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paperlove's review against another edition
1.0
Vor etwas mehr als einem Jahr bin ich auf "Zu Nah", einer neuen Thriller-Reihenauftakt rund um die Ermittlerin Frankie Sheehan aufmerksam geworden. Obwohl der erste Band einige Schwächen aufgewiesen hatte, konnte mich der präsentierte Fall fesseln und die Spannung bis zum Schluss aufrechterhalten werden. Aus Neugier, habe ich mich entschieden, nun auch den zweiten Band der Reihe zu lesen. Das Cover sieht dieses Mal ganz anders als beim ersten Band aus, so dass ich auf Anhieb nicht gewusst hätte, dass es sich um eine Reihe handelt, was ich etwas schade fand.
Im Buch spielen zwei Handlungsstränge eine Rolle: Zum einen wird zu Beginn des Buches eine Leiche gefunden, deren Tod Sheehan aufklären soll. Auf der anderen Seite wird sie gebeten, sich dem frisch entlassenen Sean Hennessy anzunehmen, der kürzlich aus dem Gefängnis entlassen wurde, nachdem er für den (vermeintlichen) Tod seiner Mutter und Schwester verurteilt worden war. Doch nicht alle sind von seiner Schuld überzeugt. Und Sheehan soll dabei helfen, Hennessys Unschuld zu beweisen. Doch die Sache wird mit dem Verlauf des Buches immer verzwickter, denn die aktuellen Mordfälle weisen Ähnlichkeiten zu den Todesfällen von Hennessys Familie auf und Sheehan muss herausfinden, ob und inwiefern es eine Verbindung zwischen den Todesfällen gibt und welche Rolle Hennessy dabei spielt.
Ich weiss nicht genau woran es lag, aber dieses Mal wollte keinerlei Spannung bei mir aufgekommen. Der Anfang fand ich noch ganz interessant, auch wenn sich die Charaktere im Buch sehr fremd angefühlt haben. Bis auf Sheehan war ich mir nicht sicher, ob einige Leute aus ihrem Ermittlerteam bereits in Band 1 ihre Erwähnung gefunden haben. Das lag wahrscheinlich daran, dass ich bereits damals kritisiert habe, dass man sehr wenig über die unterschiedlichen Charaktere erfährt. Leider war das auch hier so.
Mich haben weder die aktuellen Mordfälle, noch Hennessys Vergangenheit richtig gefesselt und ich habe das Buch mit immer grösser werdendem Desinteresse gelesen. Es gab irgendwie nichts, das positiv hervorgestochen wäre, denn die Charaktere bleiben weiterhin allesamt sehr blass und die Ermittlungen waren nicht so aufgebaut, dass sie mich gepackt hätten. Irgendwann bin ich leider dazu übergangen, einige Seiten nur noch quer zu lesen. Die Enthüllung des Täters hat mich am Ende zwar überrascht, aber der Weg dahin konnte mich leider überhaupt nicht überzeugen. Hätte es sich nicht um ein Rezensionsexemplar gehandelt, dann hätte ich das Buch sehr früh abgebrochen. So habe ich zumindest noch das Ende überflogen. Ich werde die Reihe um Frankie Sheehan von nun an nicht mehr weitverfolgen. Meine Bewertung mag hart sein, aber im Vergleich zu anderen Büchern aus dem Crime/Thriller Bereich, war das hier eine der langweiligsten Ermittlungen, die ich bislang gelesen habe.
Fazit:
"Todeslügen" ist der zweite Band rund um die Ermittlerin Frankie Sheehan, die dieses Mal einem Mordfall gegenüber steht, der Ähnlichkeiten mit einem früheren Fall aufweist. Während die Idee anfangs noch vielversprechend geklungen hat, war die Umsetzung in meinen Augen leider nicht gelungen. Bei mir kam zu keinem Zeitpunkt Spannung auf und ich musste mich regelrecht durch das Buch quälen. Es gab in diesem Buch keinen Aspekt, der mir irgendwie positiv in Erinnerung geblieben wäre, deshalb kann ich leider nur enttäuschte 1.5 Sterne vergeben. Es gibt deutlich spannendere Bücher im Crime Bereich. Dieses hier hat leider nicht meinen persönlichen Geschmack getroffen.
Im Buch spielen zwei Handlungsstränge eine Rolle: Zum einen wird zu Beginn des Buches eine Leiche gefunden, deren Tod Sheehan aufklären soll. Auf der anderen Seite wird sie gebeten, sich dem frisch entlassenen Sean Hennessy anzunehmen, der kürzlich aus dem Gefängnis entlassen wurde, nachdem er für den (vermeintlichen) Tod seiner Mutter und Schwester verurteilt worden war. Doch nicht alle sind von seiner Schuld überzeugt. Und Sheehan soll dabei helfen, Hennessys Unschuld zu beweisen. Doch die Sache wird mit dem Verlauf des Buches immer verzwickter, denn die aktuellen Mordfälle weisen Ähnlichkeiten zu den Todesfällen von Hennessys Familie auf und Sheehan muss herausfinden, ob und inwiefern es eine Verbindung zwischen den Todesfällen gibt und welche Rolle Hennessy dabei spielt.
