this is such a tight and smartly woven plot. its kicked off and you new you were in good hands from there on in. and it did not disappoint. you know when some books are good. but then there is some books that are good and just feel so tight and clever, so on point. and this is that book. its seamless with its delivery and i couldn't fault it. i was hooked. i was in. i was there until the end and didn't once mind being so. Gill is a talent and i feel so lucky that talent like this gets shared with us.its like little presents in each books.
this is definitely a book that teaches us to truly believe what we see is not always what IS.and especially when it comes to a surface of glitz and glamour.
Gemma's brother has been missing since his 21st. he was the promising one. the gifted for greater things one. so when he vanishes its a shock. its grief. and its a ripple of course through all that loves him.
so when in the present day decades later his body float to the surface released by that which bound him to the sea its the biggest shock ever. and then its revealed by the post -mortem that this wasn't just a dead body of a lad who vanished. this was a murdered lad. he didn't vanish. he was taken from them. this is when two detectives are brought to investigate. this is a big case.
but there is more to come. Gemma his sister now married with the life of dreams. but this isn't true in more ways than one. and she is now terrified of questions being asked surrounding her brother. is her world about to come crashing to the ground?
there was so many different layer to this book and plot. which i really appreciated and loved. because things happen in life but its doesn't stop other things still being true. its not stopping other terrible things happening to other people life or behind closed doors. a murder doesn't mean there is more going on for our characters lives. it only adds to the investment you get into this book from the depth of which you get to know and care about both character and plot.

The Night I Killed Him by Gill Perdue is an absolutely phenomenal read. As the third book in the series, it somehow manages to surpass the previous two, no small feat! The character development of Laura and Niamh throughout the series has been one of the most compelling arcs I’ve followed, and this installment brought even more depth to their stories.

What really stood out to me in this book was Gemma’s point of view. It was utterly heartbreaking and eye-opening. Her storyline, particularly the insights into her social media presence, was both chilling and thought-provoking. It really made me reflect on the dangers of parasocial relationships and the contrast between online perfection and real-life struggles. Just because someone seems to have it all doesn't mean they aren’t going through something heavy behind the scenes.

Even though the reader knows who the killer is, the tension doesn’t let up for a second. Watching the investigation unfold and the police piece things together had me on edge the entire time. Gill Perdue masterfully maintains suspense and emotion in every chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves character-driven thrillers with emotional depth and gripping tension. Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

This was a dark, tense read with a gripping premise that pulled me in right away. The writing style is sharp and atmospheric, and there’s a steady undercurrent of unease that keeps you turning the pages. I appreciated the layered storytelling and the psychological depth, especially in the way trauma and memory were explored.

However, there were moments where the pacing dipped, and a few sections felt a bit repetitive. Some of the character dynamics could have used a bit more development to fully land emotionally. That said, the twists were well done, and the ending left an impact.

Overall, it’s a compelling psychological thriller flawed in places, but definitely worth the read. 3.5 stars.

The life of renowned influencer Gemma Fitzgerald is on the verge of collapse when her brother Max’s body, missing for 18 years, is discovered on a beach. It was widely believed that Max had ended his life on the night of his twenty-first birthday, but Gemma knows the truth—she is the one responsible for his disappearance. With the police closing in and her luxurious lifestyle hanging by a thread the growing truth threatens to unravel Gemma’s world and separate her her cherished young son.

This a tense thriller with twists and turns and scary moments. It does start really slowly with the action ramping up by the end which made it hard to put down as I had to know the denouement. However, I was slightly irked by the author's attempt to manipulate as she hinted at the death of several key characters. I did enjoy that the story unfurled using the different voices of the characters as each was distinct but carried the story to its ending. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the tragic loss of her brother 18 years ago, influencer Gemma Fitzgerald has created an enviable life for herself, which includes a young child. But it is all put at risk after the unexpected discovery of her brother Max's body, all these years later.

Because tgd truth is, Gemma knows a lot more about Max's death than she should - and a lot more than she has ever admitted to, as well...

A gripping and well written story, this Irish thriller is your time. It gets 3. 5 stars.

I loved Perdue and her books so far and was so excited to read this one. The book is fast paced and the characters are well developed and credible. I really enjoyed the friendship between Laura and Niamh and could see this book becoming a TV series , I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it,

Wow! This is my first book by this author but I immediately will be going out to get the rest. A superb Irish crime detective thriller.
This story is told from 3 different POV-the two female detectives and Gemma, an influencer whose brother went missing years before and his body has just washed up on the shore.
The plot was pacy but still had a lot of depth to the characters and the central and connected mysteries were well plotted and kept me turning the pages. Was surprised by the resolution and the tension was delicately layered so I had to keep reading.
Really loved both detectives and their deep friendship and although I found Gemma’s chapter’s difficult to read (DV trigger warning), they were superbly written. Emotional and heart breaking.

