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A Murder of Innocents
Manchester, England
A young boy is found hanging, burnt, mutilated and to top it all, ritualistic markings cover the ground around the body. DCI Sean Donovan is assigned to the strangest case he's ever encountered.As Donovan and his team hunt for clues to this grisly crime, they uncover a dark secret and a link to more deaths, all with similarities to their case. One after another, additional murders are uncovered that stretch back decades.As the cases mount, Donovan discovers betrayal amongst his closest allies that directly impact on the case, and the hunt for the killer, breaking a lifetime of trust.Can Donovan find the killer before he murders again, or is this the case that finally breaks him.
A young boy is found hanging, burnt, mutilated and to top it all, ritualistic markings cover the ground around the body. DCI Sean Donovan is assigned to the strangest case he's ever encountered.As Donovan and his team hunt for clues to this grisly crime, they uncover a dark secret and a link to more deaths, all with similarities to their case. One after another, additional murders are uncovered that stretch back decades.As the cases mount, Donovan discovers betrayal amongst his closest allies that directly impact on the case, and the hunt for the killer, breaking a lifetime of trust.Can Donovan find the killer before he murders again, or is this the case that finally breaks him.
468 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 12, 2024
This is the first time I’ve ever been asked by someone else to write a review for their book, so for this fact alone, I feel quite honoured. So, let’s talk about this book.
The mystery in this story was BRILLIANT, from the beginning to the end I was completely invested in it and really enjoyed seeing how it unraveled. It takes a little while for the true core of the mystery to set in, but I think it was structured relatively well. The subject matter of the mystery was incredibly dark and disturbing, with some detailed descriptions of how the murders occurred which certainly made me feel uneasy. Regardless, I feel like it was held as respectfully well as it could have been, which I appreciate.
I liked most of the characters here, especially Sean Donovan himself. However, even though I wasn’t a big fan of a certain love triangle which occurs in the story, I really did like how it concluded. It was a clever subversion to the trope which I rarely see and thought was handled excellently. I also really like how the story will occasionally cut back to previous untold events, which isn’t anything new, but always something I enjoy, as I’m rather a sucker for backstories.
That being said, my main issue with this story is something that happens at the end of chapter 14 and continues into chapter 15. I won’t spoil what that is in case anyone wants to read this book, but the way that some of the characters reacted to the event kind of infuriated me a little bit. It felt like (in fact, it pretty much was) straight-up victim blaming, and made me strongly dislike some of the characters that I already liked. Thankfully, that side-plot didn’t go anywhere and the story went right back to the intriguing mystery once that was out of the way.
Overall, yes, I did like this book, and for a first attempt of world-building, it’s very good. There are some plot-beats that I wasn’t a big fan of, I didn’t care much for the love triangle sub-plot, and the structure of the story was quite predictable. But, I really loved the mystery, I liked most of the characters introduced, the villains were despicably fascinating, and I loved the well-written and bittersweet conclusion.
6/10.
The mystery in this story was BRILLIANT, from the beginning to the end I was completely invested in it and really enjoyed seeing how it unraveled. It takes a little while for the true core of the mystery to set in, but I think it was structured relatively well. The subject matter of the mystery was incredibly dark and disturbing, with some detailed descriptions of how the murders occurred which certainly made me feel uneasy. Regardless, I feel like it was held as respectfully well as it could have been, which I appreciate.
I liked most of the characters here, especially Sean Donovan himself. However, even though I wasn’t a big fan of a certain love triangle which occurs in the story, I really did like how it concluded. It was a clever subversion to the trope which I rarely see and thought was handled excellently. I also really like how the story will occasionally cut back to previous untold events, which isn’t anything new, but always something I enjoy, as I’m rather a sucker for backstories.
That being said, my main issue with this story is something that happens at the end of chapter 14 and continues into chapter 15. I won’t spoil what that is in case anyone wants to read this book, but the way that some of the characters reacted to the event kind of infuriated me a little bit. It felt like (in fact, it pretty much was) straight-up victim blaming, and made me strongly dislike some of the characters that I already liked. Thankfully, that side-plot didn’t go anywhere and the story went right back to the intriguing mystery once that was out of the way.
Overall, yes, I did like this book, and for a first attempt of world-building, it’s very good. There are some plot-beats that I wasn’t a big fan of, I didn’t care much for the love triangle sub-plot, and the structure of the story was quite predictable. But, I really loved the mystery, I liked most of the characters introduced, the villains were despicably fascinating, and I loved the well-written and bittersweet conclusion.
6/10.
November 23, 2024
fantastic read
Grips you from the start. Hard to put down. The author is great at setting the scene and makes you feel like you know the characters
Grips you from the start. Hard to put down. The author is great at setting the scene and makes you feel like you know the characters
October 20, 2024
A truly gritty dark thrilling read. The build up with the back story of DCI Sean Donovan really gives the reader time to get to know him and as the case builds its captivating and clever. The dynamics between the characters how they are intertwined is brilliant. The case is brilliantly put together and so clever it makes for a captivating unputdownable read. To read the authors pages at the ned and learn that this was 10yrs in the making I am so please Thomas Dunn returned to A Murder of Innocents and finished it as its an outstandingly brilliant read!
December 16, 2024
The tension in this book grabs you right at the beginning and doesn't let up!
DCI Sean Donovan is the perfect main character for this propulsive thriller. He's driven, flawed, and yet sympathetic. He might not always do the right thing, but his personality is so well crafted by Thomas Dunn, you know exactly why he acts in the ways he does.
The plot is fantastic, dark and compelling, exactly what you want in a police procedural. As Donovan works to bring all the pieces of a vast puzzle together you'll find it hard to put the book down even for a minute. A brilliant read, highly recommended.
DCI Sean Donovan is the perfect main character for this propulsive thriller. He's driven, flawed, and yet sympathetic. He might not always do the right thing, but his personality is so well crafted by Thomas Dunn, you know exactly why he acts in the ways he does.
The plot is fantastic, dark and compelling, exactly what you want in a police procedural. As Donovan works to bring all the pieces of a vast puzzle together you'll find it hard to put the book down even for a minute. A brilliant read, highly recommended.
October 22, 2024
I loved the storyline of the book, its subject matter is dark and so is DCI Donovan. A detective who has suffered loss, which drives him on to try and solve this case.
Loved the characters as they developed, even those on the periphery.
Can he catch the serial killer or will the case be too much for him. Only one way to find out!
Loved the characters as they developed, even those on the periphery.
Can he catch the serial killer or will the case be too much for him. Only one way to find out!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews