Really enjoyed the first book in the Corbally Crime series. I felt like I instantly knew the characters. Excellent plot that kept me guessing until the very end !

Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan had all of the ingredients for a stunning police procedural and then some! This first book of the Detective Iris Locke series included an intelligent, determined but flawed detective, an atmospheric setting, realistic and believable characters and several unexpected twists in the engrossing, poignant and soul-stirring case they were investigating. The close was both satisfying and surprising. I am already looking forward to the next instalment in what, I think, promises to be a stunning series!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a new series featuring Detective Iris Locke.

Up until now Iris has been working on undercover cases but she desperately wants to work for a murder team. When a temporary vacancy comes up in Limerick, she is reluctant to take it at first as her father was a retired superintendent there, but the case is a strong draw and it appears she has a link to the murder victim.

This was a great start to a new detective series and I liked very much the way the story slowly unfolded.

I look forward to reading more about Iris, I think she could be a fascinating character, especially after discovering who she really is.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book and the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Though she grew up there, Limerick wasn’t the first place where Detective Iris Locke wanted to work. However, Murder Squad jobs don’t come around often, and the case itself … well, it’s too tempting to pass up. Initially thought to have died in a fire in her countryside home, closer inspection reveals Anna Crowe was actually shot. Iris is drawn to Anna not only because they had briefly met, but also because her sister was the subject of an unsolved kidnapping case from thirty years prior. To solve the murder, Iris must solve the kidnapping, even if digging up old bones uncovers secrets that threaten everything in her professional and personal worlds.

Crafty twists and a clever hook makes Silent Night a refreshing police procedural. Author Geraldine Hogan has tossed aside cheap gimmicks in favor of a solid mystery and character-driven action. From the opening scenes of Iris descending on her new job in Limerick to the final reveal as everything comes clashing to a close, Hogan meticulously layers atmospheric tension with genuine surprises.

Does this sound like an awful lot of praise being heaped? It should.

A large part of Silent Night’s success relies on Iris herself. From the start, she’s at a crossroads. She understands what she wants: to be part of a Murder Squad. But as her own father is a bit of a legend in Limerick, Iris would prefer a jurisdiction like Dublin Castle. This provides ample friction as Iris struggles against being cast as a nepotism hire while also being pulled into a case that forces her to examine a past where her father looms large. Ultimately, Hogan has infused her with a vulnerable strength that’s hard not to root for.

With such a compelling main character, it’s almost an embarrassment of riches that she’s backed up be an eclectic supporting cast who help her navigate a complicated case. Her partner, Slattery, acts as a gruff foil while never skewing into cartoonish territory. And the suspects themselves lead Iris and Slattery on a wild chase, through strained interviews and plenty of secrets. While this could have led to an obvious ending, the close is both satisfying and surprising.

Solid characters, an engrossing case, and cleverly plotted reveals make Silent Night a fantastic start to a new series.

You may be sitting there thinking to yourself, 'this name sounds familiar', and you would be right. Geraldine Hogan, as a lot of you may already know, has written contemporary novels under the name of Faith Hogan. When I found out that she would be writing a crime novel, I was a little apprehensive as her other books are deeply moving, emotive, dynamic reads, and I just wasn't sure.

'Silent Night' is the first book in a brand new series which follows Detective Iris Locke's policing journey into the Murder team, and she is certainly thrown into the deep end with her first investigation!

I wasn't taken by the storyline at first, I'll be honest. There was a lot of information up in the air, with the storyline to-ing and fro-ing between the characters without first making sense of what had already been written. I didn't really like the feeling of mismatch, but I tried to keep an open mind.

Thankfully the last 40 percent of the book completely turned my opinion around. I was shocked by the difference as it felt like I was reading a completely different story than the one I had started with. Perhaps Geraldine Hogan grew in confidence towards the end of the book, who knows, but I was so pleased by the strength of the latter chapters.

Iris Locke is such an intriguing character, and I can just tell that there is a lot more to her colleagues that meets the eye. I am rather looking forward to finding all of that out, that's for sure.

The concept of missing child, devastating secrets, and murder, was such a compulsive and gripping mixture which, by the end of the book, had my pulse racing. I did not expect the turn of events, and I certainly did not expect my opinion of the book to change so drastically, but it did.

