Shaping up to be a series you can really get into, this is a superb second novel following Garda officer Iris Locke.

When a young woman is found murdered in her place of work, Iris gets the call to attend the scene. Rachel McDermott was a nurse and her young charge is missing - does that mean she's the murderer? With the promotion of her old Murder Team boss, Iris finds herself put in charge of the latest case, and pairs up with the seasoned Slattery at her side as she investigates and oversees the whole operation.

What a stunning read! With lots of information forthcoming and a plethora of twists and turns, I think I suspected everyone except the true murderer - and that came as a shock! I would urge readers new to this author to begin with the first in series and it will clarify a few things and, undoubtedly, enhance the reading experience. I really can't find fault - even if I wanted to - and I relished this second book, feeling I already knew the characters but never imagining for a moment where this one was leading. An absolutely cracking thriller, a total pleasure to read and it definitely got my blood pumping! Geraldine Hogan, yet again, earns a full five glowing stars and I'm already anticipating where the next one will take me!

My thanks to publisher Bookouture for my copy via NetGalley, and to Sarah Hardy of Book on the Bright Side Publicity for including me in this tour. All opinions are both completely honest and entirely my own.

Why She Ran is the second crime thriller/police procedural in the Detective Iris Locke and Ben Slattery series based in Limerick, Ireland. The Corbally murder investigation team are called in to investigate a rather grisly slaying of twenty-year-old nurse Rachel McDermott and to search for a teenage runaway Eleanor Marshall who is a drug addict and cannot seem to be located. The two of them recently became friends but witnesses said they saw Eleanor in the area where Rachel's body was dumped so it's all a tad suspicious. As they are unable to find Eleanor they go to speak to her sister, Karena, who states that she is not the type of person to do this sort of thing despite being troubled. Then Karena turns up dead too. The team suspect the two cases are linked but no one can get their heads around or comprehend these incidents as the small Irish town and the townsfolk have never experienced such a horrendous force for evil in their midst before; it really is a shock to everyone's system.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gritty, twisty murder mystery and felt it had more twists and turns than the first book and was more exciting. From the opening chapter right through to the conclusion it held my attention and I wanted to finish in a single sitting it was that compulsively readable. The Irish countryside was described vividly and it was superbly plotted with a cast of engaging characters all of whom were believable and realistic. We didn't get a great deal of character development in the previous/first book as Ms Hogan needed to set the scene but here we get some solid background on both Iris and Ben. The dynamic between them is an interesting one and I particularly enjoyed the humour and banter they shared. This is a well written and entertaining work of crime fiction and comes highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

This is the second book in the DI Iris Locke series and I was hooked from the first one… I would recommend reading the first book as there is a lot of references to the previous book and the reasoning behind why Iris is behaving how she is.

Iris’ life was blown apart in the first book and still reeling from that her first case back is to the scene of a murder of a young nurse, Rachel who was the nightime carer for 15 year old resident in the rehab centre, Eleanor and is also now the primary suspect as she is nowhere to be found, why did she run or was she taken? As Iris begins to investigate, lies and family secrets are unravelled, was Rachel the innocent girl everyone believed her to be? With Eleanor still missing and suffering from epilepsy and no medication with her, the race is on to find her before she has an attack….

Absolutely loved this book, this series for me, is going from strength to strength, a great police procedural murder mystery set in Ireland, plenty of twists and red herrings along the way, you will not want to put this book down. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

This is a great read that had me hooked from the first few pages.
A young woman is murdered and Eleanor hears it happening. She’s in a special facility for her well being and is terrified by the murder of her nurse. Eleanor manages to escape and hides out in the woods.
Detective Iris Locke and her colleague, Slattery are tasked with finding the killer and speaking to Eleanor’s family.
It’s clear the Marshalls have a fair few secrets but what is the link between Rachel’s murder and the family?
Iris has to dig deep into lives of those involved to find out who the killer is, and it definitely took me by surprise.
This is a gripping crime thriller that also had a sense of humour throughout with the banter between Iris and Slattery.
I really like this series and look forward to reading the next book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Rachel was a cheerful girl who enjoyed her job as a carer in the institution to help youngsters with drug/drink/psychological issues. She looked forward to quiet night as her only charge was Elinor, a teen with severe epilepsy. Elinor also history of violence, but it was a side Rachel had never seen. When Detective Iris Locke first sees Rachel she has been bludgeoned to death. The door is open & Elinor has disappeared. Has she escaped from the murderer- or is there a more sinister reason behind her absence?

