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Saoirse Kennedy #1
Old Ghosts
Notorious crime boss Saoirse Kennedy finds herself entangled in a web of mystery when she receives orders to eliminate a detective and faces the resurgence of her haunting past.
In the midst of this city plagued by crime, Detective Lily Rose sets out to apprehend Saoirse, but their paths intertwine when a new, sinister force emerges, prompting an uneasy alliance to protect their city.
In the midst of this city plagued by crime, Detective Lily Rose sets out to apprehend Saoirse, but their paths intertwine when a new, sinister force emerges, prompting an uneasy alliance to protect their city.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
3 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Janina Franck
16 books25 followersJanina is a nature-loving story-addict who may have tea and chocolate running through her veins. Guided by her daydreams, she started writing stories at a young age and never really stopped. Now living in Ireland, she loves to try new things and experience adventures, both real and imagined.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 24, 2025
From the start I was pulled into the different lives of Saoirse and Lily, who walked opposite paths but weren’t so different after all.
Saoirse is an Irish woman who has an empire in this mysterious city, but I wouldn’t compare her to typical other “Mafia” bosses, as she wanted to be hands on with everything. She was extremely cheeky, making it easy to love her character.
Lily transferred to the city with the intent to follow a trail on a case she had, and was met with a lot of resistance in her new precinct. There was a LOT of sexism happening, not only for her but also Saoirse.
I was a bit disappointed with Lily’s character though. For her being one of the MCs, you don’t really get to know much about her backstory, and you don’t hear anything else about this previous case from where she transferred from.
There was a large build up of what was to come for about 65-70% of the book, which did make me lose my focus a bit, but the push through was worth it.
I noticed a few small errors, but nothing that would affect the storyline at all. Another little disappointment I had was the ending, which for me felt a little anti-climactic. I can only assume that this is to lead into another book, but with the whole build-up I was expecting a bit more.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this read! I will add that there is little to no romance in this book, and was mainly about the two MCs solving mysteries.
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC!
Saoirse is an Irish woman who has an empire in this mysterious city, but I wouldn’t compare her to typical other “Mafia” bosses, as she wanted to be hands on with everything. She was extremely cheeky, making it easy to love her character.
Lily transferred to the city with the intent to follow a trail on a case she had, and was met with a lot of resistance in her new precinct. There was a LOT of sexism happening, not only for her but also Saoirse.
I was a bit disappointed with Lily’s character though. For her being one of the MCs, you don’t really get to know much about her backstory, and you don’t hear anything else about this previous case from where she transferred from.
There was a large build up of what was to come for about 65-70% of the book, which did make me lose my focus a bit, but the push through was worth it.
I noticed a few small errors, but nothing that would affect the storyline at all. Another little disappointment I had was the ending, which for me felt a little anti-climactic. I can only assume that this is to lead into another book, but with the whole build-up I was expecting a bit more.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this read! I will add that there is little to no romance in this book, and was mainly about the two MCs solving mysteries.
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC!
September 28, 2025
I was an ARC reader so I didn't pay for the book but I have since acquired a physical copy of the book from the author so I could put it on my bookshelf because I loved the story and cover design!
Its not the kind of book I would normally read but I had a blast dipping my toe into something unfamiliar to me. A very fun crime action romp through a fictional American city. Very light reading with some nice plot turns and prose. i would recommend this to someone looking for an easy to digest crime book with a sassy narrative and protagonist.
Its not the kind of book I would normally read but I had a blast dipping my toe into something unfamiliar to me. A very fun crime action romp through a fictional American city. Very light reading with some nice plot turns and prose. i would recommend this to someone looking for an easy to digest crime book with a sassy narrative and protagonist.
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October 27, 2025thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the advanced digital copy!
this book is available for purchase now.
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i found this pretty well written in a way that wasn't overdramatic like i'd expect from other books in this lane. the plot moved at a steady pace and had enough tension to keep me invested, but i do agree with other reviews that the way people were described was... weird. it seemed like the author wanted to be clear about identity markers but the execution felt off, like we were being told who everyone was in a way that drew too much attention to itself.
i liked that both our main characters are queer. since this is the start of a series, i assume their relationship will develop over time, but it was a bit jarring to enter the story with saoirse already entangled with another woman, natalia, whose character didn't get much depth. actually, most characters outside of saoirse felt a little narrow, but again, maybe that's something that will get expanded in future books.
not really my typical genre. i found lily's storyline a bit less compelling, mostly because she's a cop and that's just never going to be the angle that interests me. overall, the book was serviceable, but it sets up a world some readers will probably want to return to. i might not be one of them, but i can see the appeal.
this book is available for purchase now.
