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Jo Birmingham #3
Too Close for Comfort
"The Vanishing Triangle": A woman's body is found in Ireland's most notorious body dump zone, an area in the Dublin mountains where a number of women disappeared in the past. "Nun's Cross": The victim is from an exclusive gated development in the suburbs - where the prime suspect in the vanishing triangle cases, Derek Carpenter, now lives. It looks like the past is coming back to haunt the present. But DI Jo Birmingham doesn't believe the case is open and shut. Her husband Dan was part of the original investigation team; is she trying to protect her own fragile domestic peace? The one person who could help her crack the case, Derek's wife Liz, is so desperate to protect her family that she is going out of her way to thwart all efforts to establish the truth. Can both women emerge unscathed?
- GenresCrime
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2012
7 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Niamh O'Connor
23 books24 followersNiamh O'Connor is one of Ireland's best known crime authors. She is a crime reporter with the Sunday World, Ireland's biggest selling Sunday newspaper, for whom she has written five true crime books which were given away with the newspaper. Her job, in which she interviews both high profile criminals and their victims means she knows the world she is writing about.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 3, 2012
Loved reading more from Jo Birmingham - she's a character that will appeal to every female reader. Fighting to get to the top of her profession, juggling everything, she doesn't get it right every time but when she does, her intelligence shines. This novel has all the pace of Taken, with masses of intriguing plot strands. This is the blurb:
The Vanishing Triangle
A woman's body is found in Ireland's most notorious body dump zone, an area in the Dublin mountains where a number of women disappeared in the past.
Nun's Cross
The victim is from an exclusive gated development in the suburbs - where the prime suspect in the vanishing triangle cases, Derek Carpenter, now lives. It looks like the past is coming back to haunt the present.
But DI Jo Birmingham doesn't believe the case is open and shut. Her husband Dan was part of the original investigation team; is she trying to protect her own fragile domestic peace?
The one person who could help her crack the case, Derek's wife Liz, is so desperate to protect her family that she is going out of her way to thwart all efforts to establish the truth.
Can both women emerge unscathed?
Niamh juxtaposes Liz and Jo's points of view brilliantly, really getting inside the head of a victim of crime, and we are kept on the edge of our seat throughout. As with all of Niamh's books, the ending is a smash, leaving you wanting the next book immediately!
The Vanishing Triangle
A woman's body is found in Ireland's most notorious body dump zone, an area in the Dublin mountains where a number of women disappeared in the past.
Nun's Cross
The victim is from an exclusive gated development in the suburbs - where the prime suspect in the vanishing triangle cases, Derek Carpenter, now lives. It looks like the past is coming back to haunt the present.
But DI Jo Birmingham doesn't believe the case is open and shut. Her husband Dan was part of the original investigation team; is she trying to protect her own fragile domestic peace?
The one person who could help her crack the case, Derek's wife Liz, is so desperate to protect her family that she is going out of her way to thwart all efforts to establish the truth.
Can both women emerge unscathed?
Niamh juxtaposes Liz and Jo's points of view brilliantly, really getting inside the head of a victim of crime, and we are kept on the edge of our seat throughout. As with all of Niamh's books, the ending is a smash, leaving you wanting the next book immediately!
September 6, 2012
Clunky writing, stilted dialogue, cliched characterisation, unbelievable plotting. Apart from that it's awful.
October 22, 2013
I enjoyed this until the ending. I thought it was a bit far fetched and I felt like I lost the plot completely.
August 16, 2023
The characters and social dynamics are what make this series addictive. The plot is twisty, as you'd expect in a thriller, but towards the end it gets a bit far-fetched (I won't spoil it here but I reckon a lot of people will immediately guess who one of the late arrivals is, then think "No, it can't be..." - then be absolutely flabbergasted at the massive storyline that comes hurtling out - like the plot of a different book). As in the other books in this series, there's a lot of commentary on the economic situation in Ireland in the early Noughties; while some mention of this is essential for the story, there is just little too much of it. The dialogue is better here than in the previous book and it really deserves the accolade: "A cracking thriller".
August 22, 2021
There was too many characters to keep track of who's who
June 19, 2012
Niamh O’Connor’s new release Too Close for Comfort is the third in a series of books featuring DI Jo Birmingham. I have read the previous two books and enjoyed them and was looking forward to this one. Jo Birmingham is a brilliant character and she does stand out in my mind amongst other female leads in books. I think the reason for this is that she is so normal. She makes some serious mistakes, constantly has to juggle her work and personal life (not always succeeding) and is an ordinary woman doing an extraordinary job. Straight away Niamh O’Connor brings the reader into Jo’s world without the need to read the first two books.