Ich weiss nicht genau woran es lag, aber dieses Mal wollte keinerlei Spannung bei mir aufgekommen. Der Anfang fand ich noch ganz interessant, auch wenn sich die Charaktere im Buch sehr fremd angefühlt haben. Bis auf Sheehan war ich mir nicht sicher, ob einige Leute aus ihrem Ermittlerteam bereits in Band 1 ihre Erwähnung gefunden haben. Das lag wahrscheinlich daran, dass ich bereits damals kritisiert habe, dass man sehr wenig über die unterschiedlichen Charaktere erfährt. Leider war das auch hier so.
Mich haben weder die aktuellen Mordfälle, noch Hennessys Vergangenheit richtig gefesselt und ich habe das Buch mit immer grösser werdendem Desinteresse gelesen. Es gab irgendwie nichts, das positiv hervorgestochen wäre, denn die Charaktere bleiben weiterhin allesamt sehr blass und die Ermittlungen waren nicht so aufgebaut, dass sie mich gepackt hätten. Irgendwann bin ich leider dazu übergangen, einige Seiten nur noch quer zu lesen. Die Enthüllung des Täters hat mich am Ende zwar überrascht, aber der Weg dahin konnte mich leider überhaupt nicht überzeugen. Hätte es sich nicht um ein Rezensionsexemplar gehandelt, dann hätte ich das Buch sehr früh abgebrochen. So habe ich zumindest noch das Ende überflogen. Ich werde die Reihe um Frankie Sheehan von nun an nicht mehr weitverfolgen. Meine Bewertung mag hart sein, aber im Vergleich zu anderen Büchern aus dem Crime/Thriller Bereich, war das hier eine der langweiligsten Ermittlungen, die ich bislang gelesen habe.
Fazit:
"Todeslügen" ist der zweite Band rund um die Ermittlerin Frankie Sheehan, die dieses Mal einem Mordfall gegenüber steht, der Ähnlichkeiten mit einem früheren Fall aufweist. Während die Idee anfangs noch vielversprechend geklungen hat, war die Umsetzung in meinen Augen leider nicht gelungen. Bei mir kam zu keinem Zeitpunkt Spannung auf und ich musste mich regelrecht durch das Buch quälen. Es gab in diesem Buch keinen Aspekt, der mir irgendwie positiv in Erinnerung geblieben wäre, deshalb kann ich leider nur enttäuschte 1.5 Sterne vergeben. Es gibt deutlich spannendere Bücher im Crime Bereich. Dieses hier hat leider nicht meinen persönlichen Geschmack getroffen.
kylieeason's review against another edition
3.0
This book is good, but nothing outrageously amazing.
I feel like the title was a little misleading, but did end up making sense towards the end.
What I did love about this book is that Frankie and Baz had to actually work to try and solve this crime, and in doing so they ran into walls. It felt a little more authentic and gave credence to the “aha” moment.
I didn’t love this book, but I’d say it’s good for anyone looking for a low key thriller
I feel like the title was a little misleading, but did end up making sense towards the end.
What I did love about this book is that Frankie and Baz had to actually work to try and solve this crime, and in doing so they ran into walls. It felt a little more authentic and gave credence to the “aha” moment.
I didn’t love this book, but I’d say it’s good for anyone looking for a low key thriller
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
This second book featuring DCS Frankie Sheehan has a solid mystery and reads very much like an episode of CSI with the details about the crime scenes. In fact, the story includes plenty of detail about almost everything except our characters. On that front, I was hoping for something more. As it stands, the characters, including Frankie, lack enough personality to really get a feel for them, much less relate to them. As with any group of people who work closely together, I would expect some personal conversation, maybe some banter between friends, but there is a distinct lack of that here that gives the story a very straightforward and dispassionate atmosphere. On a positive note, the suspense is good with a murder mystery that isn't too easy to figure out. So, while I did like the murder mystery, the impersonal feel left me with a lack of connection to any of the characters, including Frankie.
schnacks's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the characters and the setting, though it felt to me as if the Irishness was watered down considerably, which is one thing that could have made it stand out from the pack. The writing was also good. In the end the story didn’t grip me by the throat - not because it was unimaginative, but there were just no page-turning, heart-thumping moments. I never felt really invested in the whodunnit aspect.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
Seventeen years ago, the town of Clontarf was rocked to its very core when fifteen year old Seán Hennessy was convicted of the murder of his parents and attempted murder of his then ten year old sister. Seán always maintained his innocence and now he’s finally been released, he’s set on clearing his name once and for all. But his return to Clontarf sets off another spate of murders. Coincidence or not? Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan will need to keep her wits about her to figure out the truth.
One of the first things to pull you into this story is the amazing atmosphere Olivia Kiernan creates. This small seaside town on the coast of Ireland isn’t exactly a glamorous holiday destination. It rains a lot. It’s windy. Often you look up and only see dark and grey skies. But these elements all add to the doom and gloom of a complicated murder investigation and this here investigation is certainly complicated.
The Killer in Me is full of complex and multi-layered characters. Few come across as trustworthy and my keen detective eye (ha!) zeroed in on a suspect relatively soon. But just like Frankie and her team, I wasn’t prepared for all the twists, turns and dead ends and ultimately I had to admit defeat, not seeing who the culprit was or why it seemed to be connected to the past.
I had some misgivings about Frankie when I was first introduced to her in Too Close to Breathe but in this instalment, she completely won me over! It may seem a tad harsh to say but I almost felt as if she had some kind of personality transplant but I loved her. She always keeps an open mind and isn’t afraid to admit to herself when she’s wrong about something. Her profiling background remains incredibly fascinating, the way she “sees” things play out in front of her eyes really drew me in. I had no problems whatsoever getting behind her this time around.
A lot about this story is about perceptions, which in turn makes it rather thought-provoking. The Killer in Me is gripping, immersive and utterly addictive. Oozing atmosphere throughout and with a touch of true crime about it, it had me absolutely hooked from start to finish. If you’re into crime fiction, I’d definitely recommend this one and I’m ridiculously excited to see where Olivia Kiernan takes this series next!
One of the first things to pull you into this story is the amazing atmosphere Olivia Kiernan creates. This small seaside town on the coast of Ireland isn’t exactly a glamorous holiday destination. It rains a lot. It’s windy. Often you look up and only see dark and grey skies. But these elements all add to the doom and gloom of a complicated murder investigation and this here investigation is certainly complicated.
The Killer in Me is full of complex and multi-layered characters. Few come across as trustworthy and my keen detective eye (ha!) zeroed in on a suspect relatively soon. But just like Frankie and her team, I wasn’t prepared for all the twists, turns and dead ends and ultimately I had to admit defeat, not seeing who the culprit was or why it seemed to be connected to the past.
I had some misgivings about Frankie when I was first introduced to her in Too Close to Breathe but in this instalment, she completely won me over! It may seem a tad harsh to say but I almost felt as if she had some kind of personality transplant but I loved her. She always keeps an open mind and isn’t afraid to admit to herself when she’s wrong about something. Her profiling background remains incredibly fascinating, the way she “sees” things play out in front of her eyes really drew me in. I had no problems whatsoever getting behind her this time around.
A lot about this story is about perceptions, which in turn makes it rather thought-provoking. The Killer in Me is gripping, immersive and utterly addictive. Oozing atmosphere throughout and with a touch of true crime about it, it had me absolutely hooked from start to finish. If you’re into crime fiction, I’d definitely recommend this one and I’m ridiculously excited to see where Olivia Kiernan takes this series next!
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan is the second book to feature Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan. Although I have read the first book in the series I believe this book can be read as a stand alone story. It is told from the point of view of Frankie, who is all about work and her family. She doesn't seem to have anything else in her life and we know very little about her. I would like to see more about her as a person in the next book. It is easier to like or dislike a character with a bit more insight into them personally. In saying that I really enjoyed this book, with its many layers and characters that all tie in together. The ending was very clever and not completely obvious.
We have 2 stories running side by side in this book. Frankie is called to the scene in a church in Clontarf where 2 bodies lay dead. It is a gruesome scene with very little clues to point to the killer. More bodies start to appear and it seems that the victims are linked, but who wanted them dead. We also have Sean Hennessey who was convicted of killing his family 17 years ago. With the help of the media he is claiming he is innocent. As Frankie looks further into it there are other possible suspects and there seems to be police errors in the initial investigation. Frankie's boss is keen for this to go away without tainting the department.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
We have 2 stories running side by side in this book. Frankie is called to the scene in a church in Clontarf where 2 bodies lay dead. It is a gruesome scene with very little clues to point to the killer. More bodies start to appear and it seems that the victims are linked, but who wanted them dead. We also have Sean Hennessey who was convicted of killing his family 17 years ago. With the help of the media he is claiming he is innocent. As Frankie looks further into it there are other possible suspects and there seems to be police errors in the initial investigation. Frankie's boss is keen for this to go away without tainting the department.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I could use a lot of words to describe this book and how much I liked it, a lot of blah blah, but I want to summarize it in few words: it's amazing and gripping.
You will appreciate it if you like police procedural or psychological thriller. Or if you are not a fan of a specific genre but you want to read a book that is well written and keeps you reading as fast as you can.
It's atmospheric, dark, enthralling and emotionally charged. You never know what's going to happen and you're in for some great surprises.
The characters are fleshed out, they're not likable but I couldn't help being attracted to them. They will make you feel a lot of different emotions: from pity to rage.
The plot is complex, fascinating, and gripping; once you get involved in the book you cannot stop reading till the final climax.
The mystery is solid and complex, with a lot of twists and turns, and it keeps you guessing but you never know if you're right or wrong.
There're some important social issues in this book and I appreciated how the writer empathy for the victims.
I can say this book is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
You will appreciate it if you like police procedural or psychological thriller. Or if you are not a fan of a specific genre but you want to read a book that is well written and keeps you reading as fast as you can.
It's atmospheric, dark, enthralling and emotionally charged. You never know what's going to happen and you're in for some great surprises.
The characters are fleshed out, they're not likable but I couldn't help being attracted to them. They will make you feel a lot of different emotions: from pity to rage.
The plot is complex, fascinating, and gripping; once you get involved in the book you cannot stop reading till the final climax.
The mystery is solid and complex, with a lot of twists and turns, and it keeps you guessing but you never know if you're right or wrong.
There're some important social issues in this book and I appreciated how the writer empathy for the victims.
I can say this book is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
DCS Profiler Frankie Sheehan is rather nonplussed when she is asked by a convicted murderer, Séan Hennessey, to prove that he was innocent of the murder of his parents and attempted slaying of his sister. He has been released from prison, but he declares his innocence and hopes that Frankie will help him.
Frankie really doesn’t want to help, but she agrees and at the same time she is busily trying to solve other recent murders. She discovers an apparent connection between her current case and Séan’s past. Will Frankie be able to deal with everything going on, which includes the media’s attention?
It does not help matters that Frankie does not trust Séan. As she discovers that things go far deeper than she could’ve imagined, which include a lot of secrets, she really has her hands full. As a profiler, running into murder is part of her job, but sometimes it becomes overwhelming as we see in this story as it is told from her point of view.
This exciting story kept my attention from page one and I simply could not put it down. Although this is the second book in the Frankie Sheehan series, it can be read as a standalone.
I would like to thank Olivia Kiernan, Dutton and First To Read for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
DCS Profiler Frankie Sheehan is rather nonplussed when she is asked by a convicted murderer, Séan Hennessey, to prove that he was innocent of the murder of his parents and attempted slaying of his sister. He has been released from prison, but he declares his innocence and hopes that Frankie will help him.
Frankie really doesn’t want to help, but she agrees and at the same time she is busily trying to solve other recent murders. She discovers an apparent connection between her current case and Séan’s past. Will Frankie be able to deal with everything going on, which includes the media’s attention?
It does not help matters that Frankie does not trust Séan. As she discovers that things go far deeper than she could’ve imagined, which include a lot of secrets, she really has her hands full. As a profiler, running into murder is part of her job, but sometimes it becomes overwhelming as we see in this story as it is told from her point of view.
This exciting story kept my attention from page one and I simply could not put it down. Although this is the second book in the Frankie Sheehan series, it can be read as a standalone.
I would like to thank Olivia Kiernan, Dutton and First To Read for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
4.0
This was quite a competent police procedural and
came with a pretty good twisty ending I must say.
It lacked on any real character development but
the plot and progression of the investigation were
enough for me in this novel.
came with a pretty good twisty ending I must say.
It lacked on any real character development but
the plot and progression of the investigation were
enough for me in this novel.
prettylittlewriter's review
4.0
I REALLY got into this one. I think it only took me around a week to read, I was desperate to find out who the killer was. The character of Sean Hennessey was brilliant, at times you felt like he was a cold-blooded killer, the way Olivia describes the way he looks at people, or his body language. Then other times you start to think maybe he is completely innocent, especially during his documentary segments, as he sheds tears and seems completely distraught. Throughout the whole thing I just could not figure out if he was guilty of killing his parents or not.
Then with the introduction of the new murders and numerous key suspects that all could have had their own motive, you wonder, how could he be involved again?
Again, Olivia writes in so much detail, giving us an insight into how Frankie is feeling, her innermost thoughts surrounding the case. We also get to see the very sweet friendship Frankie has with her partner, Baz, and how much of a support system they have between them.
As with her first novel, I did not guess the ending, I was on the edge of my seat till the end!
Then with the introduction of the new murders and numerous key suspects that all could have had their own motive, you wonder, how could he be involved again?
Again, Olivia writes in so much detail, giving us an insight into how Frankie is feeling, her innermost thoughts surrounding the case. We also get to see the very sweet friendship Frankie has with her partner, Baz, and how much of a support system they have between them.
As with her first novel, I did not guess the ending, I was on the edge of my seat till the end!