A Famished Heart

Vincent Swan #1

by Nicola White

STAR PICK - SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB

'Fabulous Dublin-based crime'
Jo Spain, bestselling author of The Confession

'Intriguing, compelling and highly entertaining... formidably impressive'
Liz Nugent, award-winning author of Unravelling Oliver

'A fabulous closed-room mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end'
Denise Mina, acclaimed author of Conviction


THEY DID IT TO THEMSELVES
BUT SOMEONE WAS WATCHING

The Macnamara sisters hadn't been seen for months before anyone noticed. It was Father Timoney who finally broke down the door, who saw what had become of them. Berenice was sitting in her armchair, surrounded by religious tracts. Rosaleen had crawled under her own bed, her face frozen in terror. Both had starved themselves to death.

Francesca Macnamara returns to Dublin after decades in the US, to find her family in ruins. Meanwhile, Detectives Vincent Swan and Gina Considine are convinced that there is more to the deaths than suicide. Because what little evidence there is, shows that someone was watching the sisters die...

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Ireland, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2020

About the author

Nicola White grew up in Ireland and New York and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. She lived in London and Belfast before moving to Glasgow to work as a contemporary art curator, moving on to produce arts documentaries for BBC radio and television.
In 2008 she won the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writer Award, and began to publish short stories in a range of journals, anthologies and for broadcast on Radio 4. In 2012 she was Leverhulme Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University.

Her novel, In the Rosary Garden, won the Dundee International Book prize and was shortlisted for the 2014 Deanston (now McIlvanny) Prize. It was selected as one of the four best debuts by Val McDermid ‘New Blood’ panel at the Harrogate crime festival and was one of the Glasgow Herald’s 2014 ‘books of the year’.

She publishes non-fiction with The Dublin Review and has contributed essays to numerous visual art publications, such as the National Galleries of Scotland’s 2014 ‘Generation Reader’.

Nicola currently splits her time between Glasgow and the Highlands, which means she lives mostly on the A9.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Famished Heart is a slow burn of a psychological drama – a considered character study more than a crime novel- as such it draws you in with almost imperceptible ease.

Two sisters starve to death – possibly someone encouraged or forced this action- this is the issue facing their surviving sister Frances and investigator Vincent Swan. The story unfolds through the lives of the sisters, not a rush to judgment but an ongoing reveal of personality and actions- as such it was genuinely compelling and cleverly layered.

If you want a fast paced psychological thriller this won’t work for you but if you love a literary character lead mystery you’ll devour this.

Recommended.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Famished Heart is the second book in the Vincent Swan series. It’s set in Dublin in the 1980’s and captures the atmosphere and the times there quite accurately. Before actually picking up this read, I found the synopsis to be extremely thought-provoking. If I’m completely honest, I’ve always found the things people do in the name of religion deeply puzzling. As an atheist it just isn’t on the same wavelength, I can’t put myself into their shoes but, I can try to understand where they are coming from. Unfortunately, the book didn’t gleam that understanding for me.

I’ll openly admit that this is the first book that I have picked up in the Vincent Swan series and I’d happily give book one a try to see if it was just the religious aspect that I didn’t enjoy. If like me, you haven’t read book one, fear not, you can easily pick this one up and follow the story without being up to date in the happenings in the previous book.

Vincent Swan and his crack shot team of detectives are called into an investigation of a woman that appears to have starved herself to death whilst sitting in a chair. My god what a way to go! The local priest, Father Timoney found her and called it into the authorities. It is later discovered that the victim’s sister is also in a similar state cowering under her bed. At this point I did find it strange that the priest would have a set of keys for the sister’s house but then it was the eighties so maybe it was right enough.

I did find A Famished Heart to be very slow going. Until around the fifty per cent mark it just seemed to drag along with not very much happening and then the reader seemed to be bombarded with information in a very small timeframe. We are presented with the narrative that the sisters committed a joint suicide, but Swan feels there is more at play and with a suspension looming over his head he is being pushed towards tying it up by those higher up in the pecking order. Swan and his sidekick, Considine are not those kind of officers. The relationship between these two is probably about the best thing about the story. Great rapport and a willingness to do what’s right, not what’s easy.

A Famished Heart was a solid three star read but it didn’t really hit the mark for me. I needed it to move faster and to give us more. It just felt like it was lacking something more substantial. I enjoyed the characterisation, but the story left me not caring so much about the outcome.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looked like a dark read from the description and goodness, this was a haunting and atmospheric story. It’s inspired by a true story from 20 years ago which took place in Leixlip, Co Kildare, but here set in 1982 in Dublin.

Alerted by their niece who hadn’t been able to contact them, Father Timoney arrives at the house belonging to the Misses MacNamara. Using a spare key, because the church had a copy of parishioners keys, he enters the property to discover the two bodies. It is clear they had been dead for a while.

As far as the police hierarchy are concerned the two sisters had voluntarily starved themselves to death and there were no suspicious circumstances to warrant more than a cursory investigation. DI Vincent Swan is not so sure. Although the sisters were devout Catholics and this appears to be a religious act, he is convinced that there is something more to the deaths. Despite having other problems to deal with he carries on his own investigations, with the sometimes help of Detective Garda Gina Considine, herself struggling to find her rightful place within the male dominated force.

The MacNamaras’ surviving sister Francesca, flies over from the US, following their deaths. She’s an actress, once a big star but now down to her last few dollars and relying on the charity of friends which is wearing a bit thin. Although she is grieving for her sisters, she seems more interested in any inheritance which may solve her financial woes.

This is very much a slow paced story and deliberately so; it’s a character based crime thriller that throws into the spotlight the power of the Catholic church within a community. It picks up rather more more pace as we head towards the denouement where even more shocking revelations are in store.

I didn’t realise until after reading that it’s actually the second book to feature Vincent Swan. A Famished Heart is apparently the beginning of a trilogy so there will be more of Swan and Considine to come.

A Famished Heart is a disturbing read with an overriding darkness to the story but the descriptive writing, the tight and complex plotting and the well developed characters make this a powerful read to add to your bookshelf.

[Meggy Chocolate'n'Waffles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my Goodness, how do I review this one?

Viper Books hits the ground running with this first publication! A Famished Heart smells of novelty and intrigue. I was as happy as a kid on Christmas day when I opened my copy, ready to be transported away from home for a few hours.

The journey was no disappointment. I was expecting a good read; I was rewarded with a striking and evocative story laced with questions of faith, guilt, and that little pinch of I-don’t-know-what that makes me want to grab my copy again and brush my fingers on the pages.

A Famished Heart belongs to the literary crime fiction in my opinion. No, the author doesn’t drag you all the way up to a path where you have to check the dictionary to make sure you understand the prose. What I mean by literary crime is the captivating blend of normal life stories enhanced by a spectacular narration which allows you to be in the moment, and the painstaking look at police work through the lens of realism and humanity. The devil is in the details and Nicola White knows it all too well! Her pen is descriptive yet light, and the reading is simply delicious.

There is no beating around the bush. The opening gives you a place, a date, and a dead body. Nothing is rushed, the discoveries, the scene, the work. I was led through all stages as if I were visiting the place myself, but instead of standing on the outside, the writing permitted me to grab the nuances of the events through the viewpoints of several characters.

Hello Father. You discovered the McNamara sisters and gave me a hard time. I am cautious around the church. I spent many hours learning about Catholicism and rules sitting on a hard bench. The Ireland setting gave me the impression that the church was almost like a coat keeping everyone warm, whether you felt cold or not. The importance of religion is clear, yet the author pinpoints the good, the bad, and the ugly in a balanced way. I found that having a priest meet the sisters after their departure from life, as well as involving faith throughout the book was an ingenious key element in the plot, a strong thread to pull at to get a better understanding of whatever fate had in store for the poor sisters and their family. I could imagine fate and religion fighting for the remaining souls of this novel, and for a skeptical like me, it was both refreshing and mesmerising.

How could two parishioners vanish without anyone noticing? This question stayed on my mind for a long time. Was it their age? As you get older, you go out less, you socialise less… At least, that’s what they say. Was it the broken family bonds? Was there something wrong with them? At some point, I couldn’t help but imagine if someone would find me, miss me, if something like this was to happen. But… something like what? That’s the one-million question! With it comes a sneaky uneasiness, a taste of something rotten at the core of the events. I’ll admit it, I loved it!

