I have only read one Maeve Kerrigan book before, so #10 was a bit of an odd place to start, but thanks to Netgalley I was able to read and enjoy this one. It would have helped, I think, to have understood the backstory and relationships a bit better, but saying that, the book did stand-alone well enough for me to still thoroughly enjoy it – and to add the other 8 I haven’t read to the ever-growing TBR pile! 

The story starts as DS Maeve Kerrigan is called in to investigate the death of consultant Hassan Dawoud, found dead in his car, parked outside the hospital he worked in. Recovering from some clearly traumatic events that have occurred prior to this incident (and presumably familiar to regular readers), Maeve is struggling with the physical after-effects – headaches, fatigue, and some emotional unrest. She is also then ordered to accompany her colleague and boss, DI Josh Derwent in an undercover sting at a close-knit community centred around Jellicoe Close where they will look into the suspicious death of a local lad with learning difficulties. To keep cover, they are to play the part of a young newly married couple, very much in love, spending a few weeks dog-sitting for one of the residents, an academic, while they are away on a work trip abroad. (Pippin, the dog in question is a chaotic joy.) There’s obviously a history between these two – they can barely keep their hands off each other. The tension, both good and bad, is palpable and leaps off the pages. 

This is definitely an exciting read, although there was quite a lot of mundane daily activity described in the undercover house, but I imagine that’s how it actually feels to be living in that scenario, pretending to live a life of domestic bliss. I was quite immersed in the double investigation going on and the dynamics between Maeve and Josh, and also the developing relationship with Georgia Shaw, the DC that takes over the Dawoud case – her character development was well written and we start to see her grow as the book progresses. Her relationships with both Maeve and Josh develop and felt important to the direction of the story. After finishing this book, with its explosive finale, I am eager to go back and read the previous books in this series, and will definitely be seeking out the next when it arrives.

Published: 2 March 2023, Harper Collins 

4/5 stars

About the Author: Jane Casey (from Amazon.co.uk)

Jane Casey is a bestselling crime writer who was born and brought up in Dublin. A former editor, she has written twelve crime novels for adults (including ten in the Maeve Kerrigan series) and three for teenagers (the Jess Tennant series). Her books have been international bestsellers, critically acclaimed for their realism and accuracy. The Maeve Kerrigan series has been nominated for many awards: in 2015 Jane won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for The Stranger You Know and Irish Crime Novel of the Year for After the Fire. In 2019, Cruel Acts was chosen as Irish Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. It was a Sunday Times bestseller. Stand-alone novel The Killing Kind was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in 2021, and is currently being filmed for television. Jane lives in southwest London with her husband, who is a criminal barrister, and their two children.