Blog Tour – If Looks Could Kill by Olivia Kiernan

When hope is eternal but is lacking…

Synopsis

DCS Frankie Sheehan is experiencing a crisis of confidence – having become wary of the instincts that have led her face-to-face with a twisted killer and brought those she loves into direct jeopardy.

She is summoned to the rural Wicklow mountains, where local mother of two, Debbie Nugent, has been reported missing. A bloody crime scene is discovered at Debbie’s home, yet no body. Not only is foul play suspected, but Debbie’s daughter, Margot, has been living with the scene for three days.

Aware her team cannot convict Margot on appearances alone, Sheehan launches a full investigation into Debbie Nugent’s life. And, before long, the discrepancies within Debbie’s disappearance suggest that some families are built on dangerous deceptions, with ultimately murderous consequences.

Review

I have to admit at the onset that this is my first ever Blog Tour review. It is exciting. It is daunting. It is even more daunting as this book is the third in the series and I have not read the previous two.

Third installment of Frankie Sheehan opens at the point when so much has happened in DCS Sheehan life. Whatever happened in the first two stories impacted on her, changed her, made her vary, jaded and taught her to suspiciously tread waters everywhere and anywhere.

If Looks Could Kill starts with the suicide in the park. Out of place. Out of order. Out of character. This incident sets mood for the whole novel. Everything that happens from then on is out of place, order and character for its characters.

If Looks Could Kill is a dark story with no cozy sofas and soft lighting. The colours are cold. The sounds are low and thundering. The feeling is apprehensive and suspicious.

The twists and turns in the story, even though slow to take place, are very unexpected, deep and disheartening. Readers learn what Sheehan learnt long time ago – not to trust first impressions, look deep and expect the worst.

A happy end to whodunit? I do not think so. The problems are so deep. The web is so intricate. The evil is so ingrained. No hope. No light. No conviction. And a big question as to who the bad guys are.

If Looks Could Kill was not an easy read, emotionally. However, the book reads well, smoothly and quickly. I hope I can find time to read previous installments to get better understanding of the main charaters (somtimes it was difficult to keep up with who is who and why they are behaving a certain way). But the story itseld, dynamic of the narration, characters, plot are interesting, suspensful, catching and kept my interest to the very end.

This book will be of interest to crime fiction fans and to those who, like myself, travel through books. Dublin and surrounds, environment and people are drawn pretty good, I think.