Geraldine Hogan has taken a promising step into the crime fiction genre, and I am looking forward to see where it takes her next

After I graduated from the Trixie Belden and the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators mystery series for kids, I moved onto Dame Agatha. I raced through her novels, eager to reach the climax where Hercule Poirot reveals all. Re-reading her books as an adult, I was annoyed by Christie’s tendency to withhold key evidence until that final reveal. I like to have the chance to solve the mystery myself. With American and U.K. crime writers being equally popular on the New York Times bestseller lists, I find it interesting to compare and contrast European writers to American ones. Perhaps the desire to solve the mystery herself is unique to American readers.

British publisher Bookouture has released Irish author Geraldine Hogan’s first crime novel, Silent Night, which is the first book in her Detective Iris Locke series. With its Irish setting, police detective protagonist, and gut-wrenching crimes, Silent Night strongly reminded me of a Tara French novel. The book has a strong premise and a shocking resolution, but the middle is a little slow.

Read the rest of my review by clicking on the link below.

This is the first book in a brand new series from an author that I love - as soon as I saw it was being released I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy and I was invited to take part in the cover reveal too - I hope you agree too that is it fabulous!

I thought that the plot for this was superb, it was very well developed and the pace was spot on. I read the book in one sitting after I had put my daughter to bed and when my husband was on nights – complete bliss and it was such a treat!!

This was a book that I became completely engrossed in the book and I thought that the characters and Iris and her team were great – I can’t wait to find out more about them! The setting was excellent, the author really brought it all to life for me and it made me want to go back and visit Ireland!

I thought that this was a brilliant start to the series and I cannot wait for the next book!! Very well written, a completely additive plot with some excellent characters – 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!!

‘Silent Night’ is Geraldine Hogan’s debut crime novel. Geraldine also writes under the pen name of ‘Faith Hogan’ and she has released several contemporary fiction novels under the name of Faith. I loved Faith’s books and I just instinctively knew that I would enjoy her foray into the world of crime. I wasn’t wrong either. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Silent Night’ but more about that in a bit.
I took to Detective Iris Locke from the very first time I met her. She is the only child of a former Guard and his wife. Her father worked for the Gardaí for many years and he is still remembered by many still in the Gardaí. Iris is following in her father’s footsteps. She is proud of her father’s achievements but at the same time, she wants to carve her own career path and to achieve her own success without her father’s influence. When the story starts, Iris is kind of licking her own wounds after a stint working undercover. The case collapses. Iris is not responsible for the collapse of the case but because her name was associated with the case, she is seen as being tainted. Guilt by association if you like. She is a floating detective in the sense that she goes where she is needed. The case that becomes the main focus of ‘Silent Night’ sees Iris return back to her father’s old stomping ground of Corbally. Iris is tenacious, determined, stubborn, compassionate, sensitive, hard working, feisty and strong. I was keeping everything crossed that Iris would solve the case, she would be a successful Guard in her own right and that she would eventually manage to rescue her reputation from the gutter. Does this happen? Well you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my goodness, ‘Silent Night’ was one hell of a read and then some. I was hooked from the start and reading ‘Silent Night’ became seriously addictive. I found it simply impossible to put this book down. It wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I had originally picked the book up, only intending to read a couple of chapters but the first time I looked to see how much I had read, I was stunned to realise that I had read just under half of the book. I was enjoying the book so much that I lost all track of time and how quickly the pages were turning. I picked the book up in the morning and had finished it by the evening. ‘Silent Night’ was that good a book that I ended up suffering a book ‘hangover’ and nothing I read afterwards measured up to ‘Silent Night’.
‘Silent Night’ is superbly written, but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from Geraldine/ Faith. She drew me into the story from the start and kept my attention throughout the book. I was so convinced by the writing that I began to feel as though I was part of the story myself and that in effect I was a Guard too. I even began to interact with the book. Yes I do know this is fictional but if I am convinced by the writing, then I tend to ‘live’ the story as if it were real.
Reading ‘Silent Night’ was very much like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster rides with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. I smugly thought that I had worked out who was doing what and to whom, only to be thrown a curveball and I later realised that I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. I did expect some of the twists and turns but others crept up on me and when they struck, I was left feeling stunned and as though I had had the breath knocked out of me.
In a nutshell, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Silent Night’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Iris Locke. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Book Review
Everyone following this page know I could talk all day long about how talented and wonderful this author is.
I've taken quite a shine to Ger and her books along the way. For those of you that don't know, Ger also writes under the name Faith Hogan (Do check out these books)
Silent Night is her first time delving into the crime/police procedural type of book.
A new genre for her and I think she's nailed it perfectly.
We meet Detective Iris Locke, a bright, ambitious, young woman who has spent the last year of her career working undercover.
She is assigned to the murder squad in Limerick, her fathers old stomping ground and partnered with the rather cynic that is Sergeant Ben Slattery.
Of course they clash immediately as you would expect. She's bright eyed and bushy tailed with regards to her job and he's too long in his job.
He's cynical, abrupt and somewhat dismissive.
He feels she is where she is because of who her father was in the police force.
I quite enjoyed the banter between them if I'm honest.
A young woman and her two children are found dead in a fire which quickly turns into a murder case. But what has these deaths to do with a cold case that Detective Locke's father in his time in the police force could never solve.
What makes her think she can solve it if he couldn't?
A brilliant start to a crime series, her characters are solid, interesting and very well thought out....
I can't wait to see more of what is to come from this working duo...
A great storyline, I was completely intrigued. There are enough twists and turns to this case to keep you turning the pages.
Brilliant, I loved it Ger, well done....💙

