I always enjoy books from this author and this one is no exception. It hooks you in from the start and keeps you gripped all the way through. I can't wait to read more from them in the future - great book.

If Looks Could Kill by Olivia Kiernan is a very enjoyable murder mystery set in Ireland. The author is new to me and this is the third book in a series but it works well as a stand alone. I liked the sense of teamwork that the writer created within the police department through believable characters. The plot was well structured with some surprises along the way. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a detective mystery.

My thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Editions Ltd, Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

With thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC

Another great instalment in this excellent series.


Full review to follow...

Book 3 and it could still be enjoyed for the investigation into a mother's life. FRANKIE was called when the mother Debbie was reported missing. There was blood at home but no body. So it was up to Frankie to start her investigation and get to the truth.

Year 2020 has been filled with police procedural and this too was interesting when secrets were dug up about Debbie's life.

It was slow initially then got interesting when the investigation sped up. I liked Frankie and she made me stick to my kindle till the end. 

A good read.

This was a great read, enjoyed it thoroughly, was hooked from the first page, loads of twists and turns, would recommend it x

This is another excellent book by Olivia with her character Frankie who investigates the disappearance of a woman in Ireland. An excellent page turner.

I very much enjoyed this book.  It has a good story and excellent main characters.  I would definately recommend this book.

Storyline that keeps you turning the pages, intriguing and quite fast moving. The beginning Is strange and doesn’t appear to tie in with the storyline but just be patient, all will be revealed. Brilliant read

Two seemingly unrelated incidents in Dublin lead Sheehan into an investigation that deftly twists and turns. No character is what they seem, but Kiernan's innate gift is to make the locales characters in themselves.

I really enjoyed this book once the pace picked up a bit. I’d say around the 40% mark was where it became unputdownable. My biggest worry reading If Looks Could Kill was the fact that I hadn’t read the first two books in the series but I think this works really well as a stand alone-there were a couple of instances where I thought “maybe that makes more sense with context from books 1 & 2” but it was never anything major and it didn’t take me out of the story. 
My favourite thing about If Looks Could Kill is the amount of times you think you’re racing towards a conclusion only to be twisted around abs pointed in another direction-I feel this is how working on real cases might feel to detectives. I marked it 4 stars but it probably would have been 4.5 if I hadn’t figured out some of the “shocking” twists quite early on. 
Highly recommended to fans of police procedurals, crime thrillers etc. I can’t wait to read the first two now.

If looks could kill is a truly magnificent read. The story is brilliant, full of twists and turns which are far from predictable and points where you find yourself shocked by what happens. The pace is perfect, ramping up the right amount of suspense to keep the reader hooked. 
A wonderfully written book which everyone should read.

A great storyline, with lots of twists and turns. It is never predictable, and there are a few time when you are surprised with the turn of events. It flows very well and feel like a real journey. The characters are likeable and you build a relationship with them, as you journey with them. Frankie and her sidekick Baz, who does a fantastic supporting role.

It never gets too dark which is something I dont like. There is life and honor in here as well. I have not read the other books in the series but didn't need to. I will definitely be checking them out as soon as possible, as I want to spend more time with the characters. A Great read.

Another fab read by Olivia Kiernan, I loved catching up with Frankie and cant wait to see what she does next.  Thanks to netgalley  and the publishers for this ARC

I love that this murder mystery was set in Ireland. I love that it read like a proper murder mystery, police investigation. I really enjoyed the strong female lead in DCS Frankie Sheenan. I haven't read the first two books in this series but after reading this book, I'd be happy to. This is the kind of murder investigation book I've felt like reading, it had twists and surprises, it was believable and it was easy to follow, I think some might find it a bit slow at times, but I think the pace worked for the story. 
I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

This is the third book in the Frankie Sheehan series, but I haven’t read any of the others and this works fine as a standalone book. 

DCS Frankie Sheehan and her trusted sidekick, Baz, investigate the disappearance of Debbie Nugent. Set in rural Ireland, the descriptions of the local scenery are definitely worth a mention, you can easily picture where the events would take place and the relevance of the other houses in relation to Debbie’s which helps to set the scene and events that follow. 

This has a great plot. The answer to what happened to Debbie seems quite obvious to begin with, she must definitely be dead for a start and who did it? Most likely Frankie’s first thought, the daughter who has lived with the murder scene for so long… definitely suspicious! Sheehan is relentless with finding her supporting evidence, but, trusting her instincts, all is not what it seems.

Kieran does an excellent job of bringing us along with the thoughts of the investigators and the investigation with its various twists and turns. Nothing is obvious but not shocking either. This has a good solid plot that could easily be based in the real world instead of fiction. 

The characters are strong and well developed. I particularly enjoyed the strong lead woman, Frankie. The book demonstrates how well Frankie handles being in a male-dominated police force which is interesting to see, she is intelligent and strong in her field but also kind and loyal. There are other secondary characters which are mostly just as well developed though a couple would have been nice to hear a little more about, especially towards the end.

I enjoyed the opening scenes the most…quite a different start to most books and quite shocking. A man enters a busy park in the middle of Dublin and shoots himself. There is no explanation for this, and it feels a bit remote until the thread is picked up and makes perfect sense towards the end of the book when you have almost forgotten about it even happening. 

Overall a great book and I am looking forward to more in the series and finding some time to go back and read the two before!

There were some elements to this novel that I really enjoyed: the atmospheric descriptions of the Irish countryside, the suspense and the mystery the first pages brought.
However, I really could not get myself to 'like' any of the characters. I know this isn't essential to enjoy a novel but I really found it hard to relate to Frankie, especially. 
While the story was gripping at some points, the overall plot seemed to drag and had a bit of a 'stop/start' feeling as the events unfolded. The big twist I was hoping for never really came and the ending left me feeling slightly disappointed. 

Thank you to Quercus Books for sending me the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!

This is the third book in the series, and even though I haven't read the first two, I think this works nicely enough as a standalone.  The book was thrilling, well written, and I couldn't wait to see if the missing mother was found, and who the killer was.  And wow, was that a surprise! Recommended.
TB

I enjoyed this book a lot, although there were other books before it in the series, I did not feel that not reading them impacted the flow of the story. 

Brilliantly written and set at an agreeable pace, this story kept me guessing. I'd definitely recommend it.

This is an excellent police procedural. The mystery was addictive, the setting atmospheric, the dialogue tight and the plot  twists excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it in a day. I can’t wait for the next book by Olive Kiernan to be out.

A strong plot development means that what you see as a relatively straightforward solution turns out unexpectedly to the reader to be something that you couldn't have anticipated. A study in how not just to accept the face value of any single testimony but to turn it over until the truth is shaken out. Making it stick provides the essence of this thoughtful and complete book.