The case itself takes a back seat in A Famished Heart. Like the spark that lits up a fire, the mystery gives way to a deep exploration of relationships. The characters hold the stage – the Father, the detectives, the niece, and Francesca, the sister who escaped to the US a long time ago. There is a lot to do with those ones. Knots to untangle, brains to use, matters to probe. The built of this novel reminds me of Jo Spain’s novels. One big event, and a million waves the readers must navigates to get answers to questions they were not even aware were floating around. I was entirely consumed by my reading. Not because of big races or a huge amount of twists, but because this slow-burning intrigue talked to my mind and heart. I was as much involved in the why as I was in the who. There was no frontiers and the only way to solve this puzzle is to let the novel do its work. Sit, and let your eyes decipher the world Nicola White depicts in a unique and brilliant way.

A Famished Heart is a subtle and fascinating novel with great depth.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Serpent’s Tail/Profile Books for an advance copy of A Famished Heart, a stand alone set in Dublin in 1982.

When Father Timoney discovers the dead bodies of Berenice and Rosaleen Macnamara in their home DI Vincent Swan is asked to investigate. He’s not quite sure what to make of it as the sisters have obviously starved to death but did they do it willingly or did they have help?

Although it is quite different to my usual reading matter I enjoyed A Famished Heart as it held my attention from start to finish. There is a crime, but it’s not really the author’s main preoccupation as she is more interested in three specific characters, Vincent Swan, Father Timoney and Frances Macnamara, the third sister who returns from the States on news of the deaths. The sisters’ deaths serve as a background to an examination of these characters’ lives and their reactions to it. It seems to wake them up to different ways of looking at life and to taking some life decisions.

As a result the novel, for crime fiction readers, is necessarily slow with little action, investigation or even discoveries. The first half is definitely inconclusive. There are more events and even a little action in the second half and a few tense moments when Swan has to deal with a threat but the overall pace is slow. Despite this slowness I found the characters fascinating as they deal with their problems.

I don’t think A Famished Heart will appeal to all readers but I thought it was a good read.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

[Anschen Conradie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Afamishedheart - Nicola White
#Viper
#Pasellabook

The two middle-aged McNamara sisters were devout Catholics, but hermits, so a few months went by without anyone seeing them before Father Timoney, the parish priest, broke down their door in Dublin. He discovered a gruesome sight: both dead. Berenice sitting in an armchair, surrounded by religious tracts and Rosaleen upstairs under the bed, her face frozen in terror. Both had seemingly voluntarily starved themselves to death.

Detective Vincent Swan is convinced that a third party was involved; that someone watched them die, but he is caught up in internal police politics and no real investigation thus takes place.

But then the surviving McNamara sister, Fransesca, returns to Dublin after decades in the US, setting in motion a chain of tragic events that sheds new light on the last months of her sisters’ lives.

The novel was slow moving initially; seemingly irrelevant scenes (Father Timoney’s back pain and his craving for fried eggs, for example) were at times on the verge of becoming boring, but the author somehow managed to use all these additional details successfully to create the setting for this unusual plot. I am not familiar with the author and the Irish way of speaking took a while to get used to, but it was worth persevering.

The book is perfect for lovers of thrillers who prefer well rounded characters and intricate background details. I initially thought it would be 3 star, but the plot twists in the latter half of the book convinced me that it deserves 4 stars.

#Uitdieperdsebek

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was quite a visual read to imagine the bodies of the sisters found by Father Timoney. The first half had the third sister Frances and DI Vincent too playing their parts in the story.

My first book by author Nicola White, I was drawn very subtly into the story. The prose had a haunting mystery that soon developed as the pages turned. I too wanted to know what had happened to the sisters in that room. Vivid descriptions of Dublin and the way the author pulled all the pieces together slowly bringing the story to a close was quite fascinating.

A character driven story it was where the pace was quite slow, more in the first half. The reactions of the characters and the complex human psyche was the crux of the story which made it an interesting read.

[Mary Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicola White’s A Famished Heart transports us back to 1980’s Dublin; a place where sexism is rife, there were such things as starlets and computing science was all about flashing cursors and green screens.

The sense of time and place in this novel plays a central part in the success of this book. White creates an atmosphere that conveys the time so well, evoking not just the time and place but also a certain kind of small minded thinking that pervades some of the characters in this book and makes it resonate.

Francesca Macnamara is a little down on her luck. An actress who came to New York to strike it lucky after making a bit of a name for herself in her home city of Dublin, she is now on the edge of grifting to get through the week.

Father Timoney is discovering that he should have asked a lot more questions before he decided to come to Dublin to do good works. He’s not living where he thought he would be; his housekeeper isn’t up to the job and the church he looks after is an ugly forbidding place.

Then, one day, he discovers the dead bodies of Berenice and Rosaleen Macnamara. It is a gruesome find for the elderly sisters have quite clearly starved to death in their own home.

DI Vincent Swan, himself under a bit of a cloud after accusations of brutality from a prisoner in the Garda’s custody, begins an investigation. Forensics can tell how these women died, but not whether there was anything suspicious or criminal about their deaths. Vincent is not at all convinced that these were self-contained though horrible suicides. He’s sure there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Francesca returns to Dublin to bury her sisters and to find out whether there’s an inheritance. There she offers a place to stay to her niece, a young woman named Madeleine Moone, only to find that Madeleine disappears on her.

Nicola White’s book is an investigation of crime, but it is much more a study of the principal characters, their lives and relationships and how they react to each other in a time of serious stress. White’s novel puts these characters under the microscope and watches how they interact.

In terms of investigative technique, the reader will find sufficient to occupy their time, but in terms of developing and understanding characters; of getting to the heart of motivations and defining inner struggles, this is a finely written book that achieves a great deal.

These are intense and riveting characters, beautifully drawn and finely nuanced by White. The deaths provide a dark theological backdrop in which to observe and understand not only the characters but the way in which the church works.

As Swan doggedly pursues his case he comes across some extraordinary characters, helped by a bright but impressionable new D.C. Gina Considine.

Verdict: This is not a fast paced police procedural, but a slower, more thoughtful and introspective book that looks at the power of the Church and the position of women across the social and economic divide. A fascinating study with a criminal heart that I really enjoyed getting immersed in.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novel that was set in Dublin in the 1980s. It was quite refreshing to read a detective novel where the police had to rely on finding a pay phone to speak to colleagues rather than just use a mobile. Only a small thing but it is easy to forget how it used to be.

The lack of technology was a recurring theme throughout the novel. Not just with the police, the distance between New York and Dublin seemed larger when you have to rely on the postal way of communicating. And when a tragedy such as the one that occurred in this novel it seemed to make it more devastating. The deaths of the two sisters are strange, even more so when you are aware that the author has based this on true events. I’m not sure how much is fact but it is a chilling and baffling case. Especially if you are like the two detectives ( and me) and don’t follow any religion.

Despite not knowing much about the faith it didn’t stop me thoroughly enjoying the story, I liked the lead characters a lot, Considine , who refused to accept the attitude to female police officers and Swan who was a bit of a loner, struggling to connect to his fellow officers and in some ways his wife. They communicated well, with neither overstepping boundaries and were able to see each other’s point of view without arguing. I think that both of these characters have huge potential and I am looking to getting to know them more.

[Karen Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a book that starts with a shocking beginning and this book certainty ticks that box.

Francesca has been working in America as an actress for many years but her professional life is not going well. She receives a strange letter from her sister Rosaleen back in Dublin that doesn't really make much sense but then finds out that her and her other sister Berenice have both tragically died, apparently from starving to death but why would they do that ?

Francesca returns to Dublin to sort out the family home and there she meets the Detectives in charge Swan and Considine. They are convinced that something is very untoward in this case then they find out that lights have been switched off and fingerprints wiped from doors and light-switches.

If the sisters did starve themselves to death who else was in the house ?

I read a lot of crime and this one was very different from the fast paced page turners, the characters are well developed and there is a lot of detail in the police investigation but also in looking at the sisters lives and their religious beliefs.

An interesting read and if you like a in depth crime investigation and methodical detective you will enjoy this book.



[Rachel Sargeant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two middle-aged sisters are found dead in their home in Dublin. Although the puzzle of their deaths makes for an intriguing plot, this is a character-led novel told from three well-drawn viewpoints. Father Timoney is the forlorn Catholic priest who found the bodies. Francesca, the women’s younger sister, comes back for the funeral from America where she struggles to eke out an existence as an actress, unable to recapture her early promise. Detective Inspector Vincent Swan has a niggling doubt about the case even though evidence points to natural causes.
The frequent references to payphones, the background of The Troubles and the apparent novelty value of a new police computer database remind the reader that the book is set in the early 1980s. However, it is an absorbing slow-burn story with a modern feel. Detective Inspector Vincent Swan and Detective Constable Gina Considine make perfect series characters. I look forward to their return.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took until halfway through the book for the pace to pick up and the story to truly get interesting. Even though this is the second book in a detective series, it luckily works as a standalone - I won’t be picking up the first one to follow the series

