It is the night of his sister Lily's prom the house is full of excited girls and smells of make up and perfume. Their mother, Lyn, is desperately trying to be one of the girls while Adam tries to amuse himself. Then the Limo arrives and with a lot of noise and camera clicks the girls are gone and it is just Adam and Lyn. Then Lyn pops out and Adam is left alone for a little while, except it isn't a little while because she Never Came Home.

The story then moves forward several years. Adam is a young man living in the same house with his Dad and Monty. Lily is married with a home of her own and life has moved on but the loss of his mother has affected Adam badly. Then her body is found tied to a fridge in a derelict building. What happened that night when she disappeared? How did she get there? Who wanted her dead?

Detective Siv Drummond is charged with finding the answers to all these questions but here is the rub: the detective in charge of the original investigation is the 'golden boy' in her boss' eyes. Can Siv succeed where he failed given this is a cold case? With the powers that be expecting failure Siv is even more determined to crack this case but she reckoned without all the lies and secrets.

This is a very intriguing story and the reader is pulled in to the story as the lies and events of all those years ago are uncovered and the secrets revealed. However, the ending was one I really did not see coming. Absolutely brilliant.

The characters develop well over the course of the book. I didn't like any of them (except the detective team) but that seemed to add to the story because any of them could have been the killer and that added to the suspense. Loved the way the author developed Adam from a young boy into a boy-man which worked perfectly given all Adam had experienced growing up and made the whole story very realistic.

The personal lives of the team bring a personal side to the story and Mutsi!!! Well what a unique character I await bemused to see what happens next with the mother/daughter relationship.

A very enjoyable read. Thank you to Joffe Books and the author for the advance digital copy. This is my unbiased review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
Never Came Home by Gretta Mulrooney is the second book in the Detective Inspector Siv Drummond series. It is a very accomplished police thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the end. The three members of the police team are being better known and developed and have their own personalities and idiosyncrasies. The storyline was very clever and the seaside setting helped with the police team being so small.
Recommended.

I want to thanks #Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Can a woman vanish into thin air? It’s 2013 and we witnesses the last time Adam, a nine year old kid, watches her mother, Lyn Dimas, go to the groceries and never came back.
Six years later, a body is found in a demolition site, in which they’re going to build new apartments. Detective Siv Drummond and her team get themselves a cold case who turned up to be murder. The body of Lyn Dimas is found out tied up in a back of an old fridge in an abandoned place and re opens the investigation of the disappearance of Mrs. Dimas.
This novel goes through the entire investigation of the case and in times, reveals the problems of Siv and her team. Like Siv dealing with the dead of her husband or her conflictive relationship with her mother, Mutsi.
It was a slow reading for me, too much British slang got me in some trouble, but there’s a glossary of terms in the end of the book that you can check out.
Is a dark slow pace mystery that unfolds the complicated life of the Dimas. All the time I feel so sorry about Adam and him carrying the fault of something he couldn’t avoid.
It was grim but yet interesting, sometimes there was just to many interrogations going on. Is like long version of one of those dramatic detective’s TV show like Vera. The pace was a little bit to slow for me, I’m get used to to fast thrillers but it was a nice reading.
For me is a three stars reading (I was pondering four since is three and a half actually). The motive and the discovery at the end it was OK but it was my first suspect since the beginning even if there is many others who had stronger motive to kill Lyn.
Ideal for fans of Wallander and such who wants a female and not so likeable (she is a bit too moody and gloom because of the grief and her job basically) older police detective.

The plot thickens as the story develops. Such a great read from a new author. The storyline had me on the edge of my seat.

This book was right up my alley! A detective procedural with all kinds of twists and surprises. Detective Inspector Siv Drummond is brought in when a Lyn Dimas, missing for years, is found dead. DI Drummond is working in the small town of Berminster after her husband is killed, and the cast of characters surrounding her in Berminster is fantastic - both her coworkers and everyone they investigate. Some you love, some you love to hate.

I couldnt put this down, and along with the main murder plot, there were several other back stories that captured my attention and kept me flipping pages until the very end. DI Drummond is a likeable and complicated character and I hope this series continues so I can keep following her story.

This is the second book in the series about DI Siv Drummond written by Gretta Mulrooney but can easily be read as a standalone (I had not read the first book but will be going back to do so).

