The Bone Fire: A gripping crime thriller packed with mystery and suspense

DS Lucy Golden #4

by Martina Murphy

'A gripping mystery lies at the heart of this atmospheric and wonderfully written police procedural' Brian McGilloway

A fatal fire in a holiday let on Slievemore, Achill Island, leaves one person dead and another missing. Deemed arson, DS Lucy Golden and her team are tasked with solving the murder and locating the missing woman, Moira Delaney. As the case develops, the pressure builds when it transpires that Moira's father is a gangland figure, a suspect in three unsolved murders. If Lucy doesn't uncover what happened that morning in Slievemore, he will deploy his men to deal out his own sort of justice.

Things get even more complicated when a laptop is uncovered that could ruin all that Lucy holds dear. And as the net on the suspect tightens, Lucy faces a hard choice - will she use it to save herself and bring a murderer to justice, or bury it and save her family and her career?

'With the raw and savagely beautiful Achill Island as a fitting backdrop, a tense and gut-wrenching plotline, and a cast of expertly drawn characters, Murphy delivers up a gritty and emotional reading experience' Zoe Miller

Genres: Irish Literature

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2024

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Bone Fire is the fourth installment in the thrilling Irish crime series by Martina Murphy. I absolutely loved the first three books in this series and the same is true for this one. 

DS Lucy Golden and her colleague Dan Brown have another murder case to solve. A holiday let has gone up in flames, and while the mother has disappeared, one of her children died in the fire. 

As it turns out during the investigation, Moira left an abusive marriage,  trying to build a life with her children far from her husband. But things didn't turn out the way she hoped and while DS Lucy Golden and her colleagues try to piece together the details of the case, it becomes clear that Moira had made quite a number of enemies who didn't wish her well at all. 

Just when the investigation stalls and the police are running in circles, Moira's body turns up and Lucy is quite certain about who the culprit is. Or so it seems... 

Again, Martina Murphy delivers an incredibly gripping plot with many surprising twists, well-developed and authentic characters, a beautiful setting and a nice dose of really good humour. 

After four cases, all the characters have become friends to me since the focus is not only on the crime itself but also on the characters' private lives and their problems. So I really can't wait for book 5 to be published! 

My advice is that if you want to start a new crime series, make it this one. It's one of the best I've ever read.

[Anny · Rating 3 out of 5]

First person present narration is not my favourite. Solid mystery with interesting characters, though I liked few of them. This was an airport purchase so I wasn’t concerned with its place in the series. There was sufficient backstory for me to catch up. I’m not going to continue the series though because of the chosen writing style.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bone Fire by Martina Murphy publishes August 22nd with Constable and is described as an ‘Irish-set thriller guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat’. It is a DS Lucy Golden book and is #4 in the series. It is also my first book by this author and I had no issue jumping in on book 4, as enough snippets of the back story are littered throughout to keep any new reader informed.

Set on Achill Island, off the coast of Co. Mayo, DS Lucy Golden is called to attend a house fire where a body is discovered. Within a very short period of time, it’s clear to the investigating team that this is also a missing person case. Moira Delaney moved from Limerick with her two small children and was renting the cottage from a local couple. Now missing, the team attempt to track down her relatives and soon discover that Moira is the daughter of a notorious gangland crime figure who, to date, has escaped arrest. On hearing of his daughter’s disappearance, this man wants immediate answers and threatens to handle it himself in his own threatening and aggressive way if the team don’t provide him with a solid explanation fast. Could there be a gang-related link to this case? Has Moira become entangled in her father’s business or is something even more sinister responsible?

Lucy and her team must gather the evidence and look for answers as the clock ticks. There are many secrets on the island of Achill and, as Lucy soon discovers, some a little closer to home than she could possibly have imagined. Lucy is simultaneously dealing with her own situation balancing her personal life with her work. Her past is never too far away with the shadow of a former life always there on her shoulder that she just can’t shake off. The presence of a laptop holding information that could destroy all that she is trying to protect sends ripples through her personal life and Lucy struggles with decisions to be made. Will she do the right thing when the time comes?

One of the first things that caught my eye was the cover of The Bone Fire. I have never been to Achill Island so was not familiar with Achill Henge which is the dramatic and controversially 2011 built structure that has caused much consternation and discussion among the community. It provides for a striking cover image drawing the reader in to explore more inside the covers. Lucy Golden is a perfectly imperfect central character inviting the reader to champion her along the way as she stumbles through her life in the best way she can. She is very relatable which adds a great layer of authenticity to her personality. The plot of The Bone Fire is very emotive and impactful, with a storyline that will leave every reader smarting. With a mix of the good and the downright nasty set in a very dramatic and atmospheric location, Martina Murphy has written a novel that engages and entertains to the final page.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th in Martina Murphy's Irish series featuring the flawed but experienced DS Lucy Golden and her cop partner, Dan Brown, but it is my first, not a issue as you are given information about previous events and people. It is set in Achill Island, off the coast of County Mayo, Lucy has had ups and downs in her career, which has had her demoted, but she is so dogged and determined that she has a great reputation for solving cases. Here she needs all of her acumen and skills in the most macabre of cases, a house fire, arson, in which a young child, Ella, has died, her younger brother, Bren, is rescued, but the mother, artist Moira Delaney has disappeared, is she responsible or has something terrible happened to her?

There are housecalls, calls for information and witnesses, and potential suspects, chief among them the estranged husband, whom as they dig deeper, they uncover is a confident and sinister man, a control freak, abusive, a man who had severely strict rules that Moira was forced to abide by, including what she could wear, no friends, handing over money earned by her art, effectively isolating her in the remote farm. He was an angry man, outraged that Moira had left with the children, he was definitely not going to make her life easier, but is he a merciless killer? There are others of interest, such as Moira's gangster father, the owner of the home rented by Moira, and Pattie, the sister of the husband. Then Moira's body is discovered just in time, before it is burned, thanks to Lucy's intuition.

In a busy and suspenseful narrative, Lucy and the police team come across secrets, and so much more besides, but there are the personal lives of the characters too. There is Lucy's inquisitive and interfering mother, plus a teetering relationship with her son, Luc, who has been left his convicted fraudster of a father's possessions after he died as a 'hero', including a laptop which particularly worries her, what damning information might it hold? This is a chillingly dark and engaging crime read, with a memorable central protagonist, that will likely appeal to many who enjoy the crime and mystery genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[meteomueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Hörbuch gehört. Angenehme Stimme, das Personal auf Achill und besonders die Kommissarin inzwischen lieb gewonnen, es war klar, dass ich die Geschichte mit großem Genuss hören würde. Die Details der Arbeit der Guarda werden genau beschrieben und das gefällt mir sehr. Wieder zu platt ist das Motiv, ein bisschen wie vom Fließband, die Tat schon wieder von einer verrückten Person begangen, das Opfer zu schön und rein. Nun bin ich jedoch großer Fan von Irlands Westen und der Text erzeugte gute Bilder von Landschaft, Räumen und Menschen in meinem Kopf. Daher vier Punkte. Besonders mochte ich die Mutter der Kommissarin, mal fällt sie ihr mit ihrem Einsatz für den verdächtigen Familienfreund in den Rücken, mal hält sie ihn beim abgesagten Bonfire frei, und das Verhalten macht die Figur glaubhaft.
Wetterbeschreibungen: Glaubwürdig.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is a detective based on an island off County Mayo . She has had a chequered career and personal life but is now fairly settled. As the book begins, two children are found in a burning house, one alive. Their mother has disappeared. Lucy pieces together the life of the young mother who is separated from her controlling husband. Suspecting she is dead, there are several people who could have killed Moira. The pace is quite slow moving as the evidence is explored and suspects interviewed. Lucy also has a few problems in her personal life. On the whole, well written, the pace picks up as the book progresses. The detectives are well rounded and the plot twisty though easy to follow. I enjoyed the book .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another gritty, excellent read in the DS Lucy Golden series, Set in Ireland. It gripped me right from the start with it's excellent characterisation and emotional plotting. I could empathise with Lucy, she is very relatable and completely dedicated to finding justice for a woman and her child found dead in horrific circumstances. The descriptive passages pull you right in to Achill island and I found myself transposed right there. The author has produced another riveting read which fans will enjoy. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Roisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word- brilliant.

I read the series over the past two weeks and just had to come and rate them. They are superb - Lucy Golden is a flawed heroine and mother but a brilliant detective. As each book progresses you can see how her moral compass is going askew.
The plots are gripping and complex and the solutions are believable.
Peppered with humour and great characters, these books are a pleasure to read.
They deserve all the praise.

Roll on book 5.

[Corinne Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this series, really looking forward to seeing where Lucy Golden progresses to personally and professionally. This had a fantastic twist, can't believe I didn't figure it out, but that is the skill of Marina Murphy. the underlying relationship between William and Lucy, just floating away from professional is tension inducing in this reader.

[Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like jumping to the latest in a series: I'll have to go back now and read the last two. This is a complex detective mystery, the main character being Lucy, our clever detective who is a flawed and very realistic character. The Irish background made it more interesting for me. I devoured this in less than a day.

[Ant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series shapes up to be one of my current favourite crime novels. Book 4 keeps the reader interested but the plot doesnt move too fast so one can enjoy the secondary subplots and characters who grow throughout the series. Nice.

[Brian Cullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this murder mystery set once again on Achill Island. Particularly fun to recognize the various places in the book investigation moves along quickly. Would be the perfect book for a long weekend in Westport.

[Jacqueline Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books, admittedly I get a real thrill from the local connection but I also think they're really well written and keep you gripped until the very end!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

irish thriller. Great Ds Lucy Golden series

[Sean Cooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Bone Fire night in the West of Ireland and this 4th Garda Lucy series is another good paced read with a varied stack of likely murderers.

[Alice Clejan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing read amongst my other reads. I wasn’t expecting the twist and I really enjoyed the writing style.

The setting was also quite fun since it’s familiar 😁