Little Bones (Cathy Connolly #1) by Sam Blake #Irish #CrimeFiction @samblakebooks #TuesdayBookBlog

Author: Sam Blake

Published: May 2016 by Twenty7

Category: Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Audiobook Review

Twenty-four-year-old Garda Cathy Connolly might be a fearless kick-boxing champion but when she discovers a baby’s bones concealed in the hem of a wedding dress, the case becomes personal.

Garda Cathy (Cat) Connolly is investigating a break in at the house of artist, Zoë Grant, following on the heels of the report of a man lurking in the garden the previous night.

As Cathy examined the clothes scattered around the bedroom she noticed a tear in what seemed to be a wedding dress. What she found concealed in the hem of the dress sparks an investigation that uncovers dark deeds and secrets lain dormant for decades.

Zoë’s grandmother and head of a worldwide retail group, Lavinia Grant, gave the dress to her granddaughter. Did she know about the bones? The police were unable to contact her by phone and when they arrived at the house, they found  Lavinia Grant dead at the foot of the staircase. Coincidence…or something more sinister.

In London’s East End, while shopping in the local street market, occupational therapist Emily Cox witnesses a mugging. Mary, an elderly lady she knows, was in shock after having her bag snatched. It’s obvious to Emily that Mary is confused by her vague ramblings and Emily’s increasing concern sees her wanting to bring Mary into her home. Emily’s husband Tony, a consultant psychiatrist, isn’t convinced this is the best solution, even as he understands Emily’s need to nurture is a result of their childlessness. 

‘Emily’s asked me here to meet you so that we can find a way of making you feel a bit better, Mary.’

Mary turned to him, her blue eyes puzzled, almost transparent silver-white eyebrows raised in question. ‘Better?’

‘Yes, Mary; Emily’s worried about you. She’s noticed you’ve been a bit distracted.’

‘Really?’ There was a long pause as the old lady gathered her thoughts. Then, speaking slowly and deliberately, she said, ‘Well, it’s very nice of you to come, but I’ve been waiting. Why did it take you so long?’

Along with the investigation into the discovery of the little bones found in the dress at Zoë Grant’s house, Cathy’s boss DI Dawson O’Rourke has been given a heads up from the FBI that fugitive murderer Angel Hierra has managed to evade detection and is thought to be in Dublin.

Cathy and O’Rourke are interesting characters who have much more to offer. I’m so glad this is book one in a series, and it’s an excellent start especially since it’s the author’s debut novel. The police procedural aspect is thorough in detail and the seemingly random and complex plot threads are developed and connected smoothly. Cathy’s personal situation highlights the still uncompromising attitude in Ireland with regard to abortion and single motherhood.

The story unfolds steadily, told from the perspectives of the three women, Cathy, Emily and Zoe. Secrets and lies spanning generations are revealed and unraveled gradually. The main characters are immediately likeable and I enjoyed the believable, easy chemistry and mutual support between Cathy and O’Rourke. A very well written story with a great sense of place and a shock ending. Another brilliant narration by Aoife McMahon, books two and three are already downloaded.

Book links ~ Amazon UK | Amazon US

About the Author

Sam Blake is a pseudonym for Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, who is originally from St. Albans in Hertfordshire but has lived at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland for (almost) more years than she lived in the UK. She has been writing fiction since 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks and she had an idea for a book.
Vanessa is also the founder of The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and the Irish national writing resources website Writing.ie. She is Ireland’s leading literary scout who has assisted many award winning and bestselling authors to publication.

Author links ~ Website | Facebook | Twitter