In 2013, a mother is caught up in the excitement and frenzy as her daughter and her friends get themselves ready for their school prom. Once they are safely ensconced in the limousine taking them to the prom, the mother (Lyn)makes her 9 year old son (Adam) a sandwich and asks that he watch a film whilst she nips out for a short time. She never returns!

Fast forward 6 years and an old building is being emptied before being demolished. However, on starting to empty the contents the contractors make a gruesome discovery - a mummified body tied to the back of a large fridge freezer. DI Siv Drummond and her team must try to find the murderer and inform the next of kin of their discovery.

There were plenty of twists and turns and secrets in this book and it was interesting to discover how people fitted into the storyline. I didn’t guess who the killer was or there reasons for doing so.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This is the second story in the exciting new series featuring Detective Inspector Siv Drummond. Recently widowed and still grieving, Siv has moved from a high profile role in London's Metropolitan Police to take up a post at a slower pace in her old home seaside town of Berminster. This was where she and her sister were raised by their father after their chaotic Finnish mother Mutsi dumped them finally to run off with yet another lover. She was thrown straight into her first investigation, a double murder case, as soon as she arrived and proved herself a worthy addition to the small team of DS Ali Carlin and DC Patrick Hill, particularly important since her boss DCI Will Mortimer is a bit put out as he wanted his own protégé to get her job. The officer is question, Tommy Castles, moved away but rumour has it he wants to come home again and Siv will need to watch her back. Siv has settled into life in her tiny home, an ex circus wagon in a field, and has even made a friend, although she still hears the voice of her late husband and being tracked down by her ghastly mother has certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons. The story begins in 2013 with the disappearance of Lyn Dimas one night. She had just seen her eighteen year old daughter Lily off to her school prom and told her son Adam, aged nine, that she was quickly popping to the shops. When she did not return later, Adam fled to a neighbour's house and raised the alarm. Lyn was never seen again. Fast forward six years and a team of builders are scheduled to demolish a removal company’s former premises which has lain empty and crumbling for years. When they start to clear the rooms, two of them make an awful discovery. A mummified body is strapped to the back of a large fridge and Siv and her team are put on the case. It doesn’t take long for the pathologist to determine the body was female ad strangled, and a trawl of missing persons soon leads to the body’s identification as being Lyn. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives realise what a dysfunctional family Lyn was part of. They were torn apart by the departure of her husband and there is no love lost between some of them. Enquiries throw up a whole host of suspects involved with the family, their friends and colleagues and the derelict building itself, but most seem to have strong alibis and the burning question is what could have lured Lyn away to leave her son home alone? Many disturbing truths are unearthed and gradually even more possibilities are added to the mix of motives, but one by one their alibis and explanations start to fall apart. Can Siv and her team get to the root of this murder before anyone else gets hurt? I liked the detectives in the team, particularly Ali Carlin, a good detective and mentor, who comes across as dependable and unflappable. Now that they have been introduced in book one, we start to get to know them a little better, especially Patrick and his brother Noah when an interesting dilemma pops up. Siv may think she has problems getting to know people, but it’s clear that the others like and respect her, and she is proving to be a great boss and leader. The plot was clever, twisty and kept me guessing all the way through to the end. There were no distracting side plots, instead a solid story of detectives piecing together of all the evidence to a satisfying and plausible ending. Highly recommended and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series. 5*

This is the second in a series, but, can easily be read as a standalone. It’s a decent police procedural, with some interesting characters, too many for me and the storyline is a tad convoluted. The twist is a decent one, but, it’s not the page turner I was hoping for. Having said that, it’s a decent read and the lead police detective has an interesting back story that helps add depth.

It begins really well, with a young boy watching his sisters get ready for their prom. It’s descriptive and engrossing and then the mum pops out and never returns. What follows picks up many years later as Siv, the detective in charge, leads the hunt for a cold case murderer. It’s a strange read as it meanders along, scattering red herrings but with an interesting character in Siv.

