Who doesn’t love a good whodunnit? I think that Irish-Australian author, Dervla McTiernan, is competing for the crown of queen of murder mystery. She is churning out one, sometimes two, a year. Honestly, her books just keep me enthralled – and there is no feeling that she is following a formula to the point that it becomes tedious. A natural talent.
Three Reasons for Revenge is set in Melbourne (the others which I have read have been set in Ireland) and the book’s conclusion certainly suggests that there might be a sequel – perhaps another series? The main character is a female detective sergeant called Judith Lee; she’s tough, savvy, experienced, and she has the backing of her Senior Sergeant, Rocky Jansen, who has known and mentored her since she was a teenager. She has a fairly tight group of colleagues at the station but there is always someone who upsets the applecart. In this instance it is Luke Fraser who is a spoiled, macho, misogynist with a cocaine habit and a history of domestic violence. Unfortunately, Luke has the protection of his father, the Assistant Commissioner Eddie Fraser.
The story starts with DS Judith Lee being called to reception to speak with a young woman, Alexis Turner, who has asked for her specifically and won’t speak to anyone else. She is at the police station to make a sexual assault complaint against her psychologist – the very same psychologist that DS Lee had been unable to get a conviction against 10 years earlier. I’m not going to share much more of the story, but there are multiple characters and several murders, and it is unclear if there is any link between them except for the identical gift boxes which get delivered to the victims. Pretty little boxes, the size of a shoebox, wrapped in embossed black paper with crimson velvet ribbon and a handwritten card in beautiful, flowing calligraphy.
If you enjoy this book, you will be sure to enjoy Dervla McTiernan’s first book, The Ruin, which introduces the detective Cormac Reilly. Published in 2018 she has written a series featuring Cormac Reilly and I can recommend them all.
Goodreads rating 4.1 stars, Publisher: Harper Collins
Carolyn Adams