Loved. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin for the ARC to review.

A twisty thriller that explores the dark side of marriage. Gemma’s brother Max went missing years ago one night when she was a young teenager. Since then she has married his best friend and has a beloved son and a great career as an influencer. But under the surface lies the truth of what the glitz & glamour hides. Now the body of Max has surfaced and with it the memories and fears of what happened that night. Two brilliant detectives are brought in to uncover the truth. A gripping read. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced, multi layered, action packed triller, with a truly terrifying villain.

What starts out as a missing persons case quickly turns into a murder case when body of ‘golden boy’ Max Fitzgerald floats to the surface of the sea tangled in rope.

Our story focuses on Laura and Niamh, two detectives with the Garda Síorchana, brought in to find Max’s killer. Through the investigation they meet Max’s younger sister Gemma, a successful influencer. Although her perfect online life might not actually reflect reality, and does she actually know more about what happened to her brother than she is letting on.

Laura and Niamh’s characters are well developed and likeable. They drive the plot forward towards an ultimate showdown. Can good overcome evil?

With twists and turns I didn’t see coming, this book had me turning the pages so fast to find out what happens next. A definite must read for triller lovers.

With thanks to Penguin General UK for a much appreciated early copy.

I really like this Dublin-based series with police Specialist Victim Interviewers (and good friends) Laura and Niamh - they're likeable characters and the stories are compelling. Here, a body is recovered from the water - identified as Max Fitzgerald, a young man who was a promising rower, who had been missing since 2007. His next of kin, sister Gemma, is now a popular social media influencer, married to Conleth and mother to a little boy, Ferdia. Was Max's death suicide, accident or murder? Gemma, for one, knows more than she's letting on. And meanwhile, Niamh and Laura both have their own issues to deal with....

The story takes the familiar concept of the influencer whose apparently perfect life isn't quite as great as it looks to new levels, because Gemma's life is a very dark place indeed.

There's a truly horrible villain here, some of whose actions really are staggeringly evil.

Excellent read, as ever.

An interesting storyline.
Great characters well written.
The book certainly picks up and i found myself racing through.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

4+
Golden boy Max Fitzgerald has been missing since his 21st birthday party on the 1st June 2007. Set for a bright future as an Olympic sailor, his sister Gemma, his parents and best friend Conleth O’Hara, mourn and question where he could be. In the present day, a body floats to the surface of the sea, released from binds of a blue nylon rope and washes up at Drumleck Point, Howth. Post-mortem results reveals Max has been murdered and placed into a watery grave after death. This is the biggest MisPer case of the decade and a massive challenge for the An Garda Síorchana and Detective Garda’s Laura Shaw and Niamh Dormody. Gemma, now married to Conleth, is a successful Instagram influencer known as Gemstone and has a seemingly perfect world which is about to implode in more ways than one. Does Gemma know the truth about what happens to Max all those years ago?

I really like this series and this is another immersive addition. This has a complex multilayered plot as we have Laura and her life with plenty to mull on there, Niamh‘s life takes an interesting direction, there’s the mystery of Max and the subsequent investigation, as well as Gemma‘s current situation. In places it’s heartbreaking and emotional for several different reasons. It’s a suspenseful, twisty and intensely gripping read which is told at a good pace which definitely picks up towards the end, which is very tense and keeps me guessing.

The characters of Laura and Niamh are terrific, they’re very likeable and I love the bond between them. All the characters in this instalment are well crafted and one is the very personification of evil.

Overall, this is another cracking rollercoaster read from Gill Perdue.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for a much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

I’ve loved Gill Perdue’s writing ever since The Interview (aka If I Tell).

Laura and Niamh are one of my favourite cop double acts. Gill Perdue crafts her novels with a sensitivity and humanity rare in crime fiction. This time it’s the a body washed up on the beach, the body of a man last seen eighteen years ago. The man’s sister Gemma is a successful influencer and may be the key to the mystery.

Great character writing and original plotting, as always from Gill Perdue who really deserved to be much better known.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General

I really enjoyed the relationship between Niamh and Laura.
It seemed a really solid base for the whole book. Along with the rest of their lives. There was drama there, but they weren't dragging SO much baggage around that it becomes the focus of the whole book.
There were some real cringe inducing moments here for me, both in a horrified way at the way some people were treated, also in the way an influencer was promoted as celebrity friend .
Pace picks up nicely towards the end, I was turning pages so fast.
Great story, hope we see more of these two.