No Simple Death

Dublin Murder #1

by Valerie Keogh

How can you find someone who doesn’t want to be found?

When Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate a murder in a Dublin graveyard, suspicion immediately falls on a local woman, Edel Johnson, whose husband disappeared some months before. But then she disappears.

Evidence leads West to a small village in Cornwall, but when he checks in to an Inn, he finds Edel has arrived before him. Her explanation seems to make sense but as West begins to think his suspicions of her are unfounded, she disappears again.

Is she guilty? West, fighting an unsuitable attraction, doesn't want to believe it. But the case against her is growing. Back in Dublin, his team uncover evidence of blackmail and illegal drugs involving Edel’s missing husband. When another man is murdered, she, once again, comes under suspicion.

Finally, the case is untangled, but is it the outcome West really wants?

No Simple Death is a murder mystery with a touch of romance, set in the Dublin suburbs. It will appeal to fans of authors such as Peter James, LJ Ross and Ruth Rendall. Also available in the Dublin Murder mystery series:

Book 2:  No Obvious Cause

**** This book was previously published under the title That One May Smile ****

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Fiction, Thriller, Ireland, Mystery Thriller

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2014

About the author

Valerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is available now and the second is due in Feb 2019. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.

Reviews

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Bloodhound Books and Valerie Keogh for the ARC of this book in return for an honest opinion.
This was an intriguing tale of murder, lies, identity theft and other crimes, with some great characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. Along the way there are many of twists and turns, mystery and great chemistry between the main characters.
This was a new author for me, after reading a round a third of the book, I started to look at her other work. Before I had finished, I had downloaded a couple of others in another series, which I look forward to reading. Overall a brilliant police procedural that wasn’t too dark, let’s hope book 2 is not too far away.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story had a fast pace and never dwindled. I loved it.
The only thing I thought a little unconvincing was the character of the protagonist, but perhaps she was just unstable :)

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked this book when I started it, and had great hopes for the development of both the plot and the characters. Unfortunately this never happened.

The first 30% of the book was engaging, and then it just failed to go anywhere. The characters don't develop; we know no more about them by the end of the book than we did at the 30% mark.

The text was marked by errors like "crown gathering" instead of "crowd gathering"; "her hear racing" instead of "her heart racing", and it just goes on. One or two errors can be excused, I felt the number in this book detracted hugely from my enjoyment and probably dropped a 1/2 star from my rating.

The premise of the book is full of promise: "Two men, same name, same description, same occupation. One married Kelly Johnson and disappeared; the other she finds dead."

Garda Sergeant Mike West is the investigating officer on the trail of a tangled case involving identity theft, blackmail and illegal drugs. Then just to confuse matters even more, the author throws in a predictable and not well done attraction between West and Johnson.

I believe that in the hands of a good editor and a capable proof-reader, this book could metamorphise into a worthwhile read.

Thank you to VIP reviews (Booklover Catlady Publicity) for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[SVETLANA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly Johnson found a body in the church cemetery. Kelly's husband disappeared 3 months ago. The dead man has the same name and surname as Kelly's husband. This is too much of a coincidence.

Soon Garda Sergeant Mike West finds some new link between these 2 men. Soon Kelly herself disappears.

This is how this murder mystery starts. It takes us through a complicated police investigation with many twists and unexpected events. It even has a bit of romance in it.

I liked the book but didn't like Kelly herself. She is too fragile and trusting and makes many stupid decisions. But of course, everything is forgotten as Mike West falls for her and is ready to fly at night to Cornwall after a phone call from her.

I understand that it was done with the scope of a romance line but it doesn't look real.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edel Johnson's husband has been missing for several months. Taking a walk to the small village for supplies, she finds a dead man outside her gate.

Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate. Edel states she has no idea of the man's identity. While West is putting her on his suspect list, she disappears.

West's suspicions grow exponentially when his team discovers evidence of blackmail and illegal drug involving Edel's missing husband. And then another man is murdered ...

