A very dark read. A very unusual concept of using a board game to solve a murder. Some great characters.

Frankie is a police offer and it's her birthday - someone sends her a murder mystery box, but it's a real murder.

Great concept for a story - very gruesome and graphic and keeps you on your toes!

The plot is very good, very complex and tightly knit. I really enjoyed this one!

This was a slow burner for me, I found there was a lot of description to different parts of the book that slowed it down and at time a little confusing. That said it was still an enjoyable read. I have not read any of the other books but this didnt hinder the read at all. The characters are likeable and well thought out. I thought the setting in Dublin was great and will be reading from the start of the series

I really enjoyed reading The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan, and is the first book that I've read by her. A group of people are all sent a murder box, with clues to solve a murder. Soon enough, the reader discovers that the murder box is based on an actual murder which has just taken place. For me, this book has echoes of Jeffrey Deaver's famous Lincoln Rhyme and his team. As I am a huge fan of the Lincoln Rhyme series, I think I'll also be a fan of Olivia Kiernan's work and the cases of Frankie Sheehan.
I particularly liked the style of writing, which I found easy to read, while still keeping me entertained and interested throughout the book.
This has introduced me to a new author and I'm keen to read her other books - thank you!

This book has a cleverly thought out plot which was sometime too clever for me and I got lost but never lost interest. The main characters are extremely likeable and despite it being one of a series reads perfectly well as a stand-alone book.
The ending was excellent mainly because the story wasn’t stuffed full of questions waiting to be answered as some books are so I was satisfied with the brief but necessary summing up.
Now do go five or four stars? I’m settling on four because I did occasionally flounder about but it’s a good solid four.

The murder box by Olivia Kiernan is a novel plot crime fiction novel. Set in Dublin it's the fourth in the Frankie Sheehan detective series where a murder mystery board game has been delivered to the detective but before long she realises this isn't a game but a real crime has been committed.
Dolan a household name in Ireland has gone missing, Frankie and her team are running out of time to find him as the clues are drying up. Callin, who had previously had a fling with the married Dolan has also gone missing, but are they connected? Frankie and her team are torn between the evidence that surfaces and the link to the board game as they get closer to a body and the murderer.

A nicely plotted crime fiction novel, bringing the murder mystery/real crime link is a clever concept done well.
The characters are ok, I liked the 'victims' they were set up well and believable, the story was told from the point of view of Frankie and she was ok, there is obviously history between her and Baz her colleague but I found their relationship a little underwhelming. Her investigating is great though, she's proper middle management helping the subordinates and standing upto the boss.
The flow of the book is good finding out details of the victims slowly throughout, and then the possible suspects being narrowed down.
I enjoyed reading the murder box and would recommend to those who enjoy a good crime plot. 4*
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books and River run for the ARC.

Detective Frankie Sheehan gets gifted a murder mystery game, named The Murder Box, which she believes to be from one of her colleagues. Frankie soon realises the game is real after linking the boxes contents to 22 year old missing student Lydia Callan. Frankie finds herself drawn further into the game as she races to find the killer before it's too late.

This book is part of a crime thriller series which I hadn't initially realised but it was fine to read as a standalone. I liked Kiernan's writing style as the plot was easy to follow and she did a great job at building tension, making me read the book even quicker. I also liked the concept behind the case and found the game to be an original addition. Frankie was also a likeable character but I did find I lost track of the different members of the police force and suspects. For me the ending was unpredictable but unfortunately I wasn't left feeling blown away.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for a fast paced crime thriller that will keep you guessing.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unedited feedback.

This one had me hooked from the description. Fast paced with a major twist I didn’t see coming. I will definitely be looking for more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This is the best book I've read for a really long time!! When I was given the opportunity to read this book, I was initially a little disappointed as I wasn't aware that it was the fourth book in a series. However, I was thrilled when I started it and realised that it was absolutely perfect as a standalone book.

The story follows Detective Frankie Sheehan on a roller coaster ride of a case when she receives 'The Murder Box' and becomes a player in a real life murder mystery game. The story is fast paced and the characters are both likeable and relatable. The book is well written and I will certainly be looking to read the earlier books in this series.

