Who Took Eden Mulligan?

Stowe & Lainey #1

by Sharon Dempsey

‘A hugely promising debut’ Irish Independent


‘Gripping and pacy’ Steve Cavanagh, Sunday Times bestselling author of Fifty Fifty



‘They’re dead. They’re all dead. It’s my fault. I killed them.’

Those are the words of Iona Gardener, who stands bloodied and staring as she confesses to the murder of four people in a run-down cottage outside of Belfast.


Outside the cottage, five old dolls are hanging from a tree. Inside the cottage, the words “WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN?” are graffitied on the wall, connecting the murder scene with the famous cold case of Eden Mulligan, a mother-of-five who went missing during The Troubles.


But this case is different. Right from the start.


Because no one in the community is willing to tell the truth, and the only thing DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey can be certain of is that Iona Gardener’s confession is false….


Praise for Who Took Eden Mulligan?

‘A dark, disturbing and gripping read perfect for fans of Jane Casey, Patricia Gibney and Brian McGilloway’ Claire Allan


'Deftly and compellingly written' Anthony J Quinn


‘A twisting tale of intrigue that never lets up.’ Brian McGilloway


‘A dark, twisting, compelling tale’ Stuart Neville


'An intriguing, sophisticated read told in an authentic voice' Kelly Creighton


‘Gripping and pacy’ Steve Cavanagh


‘A hugely promising debut’ Irish Independent

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Irish Literature, Thriller, Fiction, Ireland, Procedural

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2021

About the author

Sharon Dempsey is a Belfast based writer of fiction and non-fiction books, with four health books published. She facilitates therapeutic creative writing classes for people affected by cancer and runs a creative writing group for young people, called Young Scribblers. Sharon studied Politics and English at Queen’s University and went on to City University to do a postgraduate diploma in journalism.

Through the Arts Council NI’s Support for the Individual Artist Programme, Sharon was awarded funding, to be mentored by Irish crime writer Louise Phillips, while writing Little Bird, her first crime novel.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I enjoy a book not for the story but for the background against which it is set. Who Took Eden Mulligan is one of those books.
The murder of three people in a cottage not far from Belfast is the starting point for the investigation into a cold case that goes back to the 1980s, The Troubles. While reading I had a feeling that the author's real intention was to talk about those difficult times and the murder investigation might draw a larger number of readers than non-fiction. I appreciated everything I learnt about the life during The Troubles, the atmosphere, the daily hardships, the role of Church and the killings, but the plot itself was not well-structured, and I was left unconvinced at the end of the book. Eden Mulligan represents those of the Disappeared whose fate still remains to be uncovered.
The narrator did a truly good job.
*Many thanks to Sharon Dempsey, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has its roots in the past, during The Troubles. Police are shocked when young woman, Iona Gardner, staggers into the station covered in blood - both hers and others rambling about how they are all dead and she did it! Police find a brutal scene at the cottage five friends (including Iona) were renting - three dead, strangely arranged on a bed upstairs. One almost dead downstairs and a cryptic message on the wall in block letters “WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN”.

Interestingly, DI Danny Stowe, who has been relegated to cold cases for his sins, has the Eden Mulligan file on his desk ready to review yet again. Eden disappeared in 1986 leaving behind five children and never to be seen again. Authorities at the time were dismissive and just assumed she’d run away from obligations. The children, however were, and to some extent still are, traumatised by the abandonment. Their father had left months before and was also never seen again. Danny manages to co-opt an old friend of his, Dr Rose Lainey, a forensic psychologist to assist the investigation. Clearly the two cases are linked. They soon realise that the original investigation into Eden Mulligan’s disappearance was very shoddy indeed. It is also blindingly obvious that Iona Gardner did not kill anyone so why does she feel responsible and who is the actual killer?

It sounds good yeah? I thought so too, but I found the book to be very slow and I found myself losing interest. There is a lot of repetition too. What the author did really well was to paint a picture of life in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. I hadn’t read much about it and it was eye-opening at times to learn just how fraught life was for those caught in the crossfire. I get that that particular set of circumstances really coloured people’s lives long after peace was established but I felt it overtook the main narrative somewhat and really bogged the book down.

The writing was also very good which is what saved this book but then the ending and the rationale for the murders in the cottage didn’t really work for me either. Despite everything I just didn’t find it plausible. Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books UK and Sharon Dempsey for providing a copy for me to review. My opinions are my own. 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is an intriguing police procedural that combines a current murder with a cold case from 1986. And it all kicks off with a prologue guaranteed to get your heart thumping.

First, our MC’s. Chief Inspector Danny Stowe has just been handed a chance to redeem himself. After botching his last case, he was banished to the basement to shuffle through “historical enquiries”. And in a place like Belfast, there’s no shortage of those.

Dr. Rose Lainey knows exactly what it was like to grow up amid the Troubles. She couldn’t get out of Belfast soon enough & fled to university with no intention of ever returning. There she met a young guy named Danny Stowe & they became best buds. But they lost touch as Rose went on to become a forensic psychologist working in London. Now her mother has died & Rose returns to Belfast for the first time in 15 years.

It’s inevitable the two old uni friends will meet & catch up. They just probably thought it would be over a pint, not dead bodies.

Danny’s dusty exile is interrupted when a young woman stumbles into the precinct covered in blood. She tells them her friends are all dead. And she killed them. Hmmm….someone should definitely look into that. It’s like he’s been thrown a life preserver, although the old adage “be careful what you wish for” soon springs to mind. And just like that, he’s heading up what becomes known as the Dunlore stabbings.

Two issues need his immediate attention. The young woman who confessed is a mess & interviewing her will be a delicate matter. Also, at the scene they found “Who took Eden Mulligan” spray painted on a wall. It’s a name Danny knows well from his cold case review. He needs someone with an analytical mind & background in psychology to help him find the connection…….if only he knew a forensic psychologist.

And they’re off. Danny moves upstairs to run the present day investigation while Rose takes over the basement and gets acquainted with the unsolved case of Eden Mulligan (which echoes the real life disappearance of Jean McConville in 1972). As the story progresses, we get to know the histories & private lives of both MC’s as they reconnect with each other. And always lurking in the background is Belfast itself, a city whose streets & residents still bear the scars of generations of conflict.

So here’s the deal. I love a twisty police procedural, especially when cold cases are involved. There’s something about re-examining an old unsolved case I find intriguing & the mystery behind Eden Mulligan’s disappearance was probably my favourite part of the plot. However, this also has a strong romantic element. Danny & Rose initially begin as friends but seem destined to become more in subsequent books.

I picked this up because I had enjoyed Little Bird, a previous book by the author. From reading the blurb for this one, I didn’t appreciate how big a role the budding romance would play in the overall story line. I would categorize this as romantic suspense & unfortunately I’m more of a straight up crime/procedural girl.

Not the author’s fault, just a matter of personal preference. It’s a well written story that will keep you guessing & fans of mystery/romance will find much to enjoy here.

[TheBookWarren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.50 Stars -- An enchanting Northern Irish romp, that is unapologetic in its tone and that ultimately ties together a none-contrived and quite lovely narrative, considering the topical content it's centred around.

Thanks to netgalley for a digital copy of this wonderful title in exchange for a fair and honest review!


Who took Eden Mulligan is an eerily, prescient novel. It would be easy to spoil for others so I’ll proceed with heeded caution.

I have to say, this one had me enthralled the entire way. What it does better than most, is humanising its characters whilst simultaneously portraying the inhumane. The relationships that are formed are elegantly crafted and the prose is both verbose and easy-going.

There are elements here that show a great maturity and complexity in the styling and I can’t applaud the author enough for allowing an eery and elegant story to grow and fester in my psyche. This really did permeate my inner-core with its subtle yet blunt and thumping pulse that relented sombrely and derisively as I read-on.

Right from the prologue, this cruising novel grabs the reader and commences enchanting us with rich, dark Irish lore that oozes Belfastian valor and disdain. This is best exemplified in the two protagonists, whom are instantly painted as characters with a past that can't help but feel eerily relevant.

This is a truly captivating read and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy. This is one I’ll undoubtedly be reading again.

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic psychologist Rose Lainey returns home to Belfast to attend her mother’s funeral and she is invited by her friend, DI Danny Stowe to take a look to a strange case. Iona is telling the police she is the one who killed her friends in the cottage they were spending time, but DI Dany doesn't believe her. This case is related to the disappearance of Eden Mulligan, but how?
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this fast pacing thriller.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this excellent book it was set in Ireland which makes a pleasant change as most crime novels are usually set in London or the States. I was interested to see how this twisty novel turned out as I haven’t read anything by this author before and I must say she didn’t disappoint at all. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm… I read quite a few police procedural books and I thought this offering from Dempsey was rather bland and boring. I did not feel there was any pace to this novel and it was rather lacking in the actual investigation of the crime scene that the story opened with.

The brutal crime scene that Dempsey portrays was enough to send shivers down my spine. I found it interesting that immediately the police do not believe the confession from Iona, doubting her credibility and the realism of what she was saying. What follows is why the police do not believe her. I found this an interesting angle to the case but wanted to see more interviews with Iona; instead she fades into the background of the story, rather than dominating the police investigations.

Furthermore, the presence of dolls strung up in the garden of the crime scene was an excellent motif for the murders, with the five victims living in the house. However, again, I do not believe that Dempsey truly capitalised on this piece of evidence and had hoped this would propel the investigations forwards. Instead, the case moves to focus on the bizarre message of ‘Who Took Eden Mulligan?’ that has been scrawled on the wall at the crime scene. It is this that the book is more about, rather than the opening crime.

What entails is a focus on the politics of Ireland during the 1980s. Rose, one of the investigating officers, has returned to Belfast to attend her mother’s funeral. Her mother, Evelyn, was involved in suspicious activities during such a troublesome period of the country. It is gradually revealed that Eden Mulligan also had some doubtful connections and this helps Rose and Danny try and piece together the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. As a result, I thought that the novel centred more on this, with the main crime scene becoming a sub-plot instead.

Due to the nature of the case, I thought there was a lot of talking and discussion, with very little action. After all, the action with Eden Mulligan happened over thirty years ago, so there is very little new events taking place. As Rose and Danny interview Mulligan’s family and those connected with the opening murder victims, I found this significantly lessened the pace of the novel and my thoughts began to wander.

I enjoyed elements of the story but my favourite parts appeared to be dismissed for the investigation of a missing woman. The political elements to the story made it more heavy-going than I wanted and I think this added to a lack-lustre crime novel. I guess this book has more angles than perhaps other novels of a similar genre. In my opinion, I wanted Dempsey to follow on with the crime that started the story, rather than allow something else to dominate the narrative.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the good: I enjoyed the physical setting (Belfast) and the cultural memory of the Troubles that shapes the book's narrative. The plot is also quite good. Dr Lainey's 'prodigal son' homecoming is a nice subplot.

Unfortunately, that's where the good ends for me. The characterisation is minimal, problematic, or unbelievable. The writing is functional. The pacing is extremely uneven - very little happens for most of the book, except the characters talking about how little is happening, and then everything seems to be resolved within a couple of chapters, following a discovery that should have been made within the first few days of an investigation (ok, let's say, that would have been discovered early on in any fictional crime novel's investigation. I don't pretend to have any knowledge of how police investigations actually work!).

The two main characters also spend a lot of time pining for each other while pretending not to (of course). I lost count of how many times it is stated that Dr Lainey is more beautiful now than she was at university, or just as beautiful, or not quite as beautiful but more self assured. This is possibly more a reflection of my anti-romance tendencies than a major issue with the novel, but what with that and the painfully drawn-out thriller plot, I could barely wait for this to end.

Overall I feel this is a waste of a strong setting and decent plot, and if you've picked this up hoping for another Tana French, I am sorry to say I think you will be disappointed.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jazz Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who took Eden Mulligan is a psychological crime story. Criminal psychologist Rose has to return to her local town in Ireland after leaving to go to university in England and never looking back. But now she has returned to attend her mother's funeral. Whilst back she visits her police friend Danny who peaks her interest with his cold case a missing person's case from the 80s which is now linked to a mass murder of a group of friends. What makes this case even stranger is there housemate and friend walks into the police station saying she killed them. But it's just not sitting right with either of them.

I found the book to be a good crime book. I honestly didn't know who had committed the murders of the friends, nor did I know where Eden was! However its a bit stretched out. I think I understood the concept however itt seemed like too much was going on at once for me.

I also wondered how legitimate it was for Rose to start working along side the police having jot worked with them before hand and her current job appears to be assessments for the CPS. But I did enjoy Rose she clearly has issues that stem from the civil unrest as a child, to a point she has clear attachment issues.
.Danny's backstop warranted more information if im honest. I felt like half his story had just been missed. But there's only so much you can fit in one book.
Out of the two lead protagonist did prefer Danny. He was funny intelligent and doesn't give up.

The description the novel is done very well. Espically with the scene of the crime i felt that I could really see the carnage. Its very well written and extremely moving.

In conclusion I would recommend this book. I found the experience of reading this book pleasant and easy. I honestly had no clue how it would conclude and it was completely not what I was expecting! Happy to rate 3 stars.

Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

''They're dead. They're all dead. It's my fault. I killed them.'' These are the words of Iona Gardener, who stands bloodied and staring as she confesses to the murder of four people in a run-down cottage outside Belfast. Outside the cottage, five old dolls are hanging from a tree. Inside the cottage, the words ''WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN?'' are graffitied on the wall, connecting the murder scene with a famous cold case.

This story gives us an insight to the IRA and the troubles in Belfast in the 1980's. Two cases, years apart that are entwined.The characters are well rounded, believable and likeable. Most of the investigation focuses on the cold case. The story does dip for a bit in the middle. This is a well written and informative read. The loose ends were tied up nicely by the end.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AvonBooksUK and the author #SharonDempsey for my ARC #WhoTookEdenMulligan in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who took Eden Mulligan by Sharon Dempsey is a story about two police cases past and present?
Iona Garner runs into a PSNI station covered in blood claiming to have killed 5 people in a run-down cottage in the outskirts of Belfast. When the visit the location, there is graffiti on the wall which reads Who Killed Eden Mulligan? Also, five wooden dolls hanging from a tree.
Forensic Psychologist Rose Lainey has come back to Belfast after 18 years to attend her mother’s funeral and re connect to her siblings, after all these years. When she is contacted by DI Danny Stowes who is leading the investigation of the deaths and an old university friend to help him with the case and find out who did kill Eden Mulligan. It takes Rose back to the days of the IRA and her own childhood as her own mother. As there were rumours that her mother may have been involved.
I thank Avon for a copy of this slow burning, gripping thriller which I really enjoyed, but it was different to what I was expecting. I like the characters of Rose and Danny quite different people, but they made a good team to find the killer and what happened to Eden. It was also a great insight to what happened in the troubles in Belfast in the 80’s between the IRA and the innocent people that got caught in it and what they had to do to survive and the repercussions after. 4 stars from me

[Katrina Vallett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out with a exciting prologue that grabbed my attention and an overview that promised a gripping thriller.
I enjoyed the setting in Ireland and the insight into the way of life for those alive during The Troubles. Unfortunately, that is where my appreciation for this novel ends.
The main characters, Danny and Rose, had little personality and instead seemed to be built up merely by their pasts: Danny's broken engagement, his demotion at work and need to prove himself through this case, and Rose's plight to uncover details about her family history, that she only started caring about now that her mom passed. In order to care about that, I'd have to care about her first. Further, it was discussed numerous times almost to distract from the ongoing lack of progress in the case.
That was not the only repetition. The Mulligan children lost their mom at a young age, their father abandoned them and the cops did virtually nothing. And we hear over and over and over again how this destroyed their lives.
There was very little progress with the investigation throughout hence the need for repititious filler.
And the part about dental records didn't seem plausible. There is no database for that. You have to find the person's dentist first and hope they have records that old. But it was close to the end so we needed to a quick resolution.
All in all I had to push through to finish.

Thank you to the publisher Avon / HarperCollins and to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review. All opinions are my own

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com

I haven’t read anything else by Sharon Dempsey before Who Took Eden Mulligan?, which I found to be an intriguing Irish crime novel with some really likable, interesting characters.

The story follows our two protagonists: Danny Stowe, a Detective Inspector leading his first case in a rural area outside of Belfast, and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey, one of Danny’s childhood friends. Rose returns to the area for her mum’s funeral but ends up being pursuaded by Danny to stay and help him investigate a perplexing murder case.

A young girl has confessed to murdering four of her university friends in a frenzied attack, but the evidence doesn’t quite add up. There are links to a cold case where a woman disappeared for no apparent reason many years before. Together, Danny and Rose start to investigate.

The novel is not just about the investigation but their relationship, with tension and history between them bubbling under the surface, as well as Rose’s family history affecting her treatment of the case. The novel’s themes also includes lots about the IRA and The Troubles, and this subject is really interesting to read more about. The plot moves along quite slowly, so I wouldn’t say I was a particularly fast-paced read, if thats what you’re into.

The characters in this novel feel realistic and interesting, and I would happily read more about Danny and Rose, so I do hope this becomes a new series.

