Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Although ‘Who Took Eden Mulligan?’ is described a mystery/thriller, it feels like more than that. The story essentially centres around 1980’s Belfast and the IRA. The story involves two separate crimes, seemingly unrelated. The relationship between the two crimes was not revealed until the end and did link the two storylines together logically. Overall, a good read.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? By: Sharon Dempsey Narrated by: Melaine MacHugh was a very enjoyable gripping audiobook. This book is based in Northern Ireland and it was very gritty and full of twists and turns throughout. I loved it. The narrator was first class!

I highly recommend this audiobook. 4+ stars.

Big thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Who Took Eden Mulligan?,

This was a great "listen" with excellent and very clear narration. It had a great twisty and very interesting plot, showing that the shadow of "The Troubles" still looms large and colours people's lives today. Highly recommended!

This is a very interesting debut and I plan to follow Ms Dempsey from now, as her writing is engaging and she definitely knows how to get you to be interested in the cause she presents.

For a debuting author, there are many pluses - she has picked up fascinating background of The Troubles, a very dark period in the Northern Ireland history - and more, how the past can easily influence the present times. She well presents the pain, the hurt and the psychological damage the politics (with shame belonging to all the parts to the conflict) can do on the country and on the lives of individuals. Also, how family bonds can reach deeper than any other relationships.
The "entry" subplot is so interestingly built-up - there is a horrible murder case (3 dead bodies, one guy fighting for his life in hospital and one damaged girl confessing the crime to the police), yet the crime gains new nuances with the writing on the wall - "Who took Eden Mulligan"? - referring to the case of a missing mother of five in 1986, never solved.
Intertwined into the story is the painful history of The Troubles - and to me, the historical part of the case is the most interesting part of the novel, because it resonates with me with its complex character, background and very real pain.

But also - while the authoress gives very significant attention to the historical part (also Rose, one of the main characters, is confronting her family history) - the present time murder case feels only like a "vehicle" to bring the emotional pain of The Troubles to the spotlight. We should never forget the past - but the living people should be the most important.

As for the audiobook - the narrator, Ms Melaine MacHugh, did wonderful job. She makes the characters and the history to come alive.
Her voice is pleasant and - what is more important for me - she never "undid" or "overdid" her narration. She simply accompanies the novel in the best meaning.

A truly amazing account and thoroughly absorbing. Definitely one of my favourites handling a delicate subject with care and sincerity. The plot twists and characters are amazing ......a must read!!!!

I really wanted to love this audio book but I did struggle with it. The story itself was great but I just found myself easily distracted and couldn't absorb myself 100% into it.

I was totally engrossed in this story from the first page. DI Danny Stowe is in disgrace, he has been relegated to cold cases following a disastrous outcome. When the murder of three young people throws up a possible connection to a famous cold case, the disappearance of Eden Mulligan, he has the chance to redeem himself. He enlists the help of forensic psychologist Rose Lainey, his friend from university but Rose has returned to Belfast for a funeral and she has dark secrets of her own. A riveting read.

This is a police crime novel with a difference. I listened to the audiobook, which was great. The narrator was very skilled, and put across the story very well.

There is a twist in the tale, and all is not as it seems, and the tale unravels with a great deal of skill.All in all it was very enjoyble and well executed.

Sharon Dempsey is now a permanent member of my favourites list.

This was my first experience with an audio book, and to be honest I was a little disappointed. There were times while listening that I really wanted to go back a chapter or two to check something, but I couldn’t. I’m not sure if this is something you’re supposed to be able to do, but it didn’t work for me! I would like to read the story again some time, rather than listen to it.

It started well, and I immediately liked DI Danny Stowe who was relegated to investigating cold cases after messing up a previous assignment. He was tasked with reinvestigating the disappearance of Eden Mulligan, a mother of five, who vanished without trace during The Troubles in 1986. He meets his old university friend, now Dr Rose Lainey, a forensic psychologist, who has returned to Belfast for the first time in fifteen years to attend her mother’s funeral. Together they work to solve the mystery of Eden Mulligan and the recent murder of four young people which is somehow connected to the case. There was lots about Danny’s and Rose’s pasts which I found interesting, but I couldn’t help feeling there was a bit too much of it. I wanted them to get on with solving the cases! The story was too slow-paced for me, and although the narrator did a decent job, her voice seemed flat and emotionless at times, if not a little dreary. I also found it difficult to get used to a woman’s voice reading the Danny sections and was sometimes confused about which male was speaking when there was more than one in the conversation. I learned a lot about The Troubles, the IRA, family relationships, and how people are still affected today by what happened. Interesting, but I was hoping for a fast-paced thriller, and, for me, this wasn’t. It was just an OK read – and I’m sorry I can’t be more positive about it.

I’m going to come straight out and say that this book was not everything I hoped for. I’ve been trying to think of different ways to word this to express that I just didn’t love this book without coming across too negative at first, but I’m struggling.

I love the concept. I love anything that ties up loose ends of cold cases, and the false confession and creepy dolls had me sold that I would be enthralled with the plot. Unfortunately that was not the case.

Ultimately, there was nothing wrong with this book. I just feel like it really wasn’t for me.

