Who Took Eden Mulligan? by Sharon Dempsey - Short Book Review

 

Publication Date:  18 February 2021

Publisher:  Avon Books

Blurb:

‘They’re dead. They’re all dead. It’s my fault. I killed them.’

Those are the words of Iona Gardener, who stands bloodied and staring as she confesses to the murder of four people in a run-down cottage outside of Belfast.

Outside the cottage, five old dolls are hanging from a tree. Inside the cottage, the words “WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN?” are graffitied on the wall, connecting the murder scene with the famous cold case of Eden Mulligan, a mother-of-five who went missing during The Troubles.

But this case is different. Right from the start.

Because no one in the community is willing to tell the truth, and the only thing DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey can be certain of is that Iona Gardener’s confession is false….

A creepy, gritty and very compelling crime novel, perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons and Jane Casey.

My Thoughts:

This is a multi layered mystery with many strands, set in a Belfast now free of The Troubles in the 70's and 80's.  But someone doesn't want the past to be left there, as the words 'Who Took Eden Mulligan?" are there for the police to see, left after the shocking murders of four people.

Rose Lainey has come back to Belfast to attend her mother's funeral, she and Danny were at Liverpool Uni together and she agrees to help him with this baffling case.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the two, their interactions felt natural.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? is more than a murder mystery, it's about the assumptions people make, of living in fear in Belfast in the 1980's, fear of saying or doing the wrong thing, I could almost feel that claustrophobia in the writing, which was excellent from beginning to end.

The tension is slow and steady, gradually building up to a fast pace at the end.....and I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book of many layers.

I would love to read more of DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey and see where their next case takes them.

My thanks to Avon Books for giving me the opportunity, via Net Galley, to read this book.

Available to buy now from Amazon UK - Amazon US