This is set in Ireland. It is an engaging police procedural. There are some interesting characters. It is fast paced and has plenty of twists.

Thank you Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the ARC.

Martina really doesn't disappoint.

This was gripping and completely addictive and it is like watching events play out and sent shivers down my spine.

I completely devoured this and it was absolutely great and to be completely honest, is a must read and would make great TV.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Quite the ride! Very cinematic in scope and very much had been guessing till the very end.

This is tense, gripping and completely addictive. I have felt as though I have been watching the events of this one play out. This is realistic and believable, guaranteed to send shivers down the spine of the reader.

This has been completely unpredictable and been a book I have devoured. I literally thought I had this figured out then BANG, a twist thrown in that completely pulls the floor from under you.

Thanks to the publisher for letting me read this book, I didn’t read the first in the series and I think I’d have benefited from Thai books more if I did.

All in all this was a great police procedural that I really enjoyed and I’ll be getting the first book.

Set in and around County Mayo, Ireland, and featuring Detective Lucy Golden. The Branded is an engaging police procedural. That sees Lucy and her Garda colleagues search for a killer. When a young girl is found dumped in a suitcase, in a loch on Achill Island.

But as the team set out to identify this teenager. They soon learn she was never listed as missing and they want to know why. So they head to Dublin for answers.

Then another death occurs, but this one is suicide isn't it?

Only Lucy and her boss Cig William William aren't so sure, and Lucy is certain this death is linked to the body in the suitcase.

But why? And how is she supposed to prove it?

And with some nice twists, interesting characters and plenty of procedural detail. This was an enjoyable read. But it did take me a while to get into it and I did find the pace quite slow.

When the body of a young girl is discovered in a lake DS Lucy Golden is put in charge of finding out who she is and what happened to her. When it's concluded she was murdered Lucy and the team must find out who she was and how she ended up there.

This is a fast paced thriller that has plenty of twists to keep the pages turning. Great characters and a brilliant plot kept me hooked from start to finish.

I loved this book and I've added the previous book to my ever expanding tbr list.

If you are thinking of reading The Branded by Martina Murphy then get ready for a gritty, exciting and original thriller set in the West coast of Ireland (with a few trips to Dublin in between), looking for the perpetrator of a horrific murder / body dump in a local reservoir.

Detective Lucy Golden who works closely with detective Dan, but has a turbulent relationship with her boss DI William Williams, which seems to motivate her all more to discover who and more importantly why would someone commit such a crime.

All the detectives on the team get a chance to show their skills as the investigation proceeds, but Lucy seems to connect everything together.

I really enjoyed reading The Branded, the story was well constructed, moved along at a good pace and finished with a clever conclusion. I will make a point to look out for more from this author.

Thank you so much for being approved by Little Brown Book Group UK Constable and NetGalley to read and review this book.

The second in the DS Lucy Golden series and it didn't disappoint!! The story is full of plot twists and turns that kept me gripped to the book!! It was lovely to revisit with the characters and to see them evolve. I love how Lucy gets along with her co-workers and to read more about the family. It was well written and I enjoyed the story. I will recommend this book.

Police procedural,part of a series. Characters were interesting and varied and the police team interacted well. Plenty of twists to keep the readers interest.

Thank you as always for the advanced copy.
Another new author for me and I have not read the first in this series.

I struggled at first but persevered and glad I did, I enjoyed it, very well written and full of twists and turns, a plot that felt real with explanations when needed. Lucy is a great character and I liked the fact that we also got to see the other side to her life.
I will go back and read the previous book now!

Highly recommended

At first I found it really hard to get into this book and kept putting it down and picking it up, but I am so glad I persevered because I ended up loving it. The writing was good and the mystery was intense and kept me guessing. Overall an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Branded, the second novel to feature DS Lucy Golden, set in County Mayo.

A suitcase containing the body of a teenager is found in Lough Acorrymore on Achill Island. Lucy is tasked with identifying her and soon discovers that she was a runaway with links to a Dublin homeless shelter. The investigation is slow until another body with links to the same shelter is found.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Branded, which is an absorbing read with some unexpected twists and turns. It has a linear timeline and is told mostly from Lucy’s point of view with the odd switch to a homeless teenager, Sarah, to provide context and background. This works well as it allows the reader to get immersed in the story and urges them to keep turning the pages, while getting a glimpse of the issues involved in homelessness.

The murder investigation is absorbing, but I also enjoyed the trials and tribulations of Lucy’s home life. The two mix well, offering a more rounded picture of Lucy and the modern family. I could be here all day explaining it, despite it not being anything too earth shattering, but it’s a fascinating slice of life. The other characters may not be as well developed but as an ensemble they are believable and relatable and their banter is fun.

The plot is interesting. At first it’s all about identifying the victim and finding suspects, but as the information comes in Lucy begins to think there is something darker behind the murders. It’s all done realistically and organically, with no happy coincidences or massive strokes of luck. I liked that and the procedural aspects which keep the investigation on point. It’s tautly written and fast moving. The resolution comes quickly, but, again, I think this is realistic, although I felt that the explanations weren’t quite as expansive as I would have liked. Still, it’s an absorbing read and deeper than many in the genre.

The Branded is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.