 years old, where Sean Hennessey convicted for killing his family is now released and seeking media attention by doing a documentary where he pleads his innocence. Meanwhile, Frankie is called to the local church where a couple has been murdered and posed with clues left by the killer. Though Frankie’s sharp profiling skills along with her efficient team makes progress toward finding the killer, they couldn’t stop more bodies appearing on the little town. As the media pressure builds, Frankie’s clock is ticking as she has to find her way through a list of possible suspects, and some damning police errors committed 17 years ago! Will it too late for her before terror hits home? You must read the book to find out!!

The story is narrated from Frankie’s POV and frankly that’s all we need. She is brilliant at what she does, and I have become a fan of her authoritative skills! Her partner Barry or Baz Harwood is such a likeable character who reminds me of BBC’s Crime Thriller “Luther”!! Would love to read more of Baz in the future books. There is so much detailing and layers added to the story that connects the present with a gory murder that took place 17 years ago and Olivia Kiernan does it with ease. Her writing is so impeccable that I teleported myself to the beautiful village of Dublin and cannot seem to leave the place. I am going to leave the ending to you guys because that’s where the best part is and I don’t want to spoil the fun for you!!

Many many thanks to Sue Armstrong and Riverrun for the proof copy. All opinions are my own.

Author Bio:

Olivia Kiernan is an Irish writer living in the UK. She was born and raised in County Meath near the famed heritage town of Kells and holds an MA in creative writing awarded by the University of Sussex. She is also the author of Too Close to Breathe.