How can you find someone who doesn’t want to be found?When Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate a murder in a Dublin graveyard, suspicion immediately falls on a local woman, Edel Johnson, whose husband disappeared some months before. But then she disappears.Evidence leads West to a small village in Cornwall, but when he checks in to an Inn, he finds Edel has arrived before … an Inn, he finds Edel has arrived before him. Her explanation seems to make sense but as West begins to think his suspicions of her are unfounded, she disappears again.
Is she guilty? West, fighting an unsuitable attraction, doesn’t want to believe it. But the case against her is growing. Back in Dublin, his team uncover evidence of blackmail and illegal drugs involving Edel’s missing husband. When another man is murdered, she, once again, comes under suspicion.
Finally, the case is untangled, but is it the outcome West really wants?
No Simple Death is a murder mystery with a touch of romance, set in the Dublin suburbs. It will appeal to fans of authors such as Peter James, LJ Ross and Ruth Rendall.
**** This book was previously published under the title The One May Smile ****
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I was drawn to this police procedural, set mainly in Dublin, by the quality of the writing when I read a sample. It wasn’t long before the plight of Edel Johnson, whose husband had mysteriously disappeared, pulled me into an intricate and intriguing plot that had me as baffled and confused as the two main detectives, West and Andrews.
They’re a capable and likeable duo, who made small, painstaking discoveries in their efforts to solve the original murder, which then led to a second killing. Both put Edel at the heart of the enquiry, but was she really responsible? Detective West, who’d taken a shine to the abandoned wife, struggled to keep his emotions at bay as he tried to unravel the mystery.
The characters and the plot carried the story at a steady, somewhat meticulous pace. It was like peeling back the layers of an onion until suddenly it all started to make sense. Then the hunt for the killer gathered momentum.
But I was hooked long before that by the cocktail of suspense, mystery and the possibility of one man’s emotions destroying a careful, painstaking investigation.
This was a police procedural with a fresh voice and a satisfying plot. There was no effort to impress, use traumatised detectives or make the story stark and gritty. It was good honest storytelling that left me feeling satisfied, entertained and happy to read more books by this author.
For once, the publisher’s blurb was accurate – it was a gripping crime mystery.
No simple death, a title could not be more apt for this book.
Nothing at all was simple surrounding the death of a man who’s body was found in a graveyard by Edel Johnson.
Edel is all alone after her husband goes missing on a train after a romantic break away, and now three months later, while taking her morning walk she comes across what she initially thinks is a bin bag full of rubbish on one of the tombs in the grave yard. But as she approaches discovers the horrific realisation that it is a dead body.
Already in a worried state of mind and trying to find answers to questions of what has happened to her beloved Simon; imagine then that you discover the man that you married isn’t really the man you thought he was.
As the police begin to investigate the murder, rather than things becoming clearer they become more and more involved and confusing.
As the case builds; unbeknown to Edel; they even think that she may be behind the murder of the man who’s body she discovered and as it turns out, shares the same name as her missing Simon.
Who is Edel really married to?
As you are lead in other directions you wonder how a conclusion can ever be reached, and with Edel’s life now at risk they know that they have to reach a conclusion sooner rather than later.
Great characters, great story; a brilliant read from start to finish.
Intriguing.
The Irish setting adds to the story line as do the characters, particularly Sgt. Mike West and Edel Simon. No swearing or sex or graphic violence add a refreshing, albeit somewhat incredulous note. I also have doubts that any police department would approve expenses for so many side trips–even to solve a murder. The pacing is a little slow, but the plot provides enough twists to keep turning the pages. West’s definite attraction to Edel also adds a bittersweet note. Book 1 piqued my interest enough to read Book 2.
Great read a different story line with lots of twists
Started as an interesting story, but ended as a more conventional storyline.
Overall a capable mystery. Worth your time.
Excellent. A book that you can’t put down
Good plot and characters.
The story was excellent. Complex enough to hold my interest to the end, but realistic enough to be believable. The main characters were interesting and I could relate to them. I liked both West and Edel, and was annoyed at times by them as well. Ultimately, the villain turned out to be a psychopath so not much to like there.
I wanted to know how it ended.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters in this one. A good mystery with a,few chuckles too.
Excellent police procedural set mainly in Ireland. I stayed up too late finishing this novel and began the sequel the next morning. No, it does not end on a cliff hanger, I just enjoyed this book so much that I wanted more by the same author.
Oh my gosh. Wonderful book. A must read for all!
I liked this book for some reason. West was a great character who deserved to…. well, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. There’s so much I could say about the book, but it would surely be unfair to future readers. Let’s just say, you’ve got to read it.
Cleverly plotted fast moving thriller.
I found this book to be difficult to follow. The main character had so many changes in names and identities it took me a while to follow. Although it was difficult at times to follow, I enjoyed the twists & turns of the main plot and found the final result unpredictable.
A good first novel. Look forward to future novels.
Complicated and interesting
This book was really good. While the main characters are pretty straight forward, one one could see where the book was going, it took a while to get there. And the author did it well.