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Burning Matches
Detective Kieran Temple is woken by a 4am call from his ex-partner, Mia Burrows. And she’s just killed her boyfriend.As Temple is compelled to investigate, he must do so behind the backs of his superiors and his wife. Evidence tells him that she was defending herself against a maniac but Temple senses that she is not telling him everything and learns of a complex and dysfunctional relationship, one that’s been manipulated from the start.While carrying out this unsanctioned and disturbing investigation, Temple’s renewed contact with Mia also forces old feelings to resurface, feelings that once nearly cost him his marriage and his career. And with his gut telling him that Mia’s boyfriend was not the brute he’s being made out to be, Temple is determined to get answers while everyone – including Mia herself – just want it left alone.
408 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 17, 2019
I received this ebook for free from the author after responding to his request on the Crime Fiction Addict Facebook for people interested in reading and reviewing his first book. It’s a twisty and well-written psychological suspense thriller/police procedural mystery set in Dublin. There are selfish manipulative women and gutless emotionally immature men, and yet I was still gripped trying to work out what was going on. As a bonus it also counts as the first book in my #ukcbcchallenge19
Kieran Temple is a detective with the Organised Crime Unit, so is shocked to get a call late one night from his former colleague Mia, confessing to having killed her abusive ex-boyfriend Daniel, who had broken in and assaulted her. Inserting himself into the investigation, he meets her friend Alice, who fancies herself as a modern day Emma, Alice’s husband Jude, a talented chef rapidly discovering that running his own restaurant is more complicated than it looks, especially when there are gangsters involved, and Jude’s parents, separated as a result of Alice’s meddling. The story goes back to how Mia and Daniel met, but was their relationship always doomed, or has someone been playing with them from the start?
For a suspense novel with no likeable characters (even our hero is weak, easily manipulated and lacking much respect for the law) this was an addictively readable puzzle, which only fully made sense once the last pieces were dropped in. I didn’t work it out, and I read a lot of thrillers, so well done to Mr FitzSimons. His background as a screenwriter is obvious and this would make a great TV series. I needed to google a few Irish acronyms and terms, but I never mind learning something new. Recommended.
Kieran Temple is a detective with the Organised Crime Unit, so is shocked to get a call late one night from his former colleague Mia, confessing to having killed her abusive ex-boyfriend Daniel, who had broken in and assaulted her. Inserting himself into the investigation, he meets her friend Alice, who fancies herself as a modern day Emma, Alice’s husband Jude, a talented chef rapidly discovering that running his own restaurant is more complicated than it looks, especially when there are gangsters involved, and Jude’s parents, separated as a result of Alice’s meddling. The story goes back to how Mia and Daniel met, but was their relationship always doomed, or has someone been playing with them from the start?
For a suspense novel with no likeable characters (even our hero is weak, easily manipulated and lacking much respect for the law) this was an addictively readable puzzle, which only fully made sense once the last pieces were dropped in. I didn’t work it out, and I read a lot of thrillers, so well done to Mr FitzSimons. His background as a screenwriter is obvious and this would make a great TV series. I needed to google a few Irish acronyms and terms, but I never mind learning something new. Recommended.
May 15, 2018
Rating 3.5*
'Loyalty can only go so far…’
Burning Matches is the debut novel from Irish novelist, screenwriter and playwright Paul Fitzsimons and was published on May 1st 2018.
A very complex tale of relationships and deviousness, weaving itself around a rather intricate police procedural, Burning Matches introduces us to a new face in Irish crime fiction - one that I hope to see more of again in the future!!
Detective Kieran Temple is at home, asleep with his wife Yvonne, when he receives a phone call from an old work colleague Mia Burrows. It’s 4am and Mia is frantic and afraid…she has just stabbed and killed her boyfriend.
Immediately Kieran arrives on the scene creating fractious feelings among other guards present. Mia Burrows is no longer his partner and this case is way outside of his jurisdiction, but for Kieran he is here for Mia. They have a checkered history together, but Kieran truly does not believe that she would be capable of killing a man on purpose, or would she?
Initially it’s all very cut and dry to Kieran, this is a simple case of self-defence. Mia is distraught by her actions, claiming that Daniel, her ex-boyfriend, gained illegal entry into her house. When she asked him to leave he refused, when she threatened calling the guards, he attacked her and she stabbed him with the first item she grabbed off her kitchen counter.
Over the following days Kieran finds himself delving deeper into Daniel’s life, interviewing some of his friends and trying to piece together a picture of what Daniel was really like. Why did he break into Mia’s house? Why assault her? Had Daniel any previous charges of assault against him?
As Kieran soon discovers there is more to this than meets the eye and his life is about to get a little more complicated.
