Book Description:
‘I just want my little girl back. She’s so little, she needs her mummy. And she doesn’t even have her panda bear with her. Find her, please find her, before it’s too late.’
Little Rosie Blake has been taken. Since going missing from the hospital where she was being treated for cancer, Rosie’s distraught parents haven’t heard a word. And time is swiftly running out. They have to find her, and right away, because Rosie can only survive for ten days without her medication.
With the police unable to find any leads at all, criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle and her team are brought in to help. Who would be so evil as to steal a sick child? Narrowing down on a suspect, Jessie quickly moves to arrest them, only to discover the suspect’s dead body instead... And with no Rosie in sight, the case becomes even more desperate.
Who killed their chief suspect, and where is Rosie now? And is Rosie’s disappearance linked to the sudden revival of Dublin’s Hellfire Club, an ancient and terrifying cult obsessed with death and human sacrifice?
As the race to find Rosie intensifies, her heartbroken parents know their little girl’s time is running out. The clock is ticking, but Jessie clings on to the hope of finding her safe. Then her search leads her to Ireland’s remote mountains... Will Jessie be able to survive the deadly threat that awaits her, rescue Rosie, and get her back to safety, before it’s too late?
An utterly compelling crime thriller that will have you hooked from the very first line. Fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Regan will not want to miss this.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Her Child's Cry' by S.A Dunphy.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for S.A Dunphy, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 18th May 2022.
This is the fifth sixth I have read by this author but his third book by S.A Dunphy. It is also the second book in the 'Boyle & Keneally' series but can be read as a standalone. I have also read the first book in this series called 'Bring Her Home' and the second book in this series 'Lost Graves' which I loved and would definitely recommend.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Gardner and Lisa Regan will not want to miss this.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Gardner, Lisa Regan and Patricia Gibney so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Shane Dunphy and if this is half as good as Shane's previous books it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 64 chapters, 11 very short chapters from Rosie, Eugene, Harold and Garth and an epilogue set over 6 parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪 UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in Ireland is even better as I have been on holiday in Ireland many times so may even recognise some places Shane has set the book around.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Jessie Boyle, Seamus Keneally and Terri Kehoe. The benefits of third person perspective and especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'Her Child's Cry' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Shane discusses/includes child kidnapping.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!! Well I must say Shane you are very talented man!!! What another absolutely addictive read!! I am already eagerly awaiting the fourth book in the 'Boyle & Keneally' especially after that breath taking cliff hanger ending!!!
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that places you write in the heart of the storyline and leaves you hearing the roar of the helicopter, seeing the stars on the mountain and has your heart pounding. The title, cover and synopsis work perfectly with the storyline.
This is the third crime novel I have read by Shane and he is one of those rare authors who books are fantastic and yet also keep getting better and better. I have read most of his non fiction books from when he was working as a child protection worker and loved them all. They were heartbreaking and I shed many tears but they were fantastic books. Shane then started writing crime novels and was intrigued by the change of genre and was looking forward to seeing if these book would be as good as his previous non fiction work. I am very pleased to say that Shane writes fiction just as fantastically as non fiction!!!
This storyline is definitely unique which I loved. I'm a big fan of crime but it can be tedious reading similar storylines so this one was a nice refreshing change. It is extremely paced and addictive. I was completely absorbed from page one until the fantastic explosive ending. It is ram packed with suspense, mystery, history, mythology, horror, tension, humour and everything you want in an unputdownable page turner. I loved the gothic atmosphere surrounding this story with the Reavers, the Balor, The Hell fire Club and the dark storyline. There were so many twists and turns throughout leading you to one red herring and then another whilst constantly questioning yourself who is actually behind everything all along. I enjoyed that there were several different sub plots and so much going on without getting confusing. I absolutely loved the first book 'Bring Her Home' and the second book 'Lost Graves' but I must say this one hooked me in even more which I wouldn't have thought was possible after the absolutely addictive previous books. It was definitely something about the creepy storyline that I just loved. The book wrapped up perfectly with everything explained (it's a pet hate of mine where a book ends and vital parts seem to have gotten lost in the storyline and never mentioned again) but I will say that I was actually gutted with what happened to a certain person although they weren't particularly nice it was sad to see as I would have loved to see if anything happened between them and another character. Ummm... I was going to say something else but won't as I don't want to spoil it for future readers but please do pop me a message if you read this book as I'd love to know your thoughts as I'm sure you will know what I mean!! One of the best things about this series too is that although it is predominantly a crime thriller it has sprinkles of humour throughout which lightens it up from time to time and Shane does it well. I was shocked when I did discover who was behind the kidnapping as I had genuinely believed it was others entirely so well done Shane on shocking me, not an easy feat considering how many crime books I have read. I was intrigued about the Balor along with Mucklagh Bothy and Tory Island and enjoyed doing my own research on them along with reading the fantastic information Shane adds in the acknowledgements and comments so when you read this book make sure you don't miss out on that section. I really couldn't recommend this book and this series more and I would absolutely love to see this made into a TV series!!
The fact that Shane has obviously either done some research or knows alot about mythology and Ireland (the fact that he lives there probably helps) shines through and I was intrigued by all the mythology, folklore and history in the storyline. I actually ended up reading more about the Balor which was quite interesting. I also enjoyed learning some of the Irish sayings scattered through. This book is an explosive addition to an absolutely addictive series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next in the series.
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
Although this is the third book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.
Clear your schedules before even turning a page in this book as it is utterly addictive and you will not be able to put it down!!
I absolutely loved meeting all the characters for this series again and I am completely invested in each of them. Jessie, Seamus and Terri worked as a perfect team and I loved the team dynamics. Each of the main characters were strong, realistic and their own unique personalities and they came together perfectly as a team and as friends. I absolutely love Jessie and Dawn's kick a## take no cr## attitude and although Terri gives the impression of a timid mouse she has definitely got a surprise roar and bite to her. I love seeing how she has come along since the first book and getting stronger and stronger. I really enjoyed seeing much more of her in this book and seeing her work solo and how she coped it certain situations. I love seeing strong women leads in books being female myself and you can't get much stronger than these three!!! Jessie is absolutely ruthless and I just loved her attitude. Although Dawn is the commissioner she is down to Earth and friendly and cares about her team. I really enjoyed watching Jessie and Seamus friendship grow and develop and I'm looking forward to watching them together and seeing what happens. They clicked together really well and although Seamus calls Terri his sister in the book the three actually seem to have the family feel about them with Jessie and Seamus being Terri's Mum and Dad who are protective of her. I haven't read a book with such fantastic team dynamics in a long time. In terms of personalities and these three have become like friends to me who I thoroughly look forward to meeting again and spending time with them. Jessie seems to be quite serious but can relax and have fun. Seamus is definitely the class clown and brought alot of humour to any situation. However, after what happened at the end of this book I am worried that some of his happiness and humour is going to take a nose dive and I can't really blame him. My heart completely went out to him at the twist of events and I'm intrigued to see how he will cope. Seamus and Jessie both make fantastic partners and have that rare ability to speak without words and they know what each other mean but also so does the reader. Terri is the wild card and I'm looking forward to watching her come out of her shell even more. Seamus is cute and I think his relationship with his mum Katie is lovely and Katie is another character I really like and am looking forward to meeting again as I missed her in this book. I am looking forward to seeing this great gang again soon.
Congratulations Shane, a man of many talents, on yet another absolutely fantastic explosive addition to a very addictive series. This is why you are my favourite male author!! Here is to yet another success 🍻!!!
Overall an absolutely addictive, unique and unputdownable addition to a page turning series
Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Serial Killers, Murderer Biographies, Irish Crime Fiction, Crime Fiction, British Detective Stories, Police Procedural, Psychological Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Thriller and Mystery amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Carol Wyer, Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, Lisa Gardiner and ANYONE looking for a unique and addictive storyline.
343 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@SADunphy @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio:
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. https://shanedunphyauthor.org/ https://www.facebook.com/shanewritesbooks https://www.instagram.com/shanewritesbooks/ https://twitter.com/dunphyshane1
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