"They never really see me until I will it. Until they are in my arms – cool blade pressed against their throats. That's when I have their undivided attention. Yes. That's when I am seen."

When the body of a young woman is found, Dublin police identify her as an au pair who went missing in Dublin the previous day. The police's only witness is the two-year-old girl the au pair was minding.

Detective Niamh Darmody is in to help solve the murder. But without her partner, expert witness interviewer Laura Shaw, she wonders if she can perform at her best. Laura is still trying to recover from a very distressing case, and now has a newborn to look after.

When another body is discovered, Laura can't help herself and decides she wants to go back to work and help. Police seem to be chasing their tails – because the killer is close by, hidden in plain sight, if only they could find him.

I was glad to see the return of Shaw and Darmody – I previously read 'If I Tell' by the same author and enjoyed them. They're great characters with a lot of depth, and the author does well to explore Laura's struggle to cope as a mother with many anxieties and psychological trauma, all while she craves returning to a job she loves and is good at.

I often don't like getting the murderer's point of view in a mystery or police procedural, especially if it's written in the first person. It's hard for me to understand why. I find it a bit jarring sometimes and I prefer to discover the clues to solve the crime as the police do, or that the killer's POV is in the third person. Maybe I just like a bit of distance?

In any case, I look forward to reading more about Niamh and Laura in future books.

When I started reading When They See Me by Gill Perdue, I had no idea this was the second book in a series. Clearly, a lot has unfolded in the first book, but in no way did that spoil my enjoyment, or understanding of this gripping read.

We open with one our protagonists, Garda Laura Shaw, having an interview with occupational health, a Fitness For Duty evaluation. Not only has she recently had a baby, but just prior to this, she was involved in an intense police matter, where her judgement was under scrutiny.
During Laura’s maternity leave, Garda Niamh Darmody has been partnered with another Detective Garda, it’s not a professional match made in heaven. It’s fair to say that Niamh hasn’t enjoyed the last year.

A new and unsettling case drops on the team. A young au pair has met an unnatural demise, the only witness who can help crack the case is an innocent two year old, who was thankfully unharmed during the incident.

I loved the rich, deep, and in some cases feisty, characterisation. All of the cast felt very distinct. There are sections of the book that left my eyebrows raising further with every line I read. These disturbing passages made for extremely uncomfortable reading. All of which really upped the uneasy tension, which was already palpable.

The book is a perfect mix for me. There is good case to get your teeth into; depth of backstory to the characters, that make them fully formed in your mind; and a perpetrator that makes your skin crawl.

The book really drew me in, I found myself racing through the pages, finishing it within 2 days. I thoroughly enjoyed this 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thriller. I very much look forward to whatever the author writes next, and will be reading her back catalogue too.

This crime and psychological thriller about an au pair who disappears, the only witness her two-year-old charge, grips from first page to last. The two police officers are likeable and believeable, the plot twisted. Exactly what you want in a thriller.

This is my first read by author Gill Perdue and I enjoyed it. This is in a series and is book 2, I think you can read this perfectly fine without having read book 1, as I did.

I really enjoyed the characters in When They See Me, the story is told from two detectives Niamh and Laura. They are thrust upon a case again after a previous case that was all consuming. We also learn about the culprit, which is eerie and captivating.

The women are on the case of a missing au pair, no witnesses, except a 2 year old and they have to piece together who and why someone would target her.

I found this novel easy to read and enjoyable throughout. If you love a good phycological thriller then this is a book for you. I will be reading book 1 and hoping book 3 is on its way soon.

This was an enjoyable read but I feel that repetition of the motive of the protagonist and the soul searching of the two female detectives slightly detracted from the flow. However this is obviously going to be a long running series so we will meet Laura and Niamh again. In fact I didn’t realise until after I started that this was the second book in the series and although I hadn’t read the first one it didn’t really matter. I potentially may read the first book, although I now know that the two policewomen survive to fight another crime, but I will definitely look forward to reading book No 3.

From the first page to the last, this domestic thriller had me hooked. The tension is palpable, and the twists are relentless.

Enjoyable. Didn’t love, didn’t hate. I found the characters likeable enough, more so Niamh, but I didn’t find myself particularly rooting for any of them. Amber felt like a pointless character for the majority of the time.

I didn’t actually realise until I added it on to Goodreads that it was the second book in a series and whilst I still understood the storyline, there were aspects that I assume make more sense than if you’ve read the first like the Jenny case that Laura messed up on before taking maternity leave … so I definitely recommend starting from the beginning.

Overall, I would recommend to borrow not buy unless you’re big into detective crime novels. It won’t be a memorable read for me unfortunately

A good premise . Slow burner. Too much soul searching for me that became overwhelming in parts. There was enough suspense to keep me reading.. I would definitely read the next in series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Loads of twists a book you can`t put down
A creepy killer with a mother fetish trying to recreate the feeling he had with his mother before she died.
Detective Niamh Darmondy is on the case hoping her partner Laura Shaw will return from maternity leave to help but Laura has two small children and is finding it difficult to decide what to do and her last case left her with lasting problems.
The POV of the killer was a bit to long and repetitive.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.
Posted to Goodreads

4.25⭐️

Book 2 in Shaw and Darmody series

I’m jumping straight into book two, and felt in the beginning a little on the back foot as to what happened to Laura previously.

Psychological crime thriller with two female leads, Laura Shaw a detective and expert witness interviewer who works with Detective Niamh Darmody.
It starts with a missing au pair who is k*lled, then another body turns up.
It unfolds via each of their POV plus that of the antagonist, whose perspective is very weird, I didn’t find it easy to get to understand his thought processes.

There’s great attention to character development, you really get to know the main characters well, the author leads the reader through Laura’s issues and problems, she’s quite flawed. A little concerning as she’s an armed officer. Niamh comes across more together, although acerbic as she’s struggling with her temporary partner while Laura has been on leave. She has a spiky dry wit which I like. It’s great getting into the minds of the protagonists, it makes you able to identify with them better.

I found it a bit of a slow burn due to the depth of the character building.
Although it certainly ends strongly, even if the lead felt too convenient.

I absolutely adore Irish accents, so for me this one I’ve no doubt would have been even better on audiobook, I’d love to catch the first instalment on audiobook.

This is so much more than a procedural, it’s a character study and not like anything you have read before. Definitely read the first one too!

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! What a brilliant book. Definitely deserves a 5 star review- in fact deserves an even higher score.

The only disappointment was being finished! I must read more from this author, Gill Perdue!!

The setting was Dublin. I really enjoyed the police procedural process of investigation.

The plot is creative and comprises of three main threads that come together as the tension explodes in a most satisfying finale!

Two of the threads are told by two female police detectives! Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody. The have their own life complications to cope with as well as murder investigations. I could definitely relate to the huge pressures in bringing up two children and being married. Not to mention working!

The third thread helps the creative plot to evolve at a smooth pace. It highlights the perspective of a serial killer. I do wonder how the author managed that!

First class entertainment - surely a TV series in the making! Surely!!

#netgalley #WhenTheySeeMe @GillPerdue

This is my first read by author Gill Perdue and I enjoyed it. This is in a series and is book 2, I think you can read this perfectly fine without having read book 1, as I did.

I really enjoyed the characters in When They See Me, the story is told from two detectives Niamh and Laura. They are thrust upon a case again after a previous case that was all consuming. We also learn about the culprit, which is eerie and captivating.

The women are on the case of a missing au pair, no witnesses, except a 2 year old and they have to piece together who and why someone would target her.

I found this novel easy to read and enjoyable throughout. If you love a good phycological thriller then this is a book for you. I will be reading book 1 and hoping book 3 is on its way soon.

Thanks to Netgalley, Gill Perdue and the publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this authors first book and was delighted to see the return of the characters from The Interview.
Garda detectives Laura Shaw and Niamh Darmody are back to investigate the disappearance and murder of an au pair in South County Dublin where the only witness to the abduction is a two year old girl.