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i found this pretty well written in a way that wasn't overdramatic like i'd expect from other books in this lane. the plot moved at a steady pace and had enough tension to keep me invested, but i do agree with other reviews that the way people were described was... weird. it seemed like the author wanted to be clear about identity markers but the execution felt off, like we were being told who everyone was in a way that drew too much attention to itself.
i liked that both our main characters are queer. since this is the start of a series, i assume their relationship will develop over time, but it was a bit jarring to enter the story with saoirse already entangled with another woman, natalia, whose character didn't get much depth. actually, most characters outside of saoirse felt a little narrow, but again, maybe that's something that will get expanded in future books.
not really my typical genre. i found lily's storyline a bit less compelling, mostly because she's a cop and that's just never going to be the angle that interests me. overall, the book was serviceable, but it sets up a world some readers will probably want to return to. i might not be one of them, but i can see the appeal.
October 11, 2025
*Possible Spoilers*
Old Ghosts is a surprisingly fun and short crime drama. Janina Franck did a good job setting the foundation for an interesting series plot. The book is definitely plot driven. Neither of the main characters, Saorise and Lily, had as much character development as I would have liked.
Most of what we learn about Saorise’s backstory happens at the end. Unfortunately, for most of the book, we focus on the whodunit mystery and very little on character building. I found Saorise a kind of boring character until she actually came face to face with her old ghosts. Seeing her both nostalgically and bitterly reminisce over Graham O’Shea, her former father figure and mentor was interesting. It made her seem human. Exploring the strings that he threaded to prune her into the perfect ally and enemy was a fun mind puzzle. Her battling the pros and cons of being a criminal queenpin was also satisfying to read. I wish that she had steadily evolved with the plot, it was hard for me to root for an underdeveloped anti-hero.
Lily feels more like a messenger than a character in her own right. She is not developed enough to be a good main character. I know that she’s ambitious, sick of sexism, and Latina, but those are fairly generic labels. I don’t know anything about her personal story other than that she relocated in order to chase a case that she couldn’t close. Nothing about what drove her down the detective career path, or what experiences color her world outlook. She does a fair amount to move the plot and Saorise’s character development along, but doesn't particularly move herself forward.
I actually love the “underworld” that Saorise helps run. Seeing her play the power game with the rest of the Big Five (a nickname for the most powerful crime lords in the city) was one of my favorite parts of the book. I liked how none of them seemed to dislike each other. Obviously none of them are above being petty or backstabbers, but they all seem to respect what the others do for the ecosystem. I would have liked to meet more than two of them in this book, though. Most of the information I have is from Saorise’s recollection. Reading a crime book where most of the crime bosses don’t want the others dead (Saorise and O’Shea aside) is refreshing. None of the queen/king pins seemed like vile people just off the bat.
Something I didn’t love was the poorly done inclusivity in this book. Telling me the skin color of almost every single minor character on-page is smack-you-on-the-head obvious. Franck has a tendency to mention skin color, body size, or immigration status as the first feature when introducing new characters. The trans rep was rough. Making sure to repeatedly call out how a woman has a "deceptively deep voice,” broad shoulders, and a beard shadow is not the most respectful way to write a trans character. Weirdly the gay/bi/pan representation was okay? It wasn’t a big deal that Saorise and Lily aren’t straight. Saorise just has a girlfriend and Lily doesn’t particularly have a preference. The world moved on. Side note: The two do not have a romantic relationship. They’re sort of frenemies. I’m mentioning this because based on the synopsis I thought that they were going to be a couple.
I see a lot of potential in these characters and the world they live in. I think that Franck intends to write a series out of them, so development is going to move differently than it might in a standalone novel. There just wasn’t enough character exploration upfront to get me hooked for future installments. If queer crime boss/cat and mouse mysteries are your thing, I’d recommend giving it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I will be posting this review on Goodreads, and possibly Instagram and/or Tiktok.
Old Ghosts is a surprisingly fun and short crime drama. Janina Franck did a good job setting the foundation for an interesting series plot. The book is definitely plot driven. Neither of the main characters, Saorise and Lily, had as much character development as I would have liked.
Most of what we learn about Saorise’s backstory happens at the end. Unfortunately, for most of the book, we focus on the whodunit mystery and very little on character building. I found Saorise a kind of boring character until she actually came face to face with her old ghosts. Seeing her both nostalgically and bitterly reminisce over Graham O’Shea, her former father figure and mentor was interesting. It made her seem human. Exploring the strings that he threaded to prune her into the perfect ally and enemy was a fun mind puzzle. Her battling the pros and cons of being a criminal queenpin was also satisfying to read. I wish that she had steadily evolved with the plot, it was hard for me to root for an underdeveloped anti-hero.
Lily feels more like a messenger than a character in her own right. She is not developed enough to be a good main character. I know that she’s ambitious, sick of sexism, and Latina, but those are fairly generic labels. I don’t know anything about her personal story other than that she relocated in order to chase a case that she couldn’t close. Nothing about what drove her down the detective career path, or what experiences color her world outlook. She does a fair amount to move the plot and Saorise’s character development along, but doesn't particularly move herself forward.
I actually love the “underworld” that Saorise helps run. Seeing her play the power game with the rest of the Big Five (a nickname for the most powerful crime lords in the city) was one of my favorite parts of the book. I liked how none of them seemed to dislike each other. Obviously none of them are above being petty or backstabbers, but they all seem to respect what the others do for the ecosystem. I would have liked to meet more than two of them in this book, though. Most of the information I have is from Saorise’s recollection. Reading a crime book where most of the crime bosses don’t want the others dead (Saorise and O’Shea aside) is refreshing. None of the queen/king pins seemed like vile people just off the bat.
Something I didn’t love was the poorly done inclusivity in this book. Telling me the skin color of almost every single minor character on-page is smack-you-on-the-head obvious. Franck has a tendency to mention skin color, body size, or immigration status as the first feature when introducing new characters. The trans rep was rough. Making sure to repeatedly call out how a woman has a "deceptively deep voice,” broad shoulders, and a beard shadow is not the most respectful way to write a trans character. Weirdly the gay/bi/pan representation was okay? It wasn’t a big deal that Saorise and Lily aren’t straight. Saorise just has a girlfriend and Lily doesn’t particularly have a preference. The world moved on. Side note: The two do not have a romantic relationship. They’re sort of frenemies. I’m mentioning this because based on the synopsis I thought that they were going to be a couple.
I see a lot of potential in these characters and the world they live in. I think that Franck intends to write a series out of them, so development is going to move differently than it might in a standalone novel. There just wasn’t enough character exploration upfront to get me hooked for future installments. If queer crime boss/cat and mouse mysteries are your thing, I’d recommend giving it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I will be posting this review on Goodreads, and possibly Instagram and/or Tiktok.
September 28, 2025
I'll be the first to say mysteries are not my top genre. I enjoy them; I love a Women's Murder Club book as much as the next person, but it's not a genre I actively seek out. That being said, this one is solid and a casual, fun read.
The woman of the hour, Saoirse Kennedy, is what (or who) makes this book. She is lovable, fun, and an easy protagonist to root for. She's a queer girl boss who treats her employees incredibly well - what more could you ask for in a crime boss? If the author intended to make her a Nancy Drew type, then they planted the seeds well. The ending, in general, did a good job of wrapping up the mystery in a complete way while also nurturing those seeds for future books. I can easily see readers being hooked by Saoirse and wanting to read about her next adventure.
[minor spoiler ahead, anything mentioned here is mentioned in the first 25% of the book] My one qualm with the book was the way Natalia (Saoirse's lover) was described. Her role in the story in general confused me; I never knew how I, as the reader, was supposed to feel about her and her relationship with Saoirse. Even though Natalia's presence and role in the story confused me, I still wouldn't have qualms about it if I knew more about her. I felt like I knew nothing about her, except that she obviously cares for Saorise, is important to a relevant character, and helps with some part of the business. Besides that, it felt like she had no personality traits whatsoever. Where's her standalone? I hope that if and when whatever continuation of this story manifests, we get more of her. I left the book wishing and hoping for more of her story and of her as a person and character.
Overall, it was a solid book. I don't really have strong opinions on it. I think that if a fun, badass, lesbian crime boss being a mastermind is what you're looking for, then this is perfect for you. I feel this book plays strongly to that audience and only loosely plays to adjacent audiences (like mystery readers as a whole). So if the former audience is you, I’d recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Crimson Fox Publishing for an advanced copy! Received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
The woman of the hour, Saoirse Kennedy, is what (or who) makes this book. She is lovable, fun, and an easy protagonist to root for. She's a queer girl boss who treats her employees incredibly well - what more could you ask for in a crime boss? If the author intended to make her a Nancy Drew type, then they planted the seeds well. The ending, in general, did a good job of wrapping up the mystery in a complete way while also nurturing those seeds for future books. I can easily see readers being hooked by Saoirse and wanting to read about her next adventure.