Iris is still reeling from things she has recently found out about herself. (It is really a good idea to read the first one of the series!) Her 'sidekick' Ben Slattery continues to support her in his own idiosyncratic way (a character I really like!) Elinor is the daughter of one of the most influential business men in the area. A man who seems to be quite happy to believe his daughter may be a murderer; whose wife seems determined to join in the search & whose other daughter is convinced their is nothing dangerous about her sister.

This was a good read with surprises & blind alleys. I am already looking forward to the next in the series, where I hope Iris may be able to put her past behind her & truest she has friends!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Iris Locke as the lead cop in this murder mystery too has zinged a part of my brain with her tenacity to get to the truth. Due credit to the author Geraldine Hogan for her fine writing. The detailed story telling started when Rebecca was killed and Eleanor ran away from the rehab center. Eleanor's sister's death too raised the suspense and made the story a race against time.

The vividness of the descriptions of the Irish locals made me realize how smooth the author's writing was. The words chosen brought a sense of camaraderie but kept the tension going further. Secrets hidden in the characters' lives were like a hidden bomb waiting to explode. Iris Locke was brilliant in her role, her relationship with her partner was quite intriguing. It was nice to get to see their personal lives.

The book was a bit slow from what I was used to. I have no patience in murder mysteries, and being the end of the year, I needed the killer brought in front of me pronto.

The book was second in the series, but I didn't remember much from book 1. So the story worked as a standalone only because of Iris Locke. Overall, a fun read.

Rachel McDermott is killed by a brutal hit to the head. She was young, a caring nurse working at a rehab center for those who could afford to pay for their services. She was in charge of only one 'resident'.

Eleanor Marshall is missing. She's 16 years old, suffers from epilepsy, and was seen running from the kitchen where Rachel was killed. Did Eleanor witness the murder and is running for her life? Or is she the one who wielded the murder weapon?

Detective Iris Locke is called in to investigate ...and what she finds does not bode well for Eleanor.

At the heart of this story is an extremely secretive and dysfunctional family. And then another family member's body is found dead in the forest ... and eerily looks like the same killer.

Iris takes a closer look into Rachel’s background and discovers that she was keeping strange, shadowy company the night before she died. But who ... and why?

At the heart of this story is a family harboring dark secrets ... and someone wants Iris to stop investigating. The closer to the truth that Iris gets ... the more danger she faces.

This is a well written crime fiction, suspenseful from the very first page. Although 2nd in the series, it is easily read as a stand alone; however, if you want to know more about Iris, I would highly recommend starting with the first book. The characters are intriguing and the ending was unpredictable.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

It’s funny in my last review I was saying that I hadn’t really read any police procedurals set in Ireland but now I’ve read two in a row! Funny how that happens.

So this is actually the second in the Iris Locke series, having not read the first I would probably recommend you start there as Iris’ backstory carries over. Although if, like me, you’re too impatient to do that the story works well as a standalone but I still feel like I could go back and read the previous book without worrying too much about spoilers.

Iris and her partner DS Slattery are called out to Curlew Hall, a place for troubled youngsters, where a young woman Rachel McDermott has been found brutally murdered and her young charge Eleanor has disappeared.
Could this vulnerable young woman be capable of murder? If not why did she run?

Why She Ran is a well written, intense and realistic police procedural.

The story was told from several points of view, mostly Iris and Slattery who I really warmed to. They are both damaged in their own ways but work well together as a team. I also like the way the author managed to weave in the character’s back story seamlessly along with the main storyline.

The pace was steady, maybe a little slow at times, but it really built up the tension until I couldn’t stop turning those pages desperate to know what happens to the characters.

Why She Ran is a solid police procedural with compelling characters that really draws you in and doesn’t let you go.

This was an addictive slow burning crime thriller. Geraldine Hogan’s vivid writing painted a descriptive picture of this small Irish town and these characters. This is the second book in this series (something I did not realize going in) and I think I would have appreciated the story more had I read the first book. There was a lot of backstory that I was not privy to. Nevertheless I found the Mystery absorbine and the detective’s relationships compelling. A tent mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

Rachel was a caring nurse with a loving family. Who could possibly want her dead? Everyone is shocked when Rachel‘s bloody body is discovered at the elite rehab Center where she works. The main suspect is Eleanor a 15-year-old girl who is both troubled and entitled. Iris The detective on the case who is still reeling from past events is not so certain that Eleanor is guilty, but where is she? As Iris hunts down Eleanor the layers of the case start to peel away. As invested as I was in this mystery, I have to admit there were times I was slightly confused. There were some things going on in this book that I had a hard time puzzling in. All in all this was a well done crime thriller with a vivid setting.

*** Big thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I read the first book in this series earlier this year and fell in love with Iris Locke so I knew I just had to read the next instalment. I would say you most likely need to read book one to understand a lot of the references in this one plus it was SUCH a good book!

Iris Locke's life fell apart in the first book and we are now seeing her try to make sense of her life. While she's doing that there's a new case and someone needs to take the lead for the Murder Team. Iris is volunteered/steps up. Iris may be finding her way but she is still a great main character. She is full of empathy and concern for our missing girl and cannot rest until the case is over.

I also love Slattery. He's very old school and seems to be (for now at least) getting away with it. He has a good heart and while he might bend the rules he only has one focus and that is finding the killer.

The story itself, I raced through it when I did read it. (I've had a stinking cold and struggle to read with a headache) Geraldine's writing is addictive. I was turning page after page with such tension especially the last few chapters. I was so on edge I didn't know what was going to happen.

A thrilling and excitable read. I honestly can't wait to go back!

Why She Ran is the second in the series of Detective Iris Locke/Corbally series.

Iris is continuing to struggle with her past and all the fallout ; she has little time to think as she is put in charge of finding out who murdered Rachel McDermott at the group home and why did Eleanor run.

Slattery is there to bring his years of experience as they both struggle with the team to solve the case as they are running out of time.

Why She Ran had twists and turns, the pages turn quickly and the author leaves you wanting to read the third in the series. I can't wait to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read Why She Ran; a new favourite series of mine.

This is the second book in the series and I really enjoyed it. There were plenty of twists and turns which kept me guessing and gripped the whole way through. I really liked the setting and the descriptions of the characters. I hope that there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is one of those books that I find difficult to rate. It is the second book in the series and I think that is one of the problems I have. This is the type of series that you have to read in order because there are references that I don't understand. I liked the writing and found it an easy read although some parts felt unnecessary. Some scenes could also have been more rounded off.

The series is set in Limerick in Ireland. A young woman is found murdered at the rehabilitation centre where she worked and a 15 year old troubled girl is missing. Everyone is wondering if she was involved in the murder but to the reader it is obvious that she found the body and decided to run.
Detective Iris Locke has to figure out what happened and more importantly find the missing girl who has epilepsy. It felt a bit unrealistic that a 15 year old can avoid a whole police force who is out searching for her. There is also a reference to a special place that her sister knew of but it is not explained. Maybe the book would have had more of an impact if I have read the 1st one.

Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Detective Iris Locke #2

Iris has been called out to the murder of a young woman who had been a support worker. But Eleanor, one of her charges, has disappeared.

I like Iris Locke and her partner DS Slattery. They work well together. They are oth good characters and the banter between them just makes them more realistic. The pace is quite slow but the plotline is good. Eleanor comes from a dysfunctional family. Her father is an influential man. There is a fee twists to put you off the trail. It's well written and complex. Even with it's slow pace, I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This is the second book in the Detective Iris Locke crime thriller series and I think it's quite important that you have read the first book prior to getting into this one as there are many significant events that occurred that are necessary to know about before delving in.

DS Iris Locke is still reeling from the revelations and loss but she is trying to come to terms and get back into her job -- the one thing she still has left. She's now living in a boarding house but has decided to stay with the Corbally station Murder Team in Limerick. She's done with Dublin but knows she belongs here in the town where she was raised despite everything that happened. Her colleague, DS Ben Slattery calls about a case. Seems that a murder has taken place at Curlew Hall, a residential care center for troubled kids who have rich parents. A young carer, Rachel McDermott has been bludgeoned and left dead on the kitchen floor of one of the bungalows. The patient she was assigned to watch, Eleanor Marshall, the 15-year-old daughter of a prominent local businessman, has disappeared. The full force is called out to do a massive search for Eleanor -- did she kill Rachel and why? Everyone loved Rachel so what happened inside the bungalow and has something happened to Eleanor -- who is a vulnerable girl with severe epilepsy and a checkered history? The investigation begins. NO SPOILERS.

The writing is very good, but the story moved quite slowly with lots of interviews back and forth with same people and the usual difficulty in getting information from them. The setting was well-described and there was a sense of menace that wasn't fully realized. The two main characters, Locke and Slattery, have a decent partnership and proceed diligently in their work going without sleep or food. There were many references to what had recently happened to Iris but a paragraph or two summing it up completed would be really helpful to refresh the Reader's memories with all the details. That would make it easier to relate more to Iris and her current emotional status. I would have to say that this installment didn't grab me as much as the first book but I do plan to catch the next one to see what happens for Iris in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Iris Locke and her team are back with a bang. After a traumatic personal time Iris is thrown in at the deep end with the murder of a young carer working in a juvenile centre. A young patient, Eleanor Marshall, has also gone missing. Is she the culprit or is she in danger? There is a race to find her before she gets hurt or hurts anyone else. Everyone seems to believe she is the murderer but Iris has a different outlook. Add in a young security man with a dodgy past, Eleanors family putting pressure on the case and the victims own strange past and the pressure is on Iris and the team.
Again Geraldine Hogan has told a great story with plenty of tension filled moments. I cant wait to see what happens next in Corbally
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Rachel McDermott seemed like a happy young woman. She had a great job as a nurse and a wonderful family. Then why is it that she was brutally murdered? Detective Iris Locke is on the case and will do whatever she can to find Rachel's murderer. Iris considers Eleanor Marshall to be the most likely suspect, because although she was Rachel's friend, she is someone dealing with addiction. Eleanor was seen running from the area where Rachel was killed. Even though her sister Karena says that Eleanor would never have harmed Rachel, then Karena is found dead.

While Iris pulls clues together, and searches for Eleanor as she has now gone missing, she has other concerns. For one thing, her coworker DS Slattery has his hands full dealing with his wife's dementia. That situation is dire and takes a fair part of this story. It was interesting to see how this affected Iris and her working relationship with Slattery. In this case, there is a past that is now being reflected by what is happening now. It soon becomes evident that there are other suspects, and Iris must sort it all out.

This well-written story by Geraldine Hogan was a terrific read and a nice addition to the Detective Iris Locke series. I read the first book, Silent Night, and I enjoyed that one as well. Although Why She Ran would do well as a standalone, it is always great to find a new series that has just started. I do look forward to seeing what else is in store for Iris.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

When a patient who just happens to be the daughter of a rich and very important person disappears from a rehab centre and one of the support workers is found murdered it is down to Detective Iris Locke to locate the girl and solve the murder

Number 2 in the series and as good as the first

Complex thriller with a killer and no clear motive till near the end. Strong characters and good descriptions.

When a young carer is found murdered at the residential home she worked in its up to Detectives Iris Locke and her partner, Ben Slattery, to work out what happened. When they discover one of the young women who lives there is missing and in need of regular meditation the case becomes suddenly very urgent.

This is the second book in the series and without the personal involvement Iris had in her first outing but with the baggage she now carries she is a fascinating character. Slattery too shows far more personality now he knows he can trust his new partner and they work brilliantly together. I found all the relationships to be realistic and the case wasn't clear cut until right at the end.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book or wants to dip into a very good Irish police procedural, in both instances you are in for a treat.