This is the first book in a new series introducing Detective Iris Locke. She has wanted to be on a murder team for years, having done undercover for a year, and at the end the person had evaded prosecution. There is a position come up in Limerick, which is not the place Iris would choose to go to, as her father Jack Locke had worked there for 40 years. So would be big boots to fill, with everyone watching to see if she can live up to her dads reputation. Although he is now retired. He had never wanted Iris to join the Garda as he was worried something could happen to her, he certainly didn’t want her on the murder team. But Iris is her own person.

We get to know a bit about some of the team Inspector Grady who was offered the position of Superintendent but doesn’t want the job, so they bring in Cullen a larger lady, who at first seems really nice but gradually things aren’t as good as they all first thought she has a few skeletons in her closet, and has worked in this station many years earlier. June Quinn who seems to deal with mainly office work. Then we have Slattery who has a really bad attitude, as well being a heavy drinker even when on duty. He is married with a daughter but I think they are divorced or separated. He lives with a secret which has led him to the drinking.

The story basically revolves around the murder of a mother Anne Crowe and her two young children, they have been shot and then burnt. But twenty five years earlier Anne’s baby sister mysteriously disappeared from her pram outside of their home. Are the two cases linked? There are several suspects that are looked at and interviewed. Why would anyone want Anne and her two children dead? The team have to work hard to solve this one. With a twist at the end.

I loved this first book in the series and I look forward to the second book, getting to know more about the characters. I highly recommend this book giving it 5 stars out of 5.

Silent Night is the first book in a new series by Geraldine Hogan. Released 23rd Aug 2019 by Bookouture, it's 301 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a modern Irish police procedural set in the mid-west region of Ireland, in Limerick. DS Iris Locke is perpetually trying to avoid comparisons with her legendary father, a former police inspector in the same district. I enjoyed that the author managed to make Iris believable and avoided making her completely perfect. She's keen to prove herself and that makes her impatient and sometimes abrasive. She's got a chip on her shoulder from trying to compete with the shadow of her father (who's retired). She's sensitive to criticism and especially so from her male colleagues. On the other hand, she's also intelligent and meticulous.

The plot of the novel turns on the fact that the first murders in the book are linked to a kidnapping disappearance almost 30 years ago. Locke is convinced the disappearance (unsolved) of the current murder victim's infant sister 29 years ago is tied to her murder now. The writing and plotting are very solid and the characterizations are strong and believable. The police colleagues are well fleshed out and their motivations are written clearly and adroitly. There is a fair bit of foreshadowing and the big denouement for me was more of an aHA! It was cleverly done, and fans of modern procedural thrillers will find a lot to enjoy here. The Irish setting was lovely and very much an atmospheric part of the story. Interestingly, I usually find dialect dialogue tiresome, and I didn't find myself yanked out of the story once by the very strong Irish accent in the dialogue. I could definitely 'hear' it in my head though. The writing and slang are Irish, so readers from elsewhere will need to keep that in mind (fag, lift, torch, flat, petrol, biscuit, etc). It didn't seem to be any problem at all in context.

The writing is exceptionally good. The editing is seamless and invisible (as it should be). I didn't find any continuity breaks or spelling or formatting problems in the electronic ARC I received.

I would recommend this one to fans of procedurals who don't mind some violence and rough language. This would make a good buddy read or group read.

Four stars. Very strong start to the series. I'll be looking out for the next ones.

Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan is the first in the Detective Iris Locke series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

While the undercover work that just ended for Detective Iris Locke feels like it was all for nothing, she now has the opportunity of fulfilling her real dream.  Her goal has always been to work on a Murder Team.  Unfortunately, she will be working in Limerick, the same place that her father John Locke retired from after 40 years of excellent service.  She will have to battle those who think she is only there because of her father.  She will be living in his shadow.

When the body of Anna Crowe and her two children are found inside the burnt remains of their cabin, all with gunshots in their heads, the Murder Team is called to action.  Iris feels a connection to Anna, whom she had met once in a parking lot.  It turns out that Anna Crowe is actually Anna Fairley, whose sister Janey had been kidnapped over 30 years ago, presumed dead.   Although this was before Iris's time on the force, the memory of this case has never left some.  Her father was actually the officer in charge of the case.  When asked, John Locke says there was no case, everyone knew the depressed mother had killed her baby, and she ended up in an institution.

