I cannot believe that when the start of this series came out (I’m blushing here, 2017!) is when I should have read this! Anyway, it’s a debut. What a fantastic start to a series. The writing is so pleasing and the characters so well rounded, the storyline tight. My kind of read.

I see book 2 has been out since 2018 and third book cover not revealed yet. I’m definitely going to read both of them.

Description
'A cracking debut thriller packed with great characters that leaves the reader wanting more' Irish Independent

Five people living on Dublin's streets have gone missing and criminologist David Dunnigan has been tasked with finding them. His search leads him to ten-year-old Harry, living alone in an abandoned warehouse, who has been waiting days for his parents' return. Dunnigan knows more than he would wish to about unexplained disappearances. Almost twenty years ago, his young niece Beth vanished during their annual Christmas shopping trip. No trace of her was ever discovered. And the tragic mystery has loomed over Dunnigan's life ever since. As his current investigation draws him deeper into the city's dark underbelly, Dunnigan's resolve to help Harry and unravel this mystery grows stronger. And could it lead him one step closer to finding out what became of Beth?

My Review

After She Vanished is the first book for the character of David Dunnigan. And, I can tell you from the onset that I hope this is just the beginning of a series as his character is well written and believable. The entire storyline is a real treat and definitely suspenseful. It delivers everything it promised. You can feel Davey's anguish and the suffering since his nieces disappearance over twenty years ago. Overall it is very well written and I highly recommend this book. I also liked the cover. I know most of the time you don't see a review regarding the cover, but I feel as it did justice.

I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. I give this a 4 star

Can't wait for the next book.

This was a great effort for a debut novel. I enjoyed the suspense and the story line. I will totally read more from this author in future.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review,

This is the first book in the 'David Dunnigan' series and it was such a gripping read! David or Davey as he is known is a criminologist. He blames himself for his four-year-old niece, Beth, vanishing whilst on a shopping trip in Dublin with him many years ago.

I totally adored this novel which I found very readable. S.A. Dunphy has drawn some fantastic characters in this book. I liked the pace of Davey's investigation and the timely releases of information which kept up the momentum. The plot premise was interesting and commanded my attention throughout. "After She Vanished" was very much a character-driven novel with the emphasis on Davey's development and friendships and that sometimes conflicted with the investigation. I found this thriller very hard to put down, being so absorbed by the story. I am so pleased that I have the second and third books in the series waiting for me, as well.

I highly recommend this book and have awarded it five well-deserved stars.

David Dunnigan is a man suffering. Twenty year ago his niece Beth disappeared from his care and he has never gotten over the incident. His work as a criminologist has not helped in hos recovery until he is given some cold cases to review. He realises that a number of missing homeless people are all connected. During the course of his investigation he meets and becomes friends with some great characters, including a priest. The investigation brings him face to face with the underworld and the people who inhabit it.
There is a final twist in the tale which will lead to another book and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!!
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I don't really know where to start with this review. I liked the characters especially David the main character. He was with his niece who was only 4 at the time. Suddenly he looks down and she has gone. 18 years later this book begins. David has a real problem with engaging with people, he seems to say the wrong thing always and never know's what is socially acceptable. He then tries to find some missing people. With the help of a Father Bill who helps the homeless but he is another wild card and damaged person who seems to have his own idea of what is the right thing to do and his associate Diane he starts to make progress. Along the way he befriends his boss's son Miley who has Down Syndrome, he saves him from living in an awful nursing home and supports him to live an independent life. Loved this character. But then it started to get a bit daft. A young boy of about 10 is found living on his own after his parents went missing and he was allowed to stay there in a derelict building with no food or water and no adult apart from Miley who he connected with. That would never happen! Especially because a social worker finds out and says well if he isn't sorted in a week I will be back! So while I enjoyed the writing and felt compelled to finish it I am not sure where the story wanted to go. Then right at the end when you hoped to get some answers it went backwards!

There were many stories within this story and for me it wasn't what I expected at all. It was at times a good read and dealt with the subject of special needs quite well but finding a sequel at the end of the story wasn't what I envisaged.

Excellent book. Brilliant story and I loved the main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

David Dunnigan is a dysfunctional criminologist who works for the Garda (police - this is set in Ireland) and as a lecturer at the university. We actually arrive almost 20 years after the big event in Dunnigan's life - the day his 4 year old niece, Beth, disappeared whilst they were out Christmas shopping. Dunnigan has been a wreck and is now barely functioning with dreadful social skills and a bare existance. Interestingly despite these issues the book takes care to state that Dunnigan is not on the autistic spectrum though has OCD tendancies. Dunnigan is asked to look into the disappearance of some homeless people from the streets of Dublin.
I loved this book. I am not entirely sure why but I just couldn't put it down.
I have seen other reviewers have commented that David Dunnigan isn't a likeable main character. I really liked him. He is damaged, anti-social, barely civil & seems to have lost all social nicities but I found him rather endearing. Underneath he is a nice guy though he tries hard not to let it show. There is a good supporting cast - Miley a 20 something year old man with Down's Syndrome who has had more than his fair share of troubles in life. Then there is Father Bill - a real crusader for the homeless but does he always stick to the right side of the law when helping them?
There is the obvious interaction with church and state which is apparent in Irish society. Not everyone in the church is as Christian as they might be.I enjoyed this aspect of the book & find it interesting how modern society & the church interact.
The plot is reasonably good with plenty of twists and turns. There are a few clues in here which I think we will find have some relevance to the disappearance of Beth and which I imagine will crop up in the next book.
I felt the ending rounded off the book well. There are some open threads but it is very obvious that there will be a second one. I'd appreciate it soon!
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley

Thoroughly enjoyable book. You get a real understanding of Dunnigan through the various parts of the book. As you read you see people penetrate Dunnigans protective armour as he makes friends. The only bit I felt slightly disappointed with is the fact that you really have to read the next book

David Dunnigan is out with his year old niece Beth when She suddenly vanishes. Years later David is trying to get over the loss and now works as a Criminology lecturer and assists police with missing persons cases.
David becomes involved in a missing persons case where homeless people are going missing.
It’s soon revealed to the reader that David has Autism so how he deals with social situations and how he problem solves is different to others.
The story was good and leaves it open for a second novel with David. I do think it was a very stereotypical view of someone with autism and it didn’t add anything to the story.
#AfterSheVanished #NetGalley

After she Vanished by S A Dunphy is about David Dunnigan a criminologist who also works with the police to find missing people. His young niece disappeared in a shopping centre may years before while in his care. David finds it hard to interact with people but tries to help people in need. I found David a likeable character. I did like the story but was disappointed that the book finished with many unanswered questions because there is to be a sequel. I would like to thank NetGalley and Hachette Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hachette Books Ireland for a review copy of After She Vanished, the first novel in a new series featuring crimonologist David Dunnigan of Dublin's An Garda Siochana's sex crimes unit.

Davey is asked by his boss to look into five missing homeless people who have disappeared at different times over the past few months. With no common denominator or links between them Davey is at a bit of a loss but decides to do what he does best, examine the detail and see where it leads him. to the Widow's Quay homeless project and a host of unusual characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed After She Vanished which is a very readable book and held my interest throughout. I like the slow burn of Davey's investigation and the timely reveals of information which keep the momentum going. The plot premise is interesting and while it may seem a bit fantastical there are some elements which have a scary plausibility and are difficult to ignore. I do, however, think that the author has adopted a rather scattergun approach to this novel with a bit of everything. It is essentially a character driven novel with the emphasis on Davey's development and friendships, sometimes at the expense of the investigation, with some inexplicable action scenes towards the end of the novel and a cliffhanger inviting the reader to move on to the second novel.

I like the format of the novel which is mostly a linear, third person narrative from Davey's point of view. There are a couple of sections flashing back to the pivotal event in Davey's life 18 years ago when his six year old niece, Beth, disappeared while in his care. The search for Beth and what happened to her is the hook which will run through the series. It's interesting enough but not particularly germane to the plot of After She Vanished and serves more as an insight into Davey's character. What is much more interesting are the occasional chapters from other characters' points of view, giving their thoughts and views on the investigation and some illuminating information about their pasts. These always seem to appear at the right time and I found myself looking forward to them rather than finding them an unnecessary distraction as I normally do.

I must admit that I did not find the characterisation particularly convincing. Davey is obviously traumatised over the disappearance of Beth and 18 years later he still does not function correctly. Apparently he has exacerbated OCD although there is not much sign of it in tics or repeated behaviour, if anything he seems like he's on the spectrum, being task driven and lacking empathy. How he holds down a job is beyond me. His motley crew of newly acquired friends and helpers aren't much better, Miley, a high functioning Downs Syndrome sufferer with a fairly high IQ, Father Bill Creedon, the sociopathic priest with a social conscience and some extremely dodgy contacts and Diane Robinson, ex army ranger and unlikely love interest. It will be interesting to see where Mr Dunphy takes the newly awakened Davey and his friends in the next novel.

After She Vanished is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Didn't realise this was a debut book! Kept me gripped right from the word go. Grippy and so many twists you don't see coming. A must read.

18 years ago, David was looking after his niece when she vanished without a trace. Shaping his life, and still reeling from the events of that day, David now works as a special consultant in missing persons investigations. When he meets Harry, a young boy searching for his missing parents, Davis is drawn into a murky world that threatens to dig up memories from the past. Can he finally find out what happened to his niece?

I'm very picky when it comes to thrillers. I look for novels with complex suspects, those you either love to hate or secretly root for, plots with no glaring holes, and above all a strong story and main character. To its merit, this book wasn't bad. It was easy and fast to read, the pacing was good with a really tense opening scene, and David Dunnigan is a strong enough lead to carry the plot - if a little unlikeable. His relationship with Miley helps to make him more endearing and stopped the character from becoming too unbearable.

However, at times I found certain elements to the plot rather far fetched, and aside from David I didn't enjoy any of the characters. I also felt the novel was very divided. The first part was excellent, driven with plenty of action, but it slowly went downhill from about 40% onwards. It was ok, but I wanted more from it.

Oh gosh, this is such a hard book to rate and review!
On the whole I guess I’d say I didn’t really enjoy this book. You have an almost unlikeable main character, a story which isn’t the one you’re really wanting to read and so an awful ending that leaves you wanting to throw the book across the room.
On the other hand seeing the main character’s social awakening almost, the relationships he has with others growing, was nice. The relationship Davey had with Miley really made me think too, hoping I could be so non-judgemental in a similar situation.
I’m really not sure if I want to read the next book which says it’s about what I thought this one would be about.

This book feels like it starts mid plot and as such it’s hard to engage with the characters who are in the midst of a story you’re not aware of.