I like murder mystery with a bit of a difference. In this case, the story is set in Dublin in the 60’s. A young woman trying to make her mark in the male-dominated world of newspaper journalism is asked to do a ‘piece’ on the discovery of a body, found to be that of a woman who went missing a number of years earlier.
The story is well written, with various sub-plots woven through it. I was definitely drawn in , and there were enough hints and red herrings to keep you wondering.
As Nicolette digs into the past, she uncovers more than she bargained for.
It got a bit confusing in places trying to fit events into a time line and there were some aspects of the story towards the end which I didn’t think were totally convincing but overall a good read.

The book is set in Ireland in the 70's but focuses on a Julie Bridges an actress who went missing back in the 50's, for which Gloria Fitzpatrick had been convicted of murder for. Now reporter Nicolette is digging in to the past and stumbles upon secrets that could be closer to home than she could imagine. I like that the book felt atmospheric and true to era, set in and around Christmas time when it is cold and dark. The book flicks from present to now as we begin to uncover what really happened to Julie and what else could be dig up and uncovered.

Nicoletta is a reporter on the trail of a story. A skeleton has been dug up and identified as a long missing actress. The policeman in charge has already decided who is guilty but is he right?

I found this to be a very slow burner of a book. The writing is good but for me the story didn't deliver and I found that I didn't; really care about the outcome One of the main problems was the number of characters. I had difficulty following who was who. I also found it surprising that Nicoletta didn't come up against more opposition to her story seeking..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A terrific read; pacy, twisty, full of dark secrets and original characters. This was my first taste of Claire Coughlan and I'm hungry for more.

"Where They Lie" is nostalgic without being sentimental about the past and although it is set in two bygone decades deals with with issues we are still encountering today. The challenges women - working-class women especially - were facing in the 1950s and 1960s, be it in the workplace, in obtaining healthcare, in education...they are all here and we are still experiencing them in some quarters still today.

I ripped through it is a couple of days, but would have tackled it at a single sitting if I'd had the time!

Recommended!

I found the first half of the book a bit of a slow meandering story but it picks up and there is a good twist at the end.

A dark and original novel that really takes the reader to 1960s Dublin and sets the scene. I was interested and engaged from the beginning and Nicoletta is a good strong woman. Bit overworked at times and I had to suspend belief aroun some events but this is a good historical thriller and I hope to read more by this author.

This is a book full of horrible people, unexpected twists and turns and experiences of life in a world when being a woman was difficult for many different reasons. It captures the 1960’s vibe well and the story rocks along at a fair pace. However , I didn’t feel invested in the story and I didn’t like any of the characters which made it a difficult read however others might feel very different about it, I was a young teenager in the 60’s so maybe that is why I understood the misogyny. There was a huge cast of characters in the book which I also found confusing at times trying to work out who was who and who they were related to.

Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I started off being very drawn in to this book and expected to enjoy it more than I did. I found that the story became a little slow and rather disjointed. I liked the writing style but felt that there could have been more to it all. I was slightly disappointed by the ending as nothing was truly resolved.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I enjoyed this. It's a twisty turney, Irish crime read, with a difference, the writing reminded me a little of Benjamin Black (early books) perhaps it was the setting - it was very atmospheric.
Happy to recommend this if you're looking for a good old crime novel with a foot in the past.

One I would return to, slow burn but kept me turning the pages & I did enjoy the novel.
I’d recommend this book to friends too :)

In Dublin in 1968 Nicoletta Sarto is struggling to find her way as a junior reporter at the male dominated Sentinel newspaper. The author portrays the struggle women had to make themselves heard in what was, at that time, a male dominated workplace, and also the stigma unmarried pregnant women faced. Nicoletta is given the chance to prove herself when a body is discovered, which appears to belong to an actress who went missing in 1943.

I liked the premise of this book but found the pace to be a bit slow and I couldn’t empathise with Nicoletta. A couple of the plot lines felt a bit obvious and I was slightly disappointed by the ending. However, as a debut novel this is a good start, and the author is one to look out for.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Set in Dublin in 1968 Nicoletta Sarto, an eager young reporter, gets involved in a case when the bones of a woman missing since 1943 are found in a garden on the outskirts of the City.
From the start it’s apparent Nicoletta is hiding secrets, not only in her personal life but also in a possible family connection to a woman who may have been responsible for the death of the missing woman.
It’s atmospheric and the author does a good job of portraying the misogyny towards women of that era, both socially and in the workplace, also the lengths desperate women had to go to to procure an abortion.
That said good crime fiction has me holding my breath particularly towards the final denouncement, sadly I just didn’t get it with this book, possibly because I didn’t feel invested enough in the character of Nicoletta, I found her irritating especially her relationship with Barney which I felt detracted from the main storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC

Set in Dublin in 1968, this is the story of an unsolved disappearance, and decades later, of a young journalist who is determined to find the truth. The story moves smoothly between the time zones, and holds the reader’s attention with some unexpected twists and turns, this is really excellent story telling, convincing characterisation and a strong sense of place - a first book from a new writer who deserves to do well.

In impressive setting and premise pulled me into the book. It is a cosy thriller with a lot of underlying themes especially that of women building their careers in make driven industries and underground abortions.

While I found it to be a bit of a slow burn it is a good thriller once you set pace. Would recommend it for its lead character, premise and underlying themes.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster for a review copy of this book. Set in late 60s Dublin this novel is an atmospheric thriller that evokes the dark underside of Dublin at a time when women struggled to have a career, especially in the male dominated world of journalism, as well as showing the difficulties women faced navigating a strict, religious society who allowed women no mistakes.

Nicoletto Sarto, a junior reporter for an Irish newspaper is attempting to gain a promotion and secure a respected position within the newspaper, despite her parents’ disapproval. They would rather she help out in their shop and settle down like any good daughter would. But Nicoletto is ambitious and despite the fact that the senior reporter with who she’s been having a relationship has just had his wife reappear on the scene, she’s trying to keep her head in the game and takes on the job of investigating and reporting on the discovery of the skeleton of Julia Bridges in the garden of a prominent Dublin man’s home. While trying to uncover the truth of what happened to Bridges Nicoletto finds herself drawn into a hugely tangled web of relationships, underground abortions and events that she never expected, as well as shocking truths that have her questioning everything in her life.

A fine debut novel Coughlin who creates and absorbing and page-turning suspense novel that sits comfortably alongside the Banville Quirke novels or even Tana French novels. Great reading for a cosy afternoon.

Dublin, 1943
Actress Julia Bridges disappears, and it's widely thought that Gloria Fitzpatrick, who is later put on trial for the murder of another woman, also killed Julia.
But it’s never proven, and with Gloria's death a few years later, the truth of what happened to Julia Bridges dies with her.
 Until . . .
 Dublin, 1968
Ambitious junior reporter Nicoletta Sarto is drawn into investigating the 25-year-old mystery of Julia’s disappearance when her bones are discovered. The story takes Nicoletta into the tangled underworld of the illegal abortion industry, stirring up long-buried secrets from her own past.

Review:
Shrouded in haunting mystery, Where They Lie weaves together the delicate threads of murder, criminality, investigative journalism with more than a hint of Detective work, injustice, and personal tragedy, featuring a large cast of interesting characters.
Being immersed into Nicoletta's world of intrigue, whilst she simultaneously battles very personal issues, was like being thrust straight back in time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Journalist Nicoletta Sarto was born to solve the mystery of what happened to actress Julia Bridges, who disappeared in 1943, Julia's remains have been found in the garden of a house in Dublin. It's now 1968. The local Garda inspector is convinced that Julia died at the hands of Gloria Fitzpatrick, who went on trial for facilitating the abortion of another woman.

Nicoletta starts an investigation of her own and gradually unravels a complicated story.

She is a doughty and memorable heroine, grief stricken from a family tragedy, and more or less estranged from her mother.

The story delves into the illegal abortion industry as well as the intertwined lives of actors and those who helped fund them, including Gloria Fitzpatrick.

Very evocative of the 1960s. It's like stepping back in time.
Beautifully written and nuanced. I hope we meet Nicoletta again.

Stunning and thrilling! This is set in 1960's Dublin and is atmospheric and darkly captivating from the outset. Nicoletta is a junior reporter who sets out to solve a mystery. When the body of murdered actress Julia Bridges is discovered 25 years after her disappearance and Gloria Fitzpatrick convicted of her killing and sent to an institution, Nicoletta sets out on a quest for the truth. As ever the past holds eye opening hidden secrets and this story is captivating and full of twists. An addictive read.

This was set in 1968, but to be honest could of been set in any time period,
Nicoletta is a journalist looking into the case of a body discovered in a garden, the twists and turns pull you in, and kept me guessing until the end.
The ending was the only thing that really let it down, it just sort of stopped, would of liked a gentle wind down or even a flash forward, all in all very well written.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC and review this book before publication.

It was an ok read. I say ok as I didn’t particularly dislike it but found it quite slow. I had to force myself to finish it as I could not muster the interest to care enough about the characters.

It was very well written and the premise was very interesting investigating the crime from the point of view of a reporter rather than a detective but I found that I prefer a bit of a snappier pace.

By the time the one and only twist was revealed (I have seen other reviews where they talk about several but I mention only one as I did not feel that there was anything else that was groundbreaking and could not have been guessed already) it felt a little bit too little too late.


That being said this is a very personal opinion and I would recommend this book to people who read thriller as it was a good book but a bit slow for my personal preference. Would not read it again myself hence the 3 stars