Iris is about to open some very old wounds in her new department, and within her own family.  But she can't let the murder of this family rest.


My Opinions:  

This was a good start to a new detective series.  I liked the main character, who seems determined.  

The plot was good, and everything flowed smoothly.  Although I sometimes felt it was moving a little slow, it ended up being a fast read.  I think the best part was that although I had anticipated some of the ending, I certainly didn't see other parts coming.  That was good.

I am looking forward to more in this series.

A new style of novel from a favourite author; my expectations were high and Geraldine Hogan did NOT disappoint!

Iris Locke is a Detective Sergeant in the Garda; she desperately wants to join the Murder Squad in Dublin, but when she finally gets her chance, she is dismayed to find it's in Limerick - her hometown and the one place she really didn't want to be. However, it's a step in the right direction so Iris just gets her head down and gets on with the job - and a very unpleasant one it is too. Anna and her two children were found dead in their isolated cottage following a blaze which no one could have survived, and it affects all of the officers attending. When Iris sees a photograph of the deceased, she realises that she met Anna - but when, and where? As we continue with the investigation, there is a link to a cold case; did this have any bearing on the current case - or not?

This is a completely different direction for this author, best known for her women's fiction novels which are truly wonderful. As I had expected, this is a very well plotted novel, and a real puzzle! The characters are many and varied; the murder squad made up of both seasoned and inexperienced officers and as the story unfolds we get to know several of them better and to realise what makes them tick. The tale itself is really baffling, not revealing it's secrets until nearly the end of the book and it all adds up to an enigmatic and very rewarding thriller. Beautifully written, as always, this is a gripping story which successfully introduces a new group of characters whom I want to read much more of! I'm excited that this is the beginning in a new series, and really look forward to about Iris and her colleagues in future. A resounding success for an author venturing into a new genre, and earning a solid five stars from me.

My thanks to Bookouture for my copy via NetGalley and for my spot in this Blog Tour. All opinions, as always, are entirely honest and completely my own.

Silent Night is the first book in the Detective Iris Locke series, and it's a superb start to what looks to be a promising, prospective new crime series. There are twists and turns galore throughout this excellent police procedural and a beautifully constructed plot for maximum tension. Of course, the novel is setting up for the instalments to come and so we get a lot of backstory and attention to detail regarding the characters and especially Limerick's Detective Locke and partner in crime-fighting sergeant Ben Slattery. The point of view seamlessly toggles between Locke and Slattery and to a lesser extent other characters but it does so in an easy to follow fashion, which I loved.

Much of the book is primarily focused on building the personality and life stories of the protagonists and the investigation doesn't kick into full gear until around the 70% mark. Locke and Slattery have somewhat typical traits for this genre. Locke is intrepid, ambitious and knows her way around due to her father having also worked in law enforcement. Slattery is a cynic with both drink problems and a crumbled marriage to his name. Both of them are interesting, though, and I can't wait to read more about them.

Hogan then makes the leads they follow in the investigation absolutely fruitless and tricks the reader into thinking that it is all going nowhere. Then all of a sudden something very exciting occurs and this sends us hurtling headfirst towards one of the most surprising and utterly compulsive conclusions I have read in a while. All in all, this a terrific series opener. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

A fantastic start to a new series set in Ireland.
Iris Locke is transferred to the murder team in Corbally and is not met with the warmest of welcomes.
Her father was in this team and it seems his are big shoes to fill.
She’s put with Slattery who is an old fashioned Detective who doesn’t seem to like change, but he does like a drink.
They are called to a horrific crime scene where a mother and her children have been shot and then the house set on fire.
The team have no immediate suspects so good old fashioned Police work has to be carried out.
I loved the way the investigation slowly revealed more and more about those involved and it built up to a brilliant conclusion.
This is a real page turner that really had me hooked.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I love a detective series and I'm always on the hunt for new ones. I'm also a sucker for an Irish accent so I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked! The prologue pulled me in. I also love Iris Locke. She is independent, determined and strong. Iris has already been through the mill on a previous case and is now trying to find her place. She wants to go to Dublin where she won't be in her father's shadow.

There were lots of side characters that I liked in this story. I look forward to seeing more of them as the series grows.

This book is extremely gripping. From the off the pace is high and it never lets up. Geraldine kept me on the edge of my seat. I did guess the twist before it was revealed but it was still a damn good one.

I really enjoyed this book and I honestly cannot wait for the second book in the series. I miss these characters already!

