Book #1 in the new Delaney series introduces Owen Mullen's legion of fans to PI Vincent Delaney. Delaney has a confused back story that includes his resignation from the New Orlean's Police Department. His experience levels the playing field when NOPD requests his assistance investigating a serial killer who targets children, specifically children competing in pageants. He agrees, but continues to work his current case, investigating NOPD officers who are extorting "protection" money from local shopkeepers. Then, a man from Delaney's NOPD days escapes and is out to pay back those who put him in prison, including our intrepid PI.
Owen Mullen skillfully crafts his characters and their communities to "fit" their story. Delaney's character would be out of place anywhwre except New Orleans and his crusty exterior perfectly protrays a man who has been pushed to a wall too many times. Pieces of Delaney's history flash through his mind as he works to save his clients from those who would harm them. The actions of his supporting cast match perfectly with the long known friends they are. And a man with a dog.....he has to be trustworthy.
This is a series that I'll follow, hoping Mullen has much enjoyment writing Delaney's stories as I do reading them.

So It Began by Owen Mullen Delaney Series (1 book series)
I have read a few books by this author and enjoyed them. This felt a little different
Interesting story line with some great characters.
I belive this is a rerelease and has been updated for the original book. It was a quick and easy read.

In 'So it Began', an odd choice of location is chosen for the narrative's focus. It is the strange world of pageants for children! This provides a very intriguing set of people and possibilities for things to go wrong. We can see the voice of the culprit play out (or do we?) and know how bad things are going to get before everything wraps up. There is a nail-biting pace with regards to the plot. To complicate matters, the lead protagonist - Vincent Delaney, has two other issues to focus on. This causes more hair-raising scenes for him, which may not have anything to do with the case at hand.
I cannot say much about the plot line because the reveal occurs in bits and pieces until the very end.
I would have liked this even more if the parts with Delaney's past were not there. I got the impression of his grief from the time without even having to see it play out on a scene-by-scene basis. It did not feel necessary enough to go into the details provided. This is probably the only reason I rated it the way I did. It would not matter as much to a hardened reader of this genre, and I would recommend it to those people.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

I had previously enjoyed Owen Mullen’s Glasgow-based series featuring PI Charlie Cameron so I was intrigued to try So It Began, which is a crime thriller set in New Orleans introducing us to PI Vincent Delaney. The location may be very different, but the writing and storytelling are excellent as always and I have now added New Orleans to the list of places I’d like to visit in America.
It is seven years since Delaney worked as a police officer, but when he is asked to help NOPD and the FBI with a joint investigation into a serial killer targeting children performing at pageants all across the country he cannot refuse. At the same time, he is investigating the extortion of shopkeepers in the North Le Moyne area of the city by corrupt police officers, and is looking over his shoulder for an escaped criminal, Julian Boutte, seeking revenge for the death of his brother.
I don’t particularly enjoy reading about the murders of children, but here the main focus was on catching the killer, rather than dwelling on the crimes themselves, and thankfully it was all handled with great sensitivity. The separate plot threads are woven together and brought to a conclusion in such a way as to suggest this may be the beginning of a series; I certainly hope so.
The story is told mostly through Delaney’s character, and his droll inner monologue lightens the darkness of the story. He is likeable and believable, with a cast of well-drawn supporting characters especially his music-loving dog, Lowell, who steals the show. There are also chapters giving us more detail about the children taking part in the pageants, and their families, so that we see them as real people and not just statistics. So It Began is a tense and gripping thriller with a great setting, that will keep you up late into the night as you just have to read one more chapter.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy to review.

I read other books by Owen Mullen and this is my favorite so far as I loved Delaney, the setting and the humor in this story.
It's a fast paced, action packed and the complex plot is well thought as it's never confusing or drags.
Delaney is an interesting characters and I liked him as he's a fleshed out, realistic and interesting characters.
I learned something about children pageant and liked the descriptions of New Orleans.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

So It Began is the first book in the Delaney thriller series by Owen Mullen. Originally released in 2017, this reformat and re-release is 246 pages and is available in ebook format. (Other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes finding phrases or passages so much easier when reading. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a serial killer thriller. The murders involve children, specifically children entered in pageants and shows. Although the author thankfully refrains from descriptions which are shocking or titillating, I found the subject matter relentlessly difficult to read and sad. The climax and denouement are well written, and admittedly go a way toward relieving the distressing plotline. The secondary plot threads are very well written and provide a great deal of backstory and development for titular protagonist Delaney. The main plots are resolved in this book and there's nothing left dangling at the end. (Cliffhangers annoy me).

The setting is New Orleans and although I've only briefly visited the city, I felt that the author did a good job with the setting and atmosphere. There weren't any errors which jumped out at me. The dialogue flows well and all in all it's an engaging and exciting read. The language is somewhat rough (as is, obviously, the subject matter).

Four stars. It would be a good fit for fans of modern police serial killer thrillers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Good story. It was hard to believe this was set in Louisiana with the English spelling of words - colour, favourite, etc. The ending definitely surprised me.

Once again another great book by Owen Mullen. I discovered this author last year and have now read all his books. There are two different storylines in the book, a wonderful read that I consumed in one sitting. Loved all the characters, Delaney being a major highlight, he is one of those that you feel like you would like to know in real life. I would love to see more of him in future books. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and would like to thank Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this fabulous book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Love Police procedural books and have found a new hero in PI Vincent Delaney. This was a fast paced and terrific thriller. Would recommend to other thriller seekers.

Good book!! I definitely enjoyed reading this one!! It was a real thriller! It had suspense, action, drama, and plenty of heart pounding moments! It was a real who done it too!! I usually can figure out who did it but this one had me guessing till the end!! I highly recommend reading this book! Its well worth the read! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Children who compete in pageants are found murdered near New Orleans. Vincent who is a private investigator is brought in by the fbi for assistance. The book captured my attention from the start

True to life, fast moving thriller

A fast moving thriller, with plenty of action and twists.

Delaney, having left the New Orleans Police Department 7 years before, is reluctant to accept an invitation to return to help them find a serial killer, but what choice does he have when children are dying. Meanwhile in his role as a Private Investigator he is approached to help stop an extortion scam, and hears that a criminal out to get him has escaped custody.

There is plenty going on in this fast moving thriller. All the action is intertwined skilfully without leading to any confusion, and held together by Delaney's wryly amusing observations of life. Delaney's music loving dog, Lowell, adds fun to the story, and of course Delaney has a life outside work which add another interesting dimension. As fans of Owen Mullen would expect, a musical band also plays a cameo role. I've not much to say here about the plot, for fear of giving anything away, except that everything seems very real and there are plenty of heart-stopping moments, plus a real gasp out loud moment.

The move from the Glasgow setting of Mullen's previous books to New Orleans works well, and I enjoyed the insights into the world of children's pageants that I had no previous knowledge of. Delaney is an interesting and very believable character, as are his friends and family.

Another great thriller from Owen Mullen. 5*s from me as the narrative is true to life and the storylines held me enthralled.