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Maeve Kerrigan #0.5
Left for Dead
'Two women died every week in the UK at the hands of a partner or ex-partner. On average, women endured thirty-five incidents of domestic abuse before contacting the police.
And then I showed up the thirty-sixth time and stumbled through my arguments for why the victim should trust us. As if we could save them.
It had been two months, and so far I remembered all of their faces. So far, none of them had turned up on the daily briefing as the borough's latest homicide. '
A violent rapist is attacking women, leaving them for dead on south London streets. Then young police woman Maeve Kerrigan responds to a domestic disturbance and stumbles across the latest victim. But as a new recruit - and a female to boot - she must battle sexism from her colleagues in her bid to be taken seriously enough to even assist on the case...
Jane Casey's bestselling D.C. Kerrigan books have earned her many fans. This exclusive digital short story takes Maeve back to her early days as a rookie police woman.
And then I showed up the thirty-sixth time and stumbled through my arguments for why the victim should trust us. As if we could save them.
It had been two months, and so far I remembered all of their faces. So far, none of them had turned up on the daily briefing as the borough's latest homicide. '
A violent rapist is attacking women, leaving them for dead on south London streets. Then young police woman Maeve Kerrigan responds to a domestic disturbance and stumbles across the latest victim. But as a new recruit - and a female to boot - she must battle sexism from her colleagues in her bid to be taken seriously enough to even assist on the case...
Jane Casey's bestselling D.C. Kerrigan books have earned her many fans. This exclusive digital short story takes Maeve back to her early days as a rookie police woman.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2013
308 people are currently reading
2103 people want to read
About the author
Jane Casey
35 books2,640 followersShe studied English at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by an mPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature at Trinity College, Dublin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
February 7, 2018
For some time now, this police procedural mystery series by Jane Casey has been on my radar. I thought I'd finally give in to my desire to read it by beginning with the series prequel novella that introduces the protagonist, Maeve Kerrigan. WOW!
You know, you just know, that you've found a new favorite when you can hardly wait to read the next book in the series! ("The Burning" is already loaded on my Kindle)
We meet DC Maeve Kerrigan as a 21 year old probationer, just two months out of police training college. It is her dream job, and she can hardly believe that she is finally where she wants to be. She has just been put on night shift and the hot, London August nights are prime for potential crime.
"I told myself I was excited but the knot in my stomach was the truth. I was scared, all the time, of getting it wrong."
Feeling her way, both in the job, and with her co-workers, Maeve is nervous of making the right impression. Her female boss, Inspector Saunders, gives her some sage advice on how to deal with the bantering, jealousies, sexism, and other skills she will need to survive on the job.
Paired with the most senior policeman on her team, Maeve sets out on a typical night shift. But this one turns out to be about as untypical as they come. A caller has reported a woman screaming near a builder's yard. When Maeve and her partner respond, they find a woman has been brutally raped (with a broken bottle), and 'left for dead'.
Despite her inexperience, Maeve spots some crucial evidence to identify the victim. Later, she is instrumental in apprehending the rapist. A keen eye for detail rewards her with a pat on the back and the notice of the Police Superintendent. This does not sit well with one of her co-workers in particular, Gary Lovell.
As many of you know, I have always had a soft spot for a well written police procedural. I am especially fond of series in which you get to know a lot of information about the protagonist's character, and I'm just as interested in that as I am the actually solving of the crime. The end of this novella sees Maeve making three resolutions about her job. This series seems to a prime candidate to fit in my series favorites list already. I cannot wait to read further in this series to see if Maeve's resolutions/job aspirations are realized.
You know, you just know, that you've found a new favorite when you can hardly wait to read the next book in the series! ("The Burning" is already loaded on my Kindle)
We meet DC Maeve Kerrigan as a 21 year old probationer, just two months out of police training college. It is her dream job, and she can hardly believe that she is finally where she wants to be. She has just been put on night shift and the hot, London August nights are prime for potential crime.
"I told myself I was excited but the knot in my stomach was the truth. I was scared, all the time, of getting it wrong."
Feeling her way, both in the job, and with her co-workers, Maeve is nervous of making the right impression. Her female boss, Inspector Saunders, gives her some sage advice on how to deal with the bantering, jealousies, sexism, and other skills she will need to survive on the job.
Paired with the most senior policeman on her team, Maeve sets out on a typical night shift. But this one turns out to be about as untypical as they come. A caller has reported a woman screaming near a builder's yard. When Maeve and her partner respond, they find a woman has been brutally raped (with a broken bottle), and 'left for dead'.
Despite her inexperience, Maeve spots some crucial evidence to identify the victim. Later, she is instrumental in apprehending the rapist. A keen eye for detail rewards her with a pat on the back and the notice of the Police Superintendent. This does not sit well with one of her co-workers in particular, Gary Lovell.
As many of you know, I have always had a soft spot for a well written police procedural. I am especially fond of series in which you get to know a lot of information about the protagonist's character, and I'm just as interested in that as I am the actually solving of the crime. The end of this novella sees Maeve making three resolutions about her job. This series seems to a prime candidate to fit in my series favorites list already. I cannot wait to read further in this series to see if Maeve's resolutions/job aspirations are realized.
June 3, 2019
@goodreads’e göre bu Maeve Kerrigan serisinin ilk kitabı. 0.5 inci kitap diye geçiyor. Büyük ihtimalle seriyi yazmaya başlamış ilerlemiş. Sonra öncesini yazmak gelmiş aklına. Ondan 0.5 inci kitap demiş.
Seri tecavüzcü vakasıyla ilgilenen Maeve içgüdülerine güvenir ve amirlerinin beğenisini toplamayı başarır. Bu arada iş arkadaşlarıyla olan ilişkisinin dengesini oturtmaya çalışır. Çok kısa bir kitaptı. Sonunu tahmin edecek kadar olay örgüsü ya da karmaşa yoktu. Tek bir olay oldu. Kısa sürede olay çözüldü. Yazarın diğer kitaplarına göre bu kitabı çok zayıf buldum. Ne karakter ne olay örgüsü başarılı değildi. Baş rol Maeve de olmasa okunmazmış. Beğenemedim 👎🏻
Seri tecavüzcü vakasıyla ilgilenen Maeve içgüdülerine güvenir ve amirlerinin beğenisini toplamayı başarır. Bu arada iş arkadaşlarıyla olan ilişkisinin dengesini oturtmaya çalışır. Çok kısa bir kitaptı. Sonunu tahmin edecek kadar olay örgüsü ya da karmaşa yoktu. Tek bir olay oldu. Kısa sürede olay çözüldü. Yazarın diğer kitaplarına göre bu kitabı çok zayıf buldum. Ne karakter ne olay örgüsü başarılı değildi. Baş rol Maeve de olmasa okunmazmış. Beğenemedim 👎🏻
May 8, 2021
Maeve Kerrigan’ı ve Jane Casey kalemini çok seviyorum. Şu kısacık kitabı bile keyifle okudum. Maeve’in işin başında nasıl olduğunu okumak çok zevkliydi😍😍
March 4, 2020
8.kitabın çıkmasını beklerken okumadığım, gözümden kaçmış Maeve Kerrigan kitabı bulmak süper oldu 😆 Her ne kadar çok kısa ve olay da çok cabuk çözülmüş olsa da Maeve'yi okumak iyi geldi. Umarım 8.kitabı bu yakınlarda çıkartır yayınevi 😑
September 5, 2014
Not nearly as good a read as the first two books proper in the series, but does a fine job of showing a new and often very nervous Maeve learning the ropes. It also explains a bit more why Maeve reacts quite as strongly as she does to the possibility of a romantic involvement with a colleague, albeit with perhaps a smidge of retro-fitting. Slightly more convincing is her thrill on first meeting Superintendent Godley, as a self-professed "police geek", which leaves her determined to find a way to work on his team in due course. The case itself is somewhat truncated, but behind the horror of this particular violent rapist is the weight of the many, many cases of domestic violence the police see so routinely.
September 25, 2015
8.25/10
All in all, I really enjoyed this novella! If you're looking for a great detective or a great crime thriller with a strong independent likeable female character, then I recommend reading the Maeve Kerrigan series!
It was the first time I'd had the suffocating feeling that I was altogether too close to pure evil. Even so, I recognised it like an old friend.I love Maeve Kerrigan. She is one of my favourite characters ever! I loved reading about her "beginning" story as a rookie in the London policing world. As always, she is a strong character, who you shouldn't mess with. I love the way she holds herself and how hard she works at being a good Police Constable. I also love the way Maeve thinks and I respect her moral compass.
He certainly wasn't the one you'd pick out of a line-up if you were asked to find the sadistic wife-beater. That was the thing, though. You couldn't tell from the outside.
It wasn't the victim's fault that someone had chosen to maim her. It wasn't her fault that she'd walked down lonely streets, or that no one had heard her screams until it was too late.Maeve provides the novel with good insight on victim-blaming and on unjustly asserting the perpetrator by their looks or personality (for example in Disney -> ugly, old creature = evil & beautiful, young creature = good). Having Superintendent Godley in the story was a nice addition as well.
All in all, I really enjoyed this novella! If you're looking for a great detective or a great crime thriller with a strong independent likeable female character, then I recommend reading the Maeve Kerrigan series!
January 18, 2021
Left for Dead is a prequel novella about Maeve Kerrigan while she was still a beat cop. It was nice to have the back story of Maeve that is so often referred to in the later books but about which we never really knew until this prequel was released. I would recommend reading this quick short before starting the series since we have that advantage now.
January 10, 2024
Short prequel to the series which sees Maeve starting her police career as a young probationer in South London. When Maeve & her partner, Chris, respond to a call to a domestic disturbance, further investigation of the area reveals a badly injured woman. Assistance is called & Maeve gets her first sighting of Godley (who readers will know from the main series). Although it's a short read, it covers domestic violence, sexual violence, & misogyny & sexism in the police force.
It's an okay read. I wish Maeve wouldn't be quite so naïve but she is very young here (around 21), however, she had literally just been warned that some of the male officers viewed her as a sexual challenge when she completely falls for a line from one of them. Thankfully, we do get to see glimpses of her beginning to stand up for herself & the initial brief meeting between Maeve & Godley is nicely done.
It's an okay read. I wish Maeve wouldn't be quite so naïve but she is very young here (around 21), however, she had literally just been warned that some of the male officers viewed her as a sexual challenge when she completely falls for a line from one of them. Thankfully, we do get to see glimpses of her beginning to stand up for herself & the initial brief meeting between Maeve & Godley is nicely done.
October 31, 2020
I enjoyed this short audible VERY MUCH! I'm drawn to stories with strong heroines that can hold their own. Maeve Kerrigan, new cop on the force, proves to be that as she works with a team of all men, in the field. She won't have their respect, even if she demands it. She must earn their respect, and desires to be treated an equal.
On her first assignment, she finds a girl hiding under a car, brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. She is alive, but will require hospitalization and surgeries for months. The attack is similar to two others, but can't be confirmed with no DNA to go on, and no hard evidence. However, she receives a tip from a witness she interviews, which proves to be very helpful later.
She desperately wants to work and solve this disturbing case, but the some of the boys in the precinct aren't playing very nice. With crude remarks and bets against her, Mauve shows she can handle herself, and is about to kick some cerebral ass.
The narrator for this story was lively, talented, and immensely enjoyable to listen to. Her British accent(s), and different tones between the different characters, were spot on. The narration MADE this book for me, and definitely contributed to the high rating. I will be delighted to search for other works by Jane Casey and Sarah Coomes.
On her first assignment, she finds a girl hiding under a car, brutally beaten and sexually assaulted. She is alive, but will require hospitalization and surgeries for months. The attack is similar to two others, but can't be confirmed with no DNA to go on, and no hard evidence. However, she receives a tip from a witness she interviews, which proves to be very helpful later.
She desperately wants to work and solve this disturbing case, but the some of the boys in the precinct aren't playing very nice. With crude remarks and bets against her, Mauve shows she can handle herself, and is about to kick some cerebral ass.
The narrator for this story was lively, talented, and immensely enjoyable to listen to. Her British accent(s), and different tones between the different characters, were spot on. The narration MADE this book for me, and definitely contributed to the high rating. I will be delighted to search for other works by Jane Casey and Sarah Coomes.
August 3, 2013
I have had a couple of the Maeve Kerrigan books on my kindle for a while but hadn't got around to reading them. When I found that a short story prequel had been published I seized the opportunity and started reading immediately. It was a change reading a detective novel, and I read a lot of them, from a rookie's point of view. I really enjoyed my introduction to Maeve,liked her, and am interested in how her relationships with fellow characters develop over the series. I won't be leaving it long before I read another book by Jane Casey.
May 5, 2019
I do recommend reading this series in order, if only to be able to see the steadily building romance develop. I love this part of Casey's detective series even though it's a small part. Ok, besides that the mysteries are well written and scary. Right up my alley. But this is what I love. Detective and female in London working for the Met, good criminal insight, lots of interesting characters, fancy repartee, humor, scary, tight stories, need I say more?