I wasn’t pulled in, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, I wasn’t staying up late to finish it. I didn’t care too much about Danny or Rose’s private lives – I’m not a massive fan of really good crime books that spend too much time on the investigators and their involvement instead of focusing on the case. I don’t think the way Danny talked about his ex wife’s anorexia was particularly supportive or sensitive, either. So while I was sort of rooting for these two to get together by the end of the novel, it wasn’t an overwhelming factor for me.

The pacing is really slow, too. Even though we dive straight into the case from the first page, from there it feels like very little happens for such a long time. There are no developments, very few leads, and I found myself thinking to myself time and time again how another chapter had ended and it seemed like the plot hadn’t moved forward at all. We hadn’t learned anything new about a character or a clue, days were passing and it was just dragging. And unfortunately, I didn’t find the pay off that satisfactory either.

I wish I had better things to say about this book. The audiobook narration was fine – nothing wonderful that made me feel things for the book, but it wasn’t the most monotone audiobook I’ve ever listened to either. Everything about this book is just a bit ‘fine’ and I’ve really tried but I can’t find any stand out moments with it.

I really enjoyed this intriguing crime novel set in Belfast, linking a present day murder to the disappearance of a young mother, Eden Mulligan, back in the 1980s.

The book is quite dark and a little bit creepy (those dolls hanging from the tree!!) and I was totally hooked from the start. Sharon Dempsey is a new author to me, but I loved the characters she created, Rose Lainey, a forensic psychologist and DI Danny Stowe, who both have problems in their private lives which help to make them realistic and likeable.

The real star of the book is the setting, and the backdrop of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland. Ms Dempsey described brilliantly the fear felt by people during this period, and how it still affects them in the present.

I loved the narrator, Melanie McHugh's voice, and this added to my enjoyment of the book. I hope there will be a second book in the series.

This was a well thought out, intricate thriller. Beginning with a young girl walking into a police station seemingly confessing to a horrific crime that ties into an unsolved disappearance. The book centred on themes such as reinvention, the troubles in Ireland, family ties and never being able to fully let go of your past. I could see this being adapted into a TV series. The characters were well developed and likeable.
The plot was good if a little slow to get going and I was kept guessing right to the end with who the murderer was.
An enjoyable read altogether.

1. Good premise but…

Unfortunately, this book did not manage to live up to its intriguing premise. And boy, I really tried to get into it but in vain, perhaps it was just a tad too slow for my liking.

2. The Setting

The setting of this story was way more interesting than the story itself, I’d go so far as to say that it was the highlight of this book.

3. The Good and the Bad

The writing was good but repeating certain details, multiple times, was not needed and made my reading experience a little less enjoyable.

4. The End

I had so much hope for the finale, I even thought that if it was good, it would redeem the whole book and make it worth a read. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit of a let-down as it was both, rushed and unconvincing.

5. The Final Verdict

This book was not my cup of tea but it might be your cup of coffee, who knows? Might be worth a read to find out.

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

*Many thanks to Sharon Dempsey, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Sometimes I enjoy a book not for the story but for the background against which it is set. Who Took Eden Mulligan is one of those books.
The murder of three people in a cottage not far from Belfast is the starting point for the investigation into a cold case that goes back to the 1980s, The Troubles. While reading I had a feeling that the author's real intention was to talk about those difficult times and the murder investigation might draw a larger number of readers than non-fiction. I appreciated everything I learnt about the life during The Troubles, the atmosphere, the daily hardships, the role of Church and the killings, but the plot itself was not well-structured, and I was left unconvinced at the end of the book. Eden Mulligan represents those of the Disappeared whose fate still remains to be uncovered.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Dempsey and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the first book by Sharon Dempsey that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it took a little while to set the scene but after a few chapters it starts to get really good. I can see this being made into a tv series or film. It’s a dark, gripping thriller and brilliant. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? by Sharon Dempsey is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story was intricately woven between a modern day multiple murder case and the disappearance of mother-of-five Eden Mulligan in the 80s during The Troubles in Belfast.

Lead by DI Danny and Forensic Psychologist Rose the team needs to work out if the cases are linked and who is involved.

Well written, well narrated, with an interesting storyline and good character development this book kept me guessing til the end. An enjoyable 4 stars. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator portrayed the characters brilliantly.

The story was gripping, characters were well established and overall a great listen!

Would definitely be interested in more of these books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

They are dead they are all dead .... what seems like a predictable murder confession is anything but. Many questions to answer and people to talk to.
Sharon Dempsey takes us on an investigative journey to find out the truth.
You want to continue as each step you get closer to the truth.

Good pace audio and you get a real chance to meet the characters.

Firstly, the narrator did a great job and read the story well.
The story itself was excellent; both chilling and heartbreaking. Telling the story of a missing mother of 5 who vanished during the troubles. Somehow this is linked to a recent and gruesome murder. A totally unputdownable tale

I'd like to thank net galley for giving me opportunity to listen to audio version of Who Took Eden Mulligan.

This was a very good book and I enjoyed the frequent references to locations in and around Belfast. It brought the book to life.

The storyline was not overly complex making it easy to follow. There was good character development with a hint of back stories which I hope leads to more books by this author.