[Deirbhile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy crime read

[Miss R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail/Profile Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A Famished Heart" is one of those novels draws you in - almost imperceptibly, into its narrative embrace and the fertile imagination of its author, Nicola White. It is not one of those novels that grab you by the throat from the first page, but the undoubted quality of White's storytelling becomes increasingly evident as the story progresses. For me, this change of pace was welcome and I savoured every page as a result. This is a haunting, gothic-like tale of an almost ethereal quality where reality seems almost dreamlike. The world the author has built for us, however, is all too real; its evocation of 1980s Dublin, vivid and compelling. This is a character-driven novel, however, and this is where Nicola White displays her prodigious talent. There is the mystery element of "A Famished Heart", of course. Specifically, whether or not the Macnamara sisters committed suicide when in the grip of some religious mania. Was someone else involved in the deaths and how do the characters of Vincent Swan, Father Timoney and Frances Macnamara, the third sister, fit into the overall narrative? Undoubtedly, there is a more than satisfying mystery at the heart of the story, but this novel is also about character and the human condition - its complexities and frailties. In this Nicola White has proved an astute observer and I enjoyed every page as a result.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t really enjoy this book as much as I was expecting after reading the overview which I found intriguing.
It did take quite some time to get into the story as the pace was quite slow with not a lot happening but around the halfway mark it did seem to perk up and I did finish the book as I was interested to read the the outcome. It was a well written read but I found the characters all to be a bland however this may not be the case for others who read it.
So for me it was just a 3 star read that just didn’t quite hit the mark.
My thanks to NetGalley and Serpents Tail / Profile Books, Viper for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Julie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rich, deep experience

So many really good characters to follow,twists and turns and surprises.loved it all. I want to visit your beautiful island one day before I drop.

[Yvonne Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Nicola White's 'Famished Heart' last night. I heard about it on RTE's Arena a couple of months ago and it sparked my interest because it was inspired by 4 older woment (three sisters and an aunt) who were found dead of starvation in a house in Leixlip, Co. Kildare 18 years ago. Nicola White has taken that story and moved it to Dublin in the early 80s with the second in her crime fiction trilogy around Detective Inspector Vincent Swan. The book creates Dublin in the 80s subtly - we're not bombarded with 80s references like leg warmers and Duran Duran - but it's in the smoggy evening, the hold of the catholic church on the community, the IRA references and the guard searching for a payphone to make a call. The story is told from three perspectives - the sister of two women who starve themselves in their home, the priest who found them and Detective Swan. The first half is not action packed but neither is it a slog - the picture is built up gradually and creates an eery and tragic tale of suffering and cruelty. There was a sub-plot related to an internal investigation of Swan that may be a throwback to book no. 1 which I'll now need to check out. There are some great Irish women writing crime at the moment and Nicola White is right up there with them. 4 stars

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a book! Physiological and thrilling from start to finish and, it will keep you guessing from start to finish! It was fantastic and I really enjoyed every second off it.

the book transports you to 1980’s Dublin. The author did a fantastic job of the setting and it really makes you feel like you have been transported to this time and place with the senses.


Francesca McNamara made a name for herself in Dublin and now has gone to New York where she is trying to make a name for herself but, is barely getting by week by week. Father Thomas knows he should have asked more questions before moving to Dublin.

That is until he finds the bodies off Berenice and Rosaleen McNamara. With Francesca returning to Dublin to bury her sisters and meeting a niece who disappears and we meet the person in charge of the investigations.

There is more than meets the eyes with this death and the people involved.

This is a fantastic book full of investigations, crime and a book that is full of surprises and twists and turns and I can’t recommend this enough!!

[Abi McManigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a frightening premise for a book, two sisters who had starved themselves to death with someone watching. It was actually written in quite a non grim way though whilst still being thrilling. My only criticism is that not enough of the book was dedicated to the sister's deaths as I'm pretty instant on being shocked in thrillers and while it still packed one hell of a punch and was fast paced it didn't hit hard enough for me, though having said that it was still a brilliant book.

The array of different main characters kept the book really interesting as you dived into their lives. An actress that's definitely pushing too hard not to be seen as past her prime, a priest who you will root for as his life struggles to remain his own and the gentle and dedicated detective who's tanacity you learn to admire. It makes the murder less than the central premise and shows more of a ripple effect throughout the story.

The story still felt very original the whole way through and the features on the good and bad effects of religion in 80s Dublin was interesting to read. Being set in the 80s as well was an I testing tactic as the lack of technology available gave the mystery a more difficult thing to be figured out and I certainly didn't expect the ending.

Although this was a tiny bit too soft for me it's also made me wanna read more murder mysteries which can only be a good thing!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Dublin, this Irish thriller will have your attention from the very start. The Macnamara sisters have not been seen by anyone for months. Their niece approaches the local parish priest for help and when he breaks down the front door of their house, he could not have anticipated what he found.
The two sisters had starved themselves to death, didn't Christ fast for 40 days and 40 nights ?
What initially seems to police as a suicide by starvation, takes a turn when it becomes apparent that someone knew what they were doing and was watching them.
With a strong religious theme throughout, this was an enjoyable book, although it did move along at quite a slow pace.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a riveting read that had me gripped from the start.  An eeie opening that perfectly sets the tone of this dark, twisting thriller.

A Famished Heart is a very unusual read.  There have been two deaths that appear to be self-inflicted, two devout  women who have appeared the starve themselves to death.  The sad fact that goes unnoticed for some weeks until the local priest discovers the emaciated body of one of the sisters sitting a chair.  The other is later discovered hiding beneath her bed, apparently cowering from some unobvious horror.  However there appears to be no evidence of any wrongdoing and the case is seen as a sad lack if neglect.  But there is an evil lurking that refuses to stay hidden and events begin to unfold.  Brilliantly  plotted with an excellent pace, this is a superbly constructed thriller that had me coming to the wrong conclusion on more than one occasion. Thoroughly recommended.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mildly confused to begin with: I re-read 'In the the Rosary Garden' prior to this, then slowly realised this was set earlier in Vincent Swan's career. Not a problem, because just as beautifully-written, as different and convoluted, telling a tale which contained a great deal of both low-level and extreme nastiness, which the humanity of Vincent Swan - many mistakes and no sudden flash of super-human insight - has to work his way through. Read quickly, to find out how it ended, it will require re-reading to properly-savour the poetry of its telling.

[Wendy Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dublin crime set in the 80s (though I didn't twig that at first). 2 middle aged sisters starve themselves to dead in some misguided spiritual pursuit. Creepy when the tenacious detective Swan works out people knew and let it happen. Good police characters and believably dysfunctional family and priesthood. I sort of guessed one of the characters was up to no good but not the particulars. It all held together well and kept me reading swiftly through it.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dublin detective story set in the early 1980’s. Two sisters found emaciated and very dead. Suspicious or natural causes? Detectives Considine and Swan think there are grounds for suspicion but lack the resources, or interest, to investigate further.

The Catholic Church, and emigrant sister and a dysfunctional family are all involved in the story.

Dogged police work, and a lot of luck, lead to openings, but not without further death.

Interesting, well written, tense.

[Áine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audiobook version (my favourite narrator that's how I find this book!). Descriptions of 1980s Dublin spot pm almost worth reading the book on their own. Looking forward to book three and trying to get my hands on book one (hint needs a kindle edition). I think it's from a new publishing house so great start! 👍

[Russ Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Picked this up at the library because I needed something to read. I knew nothing of the author then, but will certainly read more. Really terrific psychological mystery with fascinating characters.

[Johanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very curious about why these women had starved themselves and found the explanation underwhelming and I generally don't like procedural crime stories so I think this book just really wasn't for me.

[Gary Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Irish crime dramas, particularly for the descriptions of Dublin and its surroundings. Nicola White's characters are clearly human, complex beyond the stereotype of good vs evil, and shaped by Irish culture and faith.

[Katie Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story…very different to anything I’ve read before but overall quite good. Set in Ireland, the story revolves around two sisters who starve themselves to death but why? The ending itself was a bit on the bland side but the characters were generally well written and had at least a bit of depth.

The story overall was good, wouldn’t call it absolutely enthralling but overall a good book

[Mary Ann Prado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death at her will

This turned out to be a good book and the theme kept me enthralled til the very last page. Never a dull moment when you have been convinced you have been chosen to die. Great story line