Cozy mystery gone wrong... I did not vibe with the writing at all. I felt it was confusing and lacking. The characters contradicted themselves, and the names? What was with those names?
The plot and mystery behind Penny, her daughter, and The Puppet Maker was interesting, but not enough to keep my attention though this book. It was not worth the read. It moved way too slow, and didn't give up a whole lot of information.
I would not recommend this book. Maybe if the author rewrote it as a movie, it would be good, but otherwise it was just a waste of my time.

The Puppet Maker is the first book in the Detective Alana Mack series. It's a bit confusing because her name is shortened to Alan throughout the entire book. There was not much character development or background of the main character and so I'm hoping for more of that in the following books. The synopsis portrays the story one way, but I feel the actual book lacked in conveying clearly. This book is a bit heavier with the abuse scenes depicted. I don't do well with reading about abuse of humans or animals and I had to skip some parts of it. I was intrigued to find out what would cause a mother to purposefully abandon her child in the grocery store and that part of the story drew me in. I am hoping book two can give me more of what I want as far as Alana's background.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Puppet Maker by Jenny O Brown

The first-time in a series and if This one is setting the pace for the others , we are going to get a brilliant new favourite detective in Alana Mack . Having her in a wheelchair really adds to the story and what a unusual character she is . I can see a t.v. series all over it !
A great setting in in Clonabee, Ireland as I love detective stories that take you away from gritty big cities but that no way took the gritty out of the plot with , at times , quite series and brutal subject matters.
Can't wait for the next one.



.

Great characters, great plot with several twists along the way.
Thank you to Jenny O'Brien, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Not your typical crime fighting book as the MC is wheelchair bound but she is determined to not let her disability get in the way of her budding career. I would have liked to learn more about the accident that caused Alan to be in a wheelchair but since I’ve never read anything from this author before it could have been mentioned previously or maybe it’s in the next 2 books but more background would have been helpful. The beginning really gets you hooked and makes you think WHAT could be so bad that a mother abandons her daughter in a grocery store. But the book definitely depicts what a mother will do to save her child. There were a few things I struggled with. I am from the USA so I’m not familiar with Irish police and other branches so that got confusing at times. There were a lot of characters I struggled to remember who and how they were involved. At some points it was confusing to differentiate between the past and present. But, overall it was an excellent read and I will definitely be reading the sequels!

Top marks for originality!

This is the first of three books in a new detective series set in Clonabee, Ireland and featuring a disabled detective, Alana ‘Alan’ Mack.

I loved:
✔️underrepresented protagonist as police detective (divorced, wheelchair user, tenacious)
✔️unique cast of characters; plentiful but unique voices
✔️setting (Dublin environs)
✔️intense hook at beginning
✔️progression of complex plot and characters
✔️well-done police procedural with multiple cases
✔️great pacing
✔️great title and connection to Alana’s ex-husband’s career

Things I struggled with:
✔️Alana’s name shorted to Alan
✔️graphic detail
✔️abuse
✔️suspension of disbelief
✔️keeping on top of timeline cues

There’s no doubt this will be a great series!

I was gifted this copy by Storm Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

An abandoned toddler, a man who disappears seemingly into thin air, and a bag of organs tossed into a garbage can in the city center.

Are they connected? Weeks before Christmas this is what Detective Alana (Alan) Mack must figure out. Almost a year since a tragic work accident left her wheelchair-bound she is trying her hardest to prove to her new supervisor that she can still do her job and lead her team. Along with her team, she attempts to unravel the clues in these cases before time runs out for the latest victim.

I liked this book and I am looking forward to the series that will come from these characters! It was a page-turner of a book that kept me captivated.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Puppet Maker by Jenny 0’Brien is the first book in the new Detective Alana Mack (known as Alan) and the first book from the author I have read.
Set in Clonabee, Ireland Detective Alan returns to work after an accident that leaves her disabled in a wheelchair. Her first two cases are a crying child left abandoned in a supermarket. With bags left with her some essentials and a note saying to look after her. The mother obviously doesn’t want to be found. The other is a case of two homeless men who find a bag of human entrails dumped in a nearby bin. When a man goes missing Alan knows that she has a serial killer on her hands. She needs to find them before they strike again.
Thank you, Storm publishing, for a copy of ‘The Puppet maker’ by Jenny O’Brien. I really enjoyed this suspenseful, gritty thriller. This has a great character, especially Alan, a feisty character and doesn’t let anything get in her way. The storylines was well developed and cleverly written that both blended in nicely. I will look forward to seeing how this series develops. 5 stars from me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgallery for the ARC. Oh my goodness I where do I start with this book. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish it really kept me on my toes as I raced through the chapters at speed and I read well into the night!

