When a mass grave is discovered and reported by a an Irish traveller the local Gardai somehow immediately jump to the conclusion he must be involved. Luckily for him and his young son Jessie Boyle and Seamus Keneally are called to investigate and soon can see nothing is what it seems. Macabre local legends, traveller feuds and government interference all conspire to pur all of Jessie and her team at risk.

A gripping thriller and great follow up to the fantastic Bring Her Home. I really love the way the writer melds old Irish folklore with a modern day police procedural without going all Mulder and Scully on us. I already have the next lined up to read. A fine and grand read.

I was so impressed by the first book in the series, Bring Her Home in which the author had created a solid police procedural thriller revolving around Celtic legends/myths and I was excited to read the second book. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed and Lost Graves is as cracking and gripping as the first book. 

Finbar, an eleven year old boy, stumbles upon a mass grave in the Derrada Forest while travelling through it with his father Joe Keenan, both of whom are part of the Irish travellers. Jessie Boyle, a criminal behaviourist, Seamus Keneally, a detective and Terri Kahoe, a cyber wiz kid are assigned to the case by Dawn Wilson, Commissioner of the Irish Garda.  They soon realise that the Derrada Woods have a supernatural element/legend attached to them by being known as a home to the abhartach, an ancient Celtic vampire. Are the mass graves remains of this creature's victims or is there something else--and more sinister--going on in those woods?

Gripping, thrilling, chilling and addictive, this book too was unputdownable! Celtic legends/myths  and some solid police work is something I can definitely crave for more.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author S. A. Dunphy for the e-Arc of the book. I just realised that I had not yet shared my review of this book....aarrghh!

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another great book in this series. I really feel I know the characters of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn really well at this stage. Some very weird characters in this book, but you can visualise yourself in the forest with these people.

First Sentence: A small boy stood in the clearing amid the oak and hazel trees and stared at the macabre object his dog had just excavated from the soil of the forest floor, gripping the animal's collar to restrain it from tearing the severed human hand apart.

Joe Keenan and his young son Finbar are Travellers who've made camp for the night at the edge of the Derrada Woods when Finbar comes across a corpse. Although Joe is arrested, the members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations; Jesse Boyle, criminal behaviorist, DS Seamus Keneally and historian and computer genius Terri Kehoe, who are called in to investigate under the command of Irish Police Commissioner Dawn Wilson, doesn't believe Joe is guilty. More bodies are found, some dating back 20 years. Locals blame the deaths on a vampire, the Abhartach. Joe Keenan is hesitant about helping the investigation as he is on the run from a group of Travellers threatening to kill him.

What an excellent opening. One is drawn immediately into the story and the characters. Even the chapter headings are evocative.

Jessie Boyle, Seamus Keneally and Terri Kehoe make a great team. Jessie's observations and analysis are interesting to follow, Seamus' ability to eat constantly without ever getting a drop on himself, and Terri's computer expertise bring the characters to life. One has become accustomed to investigative teams being able to find whatever information they want via computer. It is a nice change to have someone acknowledge the GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out—unreliability of data.

In this second book of the series, once again the author falls victim to over plotting. While the folklore is interesting, it somewhat overwhelms the story, as does the serial-killer trope. There is an attempt to introduce a sense of the paranormal with the idea of the Abhartach, a vampire-like creature, one never quite buys into it, and links to the seemingly omniscient character of Uruz from the previous book "Bring Her Home."

Dunphy excels at suspense. He creates a true spine-chilling creepiness that makes one catch their breath. Although he is guilty of overkill, he maintains a degree of logic to the plot. What was effective was the inclusion of case notes of a former detective. This added veracity to the story, as did information on the psychology of the Travelling people. They are a group on which there is rarely a focus. The epilogue is nicely done, while a major weakness is the use of completely unnecessary portents.

LOST GRAVES is a good, fast, completely engrossing diversionary read. The thing that really holds it together is the principal characters. Dunphy falls into the category of a guilty pleasure read, and that's not a bad thing. While this second book is a step forward, a much stronger editor is to be desired. Even so, the books are ripping reads and the next is already in the queue.

LOST GRAVES (PolProc- Boyle/Keneally/Kehoe-Ireland-Contemp) – G+
Dunphy, S.A. – 2nd in series
Bookouture, Jan 2022, 356 pp.

I have read this author previously and was looking forward to this novel, the second in a series. However, I was not really drawn into it and found it something of a struggle to read to the end. I persevered but things didn't improve. Although the writing is competent, I found the characters both unbelievable and unsympathetic - I was not invested in them and didn't really care what happened to any of them. It doesn't help that the plot is also somewhat far-fetched and the intimations of fantasy and magic really don't do the authors any favours.

I am a big fan of this authors books but for some reason this one couldn’t hold my attention as much as previous ones had. I found the story slow moving and I didn’t feel a connection to the main characters.

