Based on a true story this is an incredible read.

Mary Shea is a Police Officer and wants to do well and climb the ranks.

The baby Cronan case has never been solved so when Mary is on the case she feels this will be of her making. She doesn't have much support from her colleagues or even her family so she has to do it herself and make people see her worth.

Set in ireland this is a book that stayed with me, It is sad and at times made me angry, No one but Mary seemed to care.

Highly recommended.

This was a tough one to get through, not because it was bad, it was fantastic, it really sucked me in from the beginning, but because of the death of an infant. Such a great read and will definitely buy physical copy once released.

This book sucked me in from the very beginning! After learning it was based on true events I was even more intrigued. What a great story and lovely writing.

Loved it! I kept thinking this couldn't be the 1980's. Then again look at what's happening during the present time. The treatment of women was awful. I'm not sure how Mary Shea went to work everyday as a garda. Her male colleagues don't respect her and she was pretty much a glorified secretary. She did all the typing and made the coffees and teas. Mary was one strong woman, she definitely got that from her mom. Her mom was the support she needed to become a police officer. Even Mary's father is dismissive of her career choice and he's the Assistant Commissioner. Without Mary Shea the baby Crónán case would have never been solved. It would have been solved, but not correctly. The Dublin police were willing to do anything to close the baby Crónán case. They made storylines fit when it wasn't even possible. They weren't above using force. The treatment of the O'Reilly family was terrible and they didn't seem to care. I loved the ending when the truth finally came out. It proved Mary was right all along and she was worthy of being a police officer. The best part was when Mary told Dicey MacCarthy about what was offered to her. Someone needed to manhandle him like he did to her. I loved Mary's relationship with Seamus.

I definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I can't wait to see what's next for Mary Shea. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Canelo through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A newborn is found dead in a small town in Ireland in the 1980s. Garda Mary Shea is used to doing paperwork and making tea but is finally allowed to do some real police work when the Dublin team is brought in to assist. There is a lot more here than just the crime and investigation, in the way most of the women are treated in general but especially Mary in her career and also the way suspects are treated by the police. I would read more if this were a series. 4 stars.

I believe that this is the first in a series which I will definitely be reading. Set in 1980 we follow Garda Mary Shea who has joined the police force which is predominantly male . The novel follows the case of a baby found dead in a sand dune ,and Mary is on the team to find out what has happened and who has done it. She is constantly up against male bravado and the treatment of women is appalling. She is determined to not let them get to her and all through the book she does not believe the accused is guilty. She is a feisty character and stands her ground most of the time . She has to ignore the police brutality and the sexual innuendos that she encounters . The actual mystery is good and I was left wondering where it was going . Friendships are formed and she tries to make a difference . And a side note this is loosely based on a true event that happened .

Synopsis
One morning in Ireland, in 1980, a newborn baby in found murdered. The small town has never seen a case like this before and the Dublin major crimes team take charge.
Mary Shea is the only female Garda and in 1980 that is unusual. Lead detective Matt Foley decides to take her under his wing and it's the biggest case of his career.

This was based on the 1984 true crime case from Ireland; Kerry babies case.

Review
It feels weird to say I loved this book given that it was about a murdered newborn baby. But I did. It was dark but I was hooked until the end, I had an idea of what happened but I was not fully correct. I actually said wow out loud at one point!

The fact that this was based on a true case just made this book all the more dark and intense.

The social commentry about womens place in the 1980s remind me of the Allie Burns series by Val McDermid. It is crazy to think that people had these attitudes towards women and homosexuality less than 50 years ago.

I am so glad that this is the first in a series and I cannot wait for the next one.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Anna McPartlin and Canelo for this advanced review copy.

Brilliant so many twists and turns that keep you guessing to the end. This great Irish drama played out in a rural village that is shook to its core when a baby is found murdered. The whole community is torn. Mary She’a is a guard but she’s a woman so a glorified tea boy in the eyes of the men, until the Dublin boys arrive to take over the investigation that’s when things get complicated.
Loved this book and looking forward to another if Mary Sheas investigations.

My thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Silent Ones’, book 1 of the Mary Shea Murders written by Anna McPartlin, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Garda Mary Shea is on duty with Dicey McCarthy when the body of a baby is found stabbed and lying on the dunes who Mary names Baby Cronan. Detective Matt Foley and his team from Dublin come to Nead Mara to head the investigation and much to the chagrin of the male detectives tells Mary she’ll be working with him.

‘The Silent Ones’ is a beautifully written police thriller based in the County of Kerry where it’s a given that policing is no job for a woman and any female who manages to be a Garda shouldn’t expect to do more than type and make tea. The plot is ingenious, the characters wonderfully described, and I’ve found it exasperating that Mary has to work twice as hard as the men to prove her worth. I’ve really liked the author’s style of writing that’s made the words flow off the page and from the beginning I’ve been totally immersed in the twists of the investigation until the conclusion where Baby Cronan’s mother is finally identified and Mary’s diligence pays off. I’ve so enjoyed this book that I can’t wait until the next in the series is available to read.

I really enjoyed this book, a different style of writing from this author! It was based around a local police officer Mary who helped to solve a case, it highlighted the prejudices women faced in the 1980s not just the police, but important witnesses and also how people were treated in custody!

The case was solved with lots of help from Mary, who by the end of the book was trusted and admired by her colleagues!

Have always been a fan of this author and have read every book she has written.

The Silent Ones is book one in the gripping Irish crime debut by Anna McPartlin.
From the beginning of the chapter to the end of the book, I was literally hooked into the story.
Its so engaging... Anna did a phenomenal job with the gripping suspense and fantastic characters.

3.75 stars for me. In January morning in 1980, newborn baby boy body was found. Garda Mary Shea is first on the scene ,and Dublin major crimes comes for resolve the case. Lead detective Foley get Mary to help him. She hope to solve case, and prove her coworkers that she's better then just making tea.

Who is guilty ?
Who is lying?
Will Mary find the mother of dead baby?

Full of questions this crime was hard to resolve, the appealing treatment of women in Gardai was hard to read about it. Still could not put this book down until the end. Hope to read more books with Mary Shea, she's the smart one. Definitely would recommend.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for arc.

I love a crime book and this didn’t disappoint set on 1980 Ireland it was a very nostalgic read.

I enjoyed this book immensely and was rooting for Mary all the way through

4 stars

Anna McPartlin is one of my favourite authors, and I was very interested to see she had written a police investigation/murder book.
Set in Ireland in 1980, Mary Shea is a guard with the local force. Her gender means she's constantly judged, and it's assumed she's not capable of the job.
Until a baby is found on a beach, murdered. When the 'Dublin boys' arrive to take over the investigation, Foley, who is in charge, understands how a woman will be key to finding who the mother was.
I have to say I was shocked at the appalling way women were treated back then. Although not surprised. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and know how sexist that time was. some might say we haven't progressed muc, but I hope we have.
I love Mary. She had a gutsy attitude and although at time, doubted hersel, pushed on throug, and stood up for what was right.
The story it's self was a real page turner. I guessed who the mother wa, but there was a twist that I won't give away. I'll be looking forward to the next Mary Shea book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Fantastic mystery with well-written characters and twists along the way. The time period was its own character and helped make sense of how women and girls were treated throughout the novel. The book showed what it was like for a woman working in law enforcement and the challenges Mary and the young suspects, Nora and Julia, face because of social expectations.

The mystery itself kept me hooked—I was constantly trying to figure out what happened, and there were enough twists to keep me surprised. By the end, I felt like I’d gone on a real journey with the main character.

Overall, this was a gripping and memorable read. If you like atmospheric mysteries with strong characters, I’d definitely recommend it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The story begins on a cold January Morning in 1980 on a Kerry beach, when a new born is discovered by a passer-by. Local Garda Officer Mary Shea is the first police office at the scene. Shortly afterwards, lead detective, Matt Foley and the Dublin Major Crimes Team arrive to begin their investigations. Mary, who understands the small town, is asked to help Matt and the team. The plot was gripping, there were twists and turns that kept me guessing. The final reveal was complete and satisfying. It was well written and the characters were realistic. More Mary please!!

I was utterly gripped by this book and having read the authors previous books, it wasn't what I was expecting. Mary is a police officer who finds a murdered baby on the beach.
On top of the mystery of the baby, which is sad, the story is about Mary's journey as a police officer in the 80s, full of sexism. She is resilient & carries on, but i think the author really captures how it was and the things Mary has to put up with an suffer, all linked in with solving a traumatic case.
It's really well written and I hope it becomes a series, to see what Mary does next.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness this book will stay with me for a long time

The Silent Ones by Anna McPartlin

I have read books by Anna McPartlin before but this one takes a turn from her normal emotional reads and goes down the mystery and thriller route and it did not disappoint.

Mary is a Guard in 1980s Ireland where women are not treated as equals in the workplace. Mary is the only female guard in the station and male dominated profession. She is constantly given the meaningless, mundane tasks of making tea or typing up statements, while the men do the ‘real work’. When one of her colleagues is sick, Mary finds herself in a patrol car and on the way to a call out where a baby has been found on a beach.

Mary is admirable, constantly listening to the male colleagues putting her down, disrespecting and ignoring her. But Mary ploughs on, she goes out of her way to leave no stone unturned in solving this case.

We need more Mary’s in the workplace, women who are empowered, not afraid to say the truth and to stand up for things that are morally correct.

I don’t believe this is the last we will hear of Mary, this has potential to be a super series

Loved it, 5 stars for me

First time I have read a book by this author - enjoyed the style of writing although found it a little slow at times. Enjoyable book

This is the story of the murder of a newborn baby, stabbed many times and left on a beach, and the Garda Mary Shea who is first on the scene. She is very much the lone female in a very male world of the Garda. The story is inspired by a real event in 1984 when Baby John is washed up on a beach in Kerry and I was aware of this true story before I read this book. This story is set in 1984 and, as always, "times were different then". The treatment of almost everyone by the Garda varies from bad to appalling in my mind (you have been warned!). The story follows the Garda attempts to find the murderer and Mary's point to and look at all the evidence.

As the local Garda are not well staffed nor have any real detectives the "Dublin Boys" are called in to deal with this investigation which is getting a lot of coverage in a shocked nation. Detective Matt Foley leads the investigation (a "tricky fecker"!) and Mary does her best to stay involved. The local Garda are looked down on by the Dublin Boys (And Mary is looked down on by the local Garda…) so there are tensions from the start. There are twists and turns, some more possible than others. I do realise that this was a "different time" (and that the real Baby John case was badly mishandled) however some of the things said/done are simply crazy and often offensive.

I spent quite a bit of my time reading this frustrated. There is a good story here. However the appalling behaviour of some of the characters really annoyed me even if it might be the way it was. Mary herself seemed to flip from time to time. At times she was a clear headed thoughtful Garda; at times she seemed determined to play the stereotypical woman that the men assumed she had to be. There is homophobia here too; something some may be concerned about - again extremely different attitudes in the era in Ireland.

I would never have stopped reading this and - in the main - I really liked Mary as a character. Probably the only other good character for me would have been Matt Foley in that he wasn't as bad as the others and did sometime listen and think. I've read a previous book by this author and I did enjoy that more I think although it was some time ago. I would almost certainly read another one of McPartlin's books too. I found the first half of this rather slow however it certainly got better. 3.5/5