An interesting turn which reignited my interest but also made me hate the main character. Nevertheless an easy weekend read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

However there are certain aspects the pathologist thinks point to a murder. Detective Danny Stowe & forensic psychologist Rose Lainey investigate & are soon suspicious of the deceased three close friends- especially when one of them is attacked. The three of them seem very cagey & a well hidden file, found on James's laptop leads them to find out why he was so interested in the disappearance of a child twenty years ago.

This is the second in the series. Although I read it as a stand alone there was a lot of back story to Danny & Rose. Set in Belfast the history of the place influences Rose in particular. However although I wished I'd read book one, I still really enjoyed this story & will definitely be looking out for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

When the body of James McCallum is found in the grounds of a Belfast school, it takes a while to establish whether the cause of death is suicide - a long while.
DI Danny Stowe is delighted that the services of Profiler, Rose Lainey, a friend from university days, have been retained after their previous case. But it doesn’t seem to help progress initially.
The Midnight Killing is slow to get off the ground, but when Stowe and Lainey establish a link between the victim and his friends and an historic case involving the disappearance of child, this thriller really takes off.
Hats off to Sharon Dempsey who provides brave opinion in the midst of cosiness – here, on the subject of Brexit irony.
Ultimately, I’m not qualified to say if a police procedural is authentic, you can only describe how it feels to you, but I have started to struggle with DI Stowe in both his professional and personal guise.
After all that, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This was a nice police mystery story. DI Dany and forensic psycoligist Rose are a great team lots of sexual tension between them.
A body is found hanging from.a tree on the grounds of a primary school. The question is: why comit suicide there? Is there a conection?
Great book.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

Suspenseful twists and turns along the way. Great cast of characters, great storyline. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved the first in the Stowe and Lainey series, Who Took Eden Mulligan, so was looking forward to reading this, the follow up. Here, friends, DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey are reunited to solve the murder of an architect and investigate its links to a 20 year old cold case. I love the Northern Ireland setting of these novels and the characters of Danny and Rose but sadly for me The Midnight Killing was a disappointment. The pace is so slow that instead of being a joy, reading it was a chore and I was not gripped or immersed in the story.
I will definitely read more by this author and hope future novels match the promise of the first in the series.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I'm glad I give it ago.

U won't b disappointed. The book is based in northern island what a refreshing change form my usual read

I am so delighted to have gotten to The Midnight Killing, book two from author Sharon Dempsey and featuring DI Danny Stowe and Forensic Psychologist Rose Lainey.
I quite enjoyed this pairing in the first book and couldn't wait to see how it developed.
They work so well together don't they and for me that little hint of romance between them I feel enriches the story.
A body, local architect James McCallum is found on the grounds of a local school. Looking like a suicide, DI Danny Stowe feels there is more to it than what they are seeing.
Family are distraught as are his friends and you always feel throughout the story that they are hiding something.
Based in Northern Ireland, it soon becomes clear that there are links to a previous case of a missing 8 year old child which was never solved.
And why does Rose's mam keep popping in to the story considering she has passed away.
Early on Rose must decide if she is going to stay or return to her job in London.
Her family need her and she must try mend the relationships she has with them before it is too late.
There are so many threads weaving through this story that keep you interested and turning the pages. Each one I wondered is this where she will take the next book.
Sharon is a great author and she writes well.
Her characters are solid and lasting and I think this will be such a fantastic series...
Well worth your time.

The Midnight Killing by Sharon Dempsey is the second in the Stowe & Lainey series and I was a great read I was hooked from the beginning till the end. When a body is found hanging in the grounds of a local school. It appears that he committed suicide. DI Danny Stowe has been called to the scene and he is not convinced it was a suicide!
Then, autopsy proves his suspicion's correct, he begins an investigation into the murder with the help of his close friend and colleague Rose Lainey, who is a forensic psychologist.
DI Danny Stowe finds out he was a local man called James McCallum and then finds out whilst investigating he reveals a connection with the cold case of a missing girl 20 years earlier. This latest book has some great twists and turns throughout that will just have you hooked!

I highly recommend this series. I'm loving it.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Sharon Dempsey for my ARC of The Midnight Killing in exchange for an honest review

The second book featuring DI Danny Stowe and psychologist Rose Lainey set in the north of Ireland, explores a suspicious death. Close-knit teenage friendships, financial difficulties and marriage stress are all possible clues, but there is an unexpected twist that makes this complex police procedural take a distinctly noir turn.

