Quinn Roberts is dead, and she wants to know how it happened. She's angry, confused, and disappointed that her life is over. Most of her friends have moved on, and it seems like no one cares who was responsible. Her adult children are in shock, but their mother's death is too painful, so they do nothing.
Soon after her murder, Quinn's husband, Alec, acquires a new wife and Quinn becomes a distant memory. Only her sister, Erin, and Detective John McQuillan continue to search for answers.
But as the case stalls, the formal investigation is moved to the Cold Case division and Quinn's family loses hope that there will ever be an arrest.
Can Quinn get the justice she deserves? And, is discovering the truth always worth it?
He's planned the perfect cruise - and the perfect murder. His new girlfriend (my replacement) is waiting in the wings.
Our luxury cruise ship departs from Florida. Its destination - paradise. A surprise gift from Andre. Our first proper vacation in five years. A second honeymoon.
He's bought me the perfect outfit. The champagne is flowing. Everything's going to plan. Andre's plan.
He thinks he'll get away with it. But he doesn't know what I'm capable of. Not yet.
Also,
—THE BABY I STOLE —MY SISTER'S KILLER —THE FIRST HUSBAND —WITHOUT HER CONSENT —THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS —TRUST ONLY ME —TWICE ON CHRISTMAS —THE GIRL WHO KILLED HER MOM
Romantic Comedy;
— LOVE ON THE LINE (original title— THE FUSSY VIRGIN).
Morality Tale
—A FAMILIAR STRANGER "It's a Wonderful Life" meets "Wall Street". This novel is a parable of our times.
All my stories are character driven. I try to throw in lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and guessing. Most of my writing is inspired by real people or events that trigger my imagination.
I am married with two children and currently live in Connecticut where many of my stories take place. I'm happy to FaceTime or Zoom into your book club if our schedules permit. Reach out and I'll do my best to make it happen.
——McGarvey
You can find me on Facebook or Twitter, too. Thanks for reading my books and if you like them, please leave a review, it helps so much.
Quinn Roberts was murdered. Now she wants to know why .....
She's frustrated because she doesn't know exactly where she is ... she's there, but not here. She sees and hears her children, other family members mourn her passing. Her friends, though, seem to forget about her in short order.
Quinn was in the midst of a contentious divorce from her husband, Alec. He was a cheater for many of their 20 plus years together. Now it seems he has taken a new wife .. and a new life.
Detective John McQuillan leads the investigation and does not deviate from looking for her killer. There are several suspects, and as they are one by one cleared, the pool of possibles shrinks.
Several years go by with no new leads. Moving the investigation into the Cold Case Files, Quinn's children and sister fear that the killer will never be caught.
This is an outstanding psychological drama featuring finely drawn credible characters. There are those you love and those you love to hate. Quinn's past is minutely examined and told by Quinn herself. Who is lying .... who has secrets ... who killed Quinn and why?
This is a well-written murder mystery narrated in part by the victim acting as an outside observer to the action taking place. (https://mcgarveyblack.com/my-book-news/)
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this 5-star book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
All too frequently regular readers come across a very annoying situation: a fantastic fictional concept but poor execution. However, this is the first time in a while in which both the concept and execution are both impressive. Told from the perspective of the deceased — Quinn — and her family, we are taken on a captivating journey through the relevant parts of her life. It's a beautifully written psychological drama crossed with a murder mystery and will have you engaged and immersed in the story almost instantaneously.
The characters are relatable and believable and the pace pretty spot on. I'm surprised this is a debut as it really is a thoroughly gripping read; so good, in fact, that I flew through it. Issues of domestic abuse are treated sensitively and compassionately and the very real and long-term nature of police work is revealed and comes across as authentic. I look forward to reading more from McGarvey Black in the future. Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC.
I Never Left (previously titled I Am Quinn) is a stand-alone domestic suspense novel published last year. Something made me buy it, even though I’d never heard of the author and have been trying hard to limit buying books when I already have so many to read, I think it was the scenario of a story being told by the ghost of a murder victim that intrigued me. It then sat on my Kindle awaiting it’s turn, but then I recently joined the author’s Advance Review Team so bumped it up the list. She has explained that the book was her attempt to make sense of the still unsolved murder of her best friend ten years ago. It is fiction, just inspired by that case.
Quinn Roberts, beautiful, troubled and in the throes of a bitter divorce, has been found dead in her home surrounded by pills. Since she has repeatedly threatened suicide previously, the police don’t take her case seriously at first, until the ME discovers that she was strangled. Quinn tells part of the story herself, trapped in the afterlife and witness to everything but confused as to who killed her and unable to communicate. Her husband, arrogant philandering history professor Alec Roberts, is the obvious suspect but has a cast iron alibi, and with few leads, the case fizzles out, but her sister Erin never gives up hope that one day, Quinn will get justice.
This is a quick read, with short chapters and an easy delivery, told mostly in the third person from the POV of main characters Detective McQuillan, Alec, his children and Erin, with chapters of Quinn’s first person narration in between. This worked well as we learn the different facets of her personality from those who knew her. We share her disappointment as her family and friends seem to move on quickly - many already distanced by her mental health problems. Men were attracted by her looks, but all she really wanted was to regain the love of her estranged husband, in spite of how he has treated her.
As a mystery, I felt it was too obvious from quite early on what had happened, and I was expecting more of a twist. The plot covers ten years and even though I knew who was responsible, I didn’t know how they would get caught, so it didn’t spoil the suspense. It is quite emotional as Quinn’s family cope with their loss in their different ways, and McQuillan’s frustration at failing to solve the case is well done. Minor spoiler alert/trigger warning - this does deal with domestic and sexual abuse. No animals are harmed.
I’ve bought the author’s next book on the strength of this and will also be looking forward to reading the third for review in coming months.
This book was so repetitive and slow. I read it on the basis of good reviews and then had to check a few times if I was reading the same book. I liked the idea of the story but it wasn't very well written and jumped about in time too much.
Since "I Never Left" was written from the POV of a deceased protagonist (Quinn), this book instantly reminded me of "The Lovely Bones." The similarities to "The Lovely Bones" stop there, however, and this compelling domestic suspense drama is in a league of its own.
In "The Lovely Bones" readers immediately know who murdered the protagonist. In "I Never Left", readers join Quinn in awaiting answers to these most pressing questions: Who killed 40-year old Quinn Roberts, and why? And why is it taking the police so long to identify the murderer?
This is my second McGarvey Black novel and this author is a brilliant storyteller. Character development is strong and the storyline's flow is fast-paced. Issues of domestic abuse, control, and the frustrations of "cold cases" are explored in this novel, as well as the devastating impact that a murder has on all families. Although this book was a clear "whodunit" very early in the story, the author introduces possible suspects/reasonable doubt, up until tangible evidence is discovered. I would have liked to see more "twists/turns" but, overall, this book was a winner for me.
I listened to the book's audio version and the narrator was good but not great.
This was a very impressive debut, and I look forward to reading the author's future titles. So far, this author has gone "2-for-2" with me!
An intriguing read cleverly written in a unique and interesting way. Quinn Roberts is dead. She knows she is dead but can not understand why. Her soul will not rest and she watches her family and friends with sadness and confusion since her departure. Can she be so easily forgotten?... and why do the police keep coming to a dead end on their investigation? Who is holding things back? Who has secrets? Quinn was a popular schoolgirl and a well loved woman throughout her life. Who would want her dead?.....a past boyfriend...a jealous friend? Someone must have a motive, or was it just a random killing. Her eldest sister Erin takes the death of her loving, beautiful little sister very hard. The Robert family never really liked Quinns arrogant, bossy, manipulative husband Alec, but that does not make him a killer. Quinn loved him and she radiated with happiness and contentment, and they went on to have two wonderful children....so the family said nothing. But sure enough, as time went by the marriage took a downward turn so maybe divorce could by the answer, then Quinn could start afresh, rebuild her friendships and her future, but it didn't quite get that far......Great story telling that will pull you in and keep you there until the very last page.
This is an outstanding psychological drama filled with well concieved characters.
This story not only gets in regular narration from characters but also from the deceased similar to The Lovely Bones.
It is also a more realistic story in that it takes a number of years to bring the killer to justice.it was well written and the chapters were short.
I was so caught up in this book that I read this in one sitting. McGarvey is a fantastic storyteller and shes a debut author and I look forward to her other books
I loved this book. There were a lot of goosebumps moments throughout this read but in an emotional, heartfelt way. Not expected for a thriller, but done the book even more justice.
The storyline was fantastic, the ending beautiful 👏🏻📚
This book has gone into my top 3 best EVER reads. It's different from the norm which makes it stand out in my opinion. I was in the book, totally engrossed and didn't noticed anything going on around me. I can't put into words how good this story is. AMAZING!!!!!!
I got to 44% and the book was soooo slow I just couldn't take any more. The idea has been done before, and much better. Besides, when you have the main character as a ghost, you don't start the book out with her decaying body (5+ days dead). Gross. That turned me off from the beginning, and Quinn's failing to stand up to her husband, who was obviously mistreating her in more ways than one (no spoilers in case you want to stick with it all the way through), was more than I could stomach. I'm not wasting any more time on this one.
This is an impressive debut from McGarvey Black and a fine edition to the Bloodhound Books roster. The premise is unusual: Quinn herself announces at the beginning that she is dead and we follow the story from her point of view principally, but also that of her husband, children and parents. Flashbacks, first and third person narrative, clever and witty dialogue all combine to make a super read.
Memorable So enjoyable I kept thinking about this book long after I finished it. It's an unusual, harrowing and painful story but written in such a light and airy way. Most books have at least one chapter where the ending compels you to start the next one immediately, this book was like that throughout; cost me a lot of sleep.
Quinn Roberts was in her forties and had recently escaped from a violent controlling marriage after her children were adult and old enough to fend for themselves. She had been involved with Alec since her late teens when she was once the prettiest and most adored girl in school with everything going for her, and had suspected for years that he was carrying on with his young students from the university where he taught history as a professor. Whilst in the middle of a fractious divorce and trying to make a new life for herself she is murdered and can't rest since she doesn't understand why. She also doesn't understand why her friends and family are not pushing the police, particularly Detective John McQuillan, to search for her killer. Soon after her death, everyone seems to have moved on. Alec has remarried a new and much model, and only her Erin and husband Mike seem to still care about what happened to her. Suspects come and are just as quickly discounted and eventually she is moved to the cold case section but McQ and Erin never lose hope of getting a conviction. This book is quite different in a few ways. It deals quite sensitively with the aspects of domestic abuse and control, demonstrating the signs that should be looked out for. The investigation spans many years and shows that some detectives and relatives never lose hope of an arrest. Also different is the voice of Quinn herself who pops up from time to time in the book, telling us what really happened in her life from early childhood to her death. It just shows how different were her friends' and family's perspectives on her life. If only she had seen who killed her! A great murder story told in an inventive way and as a debut novel it will be very exciting to see what this author writes next. Very enjoyable with great characters that you will love and hate respectively.
This starts with Quinn attending her own funeral…..!
Quinn’s friend Viv is really concerned as no-one has heard from her, so she persuades her landlady to check her apartment…..there they find her body surrounded by pills……was this suicide?
Quinn did have mental health issues, but the police find this was murder….just who wanted her dead…..they suspect Alec, the cheating, abusive and estranged husband, about to divorce, but he has an alibi…….
Just who was responsible for Quinn’s death…..her family will not let the matter lie and while it takes years…..they get a final, satisfying outcome when the killer is brought to justice…
This covers many emotive subjects, such as mental health, domestic abuse, rape and bereavement, not in any sensational way but in a empathetic and sensive manner.
I really felt for Quinn’s children, Hannah and Jack whose lives had been difficult growing up in such a home, but knowing their mother loved them. I detested Alec, which is a credit to McGarvey Black’s writing….I read this thriller in one sitting as I was totally engrossed and could not put it down…..I’ll never look at an empty swing in the same way again…..haunting!
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
Quinn had many reasons to end her life, and maybe that’s just what she did. But when we begin to follow her life, we find a string of jealous friends, a cheating husband, and a son who was embarrassed of his mother.
To find the truth, Detective McQ will spend the next several years searching for the true killer of the woman who’s picture is on his desk. Who would want to kill a woman who was the beauty queen, the perfect wife and mother and sister’s best friend?
While willfully giving the police his DNA, Alec knows he’s in the clear, yet refuses to help to further the investigation. Nothing and everything will point fingers to Alec as the guilty party. And that’s because it’s always the husband. Only Alec had no idea where his soon to be ex was living and his girlfriend at the time can attest to his whereabouts when Quinn was murdered. Or was she?
This is a slightly different read from most murder /mysteries as throughout the book we get input from the deceased. It is also a more realistic story in that it takes a number of years to bring the killer to justice. As the reader, you're in that grey area of did he or didn't he although your instinct knows which way to go just not how! Also was Quinn - the deceased - as mad as she is made out to be by various people.
There are a few underlying threads which are woven well into the story especially about domestic abuse and control. It is well written being both factual and compassionate at the same time. Good read and would recommend reading it.
I'm not one to read books by first time authors, but when a friend recommended I Am Quinn, I thought I'd give it a try. Figured if I wasn't hooked after the first few pages, I'd put it down.
Well, I read the book in one straight shot. Pulled me in from the start. I connected with the characters and found the author's approach to storytelling unique (I mean that in a good way).
This debut book of McGarvey Black absolutely hits the ball out of the park! The author does a masterful job of slowly building layer upon layer of this psychological mystery thriller. The development of the characters and the plot are superbly paced. The different perspectives used to tell the story, are used in perfect combinations to keep you reading, anxious to see how things unfold. I found myself hooked & anxiously awaiting future books from this exciting author!
I enjoyed this book very much! Great character development and story. It kept my attention and I looked forward to reading it every day.
The start of the book was a little odd and I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but I'm SO glad I hung in there. Personally I don't believe in an afterlife or anything like that. But I find some books about it fascinating. The Lovely Bones is a decent example of this. In my opinion this book is better than The Lovely Bones, although I can't put my finger on exactly why.
I listened to this book, though audible was interesting, it's mainly through the quinns perspective. But she had the views of her friends and family along the way. It's a very slow book, but it does keep you guessing, and that's what keeps you listening. I don't think I would have been able to finish if I read it.
I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy and a recommendation to read this book. It did not disappoint! The pace of the plot is just right and the characters are spot on. The title character who is dead makes periodic appearances at just the right moments to advance the storyline to a satisfying conclusion. All in all, a fun read and kudos to this first time author. BTW, this story would make a terrific movie.
I Never Left is a well-written story of a family's desperate and heartfelt journey as they battle to find out what really happened to their loved one and who killed her. I particularly enjoyed the subtle layering of characters personalities making them three dimensional and intriguing. I felt as though I was watching a true crime documentary and was hooked until the end to find out how the perpetrator was finally caught. The only improvement I'd like to have seen was more understanding about Quinn's mental health issues and her diagnosis. The story builds momentum slowly but steadily to a satisfying conclusion. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Author cleverly inserts the voice of the murdered victim while the search for the murderer unfolds. Good read, keeps your interest throughout - all the way to the satisfying end
This is one of those books that will stay with you. I admit it took a few chapters before I was hooked but once I was ...I couldn’t stop. The writer wrote from the perspective of the characters and they were layered exquisitely. Love a mystery, domestic noir ? Read this, you won’t be disappointed.