Overall, a decent 3* Good Crime Thriller Read

Thanks to NetGalley, Joffre books and the author for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Never Came Home by Gretta Mulrooney is the second book in the Detective Inspector Siv Drummond series that is set in a fictional Sussex market town of Berminster. Although it is a second book anyone can dive straight in as Gretta Mulrooney has ensured to fill in the history of Siv and how she ends up here in Berminster.
This opens with D.I Siv Drummond and her partner Sergeant Ali Carlin being called out to a warehouse that's due to be demolished, but the contracters discover a partially mummified body hung onto the back of a fridge freezer. Once the identification process is complete, they realise it is the body of a woman who went missing six years previously, Lyn Dimas, who went to the shop and just never returned.The case was investigated at the time but no conrete leads were found at the time. This creates a cold murder case investigation for Siv and the team.
A book that, like the first book, has a bit of everything. It is a gritty crime thriller that is full of mystery, intrigue and suspense. The secrets start to be exposed as the team are determined to get justice for Lyn.They doggedly unravel the lies that surround the murder and we are faced with the turns and twists as they go along. The shocking conclusion creates another jaw dropping moment in a Gretta Mulrooney book. I am happy Siv is back and am hoping to see her again at some point in the future.
Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the copy of the book to write this review today.

This was my first experience with Siv, having not read the first in the series. While this was an easy read as a standalone book, I could have done with Siv's back story to help me piece together her as a character.

The book itself was a good read. The first few chapters had me hooked, but I did find myself getting a bit confused as the plot developed which I think was me struggling with the names of characters and the occasional flipping between calling people by their first and last names. The plot was fast moving and interesting and kept me guessing right up until the last page. To me it felt real, the family dynamics were real, people's motives were real and the reasons for people's lies all made sense. I really enjoyed this aspect, as people do lie for all sorts of reasons and murder investigations are never as simple as other books make them out to be, with perfectly placed clues and people who tell the truth.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to doubling back to read the first in the series.

A great mystery, I didn't guess 'who done it!!' I loved the mix of nonsteriotypical and down right stereotypes in the story. They way her dead husband talked to her was lovely. Her plight of being a woman in a man's world!!!! And the joy of sticking it to them in the end.... It had me gripped from the beginning to the end. Well worth a read.

Thank you Netgalley, Joffe books and Greta Mulrooney for the ARC.

When a mummified body is found during the demolition of a old property, it leads to the reopening of the cold case of Lyn Dimas. Lyn disappeared one evening leaving her son and teenage daughter behind. While there were speculations of her having died by suicide, her body was never found. The list of suspects is long including her daughter, ex-husband, old boyfriends and work colleagues.
This is a 2nd book featuring DI Siv Drummond and her team. The story is a bit long and the ending was pretty flat in comparison.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I hadn’t realised this was the second in a series but not having read the first one didn’t detract from the story in any way. Liked how it all same together in the end. A good read.

NEVER CAME HOME
by Gretta Mulrooney
Joffe Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020


I am reviewing a copy of Never Came Home From Joffe Books and Netgalley:



Lyn Dimas went missing Six years ago. She had a nine year old son at home, and her daughter was at her prom at school.


Six years later and a mummified corpse has been found tied to the back of a fridge in a building that had become derelict, an old mattress completed the heartbreaking scene.


It is Detective Siv Drummond who is called into solve a case that seems unsolvable it is so baffling.



It is Siv who discovered that the victim had a complicated life at home. But why did Lyn just vanish on a quick trip to the shop and will he be able to unearth the truth of family secrets and lies, before anyone else pays the ultimate price?


A cold case has burst into life, and tears a family apart for a second time.



Who wanted Lyn Dimas dead?



I give Never Came Home five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A woman goes out to the shops one night leaving her young son alone and never returns. When her body is found years later, it’s up to the detectives to piece together what happened to her.

This book is the second in a series, I haven’t read the first one so I think I missed out on a bit of character development with the detective team, it didn’t spoil the story in any way, there was just a vague feeling that I was missing a bit of information at times with some of the subplots. One thing I really liked about this book was that I had no idea who the killer was going to be, it really was a surprise at the end. That can usually make up for a book that was a bit so so and this one was. I didn’t really enjoy the way the red herrings about who the killer was going to be were scattered through the book, I prefer to come up with my own suspicions and theories when I’m reading this type of book and not have it pointed out to me in too much of an obvious way.

