Too Close to Breathe
by Olivia Kiernan
Olivia Kiernan's tautly written debut novel immerses readers in a chilling murder case . . . and the tantalizing, enigmatic victim at the center of it all.
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 ago, Frankie's pursuit of a killer almost ended her life and she isn't keen on investigating another homicide. But the autopsy reveals poorly healed bones and old stab wounds, absent from medical records. A new cut is carefully, 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 closely in life as she does in death.
As the investigation grows 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.
❃❃Too Close to Breathe releases April 3rd
Momma Says: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
Too Close to Breathe is dark, gritty, and at times, deeply disturbing. The story takes us on a chilling journey through the world of BDSM, abuse, self-harm, and the dark web. The hunt for the killer did draw me in and kept me reading to see how it would all play out, but the drawback for me was a lack of connection with Frankie. She's just returning to work and still dealing with an attack during a previous case. We do get bits of pieces of that case throughout the book, so I can understand and empathize with her, but for whatever reason, there was that lack of connection that kept me from getting fully immersed in the story. The author does have talent and I'll be interested to see her growth as the series progresses.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton
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