Overall, I can't praise this book highly enough. It kept me up late reading many a night and I loved every minute of it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Detective Frankie receives an unusual red mystery box a day before her birthday thinking its a gift from someone. Then finds in it a murder game with instructions and clues in how to solve the game.
However, Lydia Callin's flatmate reported her missing, then days later someone found Lydia's body. Frankie finds the similarity with the case she is working on, the disappearance of a celebrity, Teddy Dolan. Frankie starts to investigate both her cases and the clues in the Murder Box that can’t be coincidental, and she realizes the game is a real murder game. Frankie has to play along to find the person behind this murder box before another victim might show up.

I find the stuff in the murder box kinda creepy. I read this before bed most of the time and got me into a nightmare! This sure is not a good bedtime reads. I really enjoyed it and I think the plot and twist are really good. And the ending is also what I did not thought about which I am glad it does not disappoint me. The only thing kind of annoyed me is that there's too many detectives, I just got a little confused at times. This is definitely a good read that I think many readers will like it.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Book for the ARC and apologies that I am posting late. The Murder Box is available now.

This is book four in the DCS Frankie Sheehan series from Olivia Kiernan but the first one I’ve read. I will definitely read her others after thoroughly enjoying this really original, excellent police procedural.

Frankie and her team have been investigating the disappearance of Teddy Dolan, a well known Dublin TV presenter. They have no leads and when Frankie receives a delivery of a murder mystery board game, it’s a welcome distraction. The box contains various items of evidence, all appearing authentic and there is a link to a website.

When a young woman reports her flatmate missing, and a link appears to the missing Dolan, the mystery box then takes on a much more sinister meaning and the story evolves from there.

This is a gripping, pacey read. It has everything I look for in an engrossing police procedural, twisty and tense plot, believable characters and dialogue, vivid descriptions and I raced towards the end! I loved and highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank the publisher, Quercus Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley/Querqus books for kindly allowing me to read an advance copy of this great book.

Where to start?

It's all about the Game, and how you play it. All about control and if you can take it.

Frankie Sheehan's latest case involves a murder-mystery game, where the creator of the game has such control that they're able to send Frankie and her team down the paths of investigation they want. Red-Herrings are dropped in, fake leads followed as the Bureau are manipulated at every turn.

And so are we. The reader is manipulated by Olivia Kiernan, just as Frankie is in the story. It's a game within a game. One I loved every second of.

This series gets better and better in my opinion, as the characters are fleshed out further, their world develops and the author gets ever better at her craft.

This is a taught, twisty thriller, one where just as you think you've got a handle on it, the rules change.

And then there's that wicked twist. Brilliant.

The action is terrific, the scenes at the Henry Street situation were a particular highlight for me, and the denoument is breathtaking stuff.

Look forward to the next one!

When Frankie Sheehan received a game called 'The Murder Box' she thinks it is a quirky birthday present, however it is not long before it is obvious that this might be based on fact not fiction. At first it seems that there are a large amount of people involved online but eventually it seems there are just a few really into it & a countdown has been introduced. A local celebrity has gone missing & seems to be linked to the 'victim' in the game. As he is a relative of one of the high ranking police officials they are under even more pressure to find him- even though his wife is not particularly helpful!

This is a fast paced police procedural set in Dublin. It is the fourth in the series although I only discovered it at number three. The characters are well drawn & the story is fast & suitably convoluted.
I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Sometimes, there's nothing worse than picking up a book that is part of a series when you are unaware that it's part of a series...The Murder Box may be more nuanced if you are already familiar with the key players, but this story worked well enoughon its own.
With the growing interest in true crime podcasts and with many having an interest in the psychology behind a crime, this story definitely caters to those readers who might have ever been tempted to wonder how to get away with murder.
Our police team - who we are probably meant to be familiar with - are investigating the disappearance of a local celebrity - and relative of the Commissioner - when they learn of a possible connection between him and a young woman whose flatmate has arrived at the station to express concerns about her being missing.
Before we know it, there is a rather intriguing puzzle of a murder mystery game which DCS Frankie Sheehan has been invited to participate in. Initially she thinks the box on her desk is an early birthday present. But there are clues inside, what appears to be human tissue and then we learn that it is connected to the young woman Sheehan has been asked to find. Even more worrying is when human remains are found in a local river. Someone involved in this Murder Box knows more than they are telling, and Sheehan and her team become caught up in the investigation to determine exactly what has happened.
The story had its share of red herrings and attempts to throw us off the scent. We get answers, and they were not necessarily what we were expecting.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

The fourth in the series with DCS Frankie Sheehan set in Dublin, but can be read alone though will be reading more from the series.

Frankie receives a box the day before her birthday including a murder game with instructions to play with other players.
On investigating the disappearance of a TV presenter and a young woman she realises they resemble the murder game she received.
I loved Frankie and her team and had my heart in my mouth at one stage.
Will definitely be reading more in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Posted on Goodreads

The Murder Box is the fourth book in the DCS Frankie Sheehan series, about a detective from Dublin’s Bureau for Serious Crime. This is a new author to me, and while I don’t usually like to read series out of order, the early rave reviews swayed me, and I didn’t have a problem from not reading the earlier books; in fact if it weren’t for the present tense narration, I would’ve been tempted to go back and read from the start. I liked Frankie and her team and this was a clever police procedural which makes up for its implausibility with good pace, twists and a very unpredictable reveal.

Frankie’s team have been bogged down in their investigation of the disappearance of a local celebrity, when a mysterious birthday present, in the form of an elaborate “Murder Box” containing clues like pieces of evidence and forensic reports, arrives on her desk. Initially dismissing it, she is persuaded to enter the game when a young woman reports her flatmate missing: a link to the missing man and an earring in the photo she provides suggest that the game may actually be real. Sure that the young woman is dead, with a countdown ticking and pressure from above to either solve or dismiss the case, Frankie must play along to solve the game before another player ends up dead.

I do like Irish crime fiction, but sometimes find the dialogue slows me down as I have to play the voices in my head for them to work - something I can do naturally with Scottish books having lived there. This is set in 2013 - I’m not sure if that’s when it was written, or if there’s some other reason why it’s not set more recently - obviously the plot needed it to be set pre-covid.
It’s almost all told in Frankie’s first person POV, so it was slightly jarring to switch briefly to another player’s third person narrative at around 60%.

This was well constructed with lots of red herrings and potential suspects, and I defy anyone to guess the perpetrator in advance. There are some background sub-plots, like Frankie’s relationships with her partner Baz and senior officer Jack, which would clearly mean more if one had read the previous books. Maybe Irish departments are run differently to the UK-based procedurals I’m more used to, but I was surprised that Frankie takes such an active role in the investigation, when usually her rank would have her behind a desk. These minor quibbles certainly don’t spoil the book, which is well written without too much gore or descriptive cruelty, and I would recommend it particularly to anyone who likes mystery games & puzzles.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus books for the ARC and apologies that it’s a few days late. I am posting this review voluntarily. The Murder Box is available now.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, was gripping from start to finish. The pace was fast and didn’t slow down.

I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

A very clever take on a classic who done it. A rollercoaster ride of thrills and spills not to be missed.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

The Murder Box is another thrilling, addictive and original thriller from one of my favourite crime writers.

Firstly I thought the concept of the murder box was very clever and I was instantly intrigued. Having read a few crime books I was very keen to find out what the true meaning behind the box was. I didn’t have long to wait as the case soon kicks off at a great pace which made it hard to stop reading at times. I kept promising myself just one more chapter but then started another and then another as I had to find out what happens next.

It was great fun to be back with Frankie and her team. One of the things I most like about this author is her ability to take the reader along for the journey so that you feel you are really there solving the case alongside them. The reader is taken on every part of the investigation, every false lead and every breakthrough which was fantastic to follow.

Overall I absolutely loved this book which helped distract me from the heatwave in the UK at the moment. The investigation flows at a great pace and I liked how realistic it was with no great leaps or tenuous links. It was very fast paced with lots of twist which kept me guessing until the end. There are some dark moments which might not be to everyone’s taste but I felt these weren’t overdone. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid from Quercus for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book via netgalley. If you are a crime fiction fan you need to read this book, definitely her best so far!

This is the first book that I have read by the author and I was absolutely blown away.

A fast-paced police procedural with a cleverly-executed plot. I was drawn in from the very start and ended up reading this in two sittings!

Olivia's writing certainly packs a punch and if you're looking for a gripping thriller, full of twists and turns, look no further.

Frankie is a brilliant character and I feel like I've really missed out on the other books in the series. I'll soon be putting that right!

Absolutely loved it and I feel honoured to have the chance to read superb novels like this.

Huge thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity.

A modern day game of Clue with a dark and dirty atmosphere. This is a terrific thriller with plenty of twists, including a big finale, and some characters with whom you may struggle to keep up. I thought this was a great mystery with strong characters and an excellent balance of realism and escapism. I felt part of the action and was almost exhausted by the time we got to the final reveal. I liked it so much I will be going back to the author’s other offerings,