[minor spoiler ahead, anything mentioned here is mentioned in the first 25% of the book] My one qualm with the book was the way Natalia (Saoirse's lover) was described. Her role in the story in general confused me; I never knew how I, as the reader, was supposed to feel about her and her relationship with Saoirse. Even though Natalia's presence and role in the story confused me, I still wouldn't have qualms about it if I knew more about her. I felt like I knew nothing about her, except that she obviously cares for Saorise, is important to a relevant character, and helps with some part of the business. Besides that, it felt like she had no personality traits whatsoever. Where's her standalone? I hope that if and when whatever continuation of this story manifests, we get more of her. I left the book wishing and hoping for more of her story and of her as a person and character.
Overall, it was a solid book. I don't really have strong opinions on it. I think that if a fun, badass, lesbian crime boss being a mastermind is what you're looking for, then this is perfect for you. I feel this book plays strongly to that audience and only loosely plays to adjacent audiences (like mystery readers as a whole). So if the former audience is you, I’d recommend this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Crimson Fox Publishing for an advanced copy! Received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
September 26, 2025
🌟4🌟 I loved this start to this series!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for this ARC!
This was certainly a gripping mystery book and I loved how interconnected each character was to the criminal underworld - and I’m very excited to see how everyone’s involvement is explained in later additions to the series! At times this interconnectedness was a tad difficult to follow (which I’m well aware may just be a personal difficulty), but the writing style was clear enough and easy to follow, so the plot wasn’t entirely confusing. Speaking of writing style, I loved how each character felt very distinct from one another. Not a single character felt one dimensional and they all felt very real. The diversity presented in the book was introduced and sustained so effortlessly and by no means did it feel forced in any way, which made for a much more pleasurable reading experience.
The only qualm I have is that I believe the writing may need one round of editing to fix errors such as typos, misspelled words and missed grammar. In my copy, I also had some minor formatting issues at the start of 3 different chapters where sentences started on one line and suddenly jumped to the line below randomly - it only occurred 3 times, but is still something to note.
I’m most definitely excited for the next book in this series should it be released!!
TW: Murder, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury Detail, Gun Violence(Minor Mentions of:) Kidnapping; Vomit
Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for this ARC!
This was certainly a gripping mystery book and I loved how interconnected each character was to the criminal underworld - and I’m very excited to see how everyone’s involvement is explained in later additions to the series! At times this interconnectedness was a tad difficult to follow (which I’m well aware may just be a personal difficulty), but the writing style was clear enough and easy to follow, so the plot wasn’t entirely confusing. Speaking of writing style, I loved how each character felt very distinct from one another. Not a single character felt one dimensional and they all felt very real. The diversity presented in the book was introduced and sustained so effortlessly and by no means did it feel forced in any way, which made for a much more pleasurable reading experience.
The only qualm I have is that I believe the writing may need one round of editing to fix errors such as typos, misspelled words and missed grammar. In my copy, I also had some minor formatting issues at the start of 3 different chapters where sentences started on one line and suddenly jumped to the line below randomly - it only occurred 3 times, but is still something to note.
I’m most definitely excited for the next book in this series should it be released!!
TW: Murder, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury Detail, Gun Violence(Minor Mentions of:) Kidnapping; Vomit
September 29, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for the ARC!!
This was such a solid series starter! Although mystery is not my general goto, Old Ghosts hooked me right away with its gritty atmosphere and the push-and-pull dynamic between Saoirse and Lily.
Saoirse is a crime boss with a reputation for being ruthless, but what I loved most is how Franck shows the weight of her past still dragging at her. She’s not just “the villain”she’s complex, flawed, and trying to navigate a world that demands hard choices.
Then you’ve got Lily, the detective on the other side of the law. I really liked her voice—methodical, principled, but not naive. Her job puts her in direct conflict with Saoirse, and their chemistry is what makes the story click.
The setup with Saoirse being ordered to kill Detective Benson kicks everything off, and from there the tension just builds. I thought the pacing dragged a little in spots and some twists were easy to guess, but honestly the characters carried it for me.
Gritty, character-driven, and the start of a series I definitely want to continue. If you like morally grey leads, crime drama, and uneasy alliances, this one is worth picking up.
This was such a solid series starter! Although mystery is not my general goto, Old Ghosts hooked me right away with its gritty atmosphere and the push-and-pull dynamic between Saoirse and Lily.