Is Edel a murderer? Or is she a victim? Why does she keep disappearing? Is West letting his feelings for her get in the way of evidence?

This is a gripping crime fiction with twists and turns that keep popping up around every corner. The characters are adeptly drawn and I look forward to learning more of them should this develop into a series.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

Having read the latter part of the series, I now return to the beginning. With mixed emotions, I found it difficult to settle on a rating, given that I struggled to engage with the story at times. However, the background of protagonist Mike West is established, making him an even more likeable character.


For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

[Um mar de fogueirinhas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a bit tight fisted with the stars, must admit. But I think it's a hard task to write a good thriller. It has to have interesting characters, or else you start thinking it's far fetched and blah blah (of course it is, it is fiction; but if the characters feel real, you believe everything else does too). It has to have a good balance of guessing and finding out - if you know everything on the first page you underestimate the author, and if it's too out of the blue you think it's a patchy job. It must have a good rhythm, because all the guessing is a bit tiresome.
So this one fell a bit flat overall. The main idea seems just fine, but I felt like the author overdid it a bit just to throw us in a mess, and the main characters didn't do the saving job (the detective was cute, but the heroine, uf... either she didn't have a shower - not even kidding - or she was 'so beautiful it drew eyes'; either she was a romantic and believed all the crap or she was the one making calls to the detective; either she had to make a living or she was rich. It seems that it was all out for my own choice. I choose to hate her.

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok read , but far fetched in places

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly Johnson's husband disappeared 3 months ago. She waits for his return ... eating, bathing, almost breathing is forgotten in her grief. On the one day she manages to leave the house. she discovers a dead man in the graveyard behind her home ... only this man has never been buried.

Garda Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate and finds a link from the dead man to Kelly's missing husband ... and then she goes missing.

Mike West is intense and detail oriented. Kelly started out as someone I really didn't care for much ... but I didn't see the inner strength she somehow finds. And the greater strength she exhibits when she finds out who the man she married really is.

West feels an attraction to Kelly, but being the solid profession he is, that is put on the back burner.

Story line is solid .... running from Dublin to Cork to Cornwall and back again. And when identity theft is thrown into the mix, all those secondary characters become much more important.

A very good story, well-written, no fluff. I'm looking forward to reading Book 2 in the series .... Close Ranks....

My thanks to the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity who furnished the digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

4.5 Stars

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did not like reading this book but was forced by the narrative to keep going....as in, what stupid decision is this chick going to make next? Another force that kept me going was a slim thread of hope that Gardaí West would solve things and win a woman. At least he was a likable character, though a buffoon. I can't really recommend this book. There were plenty of unseemly descriptions of the brainless young woman besides the lack of wisdom, adding up to a hot mess. Her husband goes missing, a murder takes place by her new home, a hunt for her missing husband is launched and lots of bad stuff goes down... between Dublin and Cork for the most part.
2.5 stars

Kindle Unlimited

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great mystery for the Dublin police to fathom out.

[George Stenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of intrigue with multiple deaths, a man with multiple spouses that besides hic obvious moral faults, has other issues. Lots of things that seemed close to impossible and then to top it off, there was an unlikely romance.

It was OK but a book that will be easily forgotten.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West is called out to view a dead body found in Foxrock village churchyard, found by local Edel Johnson, who's husband had disappeared several months previously. The next day she disappears. A straightforward case suddenly becomes complicated.
Irritated by the cliche attraction between Edel and West. Also as the story continued it became more farfetched and Edel actions annoying.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Egads. Not sure what compelled me to buy this one but the writing was not so great and the annoying infatuation between the detective and the victim/suspect was super annoying. Not a series I will return to.

[Infosifter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like police procedurals, but I find that many of the modern ones are either too harrowing or contain a relentless barrage of obscenities. This may be realistic, but it definitely puts me off. I'm always on the lookout for more moderate choices that still offer lots of interest and excitement. This book is the first in a series, and I really enjoyed it. There are some grim forensic descriptions and some rough language, but neither felt gratuitous and as though they were put there simply to give the reader secondary PTSD. The main detective is a likable guy with some painful things in his past, but he's moved to a new area and is working to put himself and his life back together. I will be eager to check out future installments in the series to see whether the potential romance in this first book gets any follow-up, and what future cases there will be to solve.

[Molin · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book i have read from this author. And i really enjoy it! Great story with nicely written. Can't wait to read the next book!

[Janel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope you’ve got room for one more crime series as this book is the perfect summer read, a solid mystery with some great characters. The themes don’t run too dark or sinister, this is more of a light-hearted read.

I enjoyed the mystery, it was well thought-out and came together nicely; I loved that Kelly kept disappearing, the first time she disappeared I was not her biggest fan, and I thought she wasn’t the most likeable character but as events unfolded I came around to her way of thinking. By 35% I was Team Kelly, that’s also the point where this novel really picked up for me. So you could say it took a little while for me to get into this one, the start was slow-going but once I was invested in the plot, it became a one-sitting read.

Garda Sergeant Mike West, well, he was likeable from the get go. What’s interesting about this novel is, while the investigation was ongoing it was clear West was a little smitten with Kelly and this built up a level of suspense as I wasn’t sure what she was hiding and I was worried West would cross the line by abusing his position to help her. This unspoken chemistry between West and Kelly would normally annoy me but it wasn’t done in a cheesy way at all, maybe because West was so likeable – a down-to-earth, good guy. It kind of had me hoping they’d get together AFTER the case IF Kelly wasn’t hiding anything too despicable. I guess you could say it was the characters more than the mystery that drew me into this one.

With its bitter sweet ending, I look forward to West’s return in book two. This wasn’t a fast-paced novel with tons of action, not even the most well-developed novel I’ve read in terms of plot and characters but I just enjoyed it. I liked the characters, I was invested in them, certain parts of the novel had me smiling along, I couldn’t connect the dots and solve the mystery before it was revealed so that was a major plus. That One May Smile is a fun, light-heart police procedural that I have no reservations recommending. I look forward to reading more from Keogh.

*My thanks to Thick As Thieves Book Publicity & Promo Services for providing me with a digital copy of this book*

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edel Johnson's husband Simon simply disappeared one day. One minute he was on a train fetching coffee, the next he had vanished without a trace. She has spent 3 months mourning his loss and falling further into despair. Her house in the Foxrock suburb of Dublin lies next door to a church and graveyard, and taking a shortcut through here one morning she finds a murdered man. Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West investigates the killing and wonders whether the woman being mixed up in two tragic events could be coincidence. Especially when she flees to Cornwall that same day. Catching up with her, she has a convincing excuse for Mike but then promptly disappears again, making the Gardai all the more suspicious of her, particularly when they establish the identity of the murdered man. The case of the missing husband is reopened and investigations reveal a trail of fraud and deceit which rapidly becomes more complicated with every chapter. Despite a growing attraction to the woman, Mike has to decide whether she is guilty or an innocent caught up in it all who might be in danger. When a second body shows up with a connection to Edel, the race is really on for Mike and his team to get to the truth in time. There was lots of mystery in the plot with plenty of twists and turns leading up to a very satisfying ending. The detective characters work well together, and there was nice frisson between Mike and Edel which keeps the reader questioning his judgement and her motives. Altogether a good strong police procedural which I very much enjoyed, and I am already looking forward to the second book in this series which is due out soon. 5*

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this novel, originally self-published, the author paints her protagonist as a beautiful woman - a clever and decent person - with all the good qualities one could imagine. The Irish police inspector is also portrayed as a well educated ex-solicitor who is responsible, intuitive and kind.

The con man posing as the protagonist’s husband is also portrayed as a fine upstanding fellow, but is actually a clever fraud. In keeping with all this moral fibre floating around, the real man he is pretending to be is shown as a man who is so good in character he assumes others to be so as well and is, in fairness, a painfully naive individual.

There is also a blunt, violent, crude drug manufacturer in the mix - or more precisely, in the mix-up.

Frankly, I can’t imagine a more banal set up for a slow, unrealistic and contrived mystery with an awkward plot twist. Is this a so-called cozy mystery? Hate ‘em. Gripping, as billed? I think not.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good attention to detail

Solid police procedural that doesn’t skip over the painstaking steps involved in solving a crime where there is no obvious suspects. Really great character development and intriguing plot.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the beginning - what a book! It's a fabulous read that you won't want to put down! Edel Johnson is in a right state, bless her, and who wouldn't be?! Her husband, Simon, hasn't been seen since they were on a train on the way home from a shopping trip in Belfast. Imagine your husband going to get a coffee and then disappearing! On her way home from the shop one morning, she accidentally drops the padlock and chain to the Church gate which she uses as a shortcut - being a resident living next to the Church she has a key - as she picks them up she sees what she believes at first, to be a bag of rubbish. It is a body; a deceased male, covered in blood. Who is this man and why is he close to Edel's home? This book has so many twists and turns that I felt a bit dizzy! It is a great story and really kept me thinking and guessing and I loved the surprises that jumped out at me! I really liked Edel and Mike West - the Detective Garda Sergeant, who is in charge of the case and I think that he really looked after Edel; nothing was too much trouble for him, even though he was doing a paid job, he went above and beyond to try and help her. One part of the story which is set in Cornwall, actually made me feel quite scared and I love feeling real emotions like that when I'm reading a book. There are a few shady characters which were very believable - who can you trust nowadays? I think the plot very well thought out and there are no loose ends, it all came together perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed it and although I thought that the ending was very sad, it was excellent writing from the author. I have a new favourite author now - I'm very happy! I can't recommend this book enough! Thank you.

[J. Kahele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very intriguing thriller and there were quite a bit of twists that kept you on the edge of your seat. I loved the interaction between Kelly and Mike West, it was very cute and innocent. The one thing that kept me from giving this story five stars was Kelly's character at times seemed a little off and it took away from a lot of the depth I felt her character needed to pull this story off. Other than that, this was a great read.

[Ellie Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series. The story takes you from Ireland to England on a journey, which keeps you gripped from the moment you pick it up. I was guessing throughout, where it would lead and left me holding my breath wanting more.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new author to me. This one only fails to get the 5* because it is very, very baffling in places and I was getting confused, so really a 3.5* rounded up. I went back 'n' forth a LOT trying to make sense of things but had to pretty much give up in a couple of instances as I just couldn't make things "stick" to my satisfaction. I can't say too much here without posting spoilers so will leave it at that. Parts are just a nightmare to negotiate. Then trying to figure out who knew who or who had actually seen who and trying to remember all of that just left my head spinning ! I did not believe that Edel wouldn't have right away realised the significance of the note she found...and I thought the station scene a little too farfetched. Then I was a little irritated at the much-maligned Amanda.....she'd done NOTHING wrong yet was slated at every juncture by everybody, which was quite out of order to me.
Loved the cover, I think it's O' Connell bridge ? My dad showed this to me when we went to Dublin together, his city of birth.....we walked across it and I have our photo taken on it stashed away someplace (back in the 35mm days of the '90s so a hard copy) ! We came in from the other side. I'd expected the book to be a bit more Irish than it was but it's partly set in Ireland, partly over here.
There are very few errors in this, all in all. The odd missed punctuation of commas, speechmarks, apostrophes or hyphens then the sometimes dropped words in sentences, like to/a. Spelling mistakes were poring written as pouring, complemented as complimented and distributor as distributer !! At 8am one morning she had a couple of hours till a bank opened yet she was calling them at 9am.....that should've been spotted if I noticed it !!
I'll be reading more by her, though.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 



The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free  (at some point).
Kindle freebie on April 18, 2020  (currently 99¢ and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)


I'm always in the mood for a police procedural murder mystery, especially if they are in interesting settings.  Since I think most places ARE interesting that isn't too difficult a criteria.  No Simple Death is also in Kindle Unlimited and some of these are offered as freebies occasionally.

We get two viewpoints from the two main characters. One is Garda Mike West who is the "police" investigating a crime.  The other is Edel Johnson who discovers a body.  Edel has not been herself lately as her husband disappeared a few months ago which has destroyed her.

The murder and the disappearance end up having some connection.  Edel jumps into the case to try to find her husband and Garda West is in a homicide investigation.  The motives become clear and the culprit is reasonably clear but proving things is not as easy.  It is all teased out of a twisty set of links.

I felt for Edel but she was a bit naive to the dangers with a killer on the loose.  I understood her husband's choices and felt badly for him, but he wasn't a great guy.  Garda West had great instincts and compassion, but it was a struggle to catch the killer and keep people safe.

I definitely want to read on in the Garda West series.  I already have No Obvious Cause through Kindle Unlimited (which wouldn't count for this meme), but I can recommend No Simple Death which I did purchase for free.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping book

Set in foxrock village Dublin,Kelly Johnson husband simon vanished three month's ago. Walking home from shopping through the graveyard she stumbled across a boxed body with a Sharp wound in the stomach. the garda is called and find a sheet of paper with a message"come to good" written,this message is also found in Kelly's coat pocket on the day simon disappeared so what's the connection? I got so engrossed in the book from the start, fast pace, so many twists, sergeant Mike west has a very difficult case on his hands. I loved it.

[Lin Perrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edel Johnson is devasted when her husband disappears on the train. The she finds a body in the graveyard near her house her she realises her life has been one big lie. Detective Mike West starts to investigate and Edel seems to be the only suspects. Then she too disappears. Absolutely brilliant thriller very highly recommended.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 stars

Edel Johnson’s life is slowly crumbling around her. Her husband Simon has been missing for over three months and with no answers from the local Garda she is left with no motivation to go on. A quick trip to the local store turns Edel’s life upside down after she discovers a dead man in the graveyard adjacent to her home. Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate and after speaking with Edel he finds himself left with more questions than answers. A series of strange occurrences find West and Edel’s paths crossing again and he can’t help but wonder if her missing husband and the murdered man are connected. Is Edel hiding a dark secret or is she entangled in a dangerous game?

This book was very well written and it left me guessing the outcome throughout. There was enough twists and turns to keep the momentum flowing and I felt invested in the characters. I’m looking forward to the next book in the Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West series.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from booklover catlady in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this book as it takes place in Ireland. Valerie Keogh is a good writer. Some words threw me a bit since it takes place in another country but not enough to throw the book off.

This is the kind of book you read if you want to know police procedure when investigating a crime. It's walks you step by step on how investigating crimes go. I guessed what was going on early on but that's not unusual. For the lack of sit on your seat thriller it's a very good book. It still keeps you entertained.

I really liked Garda Sargeant Mike West. He is a smart down-to-earth caring cop that is good at his job. He's instinctual smart but most people don't sense it cause of his demeanor.

If you like police procedural books this is one for you. I will be reading the next book in the series.

[Vanessa (Nessreadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Detective Sergeant Mike West is called to investigate a murder in a Dublin graveyard he immediately suspects the person who found the body. Edel Johnson's husband mysteriously disappeared months earlier and when DS West tries to dig deeper she disappears as well.
The investigation takes him to a village in Cornwall but things aren't adding up.

This book had potential written all over it, the mystery and intrigue was there and at times I was hooked to figuring out how it was going to play out. Unfortunately at times it was a bit of a slog, the constant suggestion of attraction between Mike and Edel didn't add anything to the story except the idea that Mike wasn't the best man for this job! It also felt like Edel spent the majority of the book sitting in rooms on her own feeling sorry for herself.