I enjoyed this book. Great for fans of thrillers that keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a frightening Irish crime story and I loved every minute. The characters and storyline were very well developed. The atmosphere of this town is a character in itself. Wonderfully written thriller I could not put down. Highly recommend

Well this is one dark and deeply haunting tale that kept me up late for a few nights trying to process my thoughts. It's a gut wrenching story to wrap your head around and I felt for the police officers that were on the case.

Firstly; thank you to the publicist for sending me a copy of the book. It is very much appreciated.
This book was amazing. I was thoroughly gripped throughout.
Irish crime fiction is one of my favourite genres of crime, but one that I come across often. So I was very excited to embark on the new series
Amanda Cassidy is a brilliant author. She knows just how to set the scene, creating an tense atmosphere and immediate questions to the reader
The book is a dual timeline which again ticks one of my favourite elements of a book. The book moves from present day to six years ago.
The storyline was original and absorbing and delivered a twist of an ending.
However, the thing that stuck out for me most of all with this book was Ally Fields. What a a character she was! Going through a traumatic childhood made her a little bit of a complex character but how I loved her. I loved the way the author portrayed her and her suffering and did her real justice
I hope this is the first in a series and there is more to come from ally fields!
Thank you for the gifted copy

📱E-Book Review📱

The Returned
Amanda Cassidy

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Having read Amanda's first book, Breaking, and absolutely loving it, I couldn't wait to dive straight into this book - and I was not disappointed.

This was another superbly written, fast paced thriller which had me totally immersed right from the start and so invested in the storyline, I just couldn't put it down.

I actually don't want to say anything about the plot - as once again the storyline twists and turns and keeps you guessing throughout. I was hooked from the first page and raced through it, desperate to find out what on earth was going on.
That, and the fact that I was on the edge of my seat throughout as the tension hits and never lets up.

The characters were perfectly presented and developed well throughout.
I loved that Ally, our detective, was really in no position to be taking on this case due to her situation - but she was completely focussed and determined to get to the bottom of things.

This book deals with some tough topics but these were written with sensitivity. It was definitely emotional though and one that will stay with me for some time.

Another brilliant read and I'm excited for what will come next.

Amanda Cassidy's "The Returned" is a deeply crafted Irish thriller that draws inspiration from a personal experience of the author. Detective Ally Fields is tasked with investigating a serious arson case in her hometown, a place shadowed by a lingering air of death that also haunts Ally herself. Adding to the complexity, a high-ranking local Garda emerges as the prime suspect, having had involvement in a similar arson incident six years earlier.

As Ally delves into the recent fire, she uncovers a startling possibility: a baby, presumed to have perished in the previous blaze, might still be alive and concealed within the community. The convergence of these two cases becomes intricately entwined with Ally and her partner Clarke at the heart of the investigation.

The narrative intricately weaves together three-story arcs, with Ally's personal history and unexpected pregnancy adding depth and humanity to her character, a facet often absents in similar detective novels. While the conclusion seems to bring closure, it leaves the door open for a potential sequel, which readers would eagerly welcome.

Loved the mystery in this book. There are 3 different strands in this book, so you will have to keep on your toes. I loved the Fields character and the case was interesting to read about.

Really enjoyed this one from Amanda Cassidy. Great plot and good characters. Amanda is definitely one to watch

I loved the authors first book and this one didn't disappoint! The opening of the book has you gripped instantly with a house fire. This book has a duel timeline going from the fire and fast forwarding to six years later. The author has you guessing through out and I would highly recommend this book. Thanks to netgalley & Canelo for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Such a good mystery that had me back and forth on what happened. The internal stresses of the MFC had me a little annoyed with her. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review this!!

I loved the author's debut novel Breaking, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Returned.
DI Ally Fields and her partner Clarke, members of the Major Crimes Unit in Dublin are called to a case in Currolough, County Kerry to investigate a possible arson and the involvement of a local Garda.

The novel starts off in a fairly straightforward way and I was expecting a standard police procedural but The Returned is so much more than this. The character of Ally is complex and believable, her return to her home town of Currolough forces her to confront her childhood trauma which is slowly revealed to the reader. This is a multi layered novel which covers trauma, grief and abuse and at times is a difficult and emotional read. However it's so beautifully written, well paced and plotted and both Ally and Clarke are characters I was rooting for throughout.

This is a worthy follow up to Breaking that I enjoyed even more. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

I was expecting a police procedural, this is not what this book is about. Ally is a police officer, heavily pregnant by her married lover who is also her boss. She and her partner are asked to take a job in Co Kerry, they work at the major crimes unit in Dublin. One problem, Ally's own tragic childhood was based in the small town where she has the job.
This book is about emotional ties, the small mindedness of a small Irish town and about grief. Abuse within family and personal relationships is also a factor here and I suppose the message is don't take anything at face value. It took me a few chapters to get into the vibe of the book and to sort out who everyone was . As the story progresses, an understanding of why Ally and others in the book made the life choices they did and opening up old emotions by returning to the place she grew up causes a snowball effect, not only for Ally, but for other characters too.
A great , if somewhat emotional, read. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you love a good crime mystery you will love this book. The book opens with a tragic fire where a baby dies. The mother can’t accept her baby is gone and is convinced he is still alive. Fast forward six years to another house fire with suspicious circumstances and more questions are asked. This book is a dual timeline book going from the fire 6 years ago to the present. The author does a wonderful job of dropping hints while still keeping you guessing. I didn’t want to put this book down!

Absolutely spectacular crime writing, I loved every word.
Dysfunctional lead detective- tick.
Small town secrets that have been buried for too long- tick
Running away from your past -tick
Uncovering long buried truths- tick
hopeless situations with no way out - tick

Absolutely loved the plot, the characters, the premise, the writing. All of it 5/5 for me.

I absolutely loved this - gripping and moving in equal measure. Amanda Cassidy is an author to watch out for!

Ally Fields is a very pregnant police officer who is called back to her hometown to investigate the death of a man in a potential arson case. She's needed on the case because it's believed a local Gardaí may have been involved with the family. Apparently he had been harassing them for quite some time.

Six years ago during another housefire it appears this same Gardaí officer may have been involved in that as well. Here a baby perished in the flames. However, the mother swears when she went to save her son he was not in his crib. She's sure of it. No one will listen to the mothers claims. She's hysterical and grieving so she isn't considered a reliable witness. She'll bare the scars and disfigurement of that attempted rescue for the rest of her life. As if grief wasn't enough.

Back to the present and that same mother spots her missing son in a market place. She causes a scene and again everyone assumes she's hysterical. There isn't any way that this could be her son.

Ally and her partner Clarke plan to get to the bottom of both cases and to see how these two events are connected by this one Gardaí officer.

Interspersed between the two timelines we also get the background on Ally's tragic upbringing giving us a birds eye view into her mind and thoughts.

This was a really well done mystery. A little slow to start but after a few chapters I found my footing and really became immersed in the story. Ally was a likeable character that has made some unfortunate decisions in her life yet my heart still went out to her. She's experienced trauma that no one should have to bare the burden of. Her partner, the ever lovable Clarke, was the yin to her yang. A perfect partnership, if you will. The ending was not what I was expecting though, in hindsight, I think my inner sleuth failed me here because once I got to that AHA moment I had to ask myself how I didn't see this coming. I hope other readers will miss the breadcrumbs too and enjoy the unraveling of the mystery like I did.

My one and only caveat is I didn't quite buy into what this 38 weeks along pregnant woman was capable of. I've no doubt at how bad ass pregnant women are but at 38 weeks my ankles were so swollen, my back aching that even my waddle was waddling. I was definitely not kicking down doors, running through woods, and diving into churning lake waters. I'd have sunk for sure. If you can ignore that then you'll be rewarded with some fine storytelling. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for my complimentary copy.

‘The Returned’ is a dark and gritty police procedural that takes place in Ireland! I really enjoyed Amanda’s debut ‘Breaking’ but I think this is more real and authentic in its telling. Maybe I just fell for the main characters as I was engrossed and captivated by their backstories.

DI Ally Fields is a detective in the Major Crimes team based in Dublin. She is about to have a baby and should already be off work on her maternity leave but what HR doesn't know won't hurt them. She and her partner Clark are sent back to Ally’s home town of Currolough to investigate an arson and a potential murder. Six years earlier there was another fire in the town where it is thought a baby died. However, Nancy the mother of the child insists that the child was not in the cot when she ran in to find her children. A local Garda has been linked with both cases which is why Ally has been called in. As she searches for information she is confronted with secrets and has to deal with issues from her own past as well.

I love Ally Fields! She is such a layered and complex character. I loved her story, albeit it was very sad. Her story was woven through the main narrative very skillfully and I was heartsore for her at times. No wonder she is hesitant to form bonds with people. I really liked how Amanda showed a lot of empathy when showing how her relationship with her boss came about and the issues with it. It's a difficult topic and Amanda really did it justice. The burgeoning friendship between Ally and her partner Clarke was a beautiful thing and I already have a book crush on Clarke! I really hope that this is going to turn into a series as I love these character!

I flew through this book and found it to be very compelling. Did I guess the ending to the main story, yes but it was very well done! However, when it came to Ally’s childhood I was shocked by the final reveals! This is a very layered book and I loved seeing them being peeled away so the reader could see the final truths. This was a great read, extremely well-written and I hope that there is more to come!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

This story kept me on the edge of my seat, it is a dark, haunting complex story with even more complex characters that are taking us through their not-easy life problems where mental health is in question, abuse, and child abduction...pretty disturbing gripping, and very well written story with lots of emotions involved in it.

I enjoyed Amanda's debut novel. Breaking, so was very excited to read this. There's no doubt Amanda has a talent for writing engrossing, compelling stories, and this novel only cemented that for me.

The Returned is a layered novel, with three main stories weaved into the narrative. Ally Fields is a detective Garda who is sent back to her small hometown of Currolough (in Ireland) to investigate a case of arson and a potential murder. Six years earlier, in an event summarised in the novel's opening pages, another housefire is believed to have claimed the life of a small baby, though his mother Nancy - who was disfigured in the incident - maintains that her baby was not in his cot when she attempted to rescue him on that fateful night. A local Currolough Garda has been linked to both incidences, and as Ally digs deeper into the cases, she is not only confronted with the secrets of her hometown, but also the pain of her own past.

I really liked how Ally's story was woven into this crime thriller. In the late stages of pregnancy and in her early 40s, she is an abusive relationship with a married man, and has a lifetime of experience of keeping people at arm's length. Her exploration of her own trauma and grief was really well handled, and it added a layer of depth to the plot that you don't always encounter with thrillers. I thought the characters were very well developed, and despite the multiple storylines, The Returned was really well plotted and avoided confusing or alienating the reader.

I can't resist a "going home again" trope, so this element only added to my enjoyment of the novel. And I can't finish this review without mentioning Clarke, Ally's Garda sidekick, who accompanies her to Currolough and helps her to open herself up again. His character and their friendship were so well evoked, that I can only assume he was written from the heart.

A gripping and immersive read - really well written and full of humanity. I'll be reading Amanda Cassidy's work as long as she's writing.