Saoirse is a crime boss with a reputation for being ruthless, but what I loved most is how Franck shows the weight of her past still dragging at her. She’s not just “the villain”she’s complex, flawed, and trying to navigate a world that demands hard choices.
Then you’ve got Lily, the detective on the other side of the law. I really liked her voice—methodical, principled, but not naive. Her job puts her in direct conflict with Saoirse, and their chemistry is what makes the story click.
The setup with Saoirse being ordered to kill Detective Benson kicks everything off, and from there the tension just builds. I thought the pacing dragged a little in spots and some twists were easy to guess, but honestly the characters carried it for me.
Gritty, character-driven, and the start of a series I definitely want to continue. If you like morally grey leads, crime drama, and uneasy alliances, this one is worth picking up.
November 28, 2025
I picked up this book after a call to action from one of PotatoMcWhiskey’s videos. Old Ghosts is a fun mystery thriller following two female leads: one a crime boss, the other a detective new to the city. It’s light, quick, and entertaining.
My main criticism is that the world felt generic. The crime boss insists the city is “hers,” but we never really learn why. The detective wants to work “big cases,” yet we get no examples or sense of what makes them significant. The antagonist seeks “power,” but the book never defines what kind or why it matters. These world-building gaps left the characters less developed than they could have been.
Janina Franck is a solid storyteller and clearly skilled. I enjoyed the book, but I worry it won’t stand out a year from now among everything else I’ll read. I don’t plan to seek out more of her work on my own, but if PotatoMcWhiskey promotes another of her books, I’d be happy to pick it up.
My main criticism is that the world felt generic. The crime boss insists the city is “hers,” but we never really learn why. The detective wants to work “big cases,” yet we get no examples or sense of what makes them significant. The antagonist seeks “power,” but the book never defines what kind or why it matters. These world-building gaps left the characters less developed than they could have been.
Janina Franck is a solid storyteller and clearly skilled. I enjoyed the book, but I worry it won’t stand out a year from now among everything else I’ll read. I don’t plan to seek out more of her work on my own, but if PotatoMcWhiskey promotes another of her books, I’d be happy to pick it up.
October 12, 2025
Netgalley review**
Overall this was an enjoyable book to read. I do feel like there was a real build up with the mystery of who was pulling all the strings so then when I got to the end it was disappointing since it was the obvious answer and not really a mystery and I felt like there was no big climatic ending. I also feel like Lilly could be an interesting protagonist but because of the back and forth between the two perspectives we didn't have time to learn about either of the main girls' personality or backstory.
Even with those issues I still felt like i was a goo starter book for a series and I think the strong points of the book was the interactions between each character.
Overall this was an enjoyable book to read. I do feel like there was a real build up with the mystery of who was pulling all the strings so then when I got to the end it was disappointing since it was the obvious answer and not really a mystery and I felt like there was no big climatic ending. I also feel like Lilly could be an interesting protagonist but because of the back and forth between the two perspectives we didn't have time to learn about either of the main girls' personality or backstory.
Even with those issues I still felt like i was a goo starter book for a series and I think the strong points of the book was the interactions between each character.
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November 1, 2025I really enjoyed this read.
I did feel like I was missing parts of the story, I actually went back to check if this was the first book.
In the end I think it’s just part of the appeal of the story. You just suddenly become a part of the these characters’ life and it’s an eventful life.
We have the head of a crime organisation, a detective and all their associates. It’s an entertaining read, I would definitely want more. Something that goes deeper into the character’s life, their motivations. I’m hopeful that this book titled book 1 is the start of a (long) series.
I did feel like I was missing parts of the story, I actually went back to check if this was the first book.
In the end I think it’s just part of the appeal of the story. You just suddenly become a part of the these characters’ life and it’s an eventful life.
We have the head of a crime organisation, a detective and all their associates. It’s an entertaining read, I would definitely want more. Something that goes deeper into the character’s life, their motivations. I’m hopeful that this book titled book 1 is the start of a (long) series.
October 1, 2025
Franck does a great job of creating a new world for the series.
“Thank you, Crimson Fox Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”
“Thank you, Crimson Fox Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”
October 31, 2025
I’ve been on a thrillers/crime kick when it comes to reading as of late. So when this book came up to read and review, I was in.
Read more here: https://wp.me/p12iNR-ekA
Read more here: https://wp.me/p12iNR-ekA
January 3, 2026
Such a well written book! Met the author and she was awesome! It kept my attention, and I can't wait to read more of her work!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews