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Irene Kelly #1
Goodnight, Irene
In the bestselling tradition of Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky--a new mystery series featuring Irene Kelly, reporter, amateur sleuth, and woman of today. When a veteran reporter is killed while trying to solve a murder that occurred in 1955, Irene Kelly attempts to find out who silenced her comrade--and quickly becomes the killer's next target.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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2417 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
January 22, 2022
I really enjoy Burke's straight-forward writing style. She doesn't try to be fancy or literary, simply tells a good story well. Her characters are appealing and likable, but not perfect. And her mystery plot was top notch! Because it's been ten years since I first read this, I really didn't remember the plot at all, and I love that it was all fresh and surprising again.
September 2, 2019
In Jan Burke's Goodnight, Irene, the first installment in the Irene Kelly mystery series, this debut will grip you from the first page. It all started when Irene's friend O'Connor was killed in a car bombing, when he was about to tell her something important. After his death, it was up to Irene to pick up the pieces and return to her former newspaper as a journalist. When her brother-in-law ended up in a car accident, things had gotten too close to personal. While Irene look for his cryptic notes about a 1955 Jane Doe case with only the skull, she picked up the pieces and searched for clues in microfilm and microfiche. She comes to rely on her good friend, Frank Harriman, from the Las Piernas PD, who ended up injured from helping her on the case. For Irene, she goes to Phoenix to find some clues there on the missing person and talk to the victim's family. The closer she gets to the truth on whodunit and why, the more endangered she would be in the end to solve this puzzle things aren't what they seem to be in the end for a shocking climax.
November 26, 2007
"For thirty-five years the identity of the dismembered woman found under the Las Piernas pier has remained a mystery. What secret did she take to her grave? Southern California reporter Irene kelly has uncovered a maze of forensic records and confidential files that suggest a motive far more sinister than anyone imagined. They discovery has bruoght her close to Detective Frank Harriman, and closer still to exposing a killer who will resort to anything to keep his secrets burried- and Irene silenced forever."
(This is on the back of the book)
This book so far is really good. It is very descriptive and it's not hard to follow. Irene's friend O'Connor was killed with a bomb. Irene was informed the next morning and was very concerned about what was going to happen. She was so shaken up from this that a detective had to drive her home. He was an old friend that she had once dated. His name is Frank. Frank asked Irene to go undercover and go back to work at the newspaper,Express, to find out who would want to murder O'Connor.
(This is on the back of the book)
This book so far is really good. It is very descriptive and it's not hard to follow. Irene's friend O'Connor was killed with a bomb. Irene was informed the next morning and was very concerned about what was going to happen. She was so shaken up from this that a detective had to drive her home. He was an old friend that she had once dated. His name is Frank. Frank asked Irene to go undercover and go back to work at the newspaper,Express, to find out who would want to murder O'Connor.
September 7, 2019
4.5 stars- this was SO good! Full body characters with the best dry humor, action, murder mystery- I can’t wait to pick up the next one.
June 5, 2020
I read the second in this series first and loved it so I went immediately back and caught up. Again, I’m asking how I missed this series because it really drew me in from the beginning and kept me wanting more. Can’t wait to continue the series.
January 31, 2025
3.5
I think this is a series I could get into. Decent mystery with a surprisingly high body count. The reveal felt a bit too much like an episode of Murder She Wrote, with the killer going through the how and why to great detail.
I think this is a series I could get into. Decent mystery with a surprisingly high body count. The reveal felt a bit too much like an episode of Murder She Wrote, with the killer going through the how and why to great detail.
June 20, 2025
This is the start of an interesting series. I look forward to #2.
July 24, 2020
Great book. Read it first in high school, then another time about 7 years later... and this makes reading it a third time. Love the characters.
July 15, 2015
A re-read - I've had this series on my shelf (except the most recent two or three) for years because I really enjoyed it and thought I might re-read it someday, and finally, deciding I needed more space on that bookcase, I decided the time had come for a re-read of the series, and catching up with the two most recent ones, which I haven't read. I always like to have something readable and not-too taxing, but still excellently written on hand for when my brain is a little tired, and this fits the bill perfectly. The story is well done, and the characters well-drawn and believeable. I'll look forward to going back through the series over the next few months, on the way to the new ones.
