‘Rachel. They must have made a mistake. A mother would know?’ She let her words pour into the emptiness of the kitchen. She began to shiver. ‘I can’t feel anything,’ she said softly and rocked back and forth, as if she was a huge child, seeking solace in the simple gesture.When young, pretty nurse Rachel McDermott is found murdered in the harsh lights of the hospital kitchen where she works, her … where she works, her mother can’t accept the news, and the small Irish town of Corbally reels in disbelief. Rushing to the scene, Detective Iris Locke vows to find the sick killer, whatever it takes.
The last person to see Rachel alive was her close friend, sixteen-year-old Eleanor Marshall, a troubled teenager, estranged from her family. Eleanor was spotted fleeing the kitchen where Rachel’s body was found and becomes the main suspect. Iris has a search party combing the endless woods near the Comeragh mountains where they believe she is hiding. But Iris is consumed with worry for the vulnerable girl and can’t shake a prickly disquiet that Eleanor shouldn’t be a suspect.
Eleanor’s sister agrees but a day later, when she is found dead in the area Eleanor is hiding, things don’t look good for the runaway teen. Iris can’t see Eleanor, who still sleeps with her childhood teddy bear, as someone who would kill her little sister and her best friend, but all the evidence seems to point that way.
Sleep-deprived and desperate to find the truth, Iris takes a closer look into Rachel’s background and discovers that she was keeping strange, shadowy company the night before she died. Convinced that Eleanor is in terrible danger, Iris sets out to find her, in the icy-cold woods, alone. But what if somebody else makes their way through the darkness and reaches Iris and Eleanor first?
This gripping mystery thriller is perfect for fans of Carol Wyer, Robert Dugoni and LJ Ross.
Readers are totally gripped by Why She Ran:
‘Wow oh wow! Geraldine Hogan is absolutely amazing! I have not been able to put this down! This has gripped me from the very beginning and this is a book I have devoured in just two sittings… I was hooked from the very beginning and would go as far as saying that these books would make a fantastic series. I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series. This is an easy book to rate, a huge five shiny stars – although this deserves so many more. This has cemented my love of the series, I can’t wait to read more by Geraldine Hogan.’ Little Miss Book Lover 87, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is a gritty and gripping read from the first page to the very last, is brilliantly plotted, action packed and has a great mix of diverse and realistic characters… Another fabulous novel, the second in this already brilliant series and I certainly look forward to more in future.’ Netgalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow so tense so chilling grabbed me from first pages. Multi-layered, kept me guessing till the last page. A terrific read.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I am so enjoying this series… how the story unfolds is just brilliant I so enjoying the two main characters in this book so cant wait for book 3’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is a super suspenseful thriller that does not give the reader what they expect!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Wow what a trip! You’ll get goosebumps reading this! More twists and turns than back roads. Am going to read the first book now!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘It is utterly impossible to put down. Totally captivating’ Goodreads Reviewer,
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A gripping, gritty action-packed story of murder in a small irish town the characters and plot go so well together and i look forward to the next book from Geraldine Hogan.5*’. Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Gripping! Edgy! Modern! Exciting! Addictive! Thrilling! Suspenseful! Keeps you guessing! Everything you could want in a psychological thriller with twist-after-unexpected-twist!
#WhySheRan #NetGalley
The second book in the Detective Iris Locke series, Why She Ran is a good follow up on the first book. I like Slattery, he and Iris make a great team. To really enjoy the book, you have to read the first one, I think. Or you might not understand the references between these two. The story is a good mystery, even if it’s not very plausible that a 15 year old girl can stay hidden for an entire police force.
Favorite Quotes:
Even the way Pardy pecked her way around her food got right under Iris’s skin. Never trust a woman who doesn’t enjoy her food, or a woman who wants sergeant stripes so badly she’d walk over anyone to get them. Jo Pardy ate like a mouse, rationing it out in tiny bites, a speck here, a crumb there; at times almost bovine-like back chewing went on, and sometimes it was all Iris could do to stop herself force-feeding the girl a half a dozen biscuits at once just to get it over with.
He’d only searched for it half-heartedly, after all, where Slattery came from, real men didn’t wear jewellery –apart from the Bishop, but then since he wore robes that resembled an old woman’s dress, he was hardly the most obvious male role model.
I think Kit Marshall would sell his granny for a bunch of hydrangeas so he could come up smelling of flowers, that’s all.’
The words floated for a second or two in the air between them, like soft bubbles, perfect, honest. They’d never fit back in their box again.
Maureen was just sixty, but she was an old-fashioned sixty, with tweed skirts and a fondness for headscarves, knotted into submission between her first and second chin.
She’s as mad as a bag of weasels.
My Review:
I was once again in awe not only of her Ms. Hogan’s oddly compelling plot and storylines but also of her wily character development and captivating storytelling. Her evocative word choices and unique, keenly honed, and striking arrangements of words and ancillary details sparked sharp and smoothly calibrated visuals to scroll through my gray matter. The little pea in my brain must have been smoking and was definitely singed while working through this well-crafted, multi-layered, and complex tale that slowly and slyly unraveled with an unpredictable ending I never saw coming.
I admire and covet Ms. Hogan’s word skills and craftiness as much as I adore her oddly enticing, deeply flawed, strong, complicated, peculiarly intriguing and irresistible characters – who were so well developed and vividly described they virtually leapt from the page. I eagerly anticipate delving into more engaging and suspenseful tales from this talented scribe.
Rachel McDermott is killed by a brutal hit to the head. She was young, a caring nurse working at a rehab center for those who could afford to pay for their services. She was in charge of only one ‘resident’.
Eleanor Marshall is missing. She’s 16 years old, suffers from epilepsy, and was seen running from the kitchen where Rachel was killed. Did Eleanor witness the murder and is running for her life? Or is she the one who wielded the murder weapon?
Detective Iris Locke is called in to investigate …and what she finds does not bode well for Eleanor.
At the heart of this story is an extremely secretive and dysfunctional family. And then another family member’s body is found dead in the forest … and eerily looks like the same killer.
Iris takes a closer look into Rachel’s background and discovers that she was keeping strange, shadowy company the night before she died. But who … and why?
At the heart of this story is a family harboring dark secrets … and someone wants Iris to stop investigating. The closer to the truth that Iris gets … the more danger she faces.
This is a well written crime fiction, suspenseful from the very first page. Although 2nd in the series, it is easily read as a stand alone; however, if you want to know more about Iris, I would highly recommend starting with the first book. The characters are intriguing and the ending was unpredictable.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Why else would someone run, if not to escape unspeakable horrors? Is it fear or guilt that drives sixteen-year-old Eleanor Marshall away from her room at Curlew Hall? DS Locke and Slattery are called to the scene when the gruesome remains of one of the hall’s carers, Rachel McDermott, are found; soon after, it’s discovered that Eleanor has gone missing. It doesn’t take long for those involved to draw conclusions and paint the troubled patient, Eleanor, as a suspect, especially once her younger sister turns up dead in a similar, gruesome fashion. Stick around, and you’ll find out why she ran…
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The story’s synopsis and prologue were enough to pique my curiosity, I was interested in finding out what was really going on behind the scenes with Eleanor. Surely she was more than just a troubled teenager? The banter and feeling of ease within DS Locke and DS Slattery’s professional relationship was quite enjoyable as well. I looked forward to their interactions and the sense of understanding they shared with one another. Four stars!
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While I liked Why She Ran, I must admit, it was a bit of a slow-burn for me. Usually, when I read a thriller, I expect and look forward to a fast-paced, edge of your seat adventure. I found myself wishing there were more excerpts from Eleanor; I was rooting for a girl that I knew hardly anything about. Perhaps that’s the mom in me, though. Along these lines, DS Iris Locke’s dark past was hinted and referenced throughout the story without ever being fully acknowledged. There’s an assumed understanding of the character’s history. I decided not to dwell on this too much as I reminded myself that this is book two in a series. I would, however, have very much enjoyed a short paragraph or two summarizing Iris’s background. Luckily this did not deter from the storyline much as, towards the end, I found myself breezing through Kindle swipe after swipe because I just had to know what happened to Eleanor. The killer’s identity was another biggie, I thought I had a pretty good guess as to who the culprit was… turned out I was wrong and was in for a series of twists that I did not see coming!
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This was my first time reading Geraldine Hogan, but I fully intend to make my way back to read the first Detective Iris Locke book, Her Sister’s Bones. I would recommend this book to fans of book one and those looking to dive into an intriguing Irish police procedural. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author Geraldine Hogan for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
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I just reviewed Why She Ran by Geraldine Hogan. #WhySheRan #GeraldineHogan #NetGalley #Bookouture #MistysCornerReviews #CrimeThriller #SerialKiller #PolicieProcedural
Why She Ran is the second in the series of Detective Iris Locke/Corbally series.
Iris is continuing to struggle with her past and all the fallout ; she has little time to think as she is put in charge of finding out who murdered Rachel McDermott at the group home and why did Eleanor run.
Slattery is there to bring his years of experience as they both struggle with the team to solve the case as they are running out of time.
Why She Ran had twists and turns, the pages turn quickly and the author leaves you wanting to read the third in the series. I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read Why She Ran; a new favourite series of mine.