“In a quiet Dublin suburb, within her pristine home, Eleanor Costello is found hanging from a rope.

Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan would be more than happy to declare it a suicide. Four months earlier, Frankie’s pursuit of a killer almost ended her life and she isn’t keen on investigating another homicide. But the autopsy uncovers poorly healed bones and old stab wounds, absent from medical records. A new cut is deliberately covered in paint. Eleanor’s husband, Peter, is unreachable, missing. A search of the couple’s home reveals only two signs of personality: a much-loved book on art and a laptop with access to the Dark Web.

With the suspect pool growing, the carefully crafted profile of the victim crumbling with each new lead, and mysterious calls to Frankie’s phone implying that the killer is closer than anyone would like, all Frankie knows is that Eleanor guarded her secrets as tightly in life as she does in death.

As the investigation becomes more challenging, Frankie can’t help but feel that something doesn’t fit. And when another woman is found murdered, the same paint on her corpse, Frankie knows that unraveling Eleanor’s life is the only way to find the murderer before he claims another victim…or finishes the fate Frankie only just managed to escape.

Engrossing, complex, and atmospheric, Olivia Kiernan’s debut novel will leave readers breathless.”

Wow! This book is quite the adventure! Just when you think they’ve figured it out, they haven’t. There are many twists, turns, and surprises along the way. I like Olivia Kiernan’s writing style. It’s easy to read and understand, flows well, and is very gripping. The characters are developed well. They are real and flawed. Each character has his or her own style and characteristics. I felt like I was a part of their team, and with each passing hour I got a little more panicked that they weren’t going to figure it out. As a reader, I felt the pressure building to find the killer, and I was not able to help. I wanted to help them!

Some of the places that their investigation takes them were a little dark for me. And, they were way too out there for me. I just couldn’t relate, and it made me uncomfortable. Honestly, I had NO idea that people engaged in things like that. I wish I didn’t have those images in my head now. Ugh.

The story line captivated me; the writing sucked me right in. I loved the characters and the way the story unfolded. However, the content of the story and the premise of it were too much for me. It’s quite dark and very disturbing. Some of it is overly graphic and descriptive, and it was too lifelike for me; I found it very disconcerting. There is so much profanity, including way too many “f” words for me.

If you have thick skin, aren’t bothered by profanity, and enjoy a darker story line, though, you will enjoy this book. The writing is excellent; it’s captivating, engaging, and so lifelike.