This plot was full of suspense and a real page turner throughout. The characters were well written and my favourite character was Alana as I felt the author portrayed Alana as a strong woman despite her disability. I also loved the atmospheric Dublin setting which reminded me of home and I had a sense of connection to the book. This book needs be everyone’s TBR pile.

A brilliantly plot full of suspense and intrigue and with the right amount of gore to entertain but not put me off my tea.
The story starts with the heart wrenching toddler being purposefully abandoned by its mother in a supermarket, but all is not what it seems and thought and care has gone into the essentials that have been bought and left with her and the note…
As with the best stories, the secrets of the main characters start to unfurl all of which are gritty and tragic which culminates in the makings of a serial killer and plentiful victims.
I liked the police characters and the way they were developed as individuals in their own right, each with their own backstories and trials. It was a well paced and very enjoyable and entertaining read and I’d definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more by this author.

What a thrilling and creepy murderer!! Having read other crime books by the author, I did not hesitate to request it from NetGalley. A very good plot, for me a bit too gruesome as to the murders though, which kept me glued to the book up to the end. I particularly enjoyed all the team investigating the murders with Alan, each with a different but always likable personality. Can't wait for the next book in the series!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Wow – tense and intense! I was completely gripped by the first in Jenny O’Brien’s new series. It’s unflinchingly gritty, tackling topics that made parts of it hard to read, yet completely impossible to put down. I loved the high-adrenaline storyline and the lead detective Alan (Alana) Mack is a fantastic and complex character. The atmospheric Dublin setting also drew me in and I’m full of curiosity about how relations between the series characters will play out. First-rate!

Alana Mack has been left in a wheelchair after an accident but upon returning to work quickly finds herself involved with an abandoned child and men than are going missing seemingly into thin air.

A gruesome story which held my attention

A great first installment and I can't wait for the next.

Thanks to netgalley for this arc

4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I have read a lot of book series and I have to admit this book is one of the best starts to a series I ever read. I was completely surprised at how good it is as I’ve never heard of or read the author before so not sure what to expect. I was totally engaged with the characters and the plot which had some interesting twists. It was definitely a page turner that I didn’t want to put down. I’m excited for the next instalment. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

I liked this, but it was a lukewarm like. It felt very Irish, with a lot of slang, jargon and vernacular that I wasn't familiar with, but which added to the story. The hero was interesting, but the backstory felt a little thin. There were several gruesome parts here, but it wasn't exploited or made gratuitous. It wasn't really a mystery and wasn't really a thriller, but nonetheless I enjoyed the story and would read more from the author.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Started well, but for whatever reason, it never held my interest. A shame asI have loved the last few books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I usually really like Jenny O'Brien books, but I wasn't sure about this one. The main characters were hard to feel any empathy with, but that may just be because it was the first in a new series so hopefully the characters will develop over time. I found some parts of the story confusing as it jumped around a lot especially towards the end. I will look out for more as the series grows as I am sure it will improve, so don't be put off if it the first Jenny O'Brien book you have read!
I reviewed an ARC copy of the book.

This was my first book by Jenny O’Brien and I am thoroughly impressed. I am a big thriller/horror fan and this book put me in a chokehold. Gruesome and disturbing are some right words for a couple of parts. The MC, Detective Alana Mack, was something fierce and I love that. Can’t wait for more to come out. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this

Tense, pacey, with an addictive plot and interesting characters but a bit too gruesome for me I had to skip some passages. Don’t let that put you off, it’s a great read and I tend to be a bit squeamish. Detective Alana Mack is a fascinating character and Jenny’s excellent portrayal of a strong woman with a disability fed smoothly into the story. A good police procedural and the first in what I’m sure will prove to be a very popular detective series.

The first book in the crime series starring Detective Alana Mack. An addictive read with hopefully many more to follow in the future.
Detective Alana (Alan) Mack is still recovering from an accident that left her in a wheelchair, but has returned to work to find herself involved in a case with an abandoned two year old and a bag of human remains.
I loved the characters in this story and the way the different storylines gradually became one as the book progressed. It was fast paced and an easy, enjoyable read. I am very much looking forward to more in this series.
With thanks to Netgallery and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.