The Northern Irish setting is vibrant, and both Danny and Rose's pasts are an integral part of the plot.
The investigation is detailed, and the police team have a believable dynamic. Vivid characters, a distinctive setting and a poignant, twisty plot make this compelling crime fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was an interesting read with it being based in Northern Ireland , it combined the troubles of the past with the changes in modern day life . It lost 1 star for me as it concentrated too much on her family and mother relationship and the murder side of it was a bit weak . Having said that the relationship with the policeman was interesting and could develop into something good . On the whole I enjoyed it and would read another of this author

The midnight killing by Sharon Dempsey.
She’d cycled this way hundreds of times before, every twist and turn familiar. She didn’t know this would be the last. When the body of local architect James McCallum is found hanging in the grounds of his former school one cold, dark night, DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey suspect foul play behind his apparent suicide.To their astonishment, the trail leads to a 20-year-old cold case of a missing girl, and a teenage party. But what was James’ fascination with the case and how is it linked to his death?Secrets don’t stay buried forever – but the real killer will stop at nothing to hide theirs…
A brilliant read. I loved the story and characters. I loved the cover too. 5*.

The mystery starts when young architect, James McCallum, is found hanging from a tree on the grounds of his former primary school. DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey are called in to solve the mystery. Lots of twists and turns along the way, and I really liked the main characters.

A police procedural written from the point of view of Danny, a detective, and Rose a psychologist working with the police. It is set in Northern Ireland and the history of the troubles has some influence on the story. Danny and Rose have also known each other from university days . The plot encompasses their individual and shared pasts as well as the crime(s) under investigation.
There were several references to the Mulligan case, presumably the last case, but not having read the that particular book, it did not add anything extra to the book for me . There was not enough information here to judge whether the information was relevant or not . This is the case of an apparent suicide which quickly turns into a murder investigation. The victim is one of a group of 4 school friends who are still close in their 30s.. As the book progresses, suspicions are sown that all is not what it seems with the friendships, but there is little evidence that they are involved with the death of their friend.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book, though it was at times slow moving, it felt quite realistic that the clues were not immediately obvious. I liked the 2 main characters and their back stories were interesting and piqued my curiosity about how they pan out. The plot was mostly good (though was shocked by the previous death, read it and you will see what I mean) and I will look out for more by this author.
Thank you to Net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4560819386

An exceptional read based in Ireland this is my first encounter with Danny and Rose,a long tiresome drawn out investigation btigs them together.A recent murder becomes connected to a missing child case from many years ago,makes very good reading well recommended.

The second in Sharon’s crime fiction series – and more to come, we hope – seems Rose and Danny met with an almost unsolvable investigation. The body of a man is found in the ground of his former school. All the signs may point to one conclusion but the police aren’t so sure and, as they delve deeper into his past and acquaintances, realise things are very disturbing indeed. Couple this with a cold case that occurred 20 years previously, and the day to day goings-on in the police station, and this is a curl up and read drama that will have you wondering where it’s going. There’s also plenty of background given to Rose and Danny, Rose especially and you can’t help but feel empathy for her and what she discovers. Anyone who lives or has lived in Northern Ireland will feel a particular tug when reading. Excellent stuff.

Wow what a tense read!! Just when you think you have worked it out something else happens! I literally couldn't put it down!

This is the 2nd book in the series and I am yet to get my hands on the 1st one – Who Took Eden Mulligan?
When the body of James McCallum is found hanging on the grounds of a school DI Danny Stowe thinks it’s an open & shut case. But after the postmortem he and his team learns that nothing is as it seems, now along with the forensic psychologist Rose Lainey they have to find out as to what happened and what led to the death of James McCallum.
This book has a great storyline, and of course I hope that the relationship between Danny & Rose will deepen and there will be a next book in this series. I really like the way the story goes in deep details.
Thanks to Avon Books & Netgalley for the ARC copy

The body of James McCallum is found hanging in the grounds of his former school And it appears that he committed suicide. However DI Danny Stowe is not convinced and when the autopsy proves his suspicion's correct, he begins an investigation into the murder with the help of his friend and colleague Rose Lainey, a forensic psychologist. Eventually their investigation reveals a connection with the cold case of a missing girl 20 years earlier.

This was an enjoyable read with strong, well rounded characters and an intriguing plot. However it became clear that this was the second book in the series which I had not realized when I requested this book. This book will no doubt appeal to readers of the first book. However, I found the references to the earlier case a little confusing and had missed some of the background character development. I also found the story was not as pacy enough for me. Nevertheless, this was a solid police procedural with a good cast of characters and was well plotted. The second half in particular was pacier and compelling.

Thanks to the the publisher for the opportunity to read this book on exchange for an honest review.

DNF

So my first DNF of the year and well it just needed to happen unfortunately.

So lets get to it - I do feel some regret that I will never find out what happened in this book as I was intrigued. The murder investigation parts of this book showed promise and were beginning to become interesting but even at 30% there was far too much fluff distracting from the plot. I didn’t like any of the characters, even the main investigators, and I therefore struggled to muster up any links to the book.

I felt the characters were wooden and although the two main characters were so called ‘best friends’ I felt no chemistry between them and overall I just had no desire to pick this one back up. This was also the second in the series (if you didn’t know this before you started the book, you will do after reading a few pages it’s mentioned that much 😩) which probably didn’t help matters and btw brand dropping really grates on me - anyone else?

So there you have it. As always it’s only my opinion. Onwards and upwards.

Thanks to Avon for allowing us to read this one early.

-EMILY @the_book_girls_1