I read a lot. More than a lot. And this was one of the best books I've read in ages.
I've never been to Ireland, I know nothing about Irish cops, but to me this seemed real. The situations rang true. The dialog came across as real people talking.
Unlike most British crime writers, Mr. O'Rourke doesn't dwell on the detectives' personal lives. There's enough mentioned to flesh out their personalities, but the book focuses on the story rather than the characters. And unlike so much modern fiction, there was no virtue signalling. No one was raising an autistic child, no one had a terminal disease, or suffered from some hidden mental illness. They were simply people.
I will look for more fiction by Mr. O'Rourke, and by other Irish authors as well. Well done, sir.

The story begins nineteen years prior, a group of friends are attending a summer party. After all the festivities is over, three of the partygoers are found dead. One person was convicted. Mysterious items pop up and are deemed to be connected to that case. Detective Sargent Jack Brody is on the case. He’s trying to prove that there was a second killer or the wrong person was convicted. The path to this discovery is a difficult one. A mysterious thriller that throws in plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader invested. Great characters and plot.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! Fast read that was a bit predictable. It kept my interest and I finished it in two days. I rate it a 3.2.

It hits the ground running and the pace never misses a beat. An absolutely gripping thriller that will keep you reading late into the night, unable to put the book down for a second.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Great cover!

I thought this book was a thoroughly entertaining read! Well written and fast paced. The plot was intriguing, and kept me engaged throughout The characters varied and (mostly) likable. The setting interesting. I look forward to see what this author brings to the table in book two.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you NetGalley, Inkubator Books and J.M O'rourke for my ARC ecopy of this beauty!
This is my first read for this author, and it's the first in a series I expect will be amazing!
I was drawn by the synopsis and obviously the cover, as well as a new author to me, and I immediately requested it on Netgalley, and I had the pleasure to have received a copy, and I absolutely loved it!
This page turner was set in Ireland, and told in third person POV, starring detective Jack Brody. It was so well written, with amazing detailed descriptions, it enticed me at every point, and delivered the synopsis perfectly.
I love the anticipation, suspense and the entire vibe of this mystery thriller that kept me at the edge of my seat!
I love that it made me feel like I was with the main character, in that same location, and made me scream at the twists that I threw my way, and experience thrilling emotions!
Side note, when the murderer was revealed, I audibly gasped, and the reaction of the people around me forced me to tell them the story of the book, which doesn't happen often, I'm not exaggerating, because of my reaction, I had to tell the story of the book to three grown adults who never asked me what I'm reading, just throwing that out there for you!

This is the good start for a new police procedural series set in Ireland. It's quite slow at beginning but I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed the second part which is faster.
The solid mystery kept me guessing and I liked the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Devil's House' by J.M O'rourke.

Read and reviewed for ZooLoos Book Tours, NetGalley, Inkubator Books and J.M O'rourke.

Publication date 30th October 2022.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Detective Jack Brody' series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its absolutely fantastic, eye-catching and unique cover and its intriguing synopsis. I was also intrigued by the title 'The Devil's House'. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Inkubator. I have yet to read a book published by Inkubator Books that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a prologue, 39 chapters and an epilogue . The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonist being Detective Sergeant Jack Brody. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.

This is the first book in the 'Detective Jack Brody' series and what an absolutely fantastic start to what promises to be a gripping series. It started off really fast with a really gripping and gritty first couple of chapters then the pace slowed but then it picked up again and took you on a rollercoaster ride of suspense, tension and crime and kept me on the edge of my seat. The storyline was definitely unique and once I got stuck in I couldn't stop turning the pages. It is packed with murder, corruption, lies, tension, suspense and ticks every box you could ask for in a gripping crime thriller. I love the fact that it is set in Ireland and the author really sets the scene for the reader making it feel like you are with Jack throughout. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the actions of certain characters and had to bite my tounge on several occasions to stop me screaming at the book. I love the fact that the ending is tied up perfectly so there are no loose ends left, one of my pet hates in books. The detailed police procedures were intriguing as it shows the difference between policies in the UK and I also enjoyed the big city, little village differences. I also enjoyed that you don't find out what happened on the night of the Murders straight away and it keeps you guessing throughout. The killer was somebody who you would never have suspected which is always good when reading any police/crime thriller.


It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too. Thankfully this wasn't a problem in this book.

It wasn't just the storyline I was completely invested in but also the characters. I really liked Brody and thought that he worked excellently with his team and made a great leader. It would have been nice to see him stay in Meadowstown or to see Kinsella join his team but you don't always get what you want in life so why should a book be any different? All of the characters were strong and believable. Sadly the corruption in the force is also extremely believable. I couldn't stand Ian Patton who was a vile and corrupt Inspector and I'm glad to see that justice was done. The majority of the police force at Meadowsfield were corrupt and lazy but Patton was one of the worse and how he treated Kimsella was disgusting. I loved seeing how Kinsella grew in strength and what she did to Patton was perfect Payback. I would love to visit MeadowsTown again in this series to see how she gets on. The way Patton,
Superintendent Michael Foley and Chief Superintendent Niland constantly used 'blowback repellent' (absolutely loved this term) and passed the buck constantly was pathetic. My heart went out to Harry Macken and Edward D'Arcy. The way Harry was scared of a certain person and what happened to him even after he tried to help was heartbreaking. What happened to Edward D'Arcy is also heartbreaking but I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so you'll just have to pick up a copy and see for yourselves!!

An absolutely fantastic start to what promises to be an addictive series and I'm looking forward to reading the next book which will hopefully be soon!! Congratulations J.M O'rourke on a fantastic page turner and here's to your next success 🥂!!

Overall an absolutely page turning and explosive start to what promises to be an addictive series.


Genres covered in this book include Psychological Thriller, Irish Crime , Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Police Thriller, Police Procedural, Hard-boiled Mysteries, Psychological Fiction and Noir Crime amongst others.

280 pages

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5 /5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews


#TheDevilsHouse #JMORourke #DetectiveJackBrody #InkubatorBooks #Inkubator #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #ZooLoosBookTours #NetGalley

@JMORourke @Bookworm86 @bookworm1986 @ZooLoosBT @inkubatorbooks @Inkubator @Netgalley


https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

The Devils House is the first book in a new crime fiction series. We follow Detectice Brody as he investigates a closed case from over a decade ago. Brody manages to re-open the closed case as new evidence begins to appear. A necklace clasp and trainer are sent to one of the parents of one of the murdered teenagers which leads Brody to believe the wring person was convicted of this horrific murder spree. Brody sets up at the police station who dealt with the murder investigation in a small town and has his work cut out for him for sure - the officers are lazy, corrupt and don't appreciate someone from outside treading on their toes.
I instantly liked Brodys character and his way of working the case. The ending was nicely tied up and makes you question how well you know those around you after a shock revelation of who the killer really was. I look forward to reading more of Brody in book two and will definitely be continuing this series.
.

Today, is my spot on ZooloosBookTours blog tour for The Devil’s House by J.M O’rourke. I read this crime novel as an ebook for this tour and I’m really glad that I took part on this blog tour as I really liked reading this exciting and thrilling novel. I always love reading thrillers published by Inkubator books, as they tend to be action-packed and fast-paced novels and this one didn’t disappoint. I really enjoy reading police procedural stories, and gave a personal interest in novels like these, as my dad is a retired police detective and I have always liked reading novels about police investigative cases. I find novels like these interesting, and find it fascinating how police detectives follow clues and solve cases.
In this crime novel, a murder case is reopened and I found reading about the detectives’ work interesting. I liked Ireland as a setting for this novel. I always love travelling to exotic places via novels and I like learning about different locations as the story unfolds.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, I especially enjoyed the police procedural element of this novel. I’m giving this fantastic crime novel 5 stars as I really enjoyed reading this novel and I think other readers will enjoy reading it too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This is a DNF for me. I made it about halfway through before I realized I wasn't interested enough to continue. The pace is too slow, the characters too impersonal, and the dialogue feels far too stilted and unnatural. Just not a book for me.

I couldn't get into this book. It was so slow to get going. I was intrigued by what had actually happened all those years ago but it didn't grip me enough to keep me reading so I gave up.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a honest review.

3.5⭐️

The Devil's House follows Detective Brody as he tries to reopen and solve a murder case that happened over 19 years ago. Evidence is being sent to one of the murder victims parents, to which, the evidence ends up in Brody's hands. He is determined to look into and solve the case. But unbeknownst to him, he's going to be pulled into a corrupted police department that only thinks okf their reputation and wants to see him fail.

This book took a slow start and didn't start picking up until around the 50% mark, but with that being said, the plot and detective work was interesting enough to keep me reading. The reveal came out of left field, but also made the story believable in a way that makes you question your neighbors. The Killer was someone completely unpredictable which made this detective thriller scary.

I do think this novel could have given more explanation about the victims and the killer, rather than focusing so much on how tough Brody was. It was apparent from the beginning that Brody was someone to not mess with, it wasn't needed to be reminded of it the entirety of the book.

The first book in a new series feat Jack Brody, a Detective Seargent from the Major Crimes Investigation Unit in Dublin, Ireland has him thrown in to re-investigating a ten year old triple murder in a small Irish town.

I like a good police procedural, murder mystery, who done it and this had all the elements required. Good characters and solid setting but, I found it a bit slow paced to begin with however, the second half of the book definitely picks up and ramps up the action.

I didn't love this book but, I did enjoy it, it just didn't grip me or make me overly excited and I think I just wanted to be more shocked by it, something a bit more twisty however, I would still recommend giving this one a read and I'm definitely interested in further books feat Det Jack Brody and the other members of his team.