Her writing style is easy to follow and it doesn’t take long to get into the story. A woman has been found in an area in the Dublin Mountains. In the past women have disappeared and the area is now known as part of the ‘vanishing triangle’ case. Derek Carpenter lives in Nun’s cross, the same area as the latest victim and was the prime suspect in the Vanishing Triangle case. In the very beginning the story gripped me and we saw flashes of somebody who is involved in the press. This will eventually link to the killer later down the line. I think one of the main problems I had with this book was the references to hacking. The crime was interesting but there were numerous links to the a similar thread of press hacking similar to the scandal the General Public have seen in recent months. Niamh O'Connor couldn't have timed it better with the release of this book but I am just tired of hearing about the Leveson enquiry on the news lately, so maybe a similar thread in the book was too much for me?!? Maybe that was why this particular part of the book annoyed me so much.
Apart from that one minor irritant, it seems that Niamh O’Connor is doing a slow burn with this character and her novels as each of her books is just that little bit better than the last. This story had me questioning everybody at every opportunity. There were plenty of plot twists and at one point there was so much going on I went back to make sure I hadn’t missed anything! The characters were strong and believable and one element I like is the constant battle for Jo to make her marriage work with Dan (who also used to be her boss). One other thing that stuck out for me is the lead to the endings of her books. In a strange sort of way they are always brilliant because they have the desired effect of the reader just having to get the next book. I cannot stand loose ends and with numerous characters making reappearances there are more questions than answer with some of them.
At the moment Niamh O’Connor is maybe not as widely known as she should be. I think her books are hugely under-rated, and although I am yet to be blown away with one of her books, I have a sneaking suspicion one of her future books is going to be the one! Maybe not to everybody’s taste but a complex book that will keep you reading. I am now waiting with baited breath for the next instalment as this one was left on a bit of a cliff hanger!
Her writing style is easy to follow and it doesn’t take long to get into the story. A woman has been found in an area in the Dublin Mountains. In the past women have disappeared and the area is now known as part of the ‘vanishing triangle’ case. Derek Carpenter lives in Nun’s cross, the same area as the latest victim and was the prime suspect in the Vanishing Triangle case. In the very beginning the story gripped me and we saw flashes of somebody who is involved in the press. This will eventually link to the killer later down the line. I think one of the main problems I had with this book was the references to hacking. The crime was interesting but there were numerous links to the a similar thread of press hacking similar to the scandal the General Public have seen in recent months. Niamh O'Connor couldn't have timed it better with the release of this book but I am just tired of hearing about the Leveson enquiry on the news lately, so maybe a similar thread in the book was too much for me?!? Maybe that was why this particular part of the book annoyed me so much.
Apart from that one minor irritant, it seems that Niamh O’Connor is doing a slow burn with this character and her novels as each of her books is just that little bit better than the last. This story had me questioning everybody at every opportunity. There were plenty of plot twists and at one point there was so much going on I went back to make sure I hadn’t missed anything! The characters were strong and believable and one element I like is the constant battle for Jo to make her marriage work with Dan (who also used to be her boss). One other thing that stuck out for me is the lead to the endings of her books. In a strange sort of way they are always brilliant because they have the desired effect of the reader just having to get the next book. I cannot stand loose ends and with numerous characters making reappearances there are more questions than answer with some of them.
At the moment Niamh O’Connor is maybe not as widely known as she should be. I think her books are hugely under-rated, and although I am yet to be blown away with one of her books, I have a sneaking suspicion one of her future books is going to be the one! Maybe not to everybody’s taste but a complex book that will keep you reading. I am now waiting with baited breath for the next instalment as this one was left on a bit of a cliff hanger!
March 3, 2013
PROTAGONIST: Chief Superintendent Jo Birmingham
SETTING: Dublin, Ireland
SERIES: #3 of 3
RATING: 3.0
A reporter receiving a telephone tip alerts the police to the fact that a woman’s body is located in an area of the Dublin mountains known as “the Vanishing Triangle”. It is assumed that a serial killer is at work, which was the only reasonable explanation for the fact that six women disappeared in that area in a 6-year period. The original police investigation under the direction of Dan Mason identified a local man named Derek Carpenter as the prime suspect, but they were never able to prove his guilt. Now the case of Amanda Wells, the presumed seventh victim, has been assigned to Dan’s wife, Chief Superintendent Jo Birmingham. Dan was grievously injured while on duty and is not very willing to share what he learned during the case with his wife. She feels guilty about what happened to him and tiptoes around the communication issues in their marriage.