Favorite Quotes:

Ah yes, the good old days when they moved you every couple of weeks. It tended to weed out the men from the boys, and the women entirely.

Boran was an electric eel of a man, long and reedy, jumpy and giddy; with deep-set eyes that Iris supposed might set him aside as an artist, or in Iris’s line of work, a player.

Rumour has it she’s looking to catch you out, Slattery, better watch yourself. That one, she’s a hairy bit of work on a bicycle, take it from me. You watch yourself up there now.

Iris lowered her voice, conscious once more of her surroundings. St Abbati’s Terrace wasn’t exactly Soho. It was the kind of place, Iris figured, where the neighbours knew if you flushed twice within the hour and they would be counting.

Slattery, more than anyone, knew that truth was a costly commodity; he knew it because from what he could see, it was rarer than hens’ teeth.


My Review:

While the clever story threads and plot lines were unpredictable and smartly paced, I was far more taken by Ms. Hogan’s exquisitely crafted, evocative, and slowly evolving storytelling. She snared my attention on page one and kept me immersed in her intriguing tale to the last sentence. Her writing was deftly penned and scrolled smoothly through my brain with ease. It was as if I were watching a film.

Each scene was thoroughly set to engage all the senses from vivid visuals to heart-squeezing emotional tones, with an added treat of agilely inserted incidental details and keenly entertaining observations that tickled my brain cells and continually prodded my curiosity.

What an unexpected delight! I am all in with the lovely Iris and am eager to see what the crafty Ms. Hogan shakes loose for her next murder case. And for a bonus, I learned a fun Irish idiom of “on the gargle” - meaning to be boozy.

I will be honest and say when I got asked to be apart of this blog tour, I was in two frames of mind whether to or not, I haven’t read a thriller/crime novel for many years and wasn’t sure if I actually still enjoyed reading them. But there was something about this that caught my attention, it was a mixture of it being the first in the series, the intriguing blurb and it having a female leading investigative officer, but I will say that I am so pleased that I accepted because this is great start to what I am sure is going to be a brilliant series.

The story opens with the kidnapping of a baby from her pram, one minute she was there in the garden and the next she was gone, never to be seen again, fast forward twenty-nine years Anna; the older sister of the missing baby is found brutally murdered along with her two children in their own home. The case is assigned to Detective Iris Locke who has retuned to her home town against her fathers better judgment, once she starts delving in to the murder of Anna, Iris soon comes to the conclusion that something isn’t quite right, she thinks that Anna and her children’s brutal murders are in someway connected to the disappearance o Anna’s sister all those years ago. But how could that be?