Having devoured the author’s bittersweet family fiction ‘The Secrets We Keep’ (writing as Faith Hogan), I was excited to have an opportunity to read the first of a new series of crime thriller novels by her as well. And I wasn’t disappointed because this is a captivating, riveting and engaging read right from the start.

There is a new mystery to be solved following Anna Crowe’s horrific death in a fire. Her young family also perished in what looks like a deliberate arson attack. This feels very personal and close to home for our heroine, Detective Inspector Iris Locke, who used to live in the area. She initially finds herself having to conceal the fact that she is back in her old locale as a newly appointed DS working for the Limerick Murder Squad from her father.

Because it’s the same patch where Anna’s baby sister was kidnapped years ago. The perpetrator was never found and it became the singular case which Iris’s father, who was in charge at the time, failed to solve in an otherwise exemplary career. Iris begins to question whether the two cases might be interlinked. She is zealous in trying to prove her worth, not realising how her determined inquisitiveness ends up putting her own life at risk.

Her investigating partner is the unpleasantly dour but highly experienced DS Ben Slattery. He has a painful, chequered history and is struggling to retain his place on the team. But they value his diligence and uncanny ability to discern the truth. Slattery’s personal struggles cause him problems and cloud his judgement a bit as he works to try to discover the culprit. All of which add richness and interest to the storyline. As the lies become unpicked, the increasing danger to the investigating team becomes more pronounced.

Will Iris lock horns with her father over the case? Will Ben Slattery redeem himself this time and avoid getting sacked? Will the interlinked past and present cases get solved? And what will the future of the Murder Squad be? These questions and more are thoroughly explored and satisfactorily answered. With wonderfully developed characterisation, an intriguing storyline, and plenty of suspense, this is a brilliant beginning to a great new series. Highly recommended. Grateful thanks to Geraldine Hogan, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh this book was so good.

I loved the characters, the chapters were long enough to get into but short enough to keep the story flowing.

I read this in 3 sittings simply because life got in the way!

I was engrossed in the plot and that ending! Wow I didn't see that coming.

This is the first book I've read from this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I look forward to visiting Corbally again very soon.

Silent Night is the first book in a new series by Geraldine Hogan and it is a very good police procedural set in Limerick.

Iris Locke is appointed to the Limerick Murder Squad which means she is following in some big family footsteps.

The book is very enjoyable with the pace picking up throughout and with a number of interesting twists & turns.

The author has created a very good cast of main characters and Silent Night is a very good scene setter for what will hopefully prove to be a very enjoyable series.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and the characters were very well developed. I figured out early on the Iris was the kidnapped baby, but the plot kept me guessing until the end on who took her. I am really looking forward to reading the next book.

Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan was a brilliant read. I was hooked from the first few pages. Silent Night is the first book in the new Detective Iris Locke series and I highly recommend it. It's full of great twists and turns form the very first chapter and will have you gripped.
Detective Iris Locke returns home to Limerick, her father thinks she is making a terrible mistake. Iris's father Jack Locke worked for the Police force for over forty years and does not want his daughter to work on the same force as he did.

Detective Iris Locke is called out to a ramshackle cottage in the nearby countryside where a local mother and her two children have been shot in their beds. When Detective Iris Locke gets there she finds out she knows the woman who has been killed. She is called Anna Crowe.

Who is Anna Crowe?

How does Detective Iris Locke know her?

Detective Iris Locke has a complicated past and now has to live up to her fathers Police reputation. Anna's sister had mysteriously disappeared out of her pram twenty nine years ago. and was never found. As the investigation progresses, there is a connection between the two tragedies emerge. Detective Iris Locke finds some records missing, and is forced to ask her father for help.

I highly recommend this book and looking forward reading more in this Detective Iris Locke series.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, Netgalley and the author Geraldine Hogan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
This is the first in the "Detective Iris Locke" series. the lead character is a female police officer named Iris. She is paired with Ben, whom has been with the station for a few years at this time. The book does start off a little slow, but it does pick up pace and quickly becomes a page-turner. I can't wait to read more in the series.

It's always fun to start reading a new series. On the one hand you have a whole new team you have to get to know and on the other you have a crime to solve (in your head at least ;) )

The author picked a female police officer for the leading role who has a male partner. She is new in the team, he has already been there for a few years. 