Everyone other than Jo presumes that Carpenter is guilty. Amanda was a neighbor, and it appears that they may have had a clandestine relationship. Derek’s wife, Liz, goes to extraordinary lengths to thwart the police in their investigation, as she is obsessed with providing a solid future for their autistic son, Conor. Having his father identified as a murderer would lead to his being shunned and end Liz’s hopes of having him receive a scholarship to a prestigious school. Initially a fervent supporter of her husband, she ends up doubting his innocence as the evidence piles up against him. The truth of the matter turns out to be quite a surprise, but the conclusion was a bit too facile for my tastes.
Although TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT is the third in the Birmingham books, I found the protagonist to be lacking in what it takes to helm a series. She exhibited a rather startling lack of authority in both her professional and personal lives. She was not very assertive during her interrogation of key people. I also found it odd that a copper at the level of Chief Superintendent would be the one questioning all of the players—shouldn’t that be the responsibility of the lead detective? All the other members of the team were assigned drudge work. Also, I would imagine that the job of Chief Superintendent would be quite administrative and that being the lead investigator would not be a responsibility in that role. Even at that, Jo exhibited an appalling lack of judgment in allowing her favorite underling to get away with calling in sick for no reason, not exactly a wise thing to do when managing a team.
O’Connor is a true crime editor for the Sunday World, Ireland’s biggest selling Sunday newspaper. That led to the most interesting aspect of the book, which was the role of the press in investigating crimes. The phone hacking scandal involving the News of the World revealed the shocking tactics the media uses to get stories and served as an inspiration for the book. It was mind boggling to see the lengths journalists will go to in order to get a story.
SETTING: Dublin, Ireland
SERIES: #3 of 3
RATING: 3.0
A reporter receiving a telephone tip alerts the police to the fact that a woman’s body is located in an area of the Dublin mountains known as “the Vanishing Triangle”. It is assumed that a serial killer is at work, which was the only reasonable explanation for the fact that six women disappeared in that area in a 6-year period. The original police investigation under the direction of Dan Mason identified a local man named Derek Carpenter as the prime suspect, but they were never able to prove his guilt. Now the case of Amanda Wells, the presumed seventh victim, has been assigned to Dan’s wife, Chief Superintendent Jo Birmingham. Dan was grievously injured while on duty and is not very willing to share what he learned during the case with his wife. She feels guilty about what happened to him and tiptoes around the communication issues in their marriage.
Everyone other than Jo presumes that Carpenter is guilty. Amanda was a neighbor, and it appears that they may have had a clandestine relationship. Derek’s wife, Liz, goes to extraordinary lengths to thwart the police in their investigation, as she is obsessed with providing a solid future for their autistic son, Conor. Having his father identified as a murderer would lead to his being shunned and end Liz’s hopes of having him receive a scholarship to a prestigious school. Initially a fervent supporter of her husband, she ends up doubting his innocence as the evidence piles up against him. The truth of the matter turns out to be quite a surprise, but the conclusion was a bit too facile for my tastes.
Although TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT is the third in the Birmingham books, I found the protagonist to be lacking in what it takes to helm a series. She exhibited a rather startling lack of authority in both her professional and personal lives. She was not very assertive during her interrogation of key people. I also found it odd that a copper at the level of Chief Superintendent would be the one questioning all of the players—shouldn’t that be the responsibility of the lead detective? All the other members of the team were assigned drudge work. Also, I would imagine that the job of Chief Superintendent would be quite administrative and that being the lead investigator would not be a responsibility in that role. Even at that, Jo exhibited an appalling lack of judgment in allowing her favorite underling to get away with calling in sick for no reason, not exactly a wise thing to do when managing a team.
O’Connor is a true crime editor for the Sunday World, Ireland’s biggest selling Sunday newspaper. That led to the most interesting aspect of the book, which was the role of the press in investigating crimes. The phone hacking scandal involving the News of the World revealed the shocking tactics the media uses to get stories and served as an inspiration for the book. It was mind boggling to see the lengths journalists will go to in order to get a story.
March 21, 2015
The author gets one added star from me right away for writing about Ireland; having a female lead in a position of responsibility; and addressing serious modern issues like house repossession, crooked solicitors and special needs children.