Iris isn’t pleased with the idea of moving back to her home town of Limmerick, to be working in the very Police station that her father used to run all those years ago. She feels that because she is the daughter of one of the greatest Detectives that Limmerick has seen, she has to work all the harder to prove that she isn’t in the position because of who she is related to but because of her own merit – unfortunately no matter how much she may want to be her own person she is constantly compared to her father, she knows that the others think that she had a helping hand. On top of that she has her own issues, after being undercover for over a years which didn’t end in the best ways for her she is desperate to get back to what she loves; solving crimes but as we know your past usually comes back to bite you.

To be able to solve the triple murder Iris does the thing she would never have done, she goes to her father for help, her father being the very Detective who investigated the baby’s disappearance all those years ago. The more she delves into the pad, the darker and ,murkier the case becomes.

I love how this is written, you follow the case as it goes along, but we get to know the lead characters more during the first half, especially the two leading Investigators; Iris and her Sergeant Ben Slattery, I think that as the series goes along we are going to see their working relationship evolves into what could be a great detective partnership, both characters are so different with their own views and issues and yet they feed off each other to bring the case together, true they may not always agree and that is what makes Locke and Slattery work.

The only thing I will say against this is that it does set off at a very slow pace, it’s really as the reader is getting to know the lead character’s, it does gradually build up as the story progresses but it isn’t until nearing the final that the story and the case really picks up speed and we finally come to a completely eye-opening and thrilling end.

Overall a pretty decent crime story, that is intriguing, imaginative as well as very real, with twist and turns in the case that will keep you guessing as to who did what and why, the story keeps the readers attention right up to the explosive unexpected finale that makes you sit up and go “wow, I didn’t see that coming.” I am definitely looking forward to more from the Iris Locke series, I feel that there is far more Iris Locke then one the author showed in this. Ms Hogan has done a great job at keeping the reader locked into her darkly imaginative and at times disturbing world of Iris Locke.

If you love a crime caper, then this is a must read.

I loved this book. It seems as a good foundation for a series with Iris Locke not portrayed to be a simpering new addition to a squad but as an established sergeant ready to get on with it. This is the first time in a while I have read a book taking place in Ireland and it is a nice change.
Iris has without going into too much detail through no fault of her own ended up in dead end police assignment talking to students and other community activities. She gets a job back in the town where her dad used to be the police superintendent. She doesn’t really want it because she doesn’t want to be thought of as getting help from her father but it is on the murder squad which she really wants.
A woman Anna and her two children are found dead in a fire and it is revealed that when Anna was only a child herself, her baby sister disappeared from the pram in the yard. Jack Locke was in charge of the investigation and even though he is retired the new deaths seem to be connected to the past.
The characters are extremely well developed and for the most part likable. I especially love Slattery! The ending came as a total shock and I will definitely recommend this author and follow the series that will hopefully follow this beginning.

A really good first book in a new series. Starting out with a house fire and bodies found in the ruins, the case is getting complicated when Iris Locke finds a connection to an old cold case almost 30 years ago. She's trying hard to find the murderer, but being the new one in there isn't much support from her colleagues. Her partner Slattery, is a disillusioned sergeant, finding the bottle of whiskey more appealing than his work. Iris is having a hard time finding her footing in a murder team she didn't want to join in the first place and the memory of the one time she met the victim briefly. The case gets more personal than Iris could've imagined. Liked the story and writing and I will definitely pick up the next book with Iris Locke and the Murder Team.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Geraldine Hogan’s ‘Silent Night’ in exchange for an honest review. After a few chapters as I was enjoying it, I bought its Kindle/audiobook combination. The audiobook edition was skilfully narrated by Shelley Atkinson.

Set in Limerick, Ireland this is first in Hogan’s D.S. Iris Locke series of police procedurals.

Nearly thirty years previously newborn Janey Fairley had been snatched from her pram as it stood in the garden. She was never found. Her sister, Anna, is now married with two young children. Anna had recently returned to the small community with her children. Then a fire is reported in their cottage and their are discovered to have been shot in their sleep. A murder enquiry is opened.

