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The Wrath
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Unabhängige Rezensentinnen und Rezensenten
"The Wrath" by Martina Murphy is the fifth book in the incredibly gripping Irish crime series centred around DS Lucy Golden, and like its predecessors, this novel had me completely hooked and convinced me from the very first page to the last. This time, the story revolves around the search for a missing retired police officer whose blood-smeared car is found abandoned. A frantic hunt begins for both the victim and the motive, but ultimately it is the discovery of an officer who is not even working on the case that finally puts DS Lucy and her team on the right track. The ending, as is always the case in Martina Murphy’s books, is an unbelievably gripping showdown that not only pushed my nerves to their limit but also brought me to tears.
So what is it that makes the DS Lucy Golden crime novels so special to me?
First of all, there is the incredibly tense, action-packed plot, which always delivers unexpected twists and surprises—even on the very last pages, when you already think the case has been wrapped up. In addition, the cases are always logically constructed and plausible.
The characters themselves are exceptionally complex and authentic, and this depth creates a strong connection with the reader. I was able to relate to all of them; some have even become like friends to me—especially Lucy, who is an incredibly brave, likeable, and empathetic woman, and her partner Dan, who never fails to make me smile. The two of them make a truly great team. Their superior, DI Williams, although outwardly cold and distant, has also grown on me over time, as he too has been struggling for years with a terrible loss. I particularly love how the characters’ private lives are woven into the story, which adds a great deal of depth.
And finally, I also adore the author’s wonderfully descriptive narrative style. Achill Island in the west of Ireland rises vividly before the reader’s eyes in all its natural beauty—even in the bleak winter.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this crime series to anyone who loves intelligent, gripping, and action-packed crime novels with depth and likeable, endearing characters. "The Wrath" can certainly be read as a standalone, but I would still recommend starting with the first book, "The Night Caller". Book 6 in this series, "The Taken", will be published in August, and I can hardly wait to dive into another case featuring DS Lucy Golden.
So what is it that makes the DS Lucy Golden crime novels so special to me?
First of all, there is the incredibly tense, action-packed plot, which always delivers unexpected twists and surprises—even on the very last pages, when you already think the case has been wrapped up. In addition, the cases are always logically constructed and plausible.
The characters themselves are exceptionally complex and authentic, and this depth creates a strong connection with the reader. I was able to relate to all of them; some have even become like friends to me—especially Lucy, who is an incredibly brave, likeable, and empathetic woman, and her partner Dan, who never fails to make me smile. The two of them make a truly great team. Their superior, DI Williams, although outwardly cold and distant, has also grown on me over time, as he too has been struggling for years with a terrible loss. I particularly love how the characters’ private lives are woven into the story, which adds a great deal of depth.
And finally, I also adore the author’s wonderfully descriptive narrative style. Achill Island in the west of Ireland rises vividly before the reader’s eyes in all its natural beauty—even in the bleak winter.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this crime series to anyone who loves intelligent, gripping, and action-packed crime novels with depth and likeable, endearing characters. "The Wrath" can certainly be read as a standalone, but I would still recommend starting with the first book, "The Night Caller". Book 6 in this series, "The Taken", will be published in August, and I can hardly wait to dive into another case featuring DS Lucy Golden.
Review of advance copy
Not by any means a perfect crime novel and I’ll get my problems with it out of the way first
- every time any person was interrupted they were interrupted on the word ‘and’. ‘But Dan I’ve said before and -’, ‘I don’t know dear and -’, ‘Luke was upset and -’ it drove me BATTY.
- red fibres at every crime scene? Why was the perp shedding fibre everywhere he went? He wouldn’t have any clothing left on him by the final scene!
- non-leading characters felt underdeveloped. I didn’t really have any interest in Wowzer etc or what machinations were or weren’t going on.
- not enough of Lucy’s mam
The good stuff
- Lucy’s mam
- general sense of the cosy
- dialogue aside from my above comment re the superfluous ‘and’
- well drawn crime aside from the preponderance of red fibres
Overall, enjoyed. Hard to rate non lit fic on good reads, because I have to rate everything on a system of 0 - Americanah. If I was rating this solely against other crime fic I’d rate it higher.
- every time any person was interrupted they were interrupted on the word ‘and’. ‘But Dan I’ve said before and -’, ‘I don’t know dear and -’, ‘Luke was upset and -’ it drove me BATTY.
- red fibres at every crime scene? Why was the perp shedding fibre everywhere he went? He wouldn’t have any clothing left on him by the final scene!
- non-leading characters felt underdeveloped. I didn’t really have any interest in Wowzer etc or what machinations were or weren’t going on.
- not enough of Lucy’s mam
The good stuff
- Lucy’s mam
- general sense of the cosy
- dialogue aside from my above comment re the superfluous ‘and’
- well drawn crime aside from the preponderance of red fibres
Overall, enjoyed. Hard to rate non lit fic on good reads, because I have to rate everything on a system of 0 - Americanah. If I was rating this solely against other crime fic I’d rate it higher.
Review of advance copy
UK and Ireland edition from public library (not a pre -published version).
Recommend avoiding any reviews with even hints of spoilers!! I'll just say that if you enjoyed the other Lucy Golden ones you'll love this. Maybe the best one yet .. I found the writing tighter and the story gripping the whole way through. More focused on the police case and less on the personal life than some other books.
Recommend avoiding any reviews with even hints of spoilers!! I'll just say that if you enjoyed the other Lucy Golden ones you'll love this. Maybe the best one yet .. I found the writing tighter and the story gripping the whole way through. More focused on the police case and less on the personal life than some other books.
April 28, 2026
Slow start but soon ramps up. The main character Lucy is quite annoying but does grow on you. The plot and twists are exciting leaving you wanting to keep reading.
Chapters are short and sweet which I love. Similar writing style and story to Lesley Mcevoy, lovely easy reading.
Chapters are short and sweet which I love. Similar writing style and story to Lesley Mcevoy, lovely easy reading.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews