Chef and restaurant owner Nancy North has a psychotic breakdown that has her at the mercy of her boyfriend, Felix, who is determined to run all aspects of her life from then on. No one believes her when she insists that downstairs neighbor Kira was murdered and had not committed suicide as ruled by the police.

I liked all aspects of the personality and character of Nancy, who fights for her independence and for her mental health, at the same time determined to see that Kira's death is seen for what it is. Together with detective Maud, the female investigator who is overlooked in her department, the two women dominate the story as two people who become friends, both fighting for their rights and to be given their due in their respective lives.

The ending is realistic, especially for Maud, whose outcome was nevertheless a bit disappointing for me. Overall, another good psychological mystery by Nicci French.

#TheLastDaysOfKiraMullan #NetGalley
Excellent.
Nicci French, the acclaimed master of psychological suspense, delivers yet another gripping thriller with The Last Days of Kira Mullan. The novel delves deep into themes of trust, mental health, and the quest for justice, weaving a tense and claustrophobic narrative where reality and delusion blur. The story revolves around Nancy North, a woman recovering from a psychotic break that has left her life in disarray. As she tries to rebuild her life with her supportive partner, Felix, in a new flat, Nancy is determined to stick to her routine—taking her medication, attending therapy, and keeping stress at bay. However, on the very first day in her new home, unsettling sounds and mysterious voices begin to haunt her again. When her downstairs neighbor, Kira, is found dead, the tragedy is quickly ruled a suicide by everyone around her—except Nancy. Despite her fragile mental state, Nancy can’t shake the feeling that something far more sinister is at play. But can she trust her instincts, or is her mind betraying her once more? Enter Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor, a seasoned investigator who also harbors doubts about the official investigation into Kira’s death. O’Connor finds herself in conflict with a police department eager to dismiss Nancy’s suspicions. Like Nancy, Maud is not one to be easily swayed, and she refuses to let the case be closed without a thorough investigation. French skillfully builds an atmosphere of growing dread and paranoia, layering Nancy’s mental health struggles with the chilling events surrounding Kira’s death. The central question—whether Nancy is a reliable narrator or if her perceptions are distorted by her illness—creates a psychological tension that keeps the reader on edge. French’s portrayal of Nancy is nuanced and empathetic, capturing the complexities of living with mental illness while maintaining a sense of agency and determination in her quest for the truth.
Likes and Dislikes :-
Likes :-
1 Complex Characters: Both Nancy and Maud are well-drawn, layered characters whose determination to seek justice despite personal and institutional obstacles makes them compelling protagonists. Nancy’s vulnerability and strength make her a standout character, while Maud's persistence in the face of opposition adds depth to the narrative.
2 Atmospheric Tension: The eerie setting of Nancy’s new flat, with its unsettling noises and shadowy corners, adds to the novel's sense of foreboding. French expertly uses the environment to heighten the psychological tension, making the reader question what is real and what is imagined.
3 Thematic Depth: Beyond being a thriller, The Last Days of Kira Mullan touches on important themes such as mental health stigma, the reliability of perception, and the challenges women face in being taken seriously when they speak out.
Dislikes :-
None.
Overall :- The Last Days of Kira Mullan is a captivating psychological thriller that blends suspense with emotional complexity. Nicci French deftly explores the fine line between reality and delusion, leaving readers questioning what they can believe. With strong female characters, a chilling atmosphere, and a plot that touches on important issues of mental health and justice, this novel is a solid addition to French’s body of work. While the pacing may lag at times, the overall narrative delivers a haunting and thought-provoking experience that fans of psychological thrillers will appreciate.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a tense story! I found it quite disturbing at times to see the world through the eyes of Nancy North, a woman with a managed mental illness whose boyfriend and partner treats as if she's an unexploded bomb, cautious and controlling. Because Nancy lost her restaurant after a humiliating breakdown and hospitalization, they've moved to a dismal flat in a building that's neglected by the landlord and inhabited by unpleasant people. Almost immediately, after Nancy has had a frightening experience with her hallucinations, she meets a neighbor who seems to be telling her she's in danger, but after the young woman is found hanging in her apartment, everyone (including slapdash police investigators) assume it was suicide. Nancy isn't so sure, but as she tries to explain her encounter she's not believed because of the illness her partner keeps telling everyone about in a weird solicitous way. It's not until a Met detective meets Nancy and takes her seriously (both what she witnessed and how frustratingly controlling her partner is) does anyone bother to properly investigate the death.

I was a touch skeptical when the boyfriend has her sectioned in a harrowing episode; in the US the equivalent involves the courts and usually a long, long wait for a bed because they are in such short supply, but after poking around this doesn't seem at all unrealistic for the UK setting.

The authors have done a marvelous job with characters and pacing. At first, it's not at all clear that Nancy is a reliable witness, and the boyfriend seems not unreasonably worried about her. But before long its clear what's really going on, and the depiction of being both disbelieved and treated as a dangerously delusional person (who we gradually realize is in a classically abusive relationship) is brilliantly done, as is the sympathetic and realistic portrayal of what it's like to live with what sounds like a mild form of schizophrenia. I'm also delighted to see the detective first portrayed in Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter return - Maud is a keeper, and I hope will be back.

There's something a touch Gothic in the setup, but it's also wonderfully contemporary with a feminist orientation. Really excellent. I've just talked myself into five stars.

I really liked this book and was moved by the sincere care and empathy with which the authors treated the female characters. There are two connected, but parallel, storylines in this novel. We meet the protagonist Nancy North, a chef, just as she is coming out of an involuntary stay at psychiatric institution and recovering from an unnamed illness that had made her hallucinate and hear voices. She has lost her restaurant and, as a result, Nancy and her partner Felix are moving out to a smaller, grotty apartment in West London. Kira Mullan is another tenant in said apartment building. Nancy meets her briefly, and Kira is found hanging from the rafters in her apartment the next day. Nancy becomes convinced that Kira was murdered, but everyone else seems convinced that she’s having episodes and that Kira had committed suicide.

As I said, I deeply appreciated the authors’ characterization of the women in this novel, even the unpleasant ones. I found the solution genuinely surprising and also appreciated the realistic portrayal of the Met. For much of the book, I was incredibly worried about Nancy and wanted her to survive her nightmarish situation. I will definitely be reading the next novel in the Maud O’Connor series! 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read an ARC of this book.

So glad to see that we have a new Nicci French series starring Maud (thought last book was a one off)!!! But the real star of the show is Nancy North, who endeavors to solve this crime despite some mental health challenges. Can we have another series with Nancy? Loved this one!

I had all the chills reading this story. I had to stop so many times to try and process it. It was just so fantastic! I loved it. I was so taken back by how the ending came about.

Engaging and entertaining - as expected. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

I seem to always enjoy the books by this team. I found this to be well structured, lots of different story lines, lots of hints that I reflected upon after I finished the story. Good story and good message.

I read the first book in this series, "Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter" and loved it. I was so happy to discover that there was a second book, and a series! Although I will point out that I think The Last Days of Kira Mullan would work fine as a stand alone. I had a tiny bit of trouble at the beginning deciding what I thought; but then I was hooked! Another good story, and I enjoy Maud and her style so much. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Firstly, I enjoyed the first book of the Maud O'Connor series: "Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?" and I honestly jumped at the chance to read another Maud O'Connor book without hesitation because I loved the tough, brilliant, smart, observant, self-reliant, capable detective inspector who catches the details no one sees and helps women who have been forgotten or neglected.

This time, Maud's part intertwines with an unreliable woman, Nancy North, who is going through trauma, having been hospitalized twice and being watched like a hawk by her extra-protective boyfriend Felix and a group of her neighbors. These neighbors leave a bad taste in your mouth with their unlikable attitudes and their insistence that Nancy is unhinged and that anything she says can't be taken seriously.
Interestingly, Nancy insists she's the last person who saw a presumed suicide victim alive, a woman who lived in the same apartment building. She claims the victim wanted her help before she died because she was scared of someone. The trouble with this conviction is that when Nancy saw Kira Mullan on the street the day she died, Nancy was also in the middle of an episode, feeling like she was walking on air and hearing voices, which raises more questions about her statement.

From the beginning of the book, we see how Nancy struggles with her mental illness, taking her pills, seeing her psychiatrist, doing everything to cure herself. Her boyfriend's suffocating protectiveness, which pushes him to tell everyone about her episodes with exaggeration, raises red flags. Unfortunately, all the inhabitants of the apartment building - including a middle-aged couple, a gym trainer who insists she tried to seduce him, the married couple with a nonstop crying kid, and the young man who spends his time playing video games - think she should be put in a cage like a wild animal, having no intention of helping her.

Until their paths cross with Maud, who is trying to move on with her life, attending law classes and meeting a charismatic stranger, having no idea Nancy's stopping at the station to talk to someone about reopening Kira's case. When they finally meet, you feel a little relieved about Nancy's well-being, as she has finally found a supporter who can believe in her.

From the beginning, we know Kira Mullan didn't hang herself; somebody killed her. As the tension builds about Nancy's struggle to make somebody hear her voice while everyone in her circle tries to shut her up, you may start guessing that anyone in this apartment could be a killer, having secret agendas as they keep blaming Nancy as unreliable when it's the other way around!

Overall: This is one of the most tense readings I've had lately. The mental health awareness is perfectly represented. The gaslighting, paranoia, and abuse are sensitive subjects that the author perfectly approached as well. I couldn't put it down even though it truly made me nervous. I truly loved Maud O'Connor and her straightforward approach to interrogation, her sharpened senses, her ability to see the details and piece together puzzles. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her adventures if one of my favorite writer duos gives life to them.

This one is even more brilliant than the first book, which also highly deserved my full obsession. Five manipulative stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this unputdownable masterpiece's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.