Many thanks to netgalley and S.A. Dunphy for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

When the corpse of a child in the woods leads to a graveyard of unidentified bodies, the special investigative team including criminal behaviorist Jessie Boyle and Detective Seamus Keneally is called in to the difficult and often bizarre case. While local cops try to pin the murders on the Traveler who reported the original body, the evidence, and sometimes lack of evidence, leads Boyle and Keneally between the local version of a vampire, the Abhartach, and hush hush military forces. It's quite a dance for the team when absolutely no one wants to cooperate, and those who might be are probably lying through their teeth. And the woods are a very dangerous place. The story is as much a thriller as a police procedural. I found the detectives characters well-drawn, but the Abhartach seemed a bit overdone and less convincing. Really big grand finale if you like that sort of thing in a mystery.

Book 2 of the series and a really good read/listen . An interesting storyline full of old Irish folklore set with a modern day twist, whilst giving an insight into the travelling community which kept you guessing whether there was a supernatural twist or not !!

A father and son are in some woods and their dog finds a body part, and then another and then another. They have discovered a burial ground for at least 10 bodies, none of which can be traced either by DNA or by missing persons records.

Bring into the mix rival groups of travellers, possible terrorist connections, the military, folklore of an animal that lives in the woods that kills and you get a great book which has you guessing to the end.

This is the second in a series featuring the same investigation team but you didn’t need to have read the first one to enjoy the second, as I hadn’t read the first.

A traveller and his son are finding more bodies in a forest. The father is going to the police to report it but the local. police suspect him., I did not understand why just to. complicate things. As forensics are looking into it more strange details are revealed.
This is a great thriller - mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

Lost Graves is a great crime mystery with an Irish Folk Mystery weaved into it.

PLOT: There are two plots going side by side in Lost Graves. I like both stories and the way in which both weave together. I enjoyed how the folk tale made everyone in the investigation question if something is more than human hunting in those woods. The ending came together with both storylines coming to a dramatic ending.

CHARACTERS: I love Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn. They have a great dynamic between the four of them. I like the support, banter and friendship between them all. They all bring something different to the team. In Lost Graves, there is more interaction between Terri and Dawn which I really enjoyed.

WRITING STYLE: S.A Dunphy writing is very good at giving me that creepy feeling while keeping me wanting to continue to read.

OVERALL: A Dark Mystery with great Irish charm.

My rating for Lost Graves is 4 out of 5.

Lost Graves by S. A. Dunphy is the second book in the brilliant Boyle & Keneally series and I loved it. I was hooked within the first few pages. This latest book within this series was full of twists and turns throughout and the Narrator was Shelley Atkinson was excellent. I found this book very cleverly written and had you guessing till the end!

I highly recommend this book series and looking forward in book 3!

Big thank you to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture and Hachette UK - Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Action packed Irish crime series with strong female characters and a compelling plot.

This is the second installment but works as a standalone. Jessie and Seamus find themselves investigating a burial ground discovered in woodland. The local police are suspicious of the man who reported the discovery who comes from the travelling community, and have arrested him, despite his claims that he is being hunted by a gang who want him dead. But Jessie and Seamus see through the bigotry and think there is more to the story, with their investigation putting them both in danger.

When Traveller Joe Keenan & his son Finbar go camping in Derrada woods they do not expect their dog to discover a body. Being a traveller the local police decide to arrest him. When retrieving the bodies it is soon revealed that they are not alone. There are many bodies, buried over a long period of time & identifying them is proving difficult criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle & detective Seamus Keneally are called in. Along with their brilliant computer sleuth Terri Kehoe the team struggles to clear Joe whilst uncovering tales of the supernatural & wars among the Traveller community.

I read the first in this series & absolutely loves it. When you have enjoyed a book so much you approach the next with a bit of trepidation- could it be as good? The answer is yes! The quirky characters, the mixture of Irish legend & the atmospheric setting works along with a mystery to be solved makes for a terrific read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. Can't wait for the next one!

S. A. Dunphy’s Lost Graves is an edge of your seat crime thriller that chills, terrifies and will keep you up way past your bedtime!

When single father Joe Keenan took his son Finbar camping in the ancient forest of Leitrim, he never imagined that this outing would turn into his worst nightmare. Deep in the woods they find a corpse and when the police discover a dozen more bodies buried all over the forest, it becomes abundantly clear that Joe and his son had stumbled upon the burial site of a dangerous serial killer who has been burying his victims – unnoticed – for years. With Joe the only suspect the police has, the single father finds himself arrested with his beloved son taken into care. Joe protests his innocence, but to no avail. All seems hopeless and desperate, but criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle is convinced that Joe is telling the truth and that the killer is still at large.

Jessie’s hunches seldom let her down and she knows that if she wants to find the serial killer, then the answer lies in the ancient forest that has become the resting place of all his victims. As Jessie begins to ask questions of the local community, somebody else goes missing. The killer is still out there and nobody is safe. With time not on her side, Jessie needs to track him down before it’s too late. The woods will lead her to this blood-thirsty murderer intent on causing maximum destruction. As she enters the woods alone for the ultimate showdown, Jessie wonders whether her quest for justice and determination to catch this dangerous serial killer will end up putting her directly in the line of fire. Will she make it out of the woods alive? Or will she be the killer’s next victim?

S.A Dunphy’s Lost Graves is a creepy, eerie and terrifying crime thriller that will have you checking for monsters under the bed. A brilliantly plotted and superbly constructed page-turner that packs plenty of punch, S.A. Dunphy infuses his story with plenty of tension, menace and suspense to keep you gripped until the very last page.

Nail-biting, nerve-twisting and hard to put down, S. A. Dunphy’s Lost Graves is a heart-clenching rollercoaster ride you will not forget in a hurry.

Lost Graves is the second book by S.A. Dunphy featuring criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle and her partner Detective Seamus Keneally in an ensemble procedural. Released 24th Jan 2022, it's 362 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This book combined quite a number of disparate themes: the travellers, shadowy military operations, and a series of historical murders and disappearances. This book, as well as the first in the series, has a tie in to local paranormal folklore and legends which interfere with clear headed fact gathering and investigation by Boyle and her team. I really like the interplay between the main characters and the author does a very good job of portraying them as living breathing people, with their own quirks and foibles. They're likeable and I found myself engaged in the story throughout. It's a modern (Irish) procedural, so there's a fair bit of rough language and some of the imagery is graphic.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 8 hours and 51 minutes and is capably narrated by Shelley Atkinson. She manages the read very well. There are both male and female characters of a range of ages and accents, and she keeps them distinct and perfectly understandable. I couldn't really hear distinct differences between regional accents for some of the characters, but it didn't affect my enjoyment overall. Sound production and quality are high throughout.

Four and a half stars for both the print and audio versions. Definitely for fans of Irish crime, but also for more general readers of procedurals. This is a good addition to the start of what is turning out to be a strong series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy is the second of this series I have read, although the first was an audio version. I love this series, which is about a small team of "detectives" who investigate "odd" crimes. Jessie Boyle, Seamus Keneally, and Terri Kehoe make up the team. Jessie and Seamus are both officers, Terri is more a research/tech wiz, rather than a boots-on-the-ground detective. They all work for the Irish police and have come to rural Leitrim to investigate a plot of land where at least ten bodies have bee buried. There is also a rumor that there is a "spirit" haunting the woods. There is little to go by: some bodies have been there so long there is not much left. One is recent, buried within the last month or so. As Jessie and Seamus talk to people they discover just how rural and isolated this part of the country is. The local garda are not much better. They have arrested the man; a traveler named Joe and his son, Finbar, who alerted them to the situation at the burial site. Don't worry he wasn't even in the country. The prejudice against travelers runs deep. There is plenty to investigate.

Dawn, the Police Commissioner, is back in Dublin, dealing with the politics of the investigation. Only at the very last moment do she and Terri arrive in the midst of a siege against the small jail in town, where Seamus and Joe are holed up with the local man, fighting against a small army of a rival traveler family, out for blood. This is a terrific series: satisfies some of my yearning for Ireland; terrific detective work; interesting crimes, a good plot and great characters. The perpetrators, not exactly playing with a full deck, are interesting and unique. The military service, in all countries, has a lot to answer for. No less here. Plus getting any information out of them is nearly impossible, even if it means deaths. Jessie is damaged, for several reasons, and is stalked by the madman who killer her lover some months before. She is living on a knife-edge all the time and it makes her interesting. It does not make her lacking in either common sense or empathy. This is a fabulous series. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Lost Graves by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #bookoutre #sadunphy #lostgraves

Jessie, Seamus and Terri are off on their second adventure. This was a bit slower to get into than book 1 but a solid mystery that literally ends with a bang.
Jessie and Seamus are called to a scene where multiple remains have been found and something strange has been happening deep in the woods as the search for the killer leaves them hunting for a ghost.

The crime fighting team of Jessie Boyle, Seamus Keneally, and Terri Kehoe make for the perfect team in that their various strengths, combined with their real affection for one another, make them formidable adversaries. In this book the team has a seemingly unsolvable situation with many dead bodies, killed over many years, with seemingly no leads. By the end of the book, we have learned that the formidable strength of this team’s combined talents can solve anything.

The setting, Ballinamore, and the Derrada Woods are all real locations in Ireland. Locations that abound with history and atmosphere. The novel was rife with Celtic ambiance, which I found enthralling. The novel moved along at a fast pace, and the plot developed in such a way that kept me glued to the pages.

The great characterization of the small investigating team, along with the added introduction of various Irish Traveller characters made the investigation of the deaths very compelling indeed.

In short, I really liked these characters and this setting, even more than in the first book, so will be keen to read their next adventure together.

This was a fantastic read. About half wat through I thought I had worked it out and then just really relaxed into the book and enjoyed all the twists and turns. The description and understanding of the travellers community was brilliant.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.