This story draws you in from the opening chapter and while it works as a standalone novel , I really enjoyed the character development of the two female detectives in this second book. The author captures these women with great authenticity and care which bring another layer to a great crime/ police procedural. I could not put this one down. Gill Perdue is an excellent and strong addition to the Irish crime fiction arena, I am already looking forward to book 3.

Recommend.

When they see me by Gill Perdue is the 2nd book in the Shaw and Darmody series and you can read it as a standalone, as I have not read the first book in the series.
When a body turns up of a Spanish Au pair Mia Ruiz and the only witness is the little girl she was looking after. Dublin based Niamh Darmody and Senan McCarthy is on the case to investigate.
Laura Shaw however, after the birth of her baby and the last case. Maybe not ready to be fit for work and wonders if she is better of following her partner instead and head to New York.
The story is told in Laura and Niamh point of view. And the author does a great job of depicting the role of a struggling mother. And Niamh and the difficulties surrounding the creepy case of a killer who has mummy issues.
I found the story intense and compelling, but I found the back story on the killer with the problems with his mother a bit overwhelming. For me personally I thought it just went on a bit too much and kind of spoilt the rest of the storyline. But I did love the conclusion to this story. 3.5 stars from me.

Loved every minute of this book and couldn't put it down - wow

A real page turner, twisty and gripping crime thriller. The killer seems to be creepy and terrifying and the author did a grand job to display this. Great characters for the duo detectives. Well done team

Definitely highly recommended. Must read !

Thank you to Netgalley

This is a gripping story that will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys a good police procedural. Because not only is this book a good crime novel, it's an excellent example what can be done with the genre.

An au pair disappears from a safe, secure suburban neighbourhood, leaving only a small child who can be considered as a witness to the events that have transpired. When her murder is quickly followed up with a second such case, the police team realises that this is going to be a tough one to crack.

Luckily, there is a crack team on the job (pun intended). Except that things are not straightforward because Laura is still recovering from the last terrible case that they had to handle, and Niamh is struggling to manage things by herself - particularly since everything is made much more difficult by a peculiarly annoying colleague with whom she is now stuck.

This is, in many ways a chilling story. As the investigation progresses layers are peeled away, and the same layered approach can be seen reflected in the subtlety of the storytelling. All in all, worth a read.

This book really had me gripped and I didn't want to put it down. The twists and turns were exciting!

I’d like to thank Penguin General UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘When They See Me’ written by Gill Perdue in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Spanish au pair Mia is found dead and the only witness is two-year-old Carly who was with Mia when she was taken away. Detectives Niamh Darmody and Senan McCarthy are given the case to investigate but the best person to interview Carly is expert witness interviewer Detective Laura Shaw who’s currently on maternity leave that’s been extended after suffering trauma from her previous case. Laura misses working with Niamh but she’s split between returning to work which she desperately wants to do, being a good mother to her two children or agreeing to what her husband Matt has planned for them. Laura’s mind is made up when a second body is discovered.

‘When They See Me’ is a gripping police procedural thriller and the second novel in the Shaw and Dermody series based in South Dublin. The story is told through the perspectives of Laura, Niamh and the person responsible for the murders and although I found the beginning quite slow it wasn’t long before I was totally hooked and unable to stop reading. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading about Laura and Niamh who can tell what the other is thinking, and I felt sorry for Detective McCarthy when Niamh talked about ‘women’s things’ and made him feel uncomfortable. The characters gelled guaranteeing an exciting thriller with twists and turns, suspense, and intrigue, and the final chapters were so intense and scary it was impossible to tell how the story was going to end. As for guessing the identity of the person responsible, I had no idea and when revealed I was taken by surprise. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller and hope to have the chance to read another in the series.

After reading the first book by this author i was instantly drawn to the next book as it has the same two main characters Laura & Niamh. I do presume more will come in this series. This was overall an enjoyable read and the characters are very engaging and the kill is well portrayed in glimpses and the author keeps suspense going through out.

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin for sending me this e-book in exchange for my honest review.