Series: Detective Tessa Burns #3
By: S.A. Dunphy
Narrator: Melanie MacHugh
ISBN: 9781803147246
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: 08/19/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
BLOG TOUR HOST 19 Aug
I’ve come to report a murder,’ the little girl declares, lips trembling, her head only just high enough to see over the police counter. ‘Please, you have to help me.’
When tearful young Ellie O’Farrell walks into a rural Irish police station to report she’s dreamed a murder that hasn’t happened yet, she is gently, but firmly, sent on her way. But the very next night a beloved local grandfather is found dead, lethal knife wounds showing a struggle exactly as she’d described. How did innocent Ellie know what was going to happen?
Called in to investigate, Detective Tessa Burns has never seen anything like this. Meeting Ellie and her desperate parents, it’s clear Ellie’s home is filled with love. She swears she has never met the victim: Tessa’s case seems to stall before it’s even begun. But when Tessa gets a frantic call from the young girl only days later to say she’s had a terrifying second dream, the race is on to prevent another murder.
Was Tessa’s usually flawless instinct about Ellie’s home life wrong? Has Ellie overheard something she shouldn’t? With only hours to go until Ellie’s terrible prediction comes true, Tessa is shocked to get a deadly warning from someone in her own dark past. Leave the case alone, or she – and Ellie – are next.
Tessa refuses to stop her investigation – it’s the only way to save Ellie. But then a deadly attack leaves Tessa’s team fighting for their lives, and Ellie taken… Tessa would risk everything to unmask the most twisted killer she’s ever encountered. But first she must rescue Ellie, before it’s too late for them all…
A totally unputdownable Irish police procedural with jaw-dropping twists. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Regan and Angela Marsons.
My Review
S.A. Dunphy returns following Only the Children and Little Witness with his third installment in his popular Detective Tessa Burns Irish crime series, HER LONELY SOUL.
In this gripping narrative, Tess and her team encounter an intelligent young girl with the unique ability to see murders before they occur. This sets the stage for a twisty mystery, suspense, cop procedural action-packed crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the final conclusion.
About...
Set in Cork, Ireland, we pick up from the last book with Detective Tessa Burns and her unstoppable team, Danny, Maggie, and the dynamic dog, Pavlov!
Ellie O'Farrell, a young, highly intelligent girl, walks into the local police station with her parents, stating she has psychic abilities and has foreseen a murder. As expected, she is not taken seriously.
However, the next night, a beloved local grandfather is found dead, with lethal knife wounds showing a struggle precisely as she'd described.
How did she know what was going to occur? She is called back in and Tessa and her team are called to head the investigation.
When Tessa gets a frantic call from Ellie only days later to say she's had a terrifying second dream, the race is on to prevent another murder.
Then Tessa is shocked when she receives a deadly warning from someone in her own dark past to leave the case alone, or she and Ellie will be next.
Tessa will risk everything to unmask the cunning and ruthless twisted killer and save Ellie, the team, and herself before it is too late.
My thoughts...
HER LONELY SOUL is not just a crime thriller—it's a fascinating rollercoaster of a read! The storyline, the series, the characters, and the richly atmospheric setting of Cork, Ireland, are all stunning. But what truly adds depth to the narrative is the author's background and expertise, making you feel more connected to the story from the first page to the last.
Each book in the series is a unique and fascinating case that explores highly emotional topics. In this case, a young girl is caught up in something dangerous and unaware of the situation's depth.
Atmospheric, compelling, and action-packed, with topics of crypto-mining, organized criminals, and the faceless man, the author keeps you turning the pages to figure out the mystery mixed with some humor. I always enjoy the author's notes, takeaways, and attention to detail.
Expertly plotted, Tessa, Danny, Maggie, and Pav are perfect partners in crime who go to the mat for the kids who need protection.
I highly recommend the author and the series. He brilliantly combines his literary work, child protection nonfiction books, and crime fiction novels for a thought-provoking and engaging reading experience.
Recs...
HER LONELY SOUL is for fans of the author and those who enjoy smartly written Irish crime thrillers that feature child protection with a stellar cast of characters.
Blog Tour Host...
Check out my blog on August 19 for my Blog Tour Stop with the author and Bookouture Books on Tour!
Thanks to Bookouture for a gifted digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Aug 19, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Tour Stop 19th August
About the Author
Childcare expert, author, teacher, journalist, broadcaster, musician, nerd, husband, Dad, Grandad.
Shane Dunphy (S. A. Dunphy) was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for fifteen years, he is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the number one Irish bestseller Wednesday’s Child and the Sunday Times Bestseller The Girl Who Couldn't Smile. His bestselling series of crime novels (written under the name S. A. Dunphy) feature the criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of true crime books written for Audible, has been critically acclaimed and the second title in the series, The Bad Place, is an Audible True Crime bestseller.