July 16, 2018
First book in Irene Kelly series.
I liked the book but also felt like I continued to read to end only to find out the murderer.
The emotional connection between me and the characters just didn't happen.
Prediction events leading up to revelation of murderer: telephone contact made from killer to Irene, Irene falls for ploy and goes alone, killer tells Irene why the victim was killed, murderer plans to kill Irene, Irene rescued.
I liked the book but also felt like I continued to read to end only to find out the murderer.
The emotional connection between me and the characters just didn't happen.
Prediction events leading up to revelation of murderer: telephone contact made from killer to Irene, Irene falls for ploy and goes alone, killer tells Irene why the victim was killed, murderer plans to kill Irene, Irene rescued.
August 21, 2008
GOODNIGHT, IRENE - Ex
Burke, Jan - 1st in Irene Kelly series
When a fellow reporter is blown up while investigating an unsolved murder from 1955, Irene Kelly is determined to solve the mystery despite the threat of death.
Southern California reporter, lots of bodies. I'm think I'm going to like this author a lot!
Burke, Jan - 1st in Irene Kelly series
When a fellow reporter is blown up while investigating an unsolved murder from 1955, Irene Kelly is determined to solve the mystery despite the threat of death.
Southern California reporter, lots of bodies. I'm think I'm going to like this author a lot!
December 13, 2013
The first in her long running series. Irene is Irish, a reporter and stubborn, and can't keep her nose out of finding the killer of her mentor. Meeting a former close friend on the case, Frank, now a Det. in homicide, they work together on the case. And, I'm sure the relationship will become serious. A fun and quick read, that is a promising start to the series. 3.5 stars.
February 27, 2016
#1 in the Irene Kelly series. "Finalist 1993 Agatha Award for Best First Novel; Finalist 1994 Anthony Award for Best First Novel".
Reporter Irene Kelly shares information and danger with handsome homicide detective Frank Harriman, as she investigates the bombing murder of a colleague who had been obsessed with the 35 year old murder/disfigurement of a young woman.
Reporter Irene Kelly shares information and danger with handsome homicide detective Frank Harriman, as she investigates the bombing murder of a colleague who had been obsessed with the 35 year old murder/disfigurement of a young woman.
October 31, 2017
Meh. I read the first 85 pages and then jumped to the end and read the last 15 for closure. I really thought I was going to enjoy this- it starts with a bang (haha- there's a bomb) and immediately got some emotional heft, but after that I really failed to engage with the characters and I didn't care about the plot at ALL.
December 31, 2012
Have ordered the rest that RPL has but not for a while.
May 10, 2014
Good book
June 15, 2016
First time I've read this author - a murder mystery series where the central character is a female newspaper reporter. I liked the writing style and the characters are very likeable.
December 10, 2019
Irene Kelly is a former reporter for the Las Piernas Express who quit after a heated discussion with the owner of the paper. Her mentor and best friend O'Connor is after a story about corruption in the city council when one morning a bomb is placed at his doorstep which blows him up in many pieces. To find out what killed her friend, Irene goes back to her former job and soon discovers that the truth lies in the past, with a dead girl who was found in the fifties under the pier and whose identity remained unknown until today. Can Irene uncover what happened back then to Jane Doe? Or will she be the next target..
I have read the Irene Kelly series in German paperback back in the 90ies and loved it. While sorting out old books to give away, I came across the old paperbacks and thought I should read it again - but this time the original English version. I was just curious to see whether I still like it.
Even though the books are dated in the nineties, the story still holds its charm and I finished the book in one go. Funnily enough, I couldn't remember who the killer was and enjoyed the book as if it was new to me. I liked the characters of Irene Kelly and her detective friend Frank Harriman. The idea of a cop and a reporter being friends and maybe more was not new but Jan Burke did a very good job with her writing. I think I give the whole series a new try. Good crime story!
I have read the Irene Kelly series in German paperback back in the 90ies and loved it. While sorting out old books to give away, I came across the old paperbacks and thought I should read it again - but this time the original English version. I was just curious to see whether I still like it.
Even though the books are dated in the nineties, the story still holds its charm and I finished the book in one go. Funnily enough, I couldn't remember who the killer was and enjoyed the book as if it was new to me. I liked the characters of Irene Kelly and her detective friend Frank Harriman. The idea of a cop and a reporter being friends and maybe more was not new but Jan Burke did a very good job with her writing. I think I give the whole series a new try. Good crime story!
January 23, 2025
Goodnight, Irene – Irene Kelly novel - *** - Burke does a good job of tying together the disjointed plot of a 35-year-old murder. But it is not quite believable and left me hurrying to the end just to get through the book not because of curiosity. The dialogue is okay, and the background descriptions fill in the scenery. However, Irene is supposed to be worried about herself being murdered after several attempts on her life. So, she has police protection and people worrying about her. But in the same time frame she is out walking the streets by herself and is not sufficiently paranoid after the close calls. So, the tension level drops and isn’t maintained. Hard to believe you should worry about the heroine when the author drops the ball. Also, the romantic angle that runs throughout the book feels like a romance novel but without the hot sex scenes. It is difficult to swallow Irene is that consumed about a new relationship when someone has tried to kill her multiple times and she is running on almost no sleep. It just doesn’t work as a side plot. So, I think even though the book gets three stars, I don’t want to read anymore of her work.
July 10, 2018
Very well written story that holds ones interest till the end.
There are 2 equally possible motives for the most recent murder one a cold case stretching 30-40 years back in time and the other a current political corruption case. While the violence seems arbitrary at times it gets down to who knows what or what "they" think you know
The story takes place during a period which I know well, the early '90's, it is interesting to read a story that occurs in my time where there is no semblance of the internet, cell phones, no social media, no instant communication. The best you can hope for is that someone or something a machine answers the phone. There is a whole different set of expectations and flow to the story itself. I don't say this with a nostalgic yearning but an almost historic glimpse of a time that I lived through that is so different than today. It provides me with a little look at the history of myself.
There are 2 equally possible motives for the most recent murder one a cold case stretching 30-40 years back in time and the other a current political corruption case. While the violence seems arbitrary at times it gets down to who knows what or what "they" think you know
The story takes place during a period which I know well, the early '90's, it is interesting to read a story that occurs in my time where there is no semblance of the internet, cell phones, no social media, no instant communication. The best you can hope for is that someone or something a machine answers the phone. There is a whole different set of expectations and flow to the story itself. I don't say this with a nostalgic yearning but an almost historic glimpse of a time that I lived through that is so different than today. It provides me with a little look at the history of myself.
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January 10, 2021i enjoyed it.
"'goddammit irene, you'll do as your told!"
"that line only worked for my father, and he wore it out in less than fifteen years.'"
"'irene, do you know what the two saddest words in the english language are?"
"boo and hoo?"
"no, wise ass. the two saddest words in the english language are 'if only'.'"
"i grew up in upstate new york. like a friend of mine says, only penguins should live there. you ever been to upstate new york? no? well i suppose for some people its got attractions. but every time i even start to miss it, you know what i do? i go out to my garage. i got a snow shovel out there. honest to god. i'm probably the only guy in southern california with a snow shovel in his garage. yeah i just look at that snow shovel and think about what it feels like when there's a good windchill factor and a driveway full of snow and i say, 'just sit there you bastard. i'm never picking you up again in my lifetime'."
"'goddammit irene, you'll do as your told!"
"that line only worked for my father, and he wore it out in less than fifteen years.'"
"'irene, do you know what the two saddest words in the english language are?"
"boo and hoo?"
"no, wise ass. the two saddest words in the english language are 'if only'.'"
"i grew up in upstate new york. like a friend of mine says, only penguins should live there. you ever been to upstate new york? no? well i suppose for some people its got attractions. but every time i even start to miss it, you know what i do? i go out to my garage. i got a snow shovel out there. honest to god. i'm probably the only guy in southern california with a snow shovel in his garage. yeah i just look at that snow shovel and think about what it feels like when there's a good windchill factor and a driveway full of snow and i say, 'just sit there you bastard. i'm never picking you up again in my lifetime'."
April 26, 2021
I found Goodnight, Irene to be an enjoyable book and rather realistic. While I found the ending to be just as I thought it would be and I found no surprise in learning the identity of the killers the author made it to be believable and did not disappoint. Irene's levels of grief and shock were human and her budding relationship with Frank was well thought out and enjoyable.
Irene was a relatable protagonist who made mistakes but in the end learned from them. While her character could be pushy it was a trait that I certainly could relate to and one that made sense for her character. She didn't immediately forget her grief over her friend's death and it loomed over her the whole book. She realistically suffered nightmares from the events she was put through.
I give the book five stars because of the relatability of the characters and how naturally the story flowed.
Irene was a relatable protagonist who made mistakes but in the end learned from them. While her character could be pushy it was a trait that I certainly could relate to and one that made sense for her character. She didn't immediately forget her grief over her friend's death and it loomed over her the whole book. She realistically suffered nightmares from the events she was put through.
I give the book five stars because of the relatability of the characters and how naturally the story flowed.
April 28, 2021
Irene's best friend, newspaperman O'Connor, has been murdered by a bomb left at his front door, and her front windows were shot out. Former flame Frank Harriman is the detective sent to investigate, and when it looks like it could connect to O'Connor's news investigations, Irene heads back to the paper she used to write for to take over for him. But is it the 35 year old unsolved murder he revisits every year on its (upcoming) anniversary, or something he left coded notes about in local political campaign finance? ANd now she is the one being targeted. (Turns out it's both-) Loose ends tie up neatly after a few more near death experiences.
June 27, 2022
This was much better than I was expecting. I was under the impression it was a cozy mystery, but after an impressive number of bodies racked up on the tally sheet I realized I had been wrong. Not too graphic or gruesome, just enough to elevate this from the cozy category. I enjoyed the characters. The story started off slowly, but the mystery was a good one. I did guess the villain before the ending, but it was nice to see the twists and turns that lead to the final crisis.
I'll definitely look for more of these.
I'll definitely look for more of these.
October 27, 2023
Journalist Irene Kelly,mourning the murder of one of her very best friends, decides that she must discover why he was killed. She is joined by an old friend who is now a member of the police department. Suddenly both of their lives are at risk as they investigate an old unsolved murder. Despite the current day time frame, this novel has the feeling of an earlier age which I found very enjoyable. The intrigue is spiced with humor emanating from Irene’s personality and her friends’ concern with her unmarried state.
January 21, 2020
Even for a debut, I thought “Goodnight Irene” was remarkably mediocre, which surprised me given the attention she has received generally, one award nomination, I believe, for this book, and several other different nominations (Agatha, Macavity, Barry, Edgar) for a number of later books. Most of her books have been the Irene Kelly series and I just don’t know if I’m all that interested. However, I think one or two of her later ones are standalones and maybe I’ll try them.
January 4, 2024
I was intrigued by the unusual subject of a corps of women who delivered donuts and coffee to the soldiers on the front during World War II as a way to increase morale. However, I found I felt like the characters were inconsistent and some of the subject matter was treated too lightly. It felt a little lacking in substance even though it was dealing with incredibly substantive issues and events.
March 27, 2024
A bit far fetched. Did the Donut Dollies of WWII really fight the Nazis or go with General Patton to view Buchenwald after the Allies liberated France? I thought they just made coffee and gave donuts out to the soldiers. They were good for the morale of the troops. Irene and Dorothy were not believable.
June 30, 2017
Jan Burke is clearly a good enough writer and plotter that when she invented a mystery character she didn't need a particular gimmick to pull in the reader. Irene Kelly is simply a spunky female journalist based in a fictitious Southern California small city (resembling Long Beach with composite elements from other places) who wants justice when her friend and colleague is murdered. If you're a fan of Sue Grafton or Sara Paretsky, you'll probably like this - it's definitely in the same league.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews