So Say the Fallen

by Stuart Neville

Penguin

Readers who have been waiting in suspense for book two in the new DCI Serena Flanagan series won’t be disappointed. Northern Ireland author Stuart Neville is top of his game right now, and his books continue to make ripples far from his Armagh home.

Those We Left Behind introduced us to Belfast detective Flanagan and was a real page turner, as she was forced to confront a disturbing case from her past, the murder conviction of a 12-year-old boy who had just been released from prison.

In this second book, the aftermath of that case is still weighing heavily on her mind, but she is back to work on what initially appears to be a much more straightforward case.

Henry Garrick, a successful businessman, was left horrifically maimed after a car accident five months ago and has now died by suicide. Something isn’t sitting well with Serena, especially as his daughter Erin died unexpectedly on a beach in Spain a few years ago.

Could there be a connection? And then there is Henry’s widow, Roberta, who appears to be relying heavily on Reverend Peter McKay in her time of grief.

As Serena digs further into the case, she finds it harder to balance the demands of home life, which is still in disarray after her previous case.

This isn’t a page-turner in the traditional sense. Instead, it is more thought provoking, a solid crime novel featuring characters with real depth. Readers’ expectations might be high for Neville, but you won’t be left disappointed.

The Missing Wife

by Sheila O’Flanagan

Headline

Just in time for a delicious read by the pool, Sheila O’Flanagan is back on shelf with The Missing Wife. In this case, the missing wife is Imogen, a woman who appears to have it all. The perfect marriage with a man who treats her like a princess. But nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors – and all is not as it seems with her secret controlling husband Vince.

When a work trip to Paris takes her away, she sees it as her chance to escape, heading to a French village from her childhood, where nobody really knows her. She settles into her new life but she can’t help looking over her shoulder, fearful that her husband will eventually track her down.

An interesting element of the book is the narration. The chapters narrated by Vince portray a man who truly believes he has done nothing wrong and although Imogen has taken a bold step, sometimes you want her to have more confidence and courage.

This moving story of self discovery is heart warming, yet filled with suspense, an unusual combination that couldn’t be achieved by just any author but is successfully accomplished by the talented Sheila O’Flanagan.

Proof

by Martina Reilly

Hachette Ireland

Martina Reilly takes a new direction in her writing with her latest novel Proof.

A moment can change everything, even 15 years later, as Marcus Dillon is very much aware. He stands trial for “The murder of the decade” – but is Marcus really the stereotypical murderer?

He might have been in the area on the night of the crime, he certainly has a motive and unfortunately, no alibi – but he vehemently proclaims his innocence.

Then there is Sash, his childhood friend, and the only chance he has of getting off is her testimony.

After all, she is the only one who knows the truth about the night, 15 years ago, when they broke into Hanratty’s house.

Far from the small town of Applegate, where nothing seems to happen, Marcus is caught in the media spotlight that effects his family, friends and the greater community in the plight to find what really happened the night Charles was killed.

In this book Martina appears to really challenge herself, moving into a new genre of crime with a thriller edge.

Yet she also sticks to what she does best: memorable characters affected by a moment in time, resulting in a novel that is filled with suspense. CL