Title: The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan
Frankie Sheehan Series Book Two
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 349 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Penguin’s First to Read Program
Summary:
A deadly past refuses to stay buried in Olivia Kiernan’s masterful new novel
Death is no stranger to Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan, but she isn’t the only one from her small, coastal suburb to be intimately acquainted with it. Years ago, teenager Seán Hennessey shocked the tight-knit community when he was convicted of the brutal murder of his parents and attempted slaying of his sister, though he always maintained his innocence. Now, Seán is finally being released from prison—but when his newfound freedom coincides with the discovery of two bodies, the alleged connection between the cases only serves to pull Frankie further from answers even as it draws her closer to her town’s hidden darkness. With a television documentary revisiting Seán’s sentence pushing the public’s sympathies into conflict on a weekly basis, a rabid media pressuring the police like never before, and a rising body count, Frankie will need all of her resources if she is not only to catch a killer, but put to rest what really happened all those years ago.
A dark, irresistible cocktail of secrets, murder, and family, Olivia Kiernan’s latest is an impossible-to-put-down triumph.
Review:
The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan is a suspense-laden mystery. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Frankie Sheehan series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend the previous novel as well.
Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is uneasy when her sister-in-law Tanya West asks her to look into Seán Hennessy’s case. Tanya is working with Justice Meets Justice, a non-profit organization that investigates possible miscarriages of justice. Although convicted of murdering his parents and the attempted murder of his younger sister, Seán has always maintained his innocence. Recently released from prison, he is also cooperating with a documentary which is airing weekly. Hoping to find evidence that Seán was wrongly convicted, Tanya believes Frankie might find evidence that will exonerate him.
Reluctantly agreeing to review the case, Frankie is soon busy with a current investigation into the vexing murders of Geraldine and Alan Shine. Their bodies appear to be carefully staged with puzzling clues left at the scene. Working closely with her partner Barry “Baz” Harwood and the rest of her team, Frankie is frustrated by a lack of evidence. The few clues they uncover lead to dead ends which leaves them struggling to understand why the couple was targeted for murder. When a third body is discovered, Frankie is under even more pressure to unmask the killer(s). She, Baz and the rest of the squad feverishly work around the clock to find the evidence they need to find out the murderer’s identity.
In between working the current investigation,Frankie combs through Seán’s case files. She is troubled by some of the information she finds and she begins to believe Seán may be telling the truth. Frankie thinks she might know what happened that terrible day, but will she find the evidence she needs to prove her theory?
The Killer in Me is a meticulously-plotted and tension filled mystery. Frankie is a multi-layered and fascinating character. The storyline is intriguing and the investigations are interesting and fast-paced. As the pieces of the puzzle rapidly fall into place, Olivia Kiernan brings this perplexing mystery to a twist-filled, jaw-dropping conclusion. Readers of the genre are sure to enjoy this latest addition to the Frankie Sheehan series.
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