Here's what I liked about the book:
As I saw in earlier books about this main character, Jo Bermingham, she is bull-headed, disorganised in her home life with kids, and keen to keep working on a case. Therefore Jo is true to herself by continuing those character traits as she investigates a case of a vanished woman from south Dublin. The woman's body is found in a mountainous area where women have previously disappeared. The sense of loss felt by the family of one of these women is well portrayed.
The recession has caused chaos in family lives, especially middle-class people.
As a newspaper editor herself, the author incorporates many references to the phone hacking scandal at the News Of The World in the UK.
The portrayal of a young lad on the autism spectrum.
Here's what I didn't like:
I would have liked at least one decent journalist to be included, for balance.
I lost count of how many serial killers there were running around south Dublin.
The cast seemed numerous and homogenous so it was easy, reading this over a few nights, to lose track and say, which was Amanda or Ellen or Kate again? Which was Tom and which was Tim? Next time maybe a nice Indian or Polish couple has moved in next door, please.
I can accept many impossible things before breakfast, but not a seriously obese woman overpowering two fit men.
Nor a senior policeman letting anyone fake his way into his house and leaving him there without even phoning the firm the man says he came from to check.
Sneaky people paying everyone with a job (including police) for information covered by the Data Protection Act and getting it back on the instant.
The author has clearly put a lot of work into developing her complex plot twists and her characters, the main persons leaving us with issues unresolved. Followers of this series should enjoy the read but for newcomers it may not be the best place to start.
Here's what I liked about the book:
As I saw in earlier books about this main character, Jo Bermingham, she is bull-headed, disorganised in her home life with kids, and keen to keep working on a case. Therefore Jo is true to herself by continuing those character traits as she investigates a case of a vanished woman from south Dublin. The woman's body is found in a mountainous area where women have previously disappeared. The sense of loss felt by the family of one of these women is well portrayed.
The recession has caused chaos in family lives, especially middle-class people.
As a newspaper editor herself, the author incorporates many references to the phone hacking scandal at the News Of The World in the UK.
The portrayal of a young lad on the autism spectrum.
Here's what I didn't like:
I would have liked at least one decent journalist to be included, for balance.
I lost count of how many serial killers there were running around south Dublin.
The cast seemed numerous and homogenous so it was easy, reading this over a few nights, to lose track and say, which was Amanda or Ellen or Kate again? Which was Tom and which was Tim? Next time maybe a nice Indian or Polish couple has moved in next door, please.
I can accept many impossible things before breakfast, but not a seriously obese woman overpowering two fit men.
Nor a senior policeman letting anyone fake his way into his house and leaving him there without even phoning the firm the man says he came from to check.
Sneaky people paying everyone with a job (including police) for information covered by the Data Protection Act and getting it back on the instant.
The author has clearly put a lot of work into developing her complex plot twists and her characters, the main persons leaving us with issues unresolved. Followers of this series should enjoy the read but for newcomers it may not be the best place to start.
September 22, 2015
Another brilliant highly addictive book by Niamh O'Connor and the third book in the Jo Birmingham series.
Like the first two I love the character of Jo and her feisty strong character,her battle with home and work life and her ongoing drama with her husband Dan are my favourite parts.
Full of many differing characters and with no real idea who the killer is draws you in to the very end.
As always for me it's a slow start but once the story picks up pace I'm immersed in the plot.
The only reason I couldn't give 4 stars for this one was because I felt that there was less actual police work went on, less of Jo and barely anything to her own personal life until the very end.
As always it has me gripped to get the next one which I have already downloaded,can't wait to get reading.
Like the first two I love the character of Jo and her feisty strong character,her battle with home and work life and her ongoing drama with her husband Dan are my favourite parts.
Full of many differing characters and with no real idea who the killer is draws you in to the very end.
As always for me it's a slow start but once the story picks up pace I'm immersed in the plot.
The only reason I couldn't give 4 stars for this one was because I felt that there was less actual police work went on, less of Jo and barely anything to her own personal life until the very end.
As always it has me gripped to get the next one which I have already downloaded,can't wait to get reading.
June 25, 2014
Like all of Niamh O'Connor's books about Jo Birmingham the detective in Dublin this was a very good read. Great characters and interesting story tied in with the girls that went missing in Leinster in the 1990's. Well worth a read.
August 18, 2016
I'm sorry but did someone rip out the last chapter? Surely this can't be the end. So disappointed. I was so engrossed, then... It's like it ended in the middle of a chapter. There's a month of reading in bed I'll never get back!
March 5, 2017
Couldnt even finish this book - too many characters and just a boring plot, couldnt care less about how it ended. Disappointed to say the least.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews