REVIEW: The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan

In The Killer in Me (Frankie Sheehan #2) by Olivia Kiernan , Frankie Sheehan is a good cop. So, with Sean Hennessey claiming he’s innocent for the murder of his parents years ago, she’s determined to discover the truth once and for all. However, with Sean finally released from prison after serving his time, Frankie finds the police might have been right about him all along, especially when two people are murdered. Will Frankie put the right person behind bars or will she find herself at the helm of a killer hell bent on revenge?

”Not like you to loosen your grip on a case once it’s sucking diesel. I thought you’d be pushing for a front row seat?”
“You need someone to hold your hand?” I throw him a grin.
“Helen could probably squeeze it in.”
He slides me a teasing look. “Just know how you hate to take an eye off the ball.”
“Just because I’m not there, doesn’t mean I can’t sense when prey hits the web.”

Whenever I’m looking to read something that doesn’t have romance in it, I love to read mystery/thrillers and this psychological thriller was a very interesting and engaging read that I found easy to get into right from the beginning, even though I haven’t read the first book of the series. The way this story started had me wondering whether Frankie would be willing to help discover what happened in the past and whether the murders now are connected to the past. Will she find the truth? Did Sean Hennessey kill his parents or is someone else the murderer and now back killing people?

As for the dialogue, it was entertaining and had me on the edge-of-my seat at times, especially towards the end, as anyone could be the killer. Will Frankie get too close and end up getting those she loves hurt? Will Frankie and her partner be able to stop the killer before another person is killed? Moreover, the heroine is strong, brave, loyal and will do anything for those she cares for. Certainly, I loved the friendship between her and her partner and how they trust each other to have the other’s back. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was her determination to do her job, even though there’s a moment in this story where things could go horribly wrong if she doesn’t keep her personal feelings out of doing what she must do as a police officer working to take a very bad guy down.

Ready?” I look at Baz.
He nods, checks his holster. “Why do I feel like we’re walking into something bad here?”
“We just need to get Sean to safety then we’ll regroup. Keep watchful.”
He reaches into the backseat and grabs the enforcer. “Just in case,” he says and I nod in agreement.

Overall, Ms. Kiernan has delivered an interesting, exciting and suspense-filled read in this book where the past comes back to haunt people and the ending had me worried for the heroine because of what happens but had me loving how everything works out for the best, especially considering what happens. I would recommend The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan, if you enjoy mystery/thrillers or books by authors Tess Gerritsen, Harlan Coben, Michael Connolly and James Patterson.
 

Book Info:

Publication: April 2nd, 2019 | Penguin Dutton | Frankie Sheehan #2

Death is no stranger to Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan, but she isn’t the only one from her small, coastal suburb to be intimately acquainted with it. Years ago, teenager Seán Hennessey shocked the tight-knit community when he was convicted of the brutal murder of his parents and attempted slaying of his sister, though he always maintained his innocence. Now, Seán is finally being released from prison—but when his newfound freedom coincides with the discovery of two bodies, the alleged connection between the cases only serves to pull Frankie further from answers even as it draws her closer to her town’s hidden darkness. With a television documentary revisiting Seán’s sentence pushing the public’s sympathies into conflict on a weekly basis, a rabid media pressuring the police like never before, and a rising body count, Frankie will need all of her resources if she is not only to catch a killer, but put to rest what really happened all those years ago.

A dark, irresistible cocktail of secrets, murder, and family, Olivia Kiernan’s latest is an impossible-to-put-down triumph.