Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

This is the third book in this series which features Gaby Darin who has recently been promoted to Detective Sergeant in the Murder Investigation Team and a case centred around Llandudno, North Wales. After recovering from serious injuries, she has returned to work but all is quiet so is looking into cold cases. One case in particular is important to one member of her team, the one termed Operation Angel, as the victim was his now wife's older sister. As the team start to investigate can they determine what really happened to Angelica?

What an intriguing read this proved to be. The evidence from the past is re-investigated and the possibility of Angelica being the victim of a serial killer arises. Can they identify the killer before he strikes again?

This is a real page turner that makes the members of the team seem like people you know and relate to. It is different to most murder mysteries in that this is a re-investigation of an unsolved case but there are definite links to the present, too. There are family dramas, developing relationships, even a possible romance for Gaby as the story unfurls. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers, police procedurals or murder mysteries.

Fallen Angel is the third book in the DS Gaby Darin series ,I haven't read the previous books but I am now going to but this book is a good stand alone. This is a very good Police Procedural set in Llandudno Wales, the descriptions are very good and so are the characters they felt very real .This is one of those books that grabs you from the first chapter and is full of twists and turns I didn't guess the ending .!I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Gaby in this series .Many Thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

A solid four star read. Good premise. Great characters. Enjoyed the writing style. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. It even had a twist that I didn’t see coming. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

An excellent cold case mystery that had me stumped. There is a lot of old fashioned detective work happening for most of the story along with another investigation occurring at the same time. There were plenty of twists and turns. I didn't see that ending coming! There was a bit of information dump at the end tying events and individuals together but the journey to that point was nerve-wracking and I really found it difficult to put the book down.
I enjoyed the insight into the personal lives of Gaby's team, including her own friendship with Rusty who can be such an arse at times. There was never a dull moment! An excellent read. Can't wait for the next book.

This is a great read. It’s the third book in the series but can easily be read as a stand-alone book.
DI Gaby Darin is on the hunt for a case to get stuck into so starts going through some cold cases and comes across one that is far from simple.
It’s the case of a murdered student, Angelica, who was found in a foetal position dressed in an old fashioned nightgown.
It comes to light that Owen is married to her sister so has a vested interest in finding the killer.
After more digging it seems this is not an isolated murder and Gaby and the team realise they have a serial killer on their patch.
I loved the dynamics in the team and as for Gaby and Rusty, well they just need to get together.
The book had a gripping ending and I was really pleased with the decision Owen made at the end as well.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a really good series. In this book we find out more about Gaby and her team. The cold case they are trying to solve is personal to one of them. It turns out to be a complicated case. There is a lot of suspense and chasing clues. With the personal details of the characters being told alongside the solving of the case it makes everything seem more real. This is definitely a series that I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Acting DI Gaby Darin is twiddling her thumbs: the usual flood of cases has slowed to less than a dribble and she's looking through cold cases for inspiration as to which one she should have a good look at. DS Owen Bates suggests the murder of eighteen-year-old Angelica Brock in 1995 and Gaby is intrigued. She can't see any immediate failings in the original investigation: Angelica disappeared from a room in a securely-locked house, wearing her pyjamas, and was found dead by a dog walker on the Gt Orme in Llandudno the next day. She was wearing a hand-made nightdress which her mother had never seen before. Bates hasn't quite told the whole story: he's married to Kate Brock, Angelica's younger sister.

Darin thinks it's worth having a good look at the case but Owen Bates can't really be involved, given his relationship to the victim. He's looking into the case of a gas explosion in which a woman in her forties was killed, shortly after her husband committed suicide. Everyone suspects that it's just a case of a tragic accident and the paperwork will close it down but the husband is aggressively protective of his rather timid wife.

Time is pressing. Will Darin and her team be able to get a result before there are new cases which will have to take precedence? It's a good team. Jax Williams is thinking of leaving home and moving in with his girlfriend: he's gaining a quiet, impressive confidence. Malachy Devine looks confident but that might be deceptive. Darin can't quite understand how someone on the post-degree national detective programme and paid just £21,000 a year can afford designer clothes and to drive a Jag. Marie Morgan has problems at home: her husband has moved another woman into their home and Marie has been forced into a shoe-box bedsit. She feels that she's wasted ten years of her life. Gaby Darin's in a strange situation: there's obviously some chemistry between her and Dr Rusty Mulholland but she's not certain and he's, well, rather changeable.

I first met Gaby Darin when I read Silent Cry in April 2020. I wasn't totally convinced by the book, the series opener, but was more than happy to read this, the third book in the series and I'm glad that I did. Rank becomes Darin - she's grown into herself and there was an excellent dynamic between her and the team. There's obviously been a book between the first and this book, but I didn't feel that there was any problem in having missed that book - or that it wouldn't be worthwhile to go back and read the missing story at some point in the future. We know Darin was injured but there are no spoilers.

HQ Digital suggest that these are stories which will keep you reading into the early hours of the morning and that's certainly what happened to me. There came a point when I simply couldn't have stopped reading because I had to know what happened. I did work out who the wrong 'un was but I didn't get all the reasoning and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of what was a cracker of a book. From being 'interested to read about what she does next' I've moved to 'must be sure of getting hold of the next in the series'. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

Fallen Angel, the third in Jenny O’Brien’s DI Gaby Darin series, is a compelling police procedural set in a seaside town in Wales that combines exceptional character development with suspenseful mystery.

Years ago, Angelica Brock, a beautiful girl was found dead, posed on a stone table wearing a white, handmade, detailed nightgown. The nightgown was not hers and there was no obvious cause of death. Gaby, back at the precinct after medical leave, decides to reinvestigate this cold case. Her work is doubled when an explosion takes the life of a terminally ill woman while her daughter is shopping. The woman’s husband was killed in a bus accident less than a month earlier. Gaby assigns Owen, a member of her team and friend, to investigate these deaths since his wife is Angelica’s sister. Soon there are two major investigations but only after there is another murder do the detectives see what has been in front of them all along.

Although Fallen Angel is the third in the series, it is an exciting standalone thriller. If you’ve read the earlier books, you’ll enjoy seeing Gaby and Rusty navigate their rocky relationship, what Marie has been through and how Owen is affected by his home life. If you are new to the this well-written series, you have a treat waiting for you. Fallen Angel is for fans of Elizabeth George and Deborah Crombie and is definitely a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and Jenny O’Brien for this ARC.

I have enjoyed the previous two books in this series, this one not so much. There are plenty twists and the plot drew me in and it was well written but it was just a bit slow for me. Gaby is investigating a cold case and the action only appears to build up towards the last part of the book. There was enough information about the private lives of the team, although a bit too much for my liking. I hope the next book in the series is a bit more fast paced. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

When Angelica Brock was found dead on the Great Orme in 1995 it caused the loss of innocence for a generation of children in Llandudno and the end of life as they knew it for her family.

In 2020 DI Gabriella Darin and her team at St Asaph police station are enjoying a lull in their busy working lives. Having only returned to work four weeks earlier having been injured in the line of duty Gaby is still feeling her way back into things and glad of the chance to concentrate on some cold cases for a while. When a colleague suggests looking at the Brock cold case she finds it drawing her in, taking over her thoughts and is determined to find some closure for the family if she can.

This is an excellent book in a series which is getting better and better with each new instalment. The storyline is tightly worked and complex but never too complicated to follow and the ending was perfect. It was a book which grabbed your attention on page one and refused to let go. I loved it.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I recommend it absolutely.

Fallen Angel is the third book in the DC Gaby Darin series, but it could easily be read as a standalone.

DC Darin has now been promoted to Detective Sergeant, and is acting up as Detective Inspector while her boss, DI Stewart Tipping, is off sick. She has only just returned to work herself after a period of sick leave following a serious injury as she wrapped up her last case.

Since her team is not busy, she re-opens an old case at the request of DC Owen Bates - the murder of eighteen-year-old Angelica Brock. New eyes on an old case, and with new forensic techniques available, they hope to uncover a new clue to the murder's identity.

A new case comes in; probably an accidental death; but all is not what it seems, and this enquiry questions the findings in another recently closed case. The team are now running two separate investigations, and one might involve a serial killer. Can they prevent another murder?

As with O'Brien's previous DC Darin stories, I was hooked almost immediately. There were a number of threads in the investigations to follow which kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed learning more about the main characters.

Fallen Angel is well-written, and the plot is intriguing. I was also invested in the personal lives of her team, and following on from Book Two, I wanted to know whether Gaby would entertain her colleague's affection or not.

DI Gaby Darin has returned from sick leave and is bored investigating cold cases until she is asked to investigate a cold case by Detective Owen Bates.
It involves the disappearance of 18 yr old Angeline Brock from her home in Llandudno , 20 years ago, in 1995 and whose body was found later on the Great Orme.
Enjoyable police thriller, well written with interesting and likeable characters.
The case was investigated by now retired Stewart Tipping - who tells Gaby that Angeline is Owen’s sister in law..
Lots of twists and turns but I especially liked the descriptions of the main protagonists’ relationships and the area of North Wales that the book was set in.
4 Stars.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
I now intend to read the other books in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Fallen Angel, the third novel to feature Acting DI Gaby Darin of the North Wales Police.

Gaby’s return to work after serious injury is marked by a lull in cases, so she decides to look at some cold cases. Her attention is brought to the case of 18 year old Angelica Brock disappeared from her bedroom 25 years ago and was found dead the next day at a local beauty spot. If she hadn’t been found in a nightdress that didn’t belong to her, her death would have been deemed an accident.