The story is rather slow paced in the beginning. I think it's because the author has decided to take her time in introducing us to Iris and Ben. This way, at the end of the book, I already had the feeling of knowing them rather well. 

It, of course, sometimes takes the focus away from the crime story, but in the end I quite liked this approach.

Little by little this fairly slow streaming creek turns into a white water river and I was left with a serious OMG feeling. I never saw that coming! 

A very good start to a series that has every chance to become a great one. 5 stars.

Thank you, Geraldine Hogan and Bookouture (via Netgalley).

Detective Iris Locke is now a detective in her hometown of Limerick, despite her father's reticence. As a detective on the force for over 40 years, Jack Locke is worried for his daughter. He doesn't want her to face anything like what he had to deal with during his career. When she approaches a horrifying crime scene, Iris is rather shocked to discover that she knew one of the victims, Anna Crowe.

Anna Crowe is a name Iris has heard many times before. She was related to a case that her father was never able to solve. That case involved her sister's disappearance from her pram decades ago. It soon seems more than likely that Anna's death definitely had something to do with what happened to her sister.

Iris is forced to dig deep, even bringing her father into the case, although he is long retired. This case begins to open up secrets and unlikely occurrences affecting people much too close to Iris. I loved the pacing of this book, and was rather shocked at some of the developments.

Silent Night is the first book in a new series. With such a harrowing case, Iris has proved her worth to her team, and no doubt, to readers of this series. I am addicted to series, especially ones related to mysteries and crime. I enjoy coming in at the start of this and really look forward to watching Iris excel as a detective. Reading books straight through is especially rewarding when they are written with the flair Geraldine Hogan possesses.

Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Iris Locke wants to work for the Dublin Murder Team but is sent to Limerick to work for the team her father lead years before. A case of a woman and her two children murdered has stumped the team. The estranged husband, the local down and out, the neighbour are all the main suspects. With a dysfunctional team who haven’t quite welcomed Iris means she is having a tough time in solving the murder.

Honestly I struggled with the first half of the book. I didn’t ‘get’ all the characters and then I was sucked in as each character came to life and I was up until 3 reading as I was so engrossed. I look forward to the next book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Silent Night, a treat for thriller lovers! Many twists and turns that keep you wanting to turn the pages as fast as you can! Once you get to the mind blowing ending, you can't wait for Detective Iris Locke Book 2. Definitely a 5 star read!

Great start to a police procedural series. Probably needs some editing to increase the tension. Even though I guessed the 'reveal' I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking out for the second instalment. Fab potential for this writer to be a best seller.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4Anna Crowe and her two children were murdered in their home. Detective Iris Locke has been given the case to investigate. Iris has a complicated past. Her dad was also a policeman with a reputation that's hard to live up to. Iris feels she is being constantly compared to him. Anna's sister had mysteriously disappeared out of her pram twenty nine years ago. As the investigation progresses, a connection between the two tragedies emerge. With some of the records missing, Iris is forced to ask her father for help.

The pace for this book is a little slow. I liked Iris's character and fully understood why she would hate working I her fathers shadow. The story is well written and the plot believable. A great start to a new series and I look forward to learning more about Iris and her team in future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Geraldine Hogan for my ARC IN exchange for an honest review.

A crime thriller that will keep you frantically turning the pages as you race toward a most unexpected resolution.

What it's about: DS Iris Locke returns to her childhood home, Limerick, after a failed undercover operation in Dublin. Her first assignment in the Murder Team is to attend the scene of a burnt out cottage in the forest with 3 dead bodies inside. A mother and her two children. "Anna Crowe had died tragically and violently but she had died and it was down to Iris to find out why." A complicated police procedural with many suspects but no motive. A clash of personalities, not the least of which is how Iris feels working in the squad where her father, former Superintendant Jack Locke, had reigned supreme. The case is complicated by what Iris feels is a link to a vanished baby 30 years ago, but no one wants to talk about it and the files are missing. NO SPOILERS.

Why you should read it. What a great new series with so much going on it's hard to get your head around. There are many details that provide important information and clues and the descriptions of the setting make you feel like you are right there. The character of Iris is definitely strong and I could relate to her immediately. A daughter following in her revered father's footsteps in the station he commanded is not an easy road. The other players are equally interesting and I can't wait for the next installment so as to get to know them even better. The writing is excellent and the plot is well down, and hey, Geraldine Hogan, you surprised me! I love it when that happens!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I hope the next book in the series is coming soon!