Alice and Jude are a young married couple trying to make a success of their lives. Jude is a renowned chef with dreams and aspirations of owning his own restaurant. One day this dream becomes a reality for Jude but he soon finds himself a little out of his depth. Jude is a chef, not a business man and his lack of experience starts to show.
Alice, meanwhile, considers herself a bit of a matchmaker and is forever pairing off friends and associates that she feels could make the perfect couple. Not always successful she sees nothing wrong with playing around with folks emotions and it all seems to be a game to her. She is a very strange character, one I certainly did not warm to. I found myself getting quite irritated by her dismissive attitude and her wreckless approach to the lives of others…a credit to the writing I would say!
As the pages turn, there is more revelations behind their marriage which make you question what exactly is going on and what, if any, link do they have to Daniel’s death?
As Mia continues to proclaim her innocence Kieran unearths a pandora’s box of lies, deceit, duplicity and some very dodgy relationships.
Paul Fitzsimons takes his readers down a very winding road with many twists and bumps along the way. Burning Matches contains quite a convoluted plot-line hidden among it’s pages, which can overwhelm at times, but it does all tie up neatly at the end, leaving you wonder what happens next!
Paul Fitzsimons is a new voice in Irish Crime Fiction and I expect we will see a lot more of his writing in the future.
A very promising start to a new series!!
'Loyalty can only go so far…’
Burning Matches is the debut novel from Irish novelist, screenwriter and playwright Paul Fitzsimons and was published on May 1st 2018.
A very complex tale of relationships and deviousness, weaving itself around a rather intricate police procedural, Burning Matches introduces us to a new face in Irish crime fiction - one that I hope to see more of again in the future!!
Detective Kieran Temple is at home, asleep with his wife Yvonne, when he receives a phone call from an old work colleague Mia Burrows. It’s 4am and Mia is frantic and afraid…she has just stabbed and killed her boyfriend.
Immediately Kieran arrives on the scene creating fractious feelings among other guards present. Mia Burrows is no longer his partner and this case is way outside of his jurisdiction, but for Kieran he is here for Mia. They have a checkered history together, but Kieran truly does not believe that she would be capable of killing a man on purpose, or would she?
Initially it’s all very cut and dry to Kieran, this is a simple case of self-defence. Mia is distraught by her actions, claiming that Daniel, her ex-boyfriend, gained illegal entry into her house. When she asked him to leave he refused, when she threatened calling the guards, he attacked her and she stabbed him with the first item she grabbed off her kitchen counter.
Over the following days Kieran finds himself delving deeper into Daniel’s life, interviewing some of his friends and trying to piece together a picture of what Daniel was really like. Why did he break into Mia’s house? Why assault her? Had Daniel any previous charges of assault against him?
As Kieran soon discovers there is more to this than meets the eye and his life is about to get a little more complicated.
Alice and Jude are a young married couple trying to make a success of their lives. Jude is a renowned chef with dreams and aspirations of owning his own restaurant. One day this dream becomes a reality for Jude but he soon finds himself a little out of his depth. Jude is a chef, not a business man and his lack of experience starts to show.
Alice, meanwhile, considers herself a bit of a matchmaker and is forever pairing off friends and associates that she feels could make the perfect couple. Not always successful she sees nothing wrong with playing around with folks emotions and it all seems to be a game to her. She is a very strange character, one I certainly did not warm to. I found myself getting quite irritated by her dismissive attitude and her wreckless approach to the lives of others…a credit to the writing I would say!
As the pages turn, there is more revelations behind their marriage which make you question what exactly is going on and what, if any, link do they have to Daniel’s death?
As Mia continues to proclaim her innocence Kieran unearths a pandora’s box of lies, deceit, duplicity and some very dodgy relationships.
Paul Fitzsimons takes his readers down a very winding road with many twists and bumps along the way. Burning Matches contains quite a convoluted plot-line hidden among it’s pages, which can overwhelm at times, but it does all tie up neatly at the end, leaving you wonder what happens next!
Paul Fitzsimons is a new voice in Irish Crime Fiction and I expect we will see a lot more of his writing in the future.
A very promising start to a new series!!
May 1, 2018
Set in Dublin and filled with complex relationships, “Burning Matches” is a fast paced page turner of a novel. I could never quite get a grasp on who the real victims and villains were, as just when you think you have it all worked out, Paul FitzSimons turns the tables and keeps you guessing right up until the last page.
A great read, thoroughly enjoyed
A great read, thoroughly enjoyed
July 9, 2018
An excellent debut book!!!! This story will have you wondering who to believe and what to believe. Can the truth ever come to light? Will Detective Kieran Temple's marriage last through another round of Mia Burrows?Was Mia defending herself from an abusive boyfriend and end up killing him or is there something to this story Mia isn't telling? This story starts off at a fast pace and never slows down through out it's entirely. Kudos to Paul Fitzsimons!!!! I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of this book from Hidden Gems.
January 16, 2019
3 & 1/2 stars, but couldn't quite convince myself to slide it up to 4, only because I thought the story line eventually became so convoluted and drawn out that I sometimes had difficulty maintaining interest. If you enjoy a police procedural with strong, interesting and mostly-believable characters, with a different plot twist, you may well rate this debut novel much higher than I did!
September 21, 2019
Review by Cid Herman
August 26, 2019
Fun to read, well written story, filled with people who are masters at the art of manipulation!
Burning Matches is a really really good book. The writing is excellent. The dialogue between a tight knit group of 30 somethings feels natural as you get to know the characters during an investigation where one of the group of Dublin friends and acquaintances, kills another one.
The investigation into the homicide is complicated by divided loyalties among close friends, husbands and wives, former lovers, and the fact that the police are investigating one of their own. Knowing their determination of the circumstances of the death will be closely scrutinized, the Inspectors leave no stone unturned, even though it appears to be a clear cut case if self defense.
The investigation is further complicated because Its hard not to give special treatment to a former partner, who is also the same gorgeous woman that almost got you fired, and nearly ended your marriage, less than a year earlier. This will not be an easy investigation for one of the detectives, especially because his loyalties are being tested on several fronts and his ability to remain impartial is in question.
Questioning everybody that knew both involved parties, gives the investigators more questions than answers. Every complicated human emotion comes into play, including desire, jealousy, revenge, anger, and love, bringing forth some very bad behavior including violence, secrets, lies, passive-agressive acts, manipulation, infidelity, narcissism and good old fashioned blackmail.
Almost everybody in this book has some secret they do not want getting out. The games they play with each others lives are dangerous. They lead to murder, divorce, suicide and a lot of other microcosms of human behavior. This book has it all, and in a very well put together and interesting narrative.
The best part about the story is how real the characters seem. They come to life on the page, due to the skillfull handling by the author. I really enjoyed this one, from the first page, all the way til the very unexpected and twisted ending.
Thank you for your review
August 26, 2019
Fun to read, well written story, filled with people who are masters at the art of manipulation!
Burning Matches is a really really good book. The writing is excellent. The dialogue between a tight knit group of 30 somethings feels natural as you get to know the characters during an investigation where one of the group of Dublin friends and acquaintances, kills another one.
The investigation into the homicide is complicated by divided loyalties among close friends, husbands and wives, former lovers, and the fact that the police are investigating one of their own. Knowing their determination of the circumstances of the death will be closely scrutinized, the Inspectors leave no stone unturned, even though it appears to be a clear cut case if self defense.
The investigation is further complicated because Its hard not to give special treatment to a former partner, who is also the same gorgeous woman that almost got you fired, and nearly ended your marriage, less than a year earlier. This will not be an easy investigation for one of the detectives, especially because his loyalties are being tested on several fronts and his ability to remain impartial is in question.
Questioning everybody that knew both involved parties, gives the investigators more questions than answers. Every complicated human emotion comes into play, including desire, jealousy, revenge, anger, and love, bringing forth some very bad behavior including violence, secrets, lies, passive-agressive acts, manipulation, infidelity, narcissism and good old fashioned blackmail.
Almost everybody in this book has some secret they do not want getting out. The games they play with each others lives are dangerous. They lead to murder, divorce, suicide and a lot of other microcosms of human behavior. This book has it all, and in a very well put together and interesting narrative.
The best part about the story is how real the characters seem. They come to life on the page, due to the skillfull handling by the author. I really enjoyed this one, from the first page, all the way til the very unexpected and twisted ending.
Thank you for your review
May 27, 2020
First, can I say, I am a little dismayed at other reviews which contain far too many spoilers which I read when considering buying it. Whilst a lot of folk here are very good at critiquing the plots and formats it does spoil the "adventure" for the reader. Please avoid giving too much info about the structure of the book and perhaps concentrate of what you did or didnt think of its content. I do think the book is a bit fractured in the plot line but thoroughly enjoyed the read. Its a little slow in the early chapters but overall a very entertaining read.
July 12, 2018
Paul Fitzpatrick has written a really good who done it that grabs you from the start and keeps you second guessing yourself throughout the book! I love a good thriller and police procedural story, especially when the main characters share a history, and this does not disappoint! It keeps you engaged,the language is realistic and easy to understand, and I couldn't help but empathize with our hero. Great debut novel! I voluntarily read an ARC copy for this honest review.
January 22, 2019
Well written. Loved the twists and turns.
June 23, 2019
Enjoyed this book. Plenty of twists.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews