A Lie of Omission

by M.A. Purcell

Danger, secrets and new beginnings lurk in the hills of rural Ireland.

Retired Detective Thomas Tegan has returned home. He has embraced his childhood nickname, Trout, is enjoying getting to know his sister’s best friend Lauren and is toying with the idea of setting up a wine-importing business.

But …
It isn’t easy to switch off finely honed investigative skills nor, as he soon discovers, does he want to. When a hike in the local hills with Lauren leads them to the body of a young man, whom he knew from his days on the force, he resolves to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Except …
As a retired detective, Tegan has no authority to investigate. He enlists Lauren’s help and together they set up TLCI, a Private Investigation Agency.

However …
Thomas Tegan has an agenda of his own that he can’t share with Lauren. And his presence in her life endangers her. Not to mention that his secret has the potential to destroy the relationship evolving from their friendship …

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2023

Reviews

[Deacon Tom F. (Recovering from a big heart attack) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book because I was interested in going through the Irish countryside along with detectives. The book did not disappoint as we follow the retired detective Trout, and Lauren looking at clues, some not completely helpful, and others confusing.

However, in the end, I was very satisfied with the plot.

The writing style was very casual and would make a good tele program.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to other mystery lovers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Miriam Verbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phone call wakes retired police officer Trout (Tegan). It's a wrong number, but probably exactly the number the unfortunate murder victim (Marty) should have called.

There are many reasons Trout wants to investigate this murder. Not least is that he mentored Marty and set him up for a 'new' life; another motivation is that the police don't seem interested and even tell Trout to stay out of the investigation - which might be an interesting factor to more than Trout.

Trout calls in favours and teams up with a females friend, Lauren, who's smart, interested and interesting. Together, they work their way through puzzling associations, interview people who tell stories containing half-truths and wade through paperwork that's been buried.

I enjoyed reading this story, not least because the people and their relationships seem real and not tarnished by the grit and woe that seems to be the lot of so many 'heroes' in detective/crime stories. I like the interludes of preparing meals, selecting wines and discussing coffee. I also liked that sometimes the story tipped into suspense, and I needed to read just a bit faster to find out what happened.

The writing style is engaging and easy to read. I only hiccuped a few times over typos (dreadful things that manage to evade the eye of the editor and shout at the reader!).

I'll happily read another book by this author.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome thriller/police procedural set in the Irish countryside that delivers everything a thriller/procedural fan is looking for, and then some. As Trout Tegan begins his investigation into probable corruption in the local Garda unit, he begins a partnership and friendship with Lauren O'Loughlin. Troubled by an apparent misdial in the middle of the night from a young man he has been mentoring and the sound of gunfire during the call, Trout is determined to find out what is going on. Thus begins a very twisty, suspenseful, intriguing, and thrilling story. It captivates the reader from the very first page and doesn't let go until the very end.

It is unusual for police procedurals to make me cry, but the characters here are so realistic and well-written that their losses and the emotions they engender hit very close to home. I am extremely hopeful that Ms. Purcell intends for this book to be the first in a very long series because I would hate to think that I won't get to visit Knocknaclogga again and enjoy more time with the people I've met here.

I received a review copy from the author at my request via BookSirens and this is my honest opinion.

[Tiffany Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot was good. Characters were great. And ending is a good one.

However, book was extremely wordy.
I read as an ARC so it’s completely possible that author fixed overuse of…. well words.

Tegan Trout is a former detective with a police department. He was forced to retire due to a mistake that wasn’t his own.
Lauren is the daughter of a friend who gets caught up in the investigation of a young man, Freddy who Trout had mentored. Freddy was killed during a call to Trout which he made in heat of moment probably wanting to give Trout some information about a corrupt department or peoples based on phone call and pieces him and Lauren put together.
But when the same people who took out Freddy seem to be after Trout and now Lauren Trout wonders if it’s time to cut Lauren out of the grapevine, for her own safety.

[Amanda Koogler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The story involves a retired police officer (Trout) who picks up a case under the ruse of a private investigator when a young kid he often used as an informant turns up dead. In addition to the mystery/thrill of trying to figure out who killed the kid and why (as well as trying to stay out of trouble themselves), the reader gets a bit of a love story when Trout asks childhood friend to join him as an investigator. I enjoyed getting to experience their relationship take fold as well as the relationship between other characters develop and grow. This was an easy read that I think would be a hit for any mystery/thriller lover!

I received an advance copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I considered filing this book away as a DNF but forced myself to push through, as I really don't like not reading to the end of a book that I have started.

It felt like I was reading a school essay / creative writing assignment. There were long descriptive passages about food preparation that had no real relevance to the story, and didn't really hit the mark on setting the scene. The characters were difficult to connect with and overall there was not much mystery to the story.

I feel like this is a common theme of the recent Irish Crime Fiction novels that I have read. I think it might be time to accept the genre is not for me.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bit disappointed with this book. I found some of the writing style hard to follow and understand. The story got boring in parts and then other parts loads happened in quick succession. I has to push myself to get through it as it just didn't grip me. I will try other books by this author. Hopefully this was just a one off that didn't grip me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Mary Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but it was a bit more cozy than I was expecting. I enjoyed the rural Irish setting and the characters seemed real, if a bit twee at times, especially with some of the dialogue.

It was easy to read and the story was good, and I liked the characters of Trout and especially Lauren. I would definitely read a follow-up book to see how things progress.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alanajames · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner and delightful read

I read this book in two days. I appreciated the various characters and the storyline was smooth and intriguing. When I read a book within two days, it is definitely a winner and I look forward to more novel reading written by M.A. Purcell. Much thanks

[Eadie Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time connecting with the characters but gave it 3 stars for a promising intriguing attempt. I would list this book under cozy mystery as I didn't find it as serious as the books I usually read.