DI Siv Drummond #2

Six years ago, Lyn Dimas went missing. She had left her nine year old son home alone while she went to the shop. Her daughter was at her school prom.

Now: builders have found the mummified corpse tied to the back of the fridge in a derelict building. DI Siv Drummond is called in to investigate.

This book will keep you guessing through to the end. Sir is still mourninh the death of her husband. As she investigates this case, she soon discovers that a lot of secrets and lies were told during the original investigation. The story starts slowly, setting the scene. It picks up it's pace in the second half. The family is dysfunctional. There is plenty of people with motivrs. Although this is the second book in the series it cwn be rewd as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks and the author #GretaMulrooney for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Never Came Home is about a doting mother who suddenly disappears after she sees her daughter off to prom and sets her young son up to watch a movie while she runs to the store. Six years have passed since Lyn Dimas' disappearance and suddenly they've found her body in abandoned building. The odds are stacked against DI Siv Drummond as she seeks to solve this cold case.

This book was just okay to me. I didn't love it and I felt like there was just too much to untangle that when the hook finally came I was just thankful the web of lies had finally been figured out. The one thing that kept me reading was that I really liked Siv Drummond's character and wanted to see her solve this case.

Thank you to Gretta Mulroney and #joffebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating:. 2.5⭐

Detective Siv Drummond and her team are charged with investigating a body found in an abandoned building. She has been tied to the back of a refrigerator.

The victim is identified as Lyn Dimas ... a mother who went out one evening and never returned ... six years ago.

Immediately, the team starts looking at her family, friends and what she finds is that everyone questioned is either lying or has secrets they are not willing to share. Her ex-husband, a new husband, old boyfriends, even her own daughter are all suspects.

This is second in this series and is easily read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend starting with the first book. Siv is a unique character. She's left her life in London following the death of her husband and moved back to her small hometown. She has to work twice as hard as her male team members to be accepted.

It's well written with an elaborate plot filled with deftly drawn characters. Personal lives of the characters blend well with the professional. The story grabbed me at the very beginning and kept me intrigued until the surprising conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Books n All Book Promotion / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Never Came Home is the second instalment in the Detective Inspector Siv Drummond series, set in the picture-postcard fictional Sussex market town of Berminster. It isn't necessary to have read the first in the series before diving into this as enough backstory is given to get new readers up to speed. DI Drummond and her partner, Sergeant Ali Carlin, are called to the scene of a dilapidated warehouse at Orford End that was about to be demolished when contractors Ivor Bass and Grant Haddon discover a partially mummified body hung on the back of an old fridge freezer. After identification, they realise they have the cold case of Lyn Dimas on their hands, a woman who disappeared six years ago after leaving the house to walk to the local shops intending to be back at the family home swiftly then was never seen again. The case was investigated at the time when she was reported missing but after tireless work, they found that there were no more solid leads for them to chase and the case went cold. This turns a possible suicide, which is what the police thought could be the case given her husband had just left her for another man, into a full-blown murder investigation. Can they finally solve this case and get justice for Lyn?

This is a riveting and gritty police procedural with enough mystery, intrigue and interesting developments to keep you rapidly turning the pages. It is certainly in the same vein as Mulrooney’s other books with writing that just flows beautifully and a plot that is well constructed and thought out. This is a tough case, like most cold cases, as people have short memories making it difficult to gain any accurate detail due to the passage of time but dogged investigator Siv isn't about to give up now. However, not only does she have innocent lapses in memory to deal with but barefaced lies from witnesses too. Siv is a young widow who has transferred and moved to the small coastal town from London’s Metropolitan Police for a fresh start and I thought the rest of the cast was just as engaging and relatable as she was. The procedural and investigative aspects of the story are lent credence by the fact that Mulrooney seems to have researched these areas thoroughly. Soon secrets and lies are being unravelled and with a few superb twists and a shocking conclusion, this is a highly entertaining read. Many thanks to Joffe Books for an ARC.

Oh my gosh, this was a great story, there many twist and turns. I stayed up till three am, to finish this. This book will sink its teeth into you the first chapter and not let you go. Every time you think you figured it out, something new comes to light. I will recommend this to people wanting a change of pace with their reading or in a reading slump. Great book.