D.S. Iris Locke has just finished a year undercover though the high profile case failed and her cover blown. Now back home she is hoping to be assigned to a position with the Dublin Murder Squad. However, she reluctantly accepts a temporary position on the Limerick Murder Squad. As her father had been its Chief Superintendent before his retirement, she is reluctant to work there but accepts.

Iris begins to suspect that there is a link between these murders and the Baby Fairley case though others in the department discourage her investigation. Plenty of suspects and a decades old cold case made this very hard to put down.

I felt that ‘Silent Night’ was a strong start to this new series and as well as dealing with the case at hand it also established the personalities and backgrounds of the members of the Limerick Murder Squad. I was particularly drawn to Iris as a lead character. While she clearly has history and things to prove, she has a fierce intelligence and a willingness to uncover the truth.

I look forward to reading future books in this series.

This was fabulous!! What a twist!! Before I started this book, I had only one wish to the book gods - let this be a different police procedural. I wished someone would write a story which had a twist that I wanted. And it happened. Geraldine Hogan in her debut in this genre did exactly that.

A police procedural has certain routine things like cops, team, friendly banter, forensics, investigation. But what this brilliant author did was put those routine stuff in a box, shake it well, and write the story so different from the regular formula. It felt as if she knew where the ending ought to be and then developed the story. She almost read my mind. Amazing.

The author Geraldine Hogan went against the flow.

A great team with supportive partner and friendly banter, you ask? What's that, the author said. Not even close. Iris Locke, our main character, who was transferred to Murder, had to come home to take up that post. A new face in a group which had years of working together, most times, Iris was not told much and had to prove herself to this group. Her partner too had my eyes rolling, alcoholic with secrets and a rough bedside manner. Not too friendly, was he?

A larger than life main character, you ask? What's that, the author said. Not even close. Iris Locke was real, she had her strengths and flaws. She was a normal human being, she was scared, she made mistakes. But what she had made her a great cop. Her intelligence and her determination and perseverance brought a lot of secrets to light.

Friendly banter, you ask? What's that, the author said. Not even close. Iris had to come back home where her father was a well known ex-cop. She hardly had anyone to speak to. She was the outsider and kept there in most of the book.

A routine murder then, you ask? What's that, the author said. Not even close. A murder, a mother and her 2 kids shit and burned, the most dreadful of deaths. A file opened on the current case had its links to an old one with a disappearing newborn. Iris opened the can and worms fell out, most wanted to stay buried.

Subtle subplots and normal twists in the story of the murder victims and identity of murderer, you ask? What's that, the author said. Not even close. She took a whopping risk and brought these twists in a way that the story turned upside down. All that had been laid down in most of the book suddenly took on a new flavor and a new interpretation.

A faster pace and adding a bit of shine and emotions to the prose would have made it perfect. This was the first book in the series which was paving the way for Iris Locke and the team, so it was understandable. Overall, a fun read with a massive twist. A good debut.

My first book by this author writing under this name and genre. I have however read some of her women’s fiction books under the author name of Faith Hogan, which I have really enjoyed. Based in Limerick, Ireland we are introduced to Detective Iris Locke in the first book of this series. Iris’s father was also a policeman and she finds that she has his big boots to fill. When given the case of murdered Anna Crowe and her two children, Iris finds herself looking into a case 29 years previously which has similar connections to Anna’s murder.

I enjoyed this book as a first read of a series. It was a slower paced read, but was setting up Iris’s character perfectly for the rest of the series, detailing her background and the relationship she has with her father. The storyline was gripping and I really liked Iris as a lead character, with her being strong willed, determined and trying her best not to let her father’s reputation and his attitude towards her affect how she works the case.

The plot gave me lots of characters to mull over and decide how they all fit in. As with similar books, there are lots of twists and turns which kept me hooked whilst I tried to work it all out! This was most definitely a good start to the series with some great characters which I’ll be looking forward to meeting in future books! The location was fabulous and the storyline was gripping and addictive. I shall look forward to the next book in the series to find out more about Detective Iris Locke!

Great start to a new police procedural series. I didn’t instantly fall in love with the book but it grew on me and now I can’t wait to read more. Iris Locke is a fascinating character with so much potential for more excellent storylines. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series and fingers crossed there will be many more books to follow.

