Really good series which is based in beautiful Ireland. I love the characters and the setting. The plot in this book is really interesting and a compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is the third book in Olivia Kiernan's Frankie Sheehan series and although I haven't read the first instalment Too Close to Breathe, I did manage to get a copy of book two, The Killer in Me.

In If Looks Could Kill the story kicks off with an occurrence in a Dublin park in February. Later, DCS Frankie Sheehan and DS Baz Harwood of the Bureau for Serious Crime are called to Wicklow, near Ballyalann to assist in the investigation of missing person, Debbie Nugent. She was last seen by one of her daughters, three days prior, but her house shows evidence that a crime may have taken place. As the team begins their questioning, it transpires that something rather odd is happening in the Nugent household...

This well written story flows beautifully and as the mystery deepens, a plethora of perplexing contradictions surface. Fast paced and compelling, there are many twists and there was never a dull moment. Protagonist Frankie is tenacious and loves her job, stopping at nothing to get to the truth. The stylish plot is really intriguing with plenty of twists as taxing contradictions emerge that intensify the mystery. The author's splashes of humour add some lightness to the dark tone and the eventual conclusion in this police procedural/ thriller is neatly done and rather satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus Books/ Riverrun via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I didn't realise this was the third book in a series. It can be read as a stand alone as although there are some quick references to the previous book it doesn't feel you are missing too much.

This started quite slow and I did begin to wonder if anything dramatic was going to happen. The story only really started to get going about halfway through. And even then I found it quite predictable.

Frankie is quite a complex character and I think I need to read the earlier books to understand her more.

If Looks Could Kill is the third book from Olivia Kiernan to feature Detective Frankie Sheehan. Frankie is still reeling from her encounter with a killer and the injuries she sustained. She has thrown herself into work and casual sexual encounters. The mystery in this novel begins not with a body, but with the absence of one. Debbie Nugent is reported missing from the home she shares with her grown up daughter Margot, the living room is covered in blood and broken glass. However when Frankie and Baz arrive in the quiet Wicklow village, they find more questions than answers. Margot is behaving strangely and when Debbie's older daughter arrives from France, the timing seems very suspicious to the investigative team. The village is hiding secrets but they seem to still regard Debbie as an outsider even after twenty years. Olivia Kiernan brilliantly captures the small town atmosphere and the looming presence of the Wicklow landscape. She is a must read for fans of Tana French or Jo Spain.

When I requested this book I had no idea it was part of a series, and I do prefer to read them in order if possible. It felt as though I may have missed something by coming in on the third book and I was somewhat puzzled with its introduction although that is cleared up further into the story. Still, I felt as though I was missing something.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL opens with a very dramatic scene in a park in Dublin as a man places a gun to his temple in full view of all around and pulls the trigger. Several weeks later, Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan and DS Baz Harwood are on their way to rural Wicklow to investigate the disappearance of Debbie Nugent.

A bloody scene greets them in Debbie's home with the living room covered in blood, and yet there is no body. Judging by the amount of blood, Frankie suspects that the woman almost certainly dead but the behaviour of her daughter is even more puzzling. Margot has been living in the house amidst the scene for three days, having not reported her mother missing until after her sister Kristen arrives from France. And even then, it is her boyfriend David Sutton who calls it in.

Frankie launches an investigation into Debbie's life but before long discovers that the woman kept to herself and practically lived off the grid. She had no mobile phone, no internet and no real contact with the outside world but for her job at the garden centre and her weekly trips to Dublin.

Believing Debbie to be almost certainly dead, Frankie organises a search team of volunteers to work alongside the Gardai to scour to woodlands near Debbie's home, in the hope of uncovering her remains. Meanwhile, Frankie and Baz question friends, neighbours and Debbie's two daughters. But as they question them over the coming days, it soon becomes clear that something strange surrounds the Nugent house.

As the team delve deeper, it is revealed the case has links to something darker and leads them into very dangerous territory.

Somewhat slow to begin with, I wasn't sure which direction the story was taking at first. The crime and the story appeared to be predictable with a hint of something untoward. As the story unfolded, it soon became clear that there was something else at play though I didn't expect it to take the turn it did.

An intriguing plot, IF LOOKS COULD KILL had plenty of twists filled with contradictions as the mystery continued to deepen. The pace picked up about 40% into the story which resulted in a compelling read. It's only as you near the end that the opening Prologue suddenly falls into place, giving it an interesting twist.

Told solely from Frankie's first person perspective, with the exception of the Prologue, IF LOOKS COULD KILL is certainly an interesting read and by the end I was congratulating the author that I had started out cursing for the slow beginning.

I liked both Frankie and Baz, who clearly work well together. The two complement each other and is far more enjoyable to read than the angst between partners and ranks found in other novels. I even liked the gruff Jack Clancy, assistant commissioner. Whilst the crime is a puzzling one for the team, when the direction changed I became suspicious of exactly who might be involved and correctly guessed two of the big reveals. But that doesn't spoil my enjoyment of a book. I love trying to work out "whodunnit" and quietly congratulate myself when I get it right. It's like a goal I set myself in trying to work it out...lol

Olivia Kiernan is not an author I have heard of before and I will be interested to read her other books in the Frankie Sheehan series. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, considering I was disappointed with the start and found it slow and ungripping at that stage. However, that all changed and it ended up being a compelling crime thriller that kept both Frankie and the reader on their toes.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL is perfect for fans who like their crime thrillers with a twist.

I would like to thank #OliviaKiernan, #NetGalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #IfLooksCouldKill in exchange for an honest review.

** BLOG TOUR REVIEW **

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers Quercus Books for the invitation to take part in my first Blog Tour.

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Talk about starting with a "BANG"

This is a book you literally inhale, you dont read it... you breathe it in and have it running through your veins! Major book hangover commencing!

Now I've got to be truthful here and raise my hand... I hadn't read the two previous books in this series (Too Close to Breathe & The Killer in Me) semi did have reservations on how I would get along BUT this can easily be read as a stand alone. I have since downloaded the first two and will be straight onto them!

I literally devoured this book. Its exciting, fast paced, well executed in every way and full to the brim of twists and turns... most definitely my kinda read.

The main character Frankie Sheehan is so well written she literally bursts from the pages.. she obviously has quite a backstory (which I will hopefully catch up on) but you cam tell even from only reading the third in the series that shes a very complex character with so many layers to her. I loved her relationship with Baz (no spoilers) and just how relatable all the characters were.

Set I'm Ireland the storyline whacks you in the face right at the beginning and then once the dust has settled starts to build gradually, all the while dripping in more and more clues that are investigated brilliantly. The storyline is not one I've come across before which is a rarity in this genre and did have me guessing throughout. This is definitely a novel full of secrets and lies which just add to the mystery of this amazing book with it's super intriguing plot.

This had me gripped from the very start and I could not put down until the very last line... grab yourself a cuppa, get comfy and enjoy!

The biggest thanks to netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.

I can't believe this is already the third instalment in the Frankie Sheehan series! I think you could possibly just about get away with reading this as a stand-alone but I'm pretty sure there's a rule against that. If there isn't, there should be. Bear in mind that Frankie Sheehan is a complicated, complex and multi-layered character with an already interesting background story behind her and it's obviously one you'd be missing out on if you haven't read the previous two books in the series. Stating the obvious here.

If Looks Could Kill starts out with a bang in the first chapter but it's also a scene we leave behind rather quickly in order to move on to the actual story. That story is set in the rural Wicklow mountains and the home of Debbie Nugent, where there is a bloody crime scene but no sign of a victim. Detectives quickly suspect foul play and zero in on Debbie's youngest daughter, Margot, who has been living with this scene for three days like it's the most normal thing in the world.

You'd think being in this small rural community, everybody would know everybody else's business and gossip would be rife. But that isn't the case here. Few people, if any, seem to have really known Debbie. She was a person of routine, very reclusive and private, seemingly without any close friends at all. So who would want to harm her? Could it really be Margot? To all intents and purposes, this looks remarkably like an open-and-shut case. I honestly had no idea what to think about any of it but I will say, that this incredibly cleverly plotted story went in an entirely different direction than I expected.

There's a bit of a slow start and I may have had a tiny moment where I was wondering when something would actually happen (current mood : impatient) but the latter chapters of the book more than made up for that little blip. For the most part, If Looks Could Kill is gripping, hugely intriguing and quite unpredictable. Throughout the story, I was mindful of that opening chapter but I couldn't at all see how it connected to everything else that was going on. Overall, this is a great addition to the series and although not my favourite, I do look forward to the next book.

I throughly enjoyed this book even though it was the third in the series and I hadn’t read the first two, it didn’t matter this was a stand alone book. It had the twists and turns that I love in a crime book and I couldn’t decide who’d done what for quite awhile.
I loved the characters and the way the police sorted out clues and investigated everything to get the killer. Brilliant!!!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A solid four star read. Well written. Relatable characters. Good pace. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Great thriller based in Ireland, gripping from the first page. Great investigation by Frankie Sheehan, I have discovered this character with this book, but I will gladly catch up with the first two investigations.

What a gripping and entertaining read. I didn't read, I inhaled it in one setting and couldn't put it down.
The story starts with a bang and it's fast paced and full of twists and turns.
There's a lot of secrets and you don't know till the end who's to be trusted and who can be involved in the mystery.
The characters are well written and I loved Frankie and Baz. I loved the descriptions of the setting, wish to be there and visit the places, and the solid mystery that kept me guessing till the last page.
Ms Kiernan is a talented storyteller and she kept my attention till the last page with a growing tension and a lot of questions that are answered in the last pages.
A great mystery and an excellent read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to riverrun and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Frankie Sheehan #3

DCS Frankie Sheehan has been summoned to the Wicklow mountains. Mother of two, Debbie Nugent, has been reported missing. There's a bloody crime scene at Debbie's house, but there is no body. Debbie's daughter, Margot has been living with the scene for three days. Frankie launches a full investigation into Debbie's life. But what will it uncover?

I did not know that this was the third book in this series when I requested it. The story starts off quite slow. Although this looks like a open and shut case, Frankie is not convinced even though Margot had been charged with her mother's murder. While awaiting trial, more evidence is uncovered and sends the investigation in a new direction. I found the story a bit confusing at the beginning but it did become clearer the more I read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Quercus Books and the author Olivia Kiernan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great crime thriller in the Frankie Sheehan series.
Frankie and Baz are called out to a crime scene that is a bloodbath, but there is no body.
The family found the blood and carnage but have no idea where their mum is.
They’re quite a distant family who seemingly don’t fall from one week to the next and the daughter who lives there doesn’t mention that she’s staying with her boyfriend so communication is a bit lacking.
Frankie thinks there’s more to this situation and is determined to find out what’s going on, but has to ruffle a few feathers to get anywhere.
This book is full of secrets and lies and I had no idea who the killer was as it was very cleverly written.
A great crime thriller.
Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Got this book from Netgalley (thanks!) and as it was book three I felt I had to go and read the others first to be able to give a fair review.

I enjoyed all the books and this is a great third instalment. I could be read as a stand-alone as well, you don’t need to have read the others but I would recommend!

The characters are good and although this book is t doing anything out of the ordinary it is a well written, well paced crime thriller that is perfect for a wee binge on a rainy day.

I enjoyed this book but at times I thought it dragged on and didn’t hold my full attention all the time. The characters were relatable but I hadn’t read any of the authors previous books in this series so I definitely thought there were gaps in my knowledge about the main characters.

Many thanks to Netgalleys and Olivia Kiernan for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion of this book voluntarily.

DCS Frankie Sheehan is summoned to the rural Wicklow mountains, where local mother of two, Debbie Nugent, has been reported missing. A bloody crime scene is discovered at Debbie's home, yet no body. Not only is foul play suspected, but Debbie's daughter, Margot, has been living with the scene for three days.

Sheehan launches a full investigation into Debbie Nugent's life. And, before long, the discrepancies within Debbie's disappearance suggest that some families are built on dangerous deceptions, with ultimately murderous consequences.

This is the third book in the Frankie Sheehan series. Even though I haven't read the previous two books, I did enjoy reading this one.

When I first started reading this book, I couldn't understand which direction this book was going. But as I went on reading, the plot became more clear and the twists and turns along the way made it interesting. The ending was a good surprise.

I liked the main character, DCS Frankie Sheehan's, grit and determination to solve the case while locking horns with senior officials. Would love to read more books featuring her in the future!

Thank You to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC!!

The third book to feature DS Frankie Sheehan and this series is becoming one of my firm favourites. As usual it is set in Ireland and this time Frankie has a suicide, murder, police corruption and if that is not enough organised crime. This is what i call a proper crime thriller. So many layers and misdirection which kept me reading late into the night. A brilliant thriller and so much more.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Once again Kiernan has grabbed my attention from page one and made sure I didn't and couldn't do anything else until I finished the book. Having read the previous 2 books based on the investigations of Frankie Sheehan I was really looking forward to this & I wasn't let down. Another cracking read from a very talented writer

DS Frankie Sheehan is involved in a seemingly open-and-shut case involving the disappearance of Debbie Nugent, whose daughter has been charged with her murder even though her body hasn't appeared. Frankie is not convinced Margot is guilty and embarks in the search for the truth.

Wow!

Talk about starting with a bang.

If Looks Could Kill was a very fast-paced, enjoyable read that kept me on the edge of my seat. Lots of twists and turns, and a surprise ending make this an all around book. There really isn't much to say bout this novel except for you-won't-regret-it!

This is the third installment in the Frankie Sheehan series but I don't think you need to read the previous two to enjoy this one as a standalone novel. This was my first Olivia Kiernan novel and definitely not the last.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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4+.

The novel starts in a very dramatic way with an incident in a park in Dublin. A few weeks later DCS Frankie Sheehan and DS Baz Harwood of the Bureau of Serious Crime are called to Wicklow to help investigate the case of missing woman, Debbie Nugent. Her house shows evidence of foul play but for now, no body. Debbie has two daughters one of whom lives with her. As the team question them over the next few days it becomes very apparent that something very strange is going on in the Nugent household. The unfolding drama is told by Frankie and the ensuing investigation takes the team into dark, unexpected and dangerous territory.

The plot is really intriguing with plenty of twists as perplexing contradictions emerge that deepens the mystery. The novel is well written, the storyline flows and the plot is fast paced and compelling. The characters are good and mostly likeable especially Frankie. I like that’s she’s complex, by no means perfect but she’s dogged and brave in the pursuit of the truth. She makes for a good and clear voice in the narration. I like Baz too and he’s a good sidekick. There are touches of humour which helps to lighten the increasing dark mood, there’s lively scene setting so it’s easy to imagine and as a whole it feels plausible and realistic.

Overall, an enjoyable read. The case is enthralling and has elements of a thriller so goes behind a run of the mill police procedural crime fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC.