The Killer in Me

March 1, 2019
Tana French fans are a ready audience for the second in Kiernan's series, which unravels murder cases undertaken by Dublin detective Frankie Sheehan. As in the series debut Too Close to Breathe (2018), Sheehan investigates domestic strife taken to its worst extreme. This time she faces new murders as a convicted killer works to prove his innocence in the death of his parents years before, putting the detective and her force under scrutiny they don't need. Kiernan's smart writing carefully doles out twists and clues as the puzzle comes to an unexpected and edgy ending. Along the way, she paints a rich picture of contemporary Dublin life, its social pretenses and nothing-to-lose characters both crashing against the justice system. Readers will watch for more from Kiernan; in the meantime, they could try the author's Dawn Solstice (2013), a mystery centering on the work of an Irish archaeologist.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)