Geraldine Hogan’s scintillating debut novel Silent Night introduces a redoubtable, intelligent and brilliant new heroine set to become a huge favourite with crime fiction readers everywhere: Iris Locke.

Having followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the police force, Iris Locke has always had one goal in mind: to join the Murder Squad in Dublin Castle and bring criminals to justice and throw them in jail. Iris’ career had started so promisingly, but when her last assignment went awry, it looked like all of her hopes and dreams for the future were dashed and her ambition to work at Dublin Castle seemed to be getting further and further away for her. Stuck giving talks at careers day in schools, Iris wonders if she will ever get another chance to prove herself. When she gets sent to Limerick to join the Murder Squad there, she is not exactly thrilled, but with no other option available to her, she goes back to the narrow streets and green hills of her childhood where she soon realizes that life is far from quiet in the countryside as evil and murder end up rearing their heads in the most beautiful and idyllic of surroundings.

Three bodies are found burnt to death in a ramshackle cottage in the Irish countryside and its victims are people Iris knows very well. Anna and her two young children were found dead in their beds after a house fire and a determined Iris vows to get to the bottom of this mystery and bring their killer to justice. Anna’s life has always been haunted by tragedy. As a small child, her baby sister had been snatched and her kidnapper has never been found and now nearly three decades later, Anna and her family are once again touched by yet another tragic crime. Who would have wanted to kill Anna and her children? Why was their cottage set on fire? Were these three deaths accidental? Or was it cold-blooded murder?

Iris will leave no stone unturned in her quest for the truth, but with the fire having wiped out all evidence and Limerick being a close-knit community that protects its own, Iris keeps going down one dead end after another. She is determined not to repeat her father’s failure and solve this mystery and bring the criminals who had committed such a heinous act to justice, but Iris has been up in the big smoke for far too long and with time running out, it looks like this will be another case for the Crowe family that will be left hanging…

As she reopens old investigations and untangles a twisted web of old wounds and never forgotten scandals, can Iris find her killer? Or is it already far too late?

A nail-biting chiller that will make your heart race and send shivers up and down your spine, Silent Night is a spellbinding and sensational crime novel that is impossible to put down. Action-packed, suspenseful and absolutely terrifying, Silent Night is a fantastic read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish awaiting each jaw-dropping plot twist with bated breath as they are on tenterhooks desperate to find out what happens next.

A first class Irish thriller written in the best-selling tradition of Tana French and Angela Marsons, Silent Night is a phenomenal debut from an outstanding talent.

Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan
Being an aspiring writer myself I am always excited to read books by new authors curious to know their writing style, how they approach the plot, what influences their characters and how they set up structure.
In Silent Night, Geraldine Hogan has delivered a true blue edge of the seat crime thriller with the right dosage of suspense. Every page makes us jittery, as we wait with baited breath to see how the story unfolds.
DS Iris Locke returns to her childhood home with trepidation, after a failed undercover operation in Dublin. DS Locke’s father, former Superintendent Jack Locke, having had an illustrious career in the force is not happy with her decision but eventually relents. Iris on the other hand is under pressure to live upto the reputation of her celebrated father. Her first assignment is to attend the scene of a burnt out cottage in the forest with the charred bodies of Anna Crowe and her two children. This tragic and violent death of the woman and her two innocent children is baffling to the police and rakes up a 30 year old case of a baby’s disappearance from her pram. These two cases seem related and Iris tries to find the link and digs deeper and even ruffles a few feathers. After soliciting her father’s advice on the case, devastating secrets are revealed through unlikely occurrences.
The plot is gripping with a quick pace with strong relatable characters and excellent settings. A daughter following in her revered father’s footsteps - always in the limelight seeking approval, the anxious father worried about his daughter’s well being in this seemingly innocent town
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

Many crime thrillers claim to be “absolutely gripping,” but sometimes don’t live up to the hype. I’m happy to say that Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan does live up to the phrase. There is a lot to wade through at the beginning, but once the characters and setting are established, the action takes off. The reader is taken on quite a ride through the twists and turns of the murder investigation. I thought the author did a great job of keeping the action taut because it kept me hooked to the end. For more thoughts on what was so right about this five-star read, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.