* Many thanks to the publisher, Avon Books, for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review. *

[T.O. Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an ARC from the author and my full review is pasted below, but the fact that I found it an easy and swiftly devoured read has to be a good thing :)

Murder mystery writers love their settings. Some are as fictional as their detectives - like Ruth Rendell’s Wexford in Kings Markham, or Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and St Mary Mead. Others put their protagonists in real places, Ian Rankin’s Rebus stalking the streets of Edinburgh or Tana French’s Dublin Murder squad prowling along the banks of the Liffey. Few though, like Sharon Dempsey elevate their real life setting to the status of a character. In Who Took Eden Mulligan, Belfast seeps through the pages in all its bloody history, the crime and the detectives haunted by unanswered questions of the city’s troubled past.

As with her debut crime novel "Little Bird" Dempsey’s tale is a police procedural pursuing an investigation through the eyes of a detective and a forensic psychologist, though Chief Inspector Danny Stowe and Psychologist Rose Lainey are a fresh pairing. The two met as fellow Norn Irish in exile at Liverpool University but travelled in opposite directions until a family death brings Rose back to Belfast just as Danny is being released from the purgatory of Historical Enquiries Unit with a chance to resurrect his stalled career.

The lives of the detectives are as much a part of Dempsey’s tale as the deaths of the murder victims. Rose delves into the past of the mother she fled from, the siblings she abandoned and the name -- Roisin - that she repudiated. Danny fears to admit the crumbling state of his marriage. Completing the quartet of plot threads are the present time multiple murders in a household of student friends on the threshold of fully employed adulthood and the past story of Eden Mulligan, the mother of five from the markets who disappeared one night in the midst of Belfast’s troubles.

Dempsey’s writing flows enjoyably making this an easily devoured book – I finished it in a little over twenty-four hours. As is the nature of crime fiction, the story starts very much in media res with the lone survivor and self-confessed perpetrator fleeing the bloody scene and throwing herself into a police station. One consequence of this is that backstory and context are filled in with reverie and reflection, each protagonist reminiscing about their shared pasts and more individual angsts. However, Dempsey handles that necessary exposition smoothly enough that it doesn’t distract from the narrative.

There are also plenty of nice lines that caught my eye.

When Danny and Rose are filling in the gaps
“Not much to tell really. I’m one cat away from being a crazy cat lady.”

When listening to the patronising pathologist
It occurred to Danny that, like some doctors and surgeons, Lyons possessed a bit of a god complex and was lacking in bedside manner. He had found his calling working with corpses, that was for sure.

A sister’s insight into their mother
‘She was our Ma, what else do you need to know? Children never really know their parents, not as separate people.’

Eden’s grown-up children facing another swathe of press hypotheses raking through their mother’s past
‘Every time they rewrite who she was, a bit of who she really was vanishes. We can’t afford to lose any more of her.’

Who Took Eden Mulligan is not so much a murder mystery as an examination of people’s relationships with their individual and their shared pasts. Dempsey’s characters refer explicitly to the notion of cross-generational trauma – that even in a time of peace ‘young people in Northern Ireland are affected by the violence of the past.’ That is what makes the Belfast setting not just more real than KingsMarkham or St. Mary Mead but more entwined with the story than Rebus’s Edinburgh. It is a story about Belfast’s past and present as much as it is the murders’ resolution or even Rose and Danny’s development. In that sense Dempsey has crafted something of a hybrid novel – with the central crime providing not just the narrative focus, but the lens through which to interrogate troubled times whose ghosts still stalk the familiar streets.

[oohlalabooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the merging of genres in this book - true crime and mystery thriller! Forensic psychologist Rose Lainey heads home to Belfast to attend her mother’s funeral for the sake of her siblings. Rose had a tough relationship with her mother leaving home at eighteen for London. While in Belfast, she visits her college friend, DI Danny Stowe. Danny invites Rose to join his case involving three murders and an old missing persons case that appears to be connected. Honestly I was hooked from the beginning then it slowed down, but recovered quickly with what I did not expect! Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eerie Northern Irish tale, Who Took Eden Mulligan? with its gliding pace, grabs the reader and begins to enchant with rich, dark Irish lore. The book opens with an intriguing prologue; Iona Gardener has moved into a rental cottage which she and her housemates plan to do up a bit and make it a more comfortable place to live in. But she on her way to the police station, running along she falls and injures her knee whilst desperately trying to block out what she has seen back at the cottage. She can taste the bile in her throat and smell the blood on herself, her dark hair straggly and unkempt-looking. She arrives at the police station and tells the officer she has killed the people back at Lower Dunlore cottage.

Forensic Psychologist Dr Rose Lainey has returned to Belfast after 18 years away to attend her mother’s funeral and reconnect with her siblings. Chief Inspector Danny Stowe who is an old university friend and is leading the investigation into the Dunlore deaths, mentions the case, she agrees to help and Rose is taken back to the days of her own childhood. There are creepy dolls tied to a tree in the garden and the message “who took Eden Mulligan?” scrawled on a wall and Stowe knows there’s more to the case than the confession from Iona.

The lives of the investigators are as much a part of Sharon Dempsey’s tale as the deaths of the murder victims and her writing flows enjoyably making this a book I devoured easily. Whilst Who Took Eden Mulligan? is a murder mystery it is also an examination of people’s relationships with their individual and their shared pasts. The novel is mainly told from Stowe and Rose’s points of view, and the reader knows the same as they do, allowing for plenty of speculation. The author also explores the fear, tension and violence of the time in interesting detail giving a real sense of time and place. Captivating and emotive.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Lucie Aran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hodnocení: 2,5/5 ✩
Chladné stopy jsou knihou, která mě nalákala na první pohled. A to ne jen svojí obálkou, ale i anotací. Bohužel ne vždy, čtenář skutečně dostane to, co kniha na první pohled slibuje.

Že původní případ z 80. let, bude spadat do období Konfliktu v Severním Irsku (The Troubles), jsem očekávala. Dokonce jsem doufala i v to, že se o daném období dozvím i něco víc. A v tomto směru, byla kniha skutečně, velice informativní. A to jak v celkovém popisu situace, tak atmosféry, která vládla mezi obyvateli, i náladě, kterou v místních a přeživších zanechala. Co se však skutečně nepovedlo, bylo spojení s linií vyšetřování. Ta byla silně upozaděná a díky tomu celý příběh působil značně nevyváženě. Místy jsem měla pocit, že prokládám literaturu faktu, poměrně slabou detektivkou, a mezi jednotlivými úseky, přeskakuji naprosto náhodně a nekoordinovaně. A i když postava Rose byla poměrně sympatická, spojení dvou vyšetřovatelů se "stigmatem", působí po nějaké době, a při neustálém opakovaní, přeci jen celkem únavně.
Do čtení dalších dílů, se tak pravděpodobně, pouštět ani nebudu.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Who Took Eden Mulligan?, a stand-alone procedural set in Belfast.

Iona Gardener stumbles into Dunlore police station, covered in blood and apparently confessing to killing her four friends. DI Danny Stowe is put in charge of the case and he enlists his old friend, forensic psychologist Dr Rose Lainey because he knows there’s more to the case than a false confession from Iona. There’s the creepy dolls tied to a tree in the garden and the message “who took Eden Mulligan?” scrawled on a wall.

I thoroughly enjoyed Who Took Eden Mulligan? which is a fascinating mixture of past and present. Eden Mulligan disappeared from Belfast in 1986 at the height of The Troubles, leaving five young children behind, but what does this have to do with a present day murder? It would seem that the past casts a long shadow.

The novel is mainly told from Danny and Rose’s points of view so it’s all about the investigation. The reader knows no more or less than them, allowing room for speculation and theorising. I got small bits and pieces right, but mostly came up short with regards to the perpetrator and motive, which, incidentally, I found the least convincing part of the novel when all was revealed. The novel works well apart from that, as it concentrates on the disappearance of Eden Mulligan, assuming that if they solve that the current case will fall into place. This allows the author to explore the fear, tension and violence of the time and plausibly explain the lack of initial investigation. It seems like another world now but it was all too real and I think the author does a good job of explaining it and the current constraints on getting justice. I was hooked.

I liked Danny and Rose who are renewing a friendship forged at university. Danny stayed in Belfast but Rose is returning after many years absence. This lets the reader see the transformation of the city through fresh eyes. A city that is almost a character itself with a long, troubled past. Both Rose and Danny have personal problems and secrets, enough to be interesting but not enough to weigh the novel down. I thought the choice of their problems was inspired as it allows them extra empathy during their investigation.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Anik - MamaBearsBookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't go too much into details on this one. I find that just this little bit is pretty interesting. This novel starts with a girl named Iona Gardener. Iona runs into a police station covered in blood claiming to be at fault and having killed people. When the police arrive at the crime scene they find five old dolls hanging from a tree. And inside, among the dead bodies, there is a question written on the wall, „Who took Eden Mulligan?“. Eden Mulligan was a missing person, mother of five children, who disappeared during The Troubles, Northern Ireland conflict.

My review:
This novel was so dark and creepy I loved that there was a mix of true crime and mystery thriller. It kept me up all night. I just needed to know what was going to happen. I was hooked from the start. The story and writing were soo good and the details were perfect. I really enjoyed the scene-setting. I was also really attracted to the book cover.

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart, masterfully written, slow-building mystery in which past and present collide. Highly recommend.

A heinous crime in contemporary Belfast is made more disturbing by its seeming ties to a cold case: the disappearance of Eden Mulligan in 1986 during The Troubles -- the term given for a period of conflict in Northern Ireland between the British and Irish Catholics who wanted an independent Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. While at first the connection between the two cases alludes the assigned detectives, it soon becomes clear that the shadow cast by the Troubles has far from receded, leaving an indelible mark on those who survived that time whether as adults or children. If the detectives are to solve this case, they must unearth old ghosts that many would prefer remain buried, reopen political wounds, and even take a hard look at their own connections to that time.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There's a bloody murder inside an old house, a young girl walks into the police station covered in blood and tells them it's her fault everyone is dead!

When the police go to the house they find a horror scene, and someone has left a message.... Who took Eden Mulligan?

Rose is a great character and I enjoyed the relationship between her and Danny, and the story had plenty of twists to keep me guessing. I'd highly recommend this book.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily one of the worst books I have ever read. All the characters are dislikable. The doctor seems to think she is a police detective. The police detective’s (and author’s) comments about those with eating disorders are frankly offensive. The writing style is clunky and the plot slow and tedious. Thank god it’s over. Spare yourself this misery.

[Simon Maltman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this- A welcomed addition to the ever growing Ulster Noir scene- A well crafted police procedural with twists, turns and heart. Go grab it 👍

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summary for this book really caught my attention - why would someone confess to four gruesome killings if they weren't actually guilty? But that's exactly what Iona Gardener did when she burst into the Belfast police station and confessed. DI Danny Stowe is in charge of the case and doubts her from the beginning. It doesn't help that she's rushed to the hospital with shock and from that point on refuses to elaborate on what happened that night. Luckily, his old friend Rose is in town for her mother's funeral and as she is a forensic psychologist, Danny believes she could offer valuable insight into the case, and perhaps get Iona to open up about the crime.

Until Iona speaks to them, Danny and Rose have to focus on the scant evidence at the crime scene, which references a decades old unsolved disappearance of a wife and mother: Eden Mulligan. They now have to research that case as well, essentially doubling the amount of work on the investigation. Not everyone is convinced that the two crimes are related, including Danny's boss, but he's determined to follow his instincts and resolve Eden's disappearance in order to solve the current killings. But will uncovering past secrets put him and Rose in more danger than even they can handle?

The story is intriguing if not a bit confusing for an American reader like myself who has almost zero knowledge of The Troubles that occurred in Ireland decades ago. You can tell this is a personal story to the author and there's quite a bit of politics mixed into the plot. It doesn't detract too much from the thrill factor, but if it's not a subject you care passionately about, you may not be as invested in the book.

The gruesomeness of the killings catches your attention but isn't quite justified by the backstory. The dolls hanging from a tree, for example, bring ritual killings to mind and you expect them to factor largely in the plot, but they're eventually explained away in a sentence or two and serve mainly as shock value. If the story wasn't teased as a dark and disturbing thriller, I wouldn't have been as disappointed. It's disturbing, yes, but mainly for those victims of The Troubles and the impact that time still has on people today.

[Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iona Gardener walks into a police station, barefoot and breathless and covered in blood ..When the officers rush to help her she gives her name , the address of a cottage in Dunlore ,along with confessing to four murders before collapsing on the floor .Chief Inspector Danny Stowe is working in the HEU ( Historical Enquires Unit ) for his sins after he lost his rag on the last case he worked on .When Chief Constable McCausland gives him the lead on the Dunlore case, he is back to the Serious Crimes Unit and goes into the case with an open mind ..Forensic Phychologist Dr.Rose Lainey works for the prison service in London , and is back for the funeral of her estranged mother who she has not seen in years .It's taken a lot for her to go back and the only one who welcomes her with open arms is her sister Kaitlin .When she passes by to see Danny ,one of her oldest friends, he asks her to take a look at the case file ..At first she makes no commitment but agrees to accompany him to the cottage..In the cottage over the fireplace are scrawled four words ' Who took Eden Mulligan ' ...Outside in the garden there are five dolls hanging on a tree ...Lainey knows deep in her soul the words on the wall have some meaning to the case , and asks for a six week leave of absence to assist Stowe and his team ..Thirty three year old Eden Mulligan went missing from her home in July, 1986, leaving her five children behind .It was at the time of the troubles ..There were paramilitary and loyalist organisations both fighting for a cause , along with soldiers at every checkpoint..It was a dark and dangerous time ..After Eden vanished her five children were separated, as rumours were banded around the children's lives were splintered and torn apart ..Six months later the case goes cold, gets filed away forgotten....What happened to Eden Mulligan...? Sonetimes the things we forget are like a knot in the heart we wish to untie ...Sharon Demosey's writing is Captivating, Emotive and Soultouching ..L'egrmh darcha laidir....A Dark Compelling Read ...

[Beth Woods · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really not often I dislike a book as much as this. I cannot overemphasise how S...L...O...W... this is. It was over 80% of the way in before I felt anything at all happened, and then everything was tied up within a highly implausible chapter.

I also really didn't like the writing style. Very, very heavy on the telling the audience, not showing and just repeating the same points over and over. It got to the point where I felt like I was being hit over the head with the message "IRA = bad". I get it, this story seems heavily influenced by the Jean McConville case, but there's a huge lack of context to this backstory (and Rose's opinions of Belfast/her mother) that is so obviously biased it's boring. It comes across as a pro-Union textbook at times, sprinkled with a few passages that might as well have been lifted straight out of the psychology textbooks I read for university.

Really poorly fleshed out and very, very dull.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Danny Stowe of PSNI has been side-lined to working cold cases. He gets an opportunity to re-prove himself when he is appointed lead on a murder case following the discovery of the bodies of several young people in a cottage near Belfast. Intriguingly, the case appears to have links to a missing person’s case from the 80s.
He enlists the help of Forensic Psychologist Rose Lainey, a friend from University days who happens to be back in Northern Ireland for a funeral.
Who Took Eden Mulligan is Sharon Dempsey’s second crime novel set in Northern Ireland. Writing a current day crime novel set in Northern Ireland is not new, however combining it with the investigation of a case set in The Troubles is. Ms Dempsey tells the story as it is, and as it was. Her writing style is gentle, but uncompromising and her extensive journalistic experience is evident throughout.
The bonus for this reader is one of having been born in the area where the historic case occurred, and the knowledgeable descriptions aroused many memories.
The Will they Won’t they relationship between Danny and Rose added to the enjoyment, there might be a series here.
A very enjoyable and well-informed read, highly recommended.
With thanks to Netgalley UK and Avon Books UK

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoever labeled this a mystery/thriller is doing it a disservice.

It is a book about the IRA, in Belfast, in the 80s. That topic will have an audience, unfortunately, I’m not one of them. The writing was ok though there were excessive and repetitive details that could have been culled for a tighter paced story.

The relationship between the two crimes was not revealed until the bitter end and it was rather underwhelming at that point. I did want to finish this to see how it wrapped up but it was a chore. The few twists that were interesting weren’t enough to make up for the rest of the story.

Again, there will be people that love this story. If you have an interest in the IRA and how it affected the neighborhoods and citizens for decades even after it subsided this is for you. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself interested in this mystery from the get go, enjoying the back and forth perspectives of Danny and Rose. Who killed Eden and why are there three dead bodies, one man critically wounded, and one woman escaped with her life? More to the point, how are these two seemingly unrelated cases linked? I felt like Danny and Rose made slow progress, and Danny’s character definitely reflected his frustration over the stalling status of solving the murder, but there reached a point where they found just the right clue! From there the storyline snowballed and we learned not only how the two cases are related, but who did it and how.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for this ARC. I enjoyed Sharon Dempsey’s writing style and would like to read any future books she might write. The Ireland setting was fascinating to me, as I have never been.

[Joseph Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my kind of book—one that creates a mood, an atmosphere, as palpable and real as any of the characters. It's also a book about the power and deadliness of an unhealed past, of a collective suffering, and how that suffering was funneled into individual experience. This is a mystery that succeeds as powerfully on an emotional level as it does in its ability to startle and surprise. Fans of Stuart Neville and Adrian McKinty will find in Sharon Dempsey's remarkable debut a new gem of Northern Irish noir.