★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

Well...that was some hours I'll never get back. I can't even begin to detail my thoughts because I simply could not connect to the story. I don't know why because I really enjoyed the previous book "If Looks Could Kill" in this series. The premise for THE MURDER BOX was intriguing to say the least and I was looking forward to beginning the game that DCS Frankie Sheehan found herself playing.

The day before her birthday, Frankie receives an anonymous gift sent to her at the Bureau for Serious Crime. Inside is a box containing forensic clues to a hypothetical murder of a 22 year old woman, including an earring and a histology slide with a piece of human tissue, and an authentic looking post mortem report. Instructions invite her to play the game on a website and to share her findings with the other amateur sleuths also participating so as to advance further and ultimately win the game.

Welcome to the Murder Box murder mystery game. Where participants play to win or play to survive?

However, Frankie and her team are already investigating a high profile missing persons case of celebrity Teddy Dolan who disappeared over a month ago with no leads thus far as to his whereabouts or even if he is dead or alive. Of course it hasn't helped matters that Teddy is the nephew of the Commissioner, explaining why after over a month of no leads and no no clues and no idea they are still investigating. That and Teddy's wife play up to the media to ensure his case remains in the spotlight.

But then a woman comes into the Bureau, asking for Frankie, to report her friend and flatmate missing. Lydia Callin was last seen four weeks previously, just a week after teddy's disappearance, and has not been seen since. Not only that, Lydia had been seeing Teddy prior to her disappearance. Frankie immediately suspects the two cases are linked and that the similarities between her case and the clues in the Murder Box cannot be coincidence. This is more than a party game. It's a deadly game. And Lydia Callin, the hypothetical victim, is missing. Frankie knows that she and her team must play to it's conclusion to catch the killer, becoming part of the game herself.

But the game has a counter...ticking down the time left to play...to solve the riddle which she's been handed in the form of a game. But can she outsmart the killer before it's too late?

Despite being the fourth book in the series, THE MURDER BOX can be read as a standalone. There really isn't anything that remotely connects it with previous books so the reader is not lost in a wealth of useless information. Maybe what I didn't like so much in this book was the partnership I had so enjoyed between Frankie and Baz wasn't there this time. Baz was distracted by his on/off girlfriend maybe? Or was it something else? Either way, he wasn't riding shotgun to Frankie this time whereas the Assistant Commissioner Jack Clancy or ring-in DI Smith Mullins were in his place.

The pace was steady and the plot gritty. The ending was somewhat shocking but also cleverly played. It's not that I didn't like the book...I just didn't enjoy as much a I had anticipated and I found that disappointing.

THE MURDER BOX is taut and tense throughout that is tightly written and perfect for fans of gritty police procedurals like Stuart MacBride, Angela Marsons and M.L. Arlidge.

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

I haven’t read any of Olivia Kiernan’s previous novels but the blurb for The Murder Box drew me in so I jumped at the chance to read it. Best decision I could have made – it’s a cracker! This is also me exploring a new way to say “you don’t need to have read any of the previous books in the series to enjoy The Murder Box”.

Yes, this is the fourth book to feature Frankie Sheehan but (honestly) let me assure you that not having read the first three will not hinder your enjoyment one iota. I do now face the problem of having to find time to go back and read the first three books now that I know about them, but that is a nice problem to have – I always think that discovering a new (to me) author is one of the outcomes at the end of any book.

In The Murder Box Sheehan takes delivery of a murder game. It arrives for her birthday but she doesn’t know who may have sent it. Sheehan and her colleagues have been overwhelmed with the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of a local celebrity and Frankie hasn’t had much time to consider her birthday and it seems she doesn’t have many friends she would be sharing her day with anyway.

When Sheehan and her partner open the gift box and examine the murder game inside they are initially taken with the idea and, as detectives, they spend a little time contemplating the murder at the heart of the game. There are “clues” in the game which include an earing from the victim, a pathology slide with what appears to be human tissue under the slide and background reading on the “victim” and her last movements before she met her end.

Sheehan is impressed with the detail of the game which arrived in her Murder Box but is too busy to linger on it for long – that is until a woman arrives at the police station to report the disappearance of her flatmate and Frankie thinks she recognises the name of the missing woman. Lydia Callan isn’t just a character created for a role-play game, she seems to be a resident of Dublin and her current whereabouts are unknown.

The Murder Box is a police procedural and a race against time read. I really enjoyed this one and not just beacuse I love reading good murder stories and enjoy gaming too (a happy coincidence). The story is brilliantly paced, the frustration of the police is evident and they are already swamped with work as they try to find their missing celeb while cautiously trying to establish if they have been handed a murder investigation in a gift-wrapped box.

Fun, thrilling and very cleverly constructed. I had several guesses at identifying a murderer and I was wrong each time. It’s great when books do that to me – draw me in, keep me guessing and cleverly fool me. Highly recommended and I want to read more Frankie Sheehan stories now.

** BLOG TOUR POST **

Happy Publication Day!

Firstly a huge thank you to Milly Reid at Quercus Books for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour.

THIS is a must read for those wanting something to get their blood pumping and that grey matter thinking.

Exhilarating, chilling, tense, intriguing and gripping.. in all honesty the list could go on, this was one hell of a read.

Now who doesn't love a Murder Mystery game? A red box arrives at your door with clues, witness statements and forensics thrown in .. now add in a feisty, tough, complex female detective into the mix.

This is the 4th installment of the Detective Frankie Sheenan series (following Too Close to Breathe, The Killer in Me & If Looks Could Kill) but can easily be read as a stand alone. There isn't too much reference to the previous books that would leave you head scratching and the team dynamics are easy to follow. The character development is flawless.

I absolutely loved the originality behind the storyline and the pace of the book had me whizzing through, not wanting to put it down.. that tell tale nag at the back of my brain of 'just one more chapter' playing on a continuous loop.

The plot is thick with tension that left me forgetting to breathe at point and I did not guess the outcome at all. Huge thumbs up!

Olivia Kiernan is a master of twists and turns, hats off to her! Seriously, each installment in this series has just got better and better and I cannot wait for book number 5.

Huge thank you to netgalley and Quercus Books (Milly Reid) for the ARC.

This is the fourth book in Olivia Kiernan's Frankie Sheehan series and although I haven't read the first instalment 'Too Close to Breathe', I have enjoyed books two and three, 'The Killer in Me' and 'If Looks Could Kill'.

In The Murder Box the story kicks off with a glossy red box that arrives at Frankie's office at the Bureau for Serious Crime and as it's her birthday the next day, she assumes it contains a gift. But it doesn't...

Set in Dublin, this well-written story flows beautifully and as the mystery deepens, a plethora of perplexing puzzles and links surface. Speedily-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 as misdirection merges with taxing clues that serve to intensify the mystery. The author's odd dashes of humour add some lightness to the dark, extremely atmospheric tone and the eventual conclusion in this police procedural/ thriller is neatly done and rather a shocker.

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

Let's play a game......
A murder mystery game.....
The murder box game........
Something fun and relaxing. Something to take detective Frankie Sheehan's mind of the missing person case they are struggling with. Just a game.....until Neve Jameson walks in and it all goes to hell!

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Frankie. There's absolutely no leads into the disappearance of well-known television personality Teddy Dolan. Disappearance or was it an abduction? Surely he won't send pieces of himself through the post to his wife?  Then a fiction murder mystery box arrives on her desk. A nice distraction from all the problems. The clues and the pieces of evidence seem very realistic.
*cue dramatic music*..... In walks Neve Jameson reporting her flatmate missing with a photo of said flatmate and from there everything turns to hell. This is a real murder investigation.....
On top of it her partner, who's always been mister reliable seems distracted at a time she needs him on his A-game. Is someone targeting her and are these 2 cases related in any way? What will happen on the 14th of September?

What a brilliant read! And the ending! All I can say is WOW!! I did not see that 1 coming at all!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

My thanks to Quercus Books/riverrun for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘The Murder Box’ by Olivia Kiernan in exchange for an honest review. I elected to purchase its audiobook edition and so did a combined read/listen for an immersive experience.

I was also invited to take part in its promotional blog/social media blast on 22 July to celebrate its hardback publication day.

I hadn’t realised until I began reading that this was the fourth in Olivia Kiernan’s series of police procedurals set in Dublin featuring Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan. However, I found that enough background was provided and I settled in quickly.

When Frankie receives a murder mystery game at her office she thinks that it is a birthday gift from one of her colleagues. Yet when she studies the game's contents, she notices a striking
resemblance between the 'murder victim' and twenty-two-year-old Lydia Callin, who has recently been reported missing.

As Frankie and her team investigate links appear between Lydia to both a shadowy online network of murder mystery players and to a flamboyant TV celebrity, whose disappearance is also an active case (and one of more concern to the top brass and the media).

Add to the mix a series of grisly crimes also connected to the game and ‘The Murder Box’ quickly proved to be the kind of intriguing police procedural that kept me glued to my seat while the investigation played out.

I am so pleased to have discovered Olivia Kiernan and the DCS Frankie Sheehan series and have her first book, ‘Play Dead For Me’, now waiting on my Kindle.

I enjoyed the fact that I haven’t read a book that was anything like The Murder Box before so it was definitely an original storyline for me. I liked all of the characters especially Frankie and Baz. They definitely had great chemistry together which made the story more enjoyable. The thing that I like most about this book is the fact that I never guessed any of the twists until they were revealed

This is the first Olivia KIernan book I've read and it was very entertaining. DCS Frankie Sheehan is investigating a disappearance when she is sent a box containing The Murder Game. It's not a game though, or a present, this game has real victims.

It's a quick read and nicely paced, with plenty of red herrings and clues strewn throughout.

A Grisly Game…
Is the Murder Box really just a game? When all becomes clear, with a series of grisly crimes, it becomes evident that evil forces are at work. With an engaging, intriguing premise, a credible and authentic cast of characters and fluent prose this is a fast moving and suspenseful read from first to last page.

DCS Frankie Sheehan is sent a Murder Box Puzzle as a present, as the story unfolds it becomes clear the game could contain clues that might help solve a missing persons case she is working on.

This book is wondrefully clever, Olivia Kieran is is a brilliant writer, highly recommended.

When a cleverly put together Murder Box game is delivered to the police incident room at the Irish Gardaí’s Bureau for Serious Crime, Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is under the impression that it is a gift for her birthday. Baffled by a real life investigation into the disappearance of a local celebrity, which doesn't appear to be leading anywhere, Frankie is eager for distraction but when a young woman is reported missing, suddenly the contents of the Murder Box take on a rather sinister meaning.

I thought the idea of the Murder Box was an intriguing way to open the story and pretty soon Frankie and her team find that this sinister box offers much more than they could ever have imagined. Before long, it's a race against time to discover more about those who are involved in this dangerous murder game before something happens and another person disappears from the city of Dublin.

I've met DCS Frankie Sheehan before and I am always impressed with the way she throws herself into the investigation, often putting herself, and her team, in grave danger, but as always, her grit and tenacity to get the case solved is to her credit. Frankie's relationship with her police partner, Baz Harwood, is an interesting one, they each have each others backs and yet in The Murder Box, Baz seems to be preoccupied and isn't always on top form, so the different dynamic between them is interesting to observe.

This clever author has now given us four thrilling adventures in which Frankie Sheehan and her team get to solve some really challenging crimes and whilst The Murder Box can be read comfortably as a standalone, as with all series it's best if you follow from the start and enjoy this talented author's intricately plotted crime novels.

Another Irish police procedural set in Dublin, Olivia Kiernan’s The Murder Box is the fourth in the Frankie Sheehan series. As this was the first encounter with this author, the enticing premise meant this was read as a standalone book. Whilst stuck on their missing person case, Frankie is sent an apparent birthday gift that turns out to be a murder game box. When a link is made to a missing woman, the team decides to play the game and a number of grisly crimes are discovered. What is the final outcome of the game, and what occurs if Frankie wins or indeed loses the game? With tensions rising and leads to investigate, comes an unforeseen twist and dramatic finale. A most enjoyable police procedural with a four-star rating. With much thanks to Quercus Books and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.

The Murder Box is the fourth book in the Frankie Sheehan series. I haven't read the previous books so I felt I was missing a little of the characters' back stories but this did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I loved the concept of this book about a murder mystery game with real victims and I really enjoyed the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my ARC.

Another great read in the Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan series.
The book starts with Frankie receiving an unusual item in the post - The Murder Box.
At first she thinks it’s a strange game that someone has sent her but when she looks more closely, it’s clear one of the items in the box has blood on it.
A woman is reported missing and Frankie recognises one if the items from the murder box as belonging to the missing person.
A body is found in pieces so it’s hard to identify the person but they think it’s the missing woman.
The murder box takes on a life if it’s own as it is clearly linked to their murder investigation so Frankie and Baz need to work out who is behind it.
This is a very clever crime thriller that well and truly had me hooked.
Whilst the series is brilliant, you could also read this book as a standalone.
Thanks to Quercus books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan introduces the reader to a sinister murder / mystery game with a difference!

When Detective Superintendent Frankie Sheehan receives what appears to be a birthday Murder Box gift to the bureau whilst working a high-profile missing persons case, she casually looks at it before getting back to looking for a break in the current case. Out of the blue, a woman arrives to the station claiming her flatmate is also missing. The cases don't appear to be related but Sheehan isn't sure and doesn't want to pass up on an opportunity to crack the primary investigation. Following the discovery of a body, the team is drawn into an online murder mystery game to in an attempt find the killer.

Fantastic, tense story with great plotting to the very end!!

This is book four of the series and, well, you don't need me to spell it out again. Obviously read in order to get the best from the characters and, in this case, I would recommend you do just that as Frankie is a bit on the complex side.
Well, the crime in this book is a little different, refreshingly so. We start with Frankie getting what she thought was a present. A mystery game with a murder to solve. Clues are included, there's even an autopsy report. It's the murder of a 22 year old woman. But wait a minute. The murder victim bears a bit of a resemblance to an actual missing woman. Both by description and circumstance. Oh no! Could it be a killer is trying to communicate? And if so, what kind of sick mind could be behind this. On further inspection, there's a website linked to the game. Where players - yes players - can trade clues, help (or hinder) each other. Does this help or hinder Frankie and her team as she starts their investigation in earnest? And what is the endgame... Win or lose...?
I loved this book. I read so many of this genre book it is so refreshing to find something a little different. I this case, also a bit quirky! I also love Frankie, warts and all! The plot is intriguing, interesting and extremely well done, and executed. Although I saw a few things along the way, well, lets just say hats off to the author for, well, you'll find out!
Characters are good, series, main and extras alike. The series characters are developing nicely and it's good to reconnect with one or two that I have grown close to over the previous books.
The story gets on with itself very well too. There are slower moments, both for reader and investigatory to rest and regroup before off we go again! Ramping up towards the end and delivering a finale that, well, darned near blew me away.
All in all, this is a series that is developing nicely. Can't wait to see what the author has in store for Frankie and her team next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I read this in one sitting and absolutely loved it! On her birthday a detective receives a subscription murder mystery box and begins to try to solve the fictional crime. Only to find out it isn't a fictional murder but a real one and seemingly linked to another high profile ongoing investigation.

The twists and turns in this book were exceptional, the first book I've read by this author but will be picking up more as soon as possible!

I gave The Murder Box 4 stars and not 5 because there was too much useless information and nonsensical metaphor. Also, I found the antagonist's motives and the actions of one of the police officers towards the end of the book completely unrealistic. Aside from those things, the story was original and held my interest and the worldbuilding and characterisation were brilliant. I enjoyed the read overall and thought it was a lot better than the previous book I read in the same series.

Review to be posted to Amazon and Goodreads on release date.

The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan is book 4 in the Frankie Sheehan series. Once again the storyline is very complex and intriguing and concerns a game, the murder box.
The problem is the competitors end up dead when they lose!
Highly recommended

So first off let me sat thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this wonderful book in return for my honest review

4 stars

I requested this one purely for the synopsis and how much it intrigued me. I'm not one for police or detective stories but I honestly flew through this book in one day and just loved it from start to finish, it was so well written, fast paced and the character development was fantastic.
Thanks to the author for writing this book and I'll be purchasing a copy for my favourite bookshelf of books I love.
Will be recommending this to everyone in the book community