November 8, 2025
I wanted to check out this series so I read this prequel novella. Pretty good.
February 23, 2022
Chose this as a short audible for a drive. I wasn't impressed. I'm giving it 2 stars because, though I didn't realize it was part of a series, it is. Without knowing the characters from other books, this book just felt rushed. The characters weren't fleshed out and it was hard to care about them. I didn't even get involved in the story till about 50% through it.
March 3, 2018
This novella is a prequel to Jane Casey's well-written mystery series featuring Maeve Kerrigan. I'd already read a few books in the series, but this would also be a good introduction for readers who haven't yet tried these excellent police procedurals.
January 24, 2020
Brilliant, gripping short story about the early days of Maeve Kerrigan’s career. Loved it, as with all Jane Casey’s books.
July 18, 2025
maeve için kurşun atar kurşun yerim ha ayıks olun
February 14, 2022
This prequel of a younger version of London copper Maeve Kerrigan is more feminist than book #1 in the series (The Burning, both of which feature sadistic men targeting young women). That isn't to say Maeve herself is a good feminist yet. When a colleague, without warning, kisses her in their patrol car, she's not concerned in the least about the lack of consent, despite the fact they're in the process of hunting a serial rapist. She's totally down with it and, in fact, agrees to head back to her place for a shag — this is despite the advice given what seems like moments before by her (female) supervisor about how to earn respect in the male-dominated force, with the best way being not to shag any of the guys, at least not so soon.
The novella includes quite a few tropes, such as catfishing, as well as one of my least favorite tropes: the cops who burst into a room because of a report of a woman screaming only to discover a couple having consensual role-play sex. But it fits with the plot here so I can see why the author did it. It's a good book and totally worth it for fans.
P.S. I may be extra sensitive to the consent aspect after somewhat recently finishing two books by another Irish author, Salley Rooney, where the young men regularly ask if it's OK for a kiss, to remove a bra, to ... well ... almost everything. And, at least in Rooney's hands, it's pretty erotic.
The novella includes quite a few tropes, such as catfishing, as well as one of my least favorite tropes: the cops who burst into a room because of a report of a woman screaming only to discover a couple having consensual role-play sex. But it fits with the plot here so I can see why the author did it. It's a good book and totally worth it for fans.
P.S. I may be extra sensitive to the consent aspect after somewhat recently finishing two books by another Irish author, Salley Rooney, where the young men regularly ask if it's OK for a kiss, to remove a bra, to ... well ... almost everything. And, at least in Rooney's hands, it's pretty erotic.
August 22, 2013
An extra treat...
Maeve is 21, straight out of police college and finding her feet as the newest member of the team. Out on night shift patrol, she and her partner are sent to attend what sounds like a ‘domestic’ – until Maeve discovers a young woman, still alive, but horribly injured…
This novella-length story is a prequel to the excellent Maeve Kerrigan series, showing us Maeve at the beginning of her career, and the case that led to her meeting her future boss, Superintendent Charles Godley. The investigation element is fairly minimal, though enjoyable, and apart from Godley none of the later regulars are here. So no gorgeous Rob, sadly – but this leaves Maeve free to get entangled with another colleague. And we get an opportunity to see that Josh Derwent isn’t the only MCP in the Met.
It’s a steep learning curve for Maeve, but she holds her own and we see the feisty, funny personality that Casey develops so well in the full-length novels. A good introduction to anyone new to the series and an extra treat for die-hard fans.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Maeve is 21, straight out of police college and finding her feet as the newest member of the team. Out on night shift patrol, she and her partner are sent to attend what sounds like a ‘domestic’ – until Maeve discovers a young woman, still alive, but horribly injured…
This novella-length story is a prequel to the excellent Maeve Kerrigan series, showing us Maeve at the beginning of her career, and the case that led to her meeting her future boss, Superintendent Charles Godley. The investigation element is fairly minimal, though enjoyable, and apart from Godley none of the later regulars are here. So no gorgeous Rob, sadly – but this leaves Maeve free to get entangled with another colleague. And we get an opportunity to see that Josh Derwent isn’t the only MCP in the Met.
It’s a steep learning curve for Maeve, but she holds her own and we see the feisty, funny personality that Casey develops so well in the full-length novels. A good introduction to anyone new to the series and an extra treat for die-hard fans.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 18, 2016
Bit overpriced, at Eur 1,99. Starts good, for a novella, a bit too much personal stuff, but as this is the first book I read by Jane Casey, I will cut her some slack.
Um, well, the story is very good, and not too long, obviously.
As an introduction to the character and to get to know her writing style it works very well.
The romance is twisted and not sweet heart-breaking. Also it does not take over the main part of the story nor the main reason for the heroine being as she is. Instead she is a strong woman, who tries to be independent, and, just beginning in her job, to find her place in the police force, her dream job she ever wanted even though her family (and maybe her friends) do not approve too much.
Recommended as an introduction to Jane Casey and the main character - Maeve Kerrigan - of the series. But try to get it cheap or free. The Eur 1,99 was way overpriced, and the given reading length by my Kindle was wrong, as there are a few chapters of another book after the novella.
Um, well, the story is very good, and not too long, obviously.
As an introduction to the character and to get to know her writing style it works very well.
The romance is twisted and not sweet heart-breaking. Also it does not take over the main part of the story nor the main reason for the heroine being as she is. Instead she is a strong woman, who tries to be independent, and, just beginning in her job, to find her place in the police force, her dream job she ever wanted even though her family (and maybe her friends) do not approve too much.
Recommended as an introduction to Jane Casey and the main character - Maeve Kerrigan - of the series. But try to get it cheap or free. The Eur 1,99 was way overpriced, and the given reading length by my Kindle was wrong, as there are a few chapters of another book after the novella.
February 17, 2016
I enjoyed this little taste of Jane Casey's "Maeve Keerigan" series. I had previously only read the Jess Tennant series for young adults and enjoyed them so I decided go give Maeve Kerrigan series a shot. She's a young cop, female in a male dominant world and so far I am liking what I read. I look forward to starting "the burning".
May 21, 2015
I read this after finishing The Burning a year earlier. I'm so glad I re-made Maeve's acquaintance and I immediately reread The Burning. It's only 4 stars because right now it's only available as an ebook.
February 6, 2017
This was a nice introduction to Maeve Kerrigan, the heroine of Jane Casey's crime thrillers. It was a short read but worth it if you wanted to get a feel for the character and the author's writing style.
October 19, 2018
This was a good start to a series that I've wanted to read for a long time!
I love a good strong female character and I love the way Maeve Kerrigan is paving a way for herself and showing her strengths!
I look forward to becoming great friends with Maeve!
I love a good strong female character and I love the way Maeve Kerrigan is paving a way for herself and showing her strengths!
I look forward to becoming great friends with Maeve!
May 2, 2022
A quickly paced novella which helped this reader determine that she
A - enjoys the character of Maeve Kerrigan
B- enjoys the interplay from the rest of the characters and
C-decides me on reading the series, or at least the next book.
Set in present day London, a young woman begins her police career with the challenges that come with being a woman in a mostly male dominated field. A brutal rapist is prowling the town and Maeve doesn’t even know if police work is for her or if she will ever fit into the world of metro policing.
A - enjoys the character of Maeve Kerrigan
B- enjoys the interplay from the rest of the characters and
C-decides me on reading the series, or at least the next book.
Set in present day London, a young woman begins her police career with the challenges that come with being a woman in a mostly male dominated field. A brutal rapist is prowling the town and Maeve doesn’t even know if police work is for her or if she will ever fit into the world of metro policing.
September 17, 2020
At least 4 stars.
For a novella, this was surprisingly as satisfying as a full length novel.
I read this series regularly and wasn’t sure how I would receive a shortened prequel. I received it well. The storytelling is sure as ever, and this works as well as a stand-alone as a richer background for the protagonist’s personal story and police career.
For a novella, this was surprisingly as satisfying as a full length novel.
I read this series regularly and wasn’t sure how I would receive a shortened prequel. I received it well. The storytelling is sure as ever, and this works as well as a stand-alone as a richer background for the protagonist’s personal story and police career.
December 15, 2020
At first the accents bothered me when I listened to the story. Then I got used to them and it added something to the story to hear it as if the actual people were talking. This was a good mystery and I liked the ending. Sometimes people really need to listen to their gut instinct.
January 20, 2021
Fun little book, a good addition to the series.
July 19, 2021
A fast paced detective story. This was my first Jane Casey short story I listened to the audio book. I am looking for to more books from her.
August 10, 2021
I think I'm going to enjoy this series! :)
October 19, 2022
This short story sets the seen for the series, it is the first story about Maeve when she is a rookie in uniform and contrasts domestic abuse with the sexist abuse she receives from her fellow officers. Well worth reading to give some back ground.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews