I am a big fan of Dunphy's writing style. It is simply enjoyable reading. The words somehow just flow like a river on a bright sunny day. Tessa Burns is an interesting characters with a gruesome event in her past. She has a great team, with characters that most teams can only dream of, and they play well together.

I really enjoyed reading this book, getting to know these characters, and it is very easy for me to pick my favourite in the book. No contest really. It's Pavlov.

Little Witness is book one in the DI Tessa Burns series by S.A. Dunphy.
An atmospheric crime thriller full of emotion and suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel with its setting, rich historical references, and very likeable characters.
The writing was good and the story was clever.
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that will leave you shivering have your heart pounding.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Little Witness’, book one in the DI Tessa Burns series written by S A Dunphy, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Tessa Burns is a hero after risking her own life to save a five-year-old girl from certain death. She’s promoted and given the opportunity to form her own team dedicated to rescuing and improving the lives of children and young people. Together with FLO Maggie Doolan, her dog Pavlov, and DS Danny Murphy, their first assignment comes when Joe and Daisy Connolly disappear from their farmhouse and their seven-year-old daughter Aisling is found terrified hiding in a secluded cabin.

‘Little Witness’ is a gripping police thriller set in Southern Ireland that has a prologue so tense and exciting that it sets the scene for what is to come. Early in the story we’re introduced to the characters all of whom have their own strengths, Tessa and the reason she’s so tough, strong-willed, and determined to help children who can’t defend themselves, Danny who has anger-management issues, and Maggie who teaches self-defence to disabled people such as perself, and of course her loyal and obedient dog Pavlov. This book is packed to the brim with suspense, intrigue and twists and turns, as the team find themselves risking their lives in dangerous situations. The final page of this amazing thriller ends with a conclusion that leads perfectly to the second book in the series that I’m now looking forward to getting my teeth into. I hope this is just the beginning of a long and successful series as I can’t wait to find out how the characters develop.

Introducing DI Tessa Burns, a detective with exceptional instincts and an intriguing backstory, committed to the protection of children. The narrative kicks off with a thrilling action sequence that reveals Tessa's badass and occasionally impulsive behaviour. Since Tessa saved a child and became a hero, she has been given the chance to assemble her own team.

To create her team that focuses on protecting children, she selects her old friend Maggie, a young constable Danny, and Maggie's little dog Pavlov. Tessa's personal experience of a traumatic childhood fuels her passion for protecting the most vulnerable victims.

Meet the Connollys, a family who dabble in the illegal trade of alcohol. It's Tessa and her team's responsibility to locate the missing parents and ensure the safety of their daughter.

I've just discovered this author and I'm already hooked! I was immediately captivated by the characters and storyline from the very beginning. I wanted to know more about Tessa and her team. Every single one of them has tales to reveal, particularly about the childhood traumas that moulded their character. I am hopeful that this will evolve into a series that lasts for a while. I definitely have S.A. Dunphy on my auto-buy list.

Many thanks to @dunphyshane1 @bookouture & @NetGalley for the chance to read it.

The start of this new series from author S.A. Dunphy is off to an absolutely cracking start.

It's an Irish police procedural/crime thriller with a fantastic cast of main characters, a very interesting plot that is totally gripping and keeps you turning the pages with short chapters adding to the pace of the story and the desire to see what happens. There are twists and turns, an adorable child a crime fighting dog, really good disability representation, and the start of an overarching story that will no doubt run throughout the series. I can't think of one thing that I didn't like about this book and for added excitement book two in the series is being published at the same time so there's another adventure to enjoy straight away.

Newly promoted DI Tessa Burns puts together a specialist team to focus on crimes involving children. Her lifelong friend from a foster home, Maggie is enlisted. Maggie has cerebral palsy but we first meet her running a self defence class from her wheelchair. She is such a great character and together with her dog Pavlov create a wonderful dynamic in the team. Other team member Danny is a big guy with a temper trying to deal with his own childhood demons from time in care. It's this strong link of foster care that binds the team together and makes them determined to help young Aisling who has been found hiding on her parents land after her parents go missing.

At first Aisling isn't talking. Has she witnessed anything that can help the team? Are her parents still alive and if so where are they? The plot involving illegal alcohol distillation, criminal gangs and faceless assassins has action, suspense, intrigue and danger.

With a satisfying end to the case and an epilogue that makes you want to pick up book two straight away, Little Witness is fresh, exciting and something new in the world of crime fiction. Recommended.

Little Witness was a gripping Irish police procedural with engaging characters. I started reading and couldn’t put it down!
DI Tessa Burns and her team is made up of Maggie and her dog, Pavlov, along with Danny. Can I say I loved each character? Each one is unique in their own way.
Overall, Little Witness was a very suspenseful and enthralling Irish detective thriller. I am so looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
S.A. Dunphy writes a solid police procedural. What a terrific start to a new series!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Little witness is the first book in the DI Tessa Burns series and I’m so pleased I have found this series as I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to get started on book 2!

Tessa has just been promoted into her dream job as a DI in the police and is specialising in helping children, particularly child witnesses which Tessa was once herself. Tessa has hand picked her team and is ready to take on her first case.

Aisling Connolly (Ash) is found hiding in an isolated cabin on a farm, cold and alone with both of her parents missing Tessa knows she needs to get Ash to talk, she knows the more information she can get out of the little girl the more chance there is of her finding her parents alive.

Naturally things aren’t that straight forward as it still seems the people who took Ash’s parents also want to take the little girl. Ash’s life is still very much in danger and Tessa and her team know they need to protect her at all costs. The more Ash starts to talk the more complicated things become, there is another murder that sounds as a warning for Ash to stop taking and for Tessa to back off.

As Tessa and her team investigate it becomes clear these are hard core criminals they are dealing with and will go to extreme measures to not get caught. Ash’s parents are in illegal trading, particularly Poitin but as the book goes on it becomes clear they are just little fish in one very big pond.

I absolutely loved this book, it was fast paced, twisty and very moorish (I read it in under 24 hours). I honestly cannot wait to read the next book in this series which I also have an advance copy of. This was the first book I’ve read by S.A Dunphy and I cannot wait to read some more of his books. I really enjoyed the ending to little witness and I love how it’s so invitingly moving the reader onto book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Little Witness is the gripping and hard to put down first book in a new series by S.A. Dunphy. YES!!!! I had the pleasure of having both the book and the audiobook, which made for a completely enjoyable reading experience. I was first introduced to S.A. Dunphy's books when I read his Boyle & Keneally Series. If you have not read those books, I highly recommend them. When I saw he had a new series coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands (and eyes) on the first book in the series! S.A. Dunphy did not disappointed!

Seven-year-old Aisling Connolly is the only witness to what occurred the fateful evening there was a knock at the door. Hiding, cold and alone after her parents were taken, she recognizes something in Detective Tessa Burns that tells the young girl that she can trust her. Tessa can't help but feel for Aisling, she was once a child witness herself. Tessa and her team are all unique and have their own challenges. The team is made up of Tessa, Danny, and Maggie. Plus, there is Pavlov, the brilliant and loyal dog who is both a calming presence and courageous protector. Another reason to love this book is that this team is dedicated to helping children.

As the investigation kicks into high gear, there is a mounting sense of danger as it is obvious that there are those who will do anything to keep the truth from coming out. There are a lot of secrets and questions swirling around and then there is the mystery of who took Ash's parents and why.

I found this book to be a gripping, tension filled, well written and atmospheric police procedural. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions which had me feeling as if I was right there on the edge of the action as a silent observer. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to learning even more about them and seeing them working together in future books. What a great beginning to a new series!

The narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

#LittleWitness #NetGalley #Bookouture #SADunphy

Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Little Witness (DI Tessa Burns 1) by S.A. Dunphy
Bookouture, 12th February 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:
Little Aisling Connolly shivers as the cold night air whistles through her thin jacket. It’s been two days since the men came, since her mammy told her to run like she’d never run before, to not look back. She hasn’t seen her parents since. And she’s terrified.

When Aisling is finally found by the police, she knows instinctively she can trust DI Tessa Burns. A former child-witness herself, Tessa understands what Aisling has been through, and that Aisling must remember everything she can about that terrible, dark night if she’s to save her parents. Something Tessa was unable to do for her own parents all those years ago.

As the little girl slowly starts to open up, Tessa uncovers more than she’d bargained for – another murder, clearly a horrific warning to Aisling not to speak. Time is running out, and any hope of finding Aisling’s parents alive is rapidly fading. Tessa must do everything in her power to ensure the little girl isn’t next.

Review:
Reading the first in a new police procedural series is a lot like beginning a new relationship. At the start you don't know the back story, you get to know all the little foibles and hear about the experiences that have made the lead detective into the person they are today. DI Tessa Burns isn't your typical DI. She has excellent taste in vintage cars, even better taste in music, and most certainly will not be called 'boss'. I'd quite like to go for a pint or two with her. But, I digress.

Little Witness has all the ingredients to cause a stir in the crime thriller market and arrive with a bang on bookshelves. It's fresh and exciting, with a plot that digs deep into Irish tradition and contains an array of colourful characters that will make your toes curl. Right at the centre are Tessa and her team, a trio of expressively written personalities you are rooting for from the start.

It's a good job the second book in this series is published simultaneously; I need another fix of Team Burns!

*Thanks to Bookouture, S.A. Dunphy and NetGalley for the eARC; this is my honest review.

#BookReview #LittleWitness #SADunphy

This was a fantastic read with DI Tessa Burns assembling a really interesting team. Loved hte character of Maggie and her dog Pavlov. The plot was fast paced and tense and kept me gripped to the end. Highly recommended.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant new book in an amazing new series

this one is action packed all the way through and i couldnt put it down even if i wanted to

when little aisling was found all alone by the police she wouldnt talk, she couldnt or wouldnt tell them where her parents were

the house had been ransacked and with no clues to go on the police called in a new unit

tessa and her new colleagues danny and maggie all have different skill sets and so they begin the hunt for aisling parents but its not without its dangers as they come under attack from persons unknown...

wow this book, it keeps you on your toes but i am liking this new unit of maggies and the two other characters that make up the unit

i cant wait to read the next book in this amazing series

I did not read the whole book. I didn't enjoy it enough to keep reading it. It just didn't hold my interest at all.

111111111122222

An absolutely gripping story! The plot is very clever and extremely well written. I will definitely be reading the other books in the series.

Great introduction to a new Irish police procedural series.
Book is broken into different parts. Part One has the main protagonist Tessa assembling her new team for her new department. Love that we have a good range of characters with different backgrounds and abilities. We are also given some background from Tessa’s upbringing and we find out the storyline for this, book one.
Each chapter brings more to the story with a great group of characters, offering more details to the team plus information regarding those affected by this story.
Great set up for hopefully a long series!
Last 20% of the book things really pick up speed and the epilogue tells us more of Tessa’s backstory which will really stimulate your curiosity… a clever move!

This book is the first of ‘Tessa Burns’ series, and it takes some time to establish the characters and for them to mesh as a Team. I did find myself wondering what Tessa Burns had accomplished to be promoted and given a brand-new special investigation unit to form. They are called in to take charge of a distraught and mute child whose parents were abducted. So much backstory and its repeating made for some decidedly overly long passages. There is much action in the book, and quite a few plot twists. As with his other series, the supernatural makes an appearance, and we are introduced to ‘faceless men’ who really creeped me out. Keep writing and I will keep reading.

Fantastic new series by the very talented S.A. Dunphy! Book 1, Little Witness, will keep you glued to the page as DI Tessa Burns and her team track down the worst of the worst while saving the littlest of victims. Well-developed characters, fascinating plot and the ongoing quest to find who killed Tessa's parents when she was little.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Who took the parents? Why? Good suspense😳

4.5🌟stars
I really enjoyed this story, by an author I was unfamiliar with. The cover, title, Irish setting and book blurb intrigued me and I am glad they did.

It starts with high octane excitement. The new crime unit headed by Tessa Burns were all great characters with childhood issues that actually gave them advantages in their work with Aisling/Ash, the child of illegal distiller Joe and his wife Daisy who are abducted while she stays hidden on their property. I especially liked the mentoring, sometimes jokingly combative, relationship between Tessa and Danny. Maggie, the wheelchair-bound family liaison officer, is one resourceful woman in a fight and her loyal and feisty dog sidekick Pavlov: who wouldn't love to have him as backup?!

The characters rival the plot, which begged the question why abduct the couple and would they be found alive, and had plenty of twists and turns. I thought the balance of description, discussion and action was really good and I enjoyed the team's tender interactions with the child as they attempt to bring her parents back to her and protect her in the meantime.

I think I need to read more of S.A.Dunphy's work!

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This is the first in the new DI Tessa Burns series and set in Ireland.

A little girl, Aisling (Ash), is found hiding in an outbuilding at her farm home. Two days previously, men arrived at their house and her mum told her to run and hide. Detective Tessa was also a child witness so she’s able to gain Aisling’s trust, and she slowly gets vital information from the little girl.

With Aisling’s parents not having been found yet, Tessa realises that the little girl’s life is in danger. Then there’s a murder. Tessa has to work hard and fast to solve the crime before there’s another murder.

I really enjoyed this gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Tessa Burns is a Detective Inspector (DI) in Ireland, having received a promotion after rescuing a kidnapped child. She requested a special team devoted to working on crimes involving children and she got it. Her small team is quite interesting: Maggie, a woman who has cerebral palsy and is mostly confined to a wheelchair and Danny, a police officer with a short temper. And you can’t forget Maggie’s dog Pavlov, who becomes an integral part of the team. All three (humans) on the team spent their youth in foster care and “care homes”, which left them with psychological issues.

The main portion of the story involves a little girl named Aisling (“Ash”) whose parents are missing. She witnessed at least some of what went down at their home. Her parents are expert distillers, her father in particular being able to create liquor that could rival top brands. What happened to them and why? Ash is a great character herself, very smart and resourceful. Pavlov becomes a great comfort for her.

In addition to an interesting and complex mystery, the best part of the book for me was getting to know the three main characters. They all have a fascinating background, the foster home experience tying them together in many ways. I am really looking forward to reading more about this trio (or quartet, if you count Pavlov and I’m certain you should!).

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Melanie MacHugh. Her voice and the accents she used transported me to Ireland.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I have been provided with a review copy of Little Witness from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.