Bloggin' 'bout Books: 06/03/17

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

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Third Maeve Kerrigan Mystery Twisty, Disturbing

9:48 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for The Last Girl, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Maeve Kerrigan mysteries. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

Philip Kennford, a London district attorney with a cutthroat reputation, lives a life of luxury. He, his pampered wife, and their twin daughters dwell in a mammoth house, wear designer clothes, and enjoy all the lavish trappings their vast wealth can purchase. Money, however, cannot buy happiness or close family ties. The Kennfords' dysfunction becomes all too apparent when Mrs. Kennford and one of her daughters are brutally stabbed to death in their home. Although Philip receives minor injuries, the other twin escapes unscathed. Robbery is suggested as a motive for the attacks but is quickly dismissed. Philip's cold reaction to the murders is curious. So is that of 15-year-old Lydia, the surviving twin. Did Philip kill his family? If so, why is Lydia alive when Philip's favorite child lies dead in a morgue? Something sinister is definitely going on here. But what?

It's up to DC Maeve Kerrigan and her partner, the odious DI Josh Derwent, to find out. As they investigate the killings, the duo uncovers a whole mess of lies and secrets slithering beneath the surface of the Kennfords' glittering lifestyle. In the midst of trying to solve this heinous case, Maeve must also deal with the ever-present mocking of her mostly male colleagues. Even worse, her beloved boss is making decisions she finds not just shocking but also unethical, even illegal. Can Maeve and Josh solve the puzzling Kennford case? What about their boss's under-the-table activities? Do they have the heart—let alone the guts—to stop him?

Although this series seems to get darker as it goes, I'm still a big Maeve Kerrigan fan. She's an admirable heroine—brave, compassionate, long-suffering, and funny. The Last Girl, the third Jane Casey mystery starring Maeve, is intriguing and compelling. It's also twisty; I did not see the (very disturbing ending) coming at all. These books are not for the faint of heart, but if you like gritty British/Irish crime novels, you'll definitely want to check out Maeve Kerrigan and other books by her creator.

(Readalikes: Other books in the Maeve Kerrigan series, including Left For Dead [novella]; The Burning; The Reckoning; The Stranger You Know; The Kill; After the Fire; and Let the Dead Speak. Also, Jane Casey mysteries are similar to those written by Tana French, Sharon Bolton, and Peter May)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, blood/gore, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: Another library ~~fine~~ find

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane (Jan)
2. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore (Jan)
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear* [re-read] (Jan)
4. Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells (Jan)
5. Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell (Jan)
6. Not Dead Yet: The Memoir by Phil Collins* [audio] (Feb))
7. The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (Feb)
8. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers (Feb)
9. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Feb)
10. A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Feb)
11. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron* [re-read] (Feb)
12. The Lake Escape by Jamie Day (Feb)
13. Treacherous is the Night by Anna Lee Huber [audio] (Feb)
14. The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly (Feb)
15. The Missing by Kristen Landon (Feb)
16. Dark and Bright by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
17. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown* [audio] (Feb)
18. Boiled Over by Barbara Ross (Feb)
19. Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor (Feb)
20. Coach by Jason Reynolds* [audio] (Feb)
21. The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Feb)
22. The Claiming by Jasmine Warga (Feb)
23. Dark and Deep by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
24. Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy (Feb)
25. Zoom With a View by Jess Cannon (Feb)
26. The Nowhere Child by Christian White (Feb)
27. An Ordinary Kind of Evil by Kelley Armstrong* (Feb)
28. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (Feb)
29. Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter (Feb)
30. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Feb)
31. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart [audio] (Feb)
32. In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann (Mar)
33. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (Mar)
34. Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton [audio] (Mar)
35. Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns [audio] (Mar)
36. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon (Mar)
37. Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
38. The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Mar)
39. A Holiday Homicide by Elile Alexander [audio] (Mar)
40. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman (Mar)
41. The Body in the Woods by April Henry [audio] (Mar)
42. Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart (Mar)
43. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (Mar)
44. Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (Mar)
45. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack (Mar)
46. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
47. Rock-Solid Relationships: Strengthening Personal Relationships With Wisdom from the Scriptures by Wendy Watson (Apr)
48. A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Apr)
49. Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (Apr)
50. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (Apr)
51. Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce [re-read] [audio] (Apr)
52. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (Apr)
53. Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton (Apr)
54. The Rush by Beth Lewis* (Apr)
55. Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter [audio] (Apr)
56. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown [re-read] (Apr)
57. The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald (Apr)
58. Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee (Apr)
59. The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery (Apr)
60. Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve by Rocio Salas-Whalen (Apr)
61. Dust by Alison Stine (Apr)
62. What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic by Annie Kotowicz (Apr)
63. The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper [audio] (Apr)
64. A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper (Apr)
65. Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (May)
66. Stabbed in the Baklava by Tina Kashian (May)
67. The Chambermaid's Key by Genevieve Graham* (May)
68. The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian (May)
69. This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum (May)
70. Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (May)
71. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth* [re-read] (May)
72. Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander [re-read] (May)
73. Last One Out by Jane Harper (May)
74. Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli (May)
75. Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn (Jun)
76. A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (Jun)
77. How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz* (Jun)
78. What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally (Jun)
79. Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert (Jun)
80. The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien (Jun)
81. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney (Jun)
82. The Secret Thread by Eve Chase (Jun)
83. Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz [audio] (Jun)
84. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown [re-read] (Jun)
85. The Hike by Lucy Clarke (Jun)
86. The Foundling by Ann Leary (Jun)
87. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen* (Jun)
88. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth* [re-read] (Jun)
89. 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke (Jun)
90. You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke (Jun)
91. Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (Jun)

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Third Maeve Kerrigan Mystery Twisty, Disturbing

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2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

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Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)