# The Collector #
Wow what I brilliant read. Very well written. Medium paced book. To be honest at first I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book because artefacts things like this are not really a interest of mine having said that when I am abroad I find this sort of thing interesting. I have wondered what it would feel like to go on one of those digs looking for artefacts. God when you discover something it must be the most amazing feeling in the world. So on one hand I say it’s not a interest then on the other hand certain parts much be interesting. That sounds like a oxymoron if ever there was one. I must have found something or interest because I requested this book and I was please to have been granted it. I can only say it’s one hell of a read. Far better than I ever envisaged. Most definitely a read I would not hesitate to recommend. Must read

A good mystery that kept me hooked and guessing till the end.
Engrossing and entertaining plot, interesting cast of characters and setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A fantastic book, which I couldn't put down once I started. Lucy our main character is string and determine, I look forward to reading more about her.
This is the first book I have ready by John, it won't be the last.

When archaeologist Philip Carlton takes his own life, police are called in. However forensic linguistic and detective, Lucy O’Hara notices some inconsistencies with the suicide note. The Collector turns attention to O’Hara.
A good but slow paced book.

I love the cover so much. I was disappointed in the story, It did not grab my attention at all. I had to literally force myself to read this book. The story was average, it just did not own up to the fact that this is a mystery thriller for the simple fact I did not locate no thrill or mystery, Do not get me wrong I adored the main characters the author could bring out more in the characters. Also the author can give more of a thrill and a mystery. You can tell by reading the book the character is bold and smart, just bring out more in the characters. I felt like this read was more of a slow pace to have that wonderful cover and the story doesn't fulfill that thrill an avid reader is looking for is disappointing.

Great new detective series. Detective Lucy O’Hara does not disappoint. Love her character.

Very descriptive. Some technical jargon with forensic but not over the top or complicated.

Loved the storyline and character build. Would definitely read more by this author.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It was ok. For whatever reason, I couldn't get into it. I think it was partly the writing style, which is kind of funny, really. The main character (who is rather flat, despite having a dramatic, tragic backstory) is a forensic linguist. That was what drew me to the book. It seemed like an interesting gimmick. It was, a little, but it didn't factor in as much as I thought it would. But I digress. The writing was too cute for me.
"‘Dig a bit more , Anna. And Deirdre Delaney too – don’t forget her. She’s just dissed me, the little miss.’‘Oh, dear. Naughty Miss Delaney.’"
"Then she doodled a makey-uppy Celtic design on the board with the red marker." (Makey-uppy! Urgh.)
"Jeremy Arkens smiled a cuddly, creepy sort of smile. ‘She finds this sort of thing morbid. Anyway, better get out to the conservatory before the choicest nibbles are gone. Hmm?’"
"She's all mouth and no knickers."
There was a lot of lines like the above and it made my skin crawl. It's a personal taste thing, I guess, but it wasn't for me.
The characters were a little flat and stereotypical, and the precocious young daughter was just irritating.
The story could have been good, maybe, but it felt like a lot was left out. Like motive. And any sense of tension or urgency.
I don't know. This one just wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this murder mystery. The plot was well developed and characters were interesting. I look forward to the next in the series from Maher.

I was drawn to this story by the description of Detective Lucy O’Hara, Forensic Linguist, an occupation I have never heard of. But I love forensics overall, so thought this would be an interesting read. An Archeologist if found dead, supposedly a suicide, but when Lucy shows up to study the note left behind, she believes it was murder. This leads her to the family and “The Collector” a shadowy figure who is behind a series of murders, and Lucy may be next. I thought some of the writing was too cutesy, and overall the story a bit flat, but I kept going to find out what really happened. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my edition of The Collector. I may look up the next book on Lucy!

Not sure what to think about this one. While I enjoyed most of the story I had a hard time staying engaged with it because I had to look up too many British terms. For instance I didn't know what a boot was (turns out its a glovebox). Outside of that I thought the story was well written and interesting. If you enjoy a good mystery I think you will like this one.

This was a solid mystery. I found it a little slow paced and felt it dragged a little bit which made it hard for me to really get into it. I enjoyed the way the mystery unfolded and the characters are interesting.

A really good unusual thriller.

Do you know what a forensic linguist is? Not many people do I would guess but this was fascinating to learn about and what the job entails! I am going to be analysing people and how they speak now!

Set in ireland, this has a very international feel about it and that lends itself well to the nature of the book - languages, body language, cultural tics etc. There are some really interesting insights into human nature here and how we see each other and judge others. A lot for bookclubs to discuss!

Different but very good because of it. Book one is great - roll on book two!

An interesting set of characters and an unusual story set in Ireland. Cover ups and secrets lead to a series of deaths.Dogged detective work brings results.

This book is a good read overall. I have given it 3 stars as I felt it dragged in places and I did not connect with any of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A nice thriller with a semi surprise at the end. It's not exactly fast-paced but reads like a solid british detective. Very plot driven, some delving into the private life of detective Lucy O'Hara but not all that much. If you are looking for a slower paced book heavily leaning toward solving a puzzle without a need for attachment to characters this is the book for you.

The Collector is a great read! The first of a new series starring Detective Lucy O’Hara, a smart, sassy, no BS doctor of Forensic Linguistics who is haunted by both the death of her father during her childhood and the Bateman case where she had to shoot a suspect to save a child. She’s both daughter and mother, balancing home-life and an job that can be both dangerous and time-consuming.

This is less like reading a mystery novel(although it is), and more like watching an incredibly intricate game of chess played by a clever newcomer and a shadowy grand-master. Lucy is the knight, zigzagging her way to the heart of who The Collector is; while her mysterious opponent is ordering the deaths of all those who stand in his way, Lucy included! There are twists and turns, and the author doesn’t stint on showing the secondary effects of loss and the keeping of secrets. You are kept on your toes right up to the very end, and I for one, was very surprised with the reveal!

If there's one thing that I like doing it's discovering new authors. John Maher is certainly a new author for me but I can guarantee that I will be reading more of his work in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Collector' but more about that in a bit.
I loved the character of Detective Lucy O'Hara and I took to her from the start. She is somewhat different from the usual sorts of lead police characters that you find in crime novels. Lucy is a forensic linguist and she is trained to analyse the use of language in various settings and formats. I honestly did not realise that such a specialism existed and I found the whole subject fascinating. Lucy is a mother and she has to juggle a busy working life with being a mother to her daughter. Sometimes one of her roles impinges on the other but she tries to keep the two roles separate as much as she can. Lucy comes across as kind, friendly, sensitive, compassionate, caring, determined, hard working, tenacious and occasionally rather stubborn.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this book. I think that it was a combination of finding it hard to concentrate as I was tired and the fact that there was a bit of archaeological speak, which went over my head a bit. However, once I got into the story that was it and I was away. I found it hard to be parted from this book for any length of time as the crime intrigued me and at the same time I had taken so well to Detective O'Hara that I had to know what happened to her. The pages flew over quite quickly as I seemed to gallop through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Collector' and I had to say a temporary farewell to Lucy O'Hara. I soon cheered up when I remembered that this was the first book in a new series and that more were to follow.
''The Collector' is well written. The author certainly knows how to add a new slant on the crime novel. He drew me into the story from pretty early on and then took me on a journey through the lives of a family, who are classed as 'The Irish Kennedys'. The book certainly started with a bit of a bang and the pace of the story from that moment on was fairly gentle, but this worked in the story's favour. I did feel as though I was part of the story and that's thanks to John's realistic and vivid writing style.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Collector' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of John's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A good mystery. Slow in some parts but overall enjoyed the book. I had suspicions about “ the bad guy” but wasn’t sure until I was near the end of the book.

This is a well written and entertaining story with great characters, only flawed by the author's lack of knowledge about guns, cars and tactics.

I really enjoyed this mystery- I liked many of the characters and I found the story interesting.

I guess after forensic medicine and accounting and genetics,

It can get frustrating to have allusions made throughout the story to things that have happened in the past that materially affect the present without explanation and there are 2 instances of this here. One is finally explained but I don't recall ever knowing what happened in a previous case that was responsible for this detective to be assigned to this case.

Other than that, the story moved along quickly, was easy to follow. I had suspicions about the baduy guy but wasn't sure til the end.

I will look forward to another book by this author. 4.5 stars