I enjoyed Fallen Angel which has a compelling plot and a few twists to surprise the reader. It is told entirely from the investigative point of view, be it Gaby or the members of her team, so the reader can guess alongside them. I like this approach as it allows the reader to get immersed in the action and the thinking, both of which move along at a fast clip. It does require a certain suspension of disbelief at some of the leaps the team takes but fortuitously they mostly turn out to be correct. The same goes for the resolution which dis seem like a step too far, even if it is ingenious in its linking together of all the disparate threads in the novel.

The plot has enough threads and a fast enough pace to keep the reader occupied and reading, hence my 4* rating, but I think it is let down by sub par characterisation. There is much about the team’s personal lives in the novel, but many of them have old, stereotypical reactions to the situations they find themselves in. It’s a bit wearing and that’s before I tried to understand the motivation behind the death of Angelica.

Fallen Angel is an easy way to while away a few hours.

DS Gaby Darwin is back after six weeks sick leave. In a quiet period Gaby delves into a pile of cold cases. One case in particular gets her nose twitching . Twenty-five years is a long time, a young girl was posed in the middle of the forest dressed in a vintage white night dress. Gaby and her team have no idea what they are going to uncover. Little does she realise that for one of her team this one is personal. I was hooked from the first page. Even 3/4 of the way through this book I had no idea who the killer was infact not until the great reveal. This is always a bonus for me. Really clever story telling and an original plot which blew me away. A fantastic five star read.
Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Fallen Angel

Jenny O’Brien

*** 1/2

The third book in the series following the trials and tribulations of DS Gaby Darin. When a cold case resurfaces, can the team solve it before it also becomes a current case?

As with the previous stories you really get a good visualisation of the area in which this is set, having been to Llandudno many times I can see all the places in this story.
The author really develops the characters well and leaves areas where I can see them progressing in further stories.

For me, I felt this book was a little slow compared with the previous one, where there was twists and turns a plenty, keeping you guessing the whole way through. Although the story develops well, with plenty of detail it’s not until nearer the end that the main action occurs and you suddenly find yourself inundated with what’s going on!

I would definitely read more books that come out in this series, with the hope there is a little more action throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and most importantly the author, for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

After 6 weeks on sick leave DS Gaby Darin is at work she is asked to pick up a cold case from 25 years ago the unexplained death of a teenage girl called Angelica Brock.I enjoyed this book thanks to Jenny O'Brien 5*

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ digital for ARC to reveiw.
DS Gaby Darin is just back at work after six weeks' sick leave, returning during a bit of a quiet period.
She is persuaded to pick up a cold case, the unexplained death of teenaged Angelica Brock, twenty five years before.

Only when she has reopened the case does she realise that her colleaugue' Owen Bates' wife is related to the deceased and he had reasons of his own for wanting to find Angelica's killer.

Almost immediately, other more recent cases seem to be taking precedence, including a suspicious death in a house explosion.

Then another young woman dies in similar circumstances and the pressure is on to find a killer who may have been active for twenty five years.

I am new to this writer and this series and admit I struggled with it; I thought some of the interpersonal relationships with Gaby and her colleagues, between her colleagues and their families were so broadly drawn as to be cliched and not always internally consistent. For me the budding romance in amongst the action was a bit improbable. It reflects that old myth that boys are only mean to you if they like you, which is so damaging.

I didn't get a strong sense of place, but maybe if I knew Wales better that would have been less of a problem.

Despite all this, as the pace hotted up I began to want to find out what would happen next and how Gaby and her team would resolve things. The dramatic denouement was pretty satisfying.

3.75* gore score 🗡
A new author to me. Of course I haven’t read the books in order 😂Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this arc.
DI Gaby Darin book 3 in the series. Set in North Wales investigating a cold case along side a current one.
Gaby is a very likeable character, and nice for her to have a love interest. It’s adds a bit of spice.
I like the dynamic between the team. I feel that the book concentrates on the characters as much as the plot so it’s well balanced.
Medium paced but well written so that it captured my interest straight away and kept it. There’s a lot going on in the plot.
I like that Valerie Keogh gets a mention as an author.
Queries
? Report of burglary whats to be had its burnt to rubble. Suspicious behaviour though.
Feel that Gaby would have called for back up on setting off on the journey to the house not on arrival ( or not called at all) as no further information on arriving there.

An entertaining, enthralling story full of love, treason, lies and hope! The tale takes the reader to London, Dublin and Germany at the beginning of WII. I also learned a good deal about Irish history, which I enjoy while reading a story. This is my first book by the author, but I have already looked for other titles!
Thank you for letting me read this book for free on BookSirens.

#FallenAngel #NetGalley
A good one.
Angelica Brock is found dead at a local beauty spot, dressed in a pure white nightgown, her white-blonde hair arranged around her. For years her death is a mystery, her killer the one who got away for a whole generation of police.For DS Gaby Darin, it’s not just any cold case – the victim is intimately linked to someone close to her, and emotions are high. But just as the team finds a breakthrough clue on Angelica’s nightdress, another case crashes into the station. Could they be linked? After all this time, can Gaby finally discover what really happened to Angelica?
Angelica is good. I loved her.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advanced copy.