A massive thank you to @inkubator via @netgalley for sending/allowing me an advanced copy of this book to read prior to publication date.

I enjoy reading the first book in a new series. The Devil's House introduces Jack Brody, a DS in Ireland's Major Crimes unit. Jack is tasked to reopen a case when items taken from a notorious crime scene begin appearing. Years ago, three teenagers were slaughtered at an abandoned house known as the devil's house and one of their friends was found guilty of their murders. But if the killer is in a mental hospital, how is he sending the victim's personal items to the families? Was the wrong man convicted or was there a partner? Jack faces hostility from the local detectives who first investigated the case, and deals with more than just a turf war. I thought O'Rourke did a good job of creating Jack's backstory to make him a fleshed-out character. I also read so many books set in England that it was nice to read one with an Irish setting and learn how their police departments are arranged. This was a good first book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. The Devil's House releases Oct. 30.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of The Devil’s House, the first novel to feature Detective Sergeant Jack Brody of the Garda’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit in Dublin.

Ten years ago in Measdowstown, County Galway three teenagers were brutally murdered in a shack they called the Devil’s house. One of their friends, Edward D’Arcy was convicted and remains incarcerated. Now items belonging to the victims are turning up, so Jack Brody is sent to investigate and quickly comes to believe that Edward D’Arcy was wrongly convicted.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Devil’s House, which is an absorbing start to a new series. It is mostly told from the investigative point of view with the odd chapter giving an insight into the unidentified killer’s thoughts and actions. These I found a bit more interesting than most he doesn’t give much hint of a motive and his actions cover several crimes.

This is a fast paced novel, whether Jack is ratcheting up his investigation or sorting out the indolence and poor attitude of the local Meadowstown station. He’s like a whirlwind- he tired me out with his energy and can do spirit. Still, it means that the novel never flags. The plot is fairly standard - detective and team use every means possible to find a killer, culminating in an action packed showdown, so it’s the filler that matters and it’s good. There’s modern technology, profiling and good old fashioned shoe leather. I was glued to the pages, especially with Jack blowing through the incompetence of the locals as that was fun. This is not a realism based novel, but it’s entertaining and keeps the reader turning the pages. I’m looking forward to the next one.

The Devil’s House is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I was in the mood for a good police procedural so I thought I’d give this one a try especially as the idea of a Devil’s House really intrigued me.

I enjoyed this one but I confess I kept waiting for that little extra something to take it from a good book to a great book. I also enjoyed Detective Sergent Brody and Garda Nuala Kinsella but I found the constant sarcasm, negativity and uselessness from the Meadowstown police to be frustrating. I kept wanting to shake all the characters from Meadowstown and tell them all to grow up and get over it.

It was an interesting case though and it was also a very easy and comfortable read. I’d give the next book a try when it releases.

This book takes a while to get into but once I did I really enjoyed it. It was well paced and full of suspese, mystery, murder and detection. A really good read.

It's no secret that I always love a good crime thriller, and there was just something about the title, cover and blurb of The Devil's House that intrigued me from the beginning. I've been looking forward to read this first book of a new series, but somehow I ended up being a bit underwhelmed by the story instead. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad read and it reads easily enough, but it also lacked that certain je-ne-sais-quoi to take the story to the next level.

I confess that I was a bit confused by the blurb repeatingly saying the murders happened nineteen years ago, and then the story stating it was only ten years in the past. And considering the victims were in their late teens and would be in their late twenties in the present timeline, I guess the latter is the correct time. This might be minor, but ten years means the events are a lot fresher in everyone's minds, and it does change things. Anyhow, I did like the Ireland setting and the contrast between the big city and the small town happenings. True, what is happening with the police in Meadowstown is basically stuffed to the brim with cliches, but the rest of the small town vibe added a nice touch.

The murder case itself is also intriguing, and especially since you don't really know what exactly happened on that night and if they convicted the right person. The whole useless-lazy-and-corrupt local police angle started to become very irritating though, and I can't say I was a fan of how our main character Jack Brody handled things. I would also have liked to see more possible suspects or at least a bit more suspense and twists before the identity of the person behind it all was revealed... It was all a bit too linear and obvious.

Another thing that didn't work for me was the whole abuse and harassment angle; I personally felt like it only distracted from the case itself and it was highly frustrating to read about. I can't say that I was a fan of the characters in general, and most of their personalities and backgrounds were riddled with cliches. The ending also felt a little too neat and basically wrapped in a nice bow to be believable. All in all I ended up having mixed thoughts about The Devil's House; it's not a bad read, but there is nothing that truly stands out either.

Wow! Crazy story! But an awesome one! It took me a few to get through this book not sure why I dropped it a bit ago but dang! I'm sure happy I picked it back up! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, serial killer, and great police work! It also had some shoddy police work too! The storyline was crazy interesting! It had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! It was so worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!