J'ai bien aimé ce roman, même si je l'ai oublié pendant un bon trois semaines. J'ai aimé l'enquête et le reveal!

Je le recommande à ceux et celles qui aime les romans policiers, MAIS surtout à ceux et celles qui ont lu le premier 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of Roses For The Dead by Jenny O’Brien.
This is the second book in the Alana Mack series and the regular characters are starting to get some shape.
Alana is a detective, but she’s also a woman in a wheelchair and it is interesting how she makes it all work.
It is definitely a series I will be continuing.

4 Stars
One Liner: Better than book one despite the slow pace

Detective Alana Mack is worried when a woman goes missing from the same train where another one has died. It appears that a killer is targeting women and leaving their bodies along Dublin’s Dart train line. As bodies pile up, Alana knows she has to solve the case as soon as possible.
Things get even more complex when she receives a threatening message. Can Alana use the clues to find the killer and prevent more deaths?
The story comes in third-person POVs from Alana (more), Paddy, Lorrie, and the killer.

My Thoughts:
The second book in the series reads well as a standalone. It is also better than the first book in many ways. The POV jumps are not random but are limited to four characters and come in different chapters. There’s no excessive dwelling on the past except for a couple of references for new readers.
Multiple cases soon converge into a single/ dual track. The circumstances are such that the police are trying hard for a breakthrough. This means they go through the same information a few times. However, something new turns up each time to prevent monotony.
Alana is also better in this one. Yeah, she is still abrupt and a touch rude. But it doesn’t put the reader off. We can see her stress and the calculated risks she has to take. Moreover, her thoughts and emotions are centered on the cases most of the time, so it is easier to empathize with her. Her disability is seamlessly woven into the plotline to keep it real and is aligned with her arc.
We get the killer’s POV quite early, which means it is easy to guess who it is. I did guess who it was in the first third itself, but that didn’t make the story any less intriguing. There are a couple of twists, though nothing major. Yet, the plotline keeps you hooked to see if you’re right.
The pacing is slow, as I assumed. This will be a slowish series, and that’s okay. The story doesn’t drag. Moreover, things take time when the police and forensics are involved.
Alana and Paddy make a great team. The non-romantic relationship between them is a great plus. Paddy has a side track, which adds a layer to his character. They are both complex people, so the series should be interesting as we proceed.
The Dublin setting doesn’t come alive in this one, but there’s enough to follow the case. The setting has changed from book one to two (it was a seaside place last time), so that could also be the reason.
The ending has a touch of hope for Alana’s personal track, though she and I are in no hurry to take the leap. Let’s go slow and steady.

To summarize, Roses for the Dead is a compact police procedural with some intriguing characters and an absorbing plot. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

When a woman's body is found on the railway track and investigations begin it seems that this is either a copycat or the reappearance of a killer that murdered two women in an almost identical fashion a couple of years ago. Detective Alana Mack has never let the fact she is confined to a wheelchair hold her back and this case is no exception- even when her new boss seems intent on undermining her. However, she has a good team around her who won't stop till they have answers.

This is the second book in the series. I really enjoyed the first & this was equally as good. I love Alana's attitude, the team are also very likeable & interesting. The inclusion of their lives makes it more rounded without interrupting the flow of the main story. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Roses for the Dead
by Jenny O'Brien
Pub Date: 14 Feb 2024

"Roses for the Dead" is Book 2 of Detective Alana Mack series. Although I didn't read the first book, "The Puppet Maker" I didn't find it difficult to catch on. It can be read as a standalone. After reading book 2 in the series I definitely plan on reading the first book.

I felt this was an easy read, suspenseful, tense at times. A well written book with a good storyline.

Many thanks to #RosesfortheDead #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Roses for the Dead is the second book in the Detective Alana Mack series. This can be a stand-alone read. I did not read the first book and did not feel as if I was missing some important history.

In Dublin, two women have been murdered and left on railroad tracks. When the police went to investigate their homes, they found a cryptic message of a single rose being left on white sheets on their beds.

Detective Alana Mack of Dublin’s National Bureau of Criminal Investigations and her team are coming up empty trying to tie the murders together. But they work the case using new information but still too many puzzle pieces missing just yet.

Harvey Buckenham comes arrives to report that his wife Sarah is missing after failing to pick their daughter Belle up from school, Alana suspects that Sarah might be the next victim. Harvey says the last time he heard from her was when Sarah was on a train which was delayed, and she needed him to pick up Belle.

The dead body of a woman is found on the train tracks which is the very train Sarah had been on. Alana and the team wonder if it is just a huge coincidence or was Sarah’s disappearance connected to the case of the other murdered women. The third victim, Avril Kenny, has no connection to the previous two victims, but she does seem to have known Sarah from the gym she went to, and Avril had worked at. When the third is found Alana wonders if this is a copycat or has the killer struck again.

As Alana tries to work the case, she has a new boss to get to know. She is determined to solve the crime before there is another murder and her boss decides she isn't needed any longer.

This was an interesting story told from several points of views. First, we have the killer telling his story starting as a young child to the present. Their identity is unknown until about 80% through the story. Next, we have Paddy who is Alana's partner and friend. Then most importantly we have Alana. Alana is a detective with Dublin’s National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, but she is also a paraplegic which makes the story that much more interesting. Alana is reportedly stronger than anyone on the force due to her exercise routine of swimming and weightlifting. I am not sure I have read any other books with the lead character being disabled and working as a detective. It brings a new level of interest seeing how she works from her point of view.

The characters were an interesting blend. The squabbling that takes place at work and at home is relatable. Along with the office politics that are also a factor in the telling of this story. This is a fascinating as well as riveting roller coaster of a ride. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

A second thrilling read from this series!

Detective Alana Mack's current investigation seems to be going nowhere; two bodies found on railway tracks and no clues as to how they got there. Then a woman goes missing and another body turns up - but it can't be the missing woman as it was the train she was travelling on which struck the body. This is a turning point for the investigation: three murders elevates the case to a serial killer crime but that doesn't make it any easier to solve. A killer on the loose isn't the only thing Alana has to deal with though - her boss's replacement is about to be announced; will it be any better than the last or is that a futile hope? And, alongside the murders, there's also the case of the missing woman to work out . . .

I've read several of Jenny O'Brien's novels and I absolutely love this series. I suspect it's very close to the actual work of the crime units tasked with solving such crimes and this one is riveting. With very little to go on, Alana and her team work tirelessly to find crumbs of information to help them and it's amazing how they follow every slim lead to ensure that they get it right. Gripping from beginning to end, this is a series I shall definitely follow. No doubt about it, this is a stunning 5* read and one I highly recommend!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley' this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Suspenseful. Absorbing. A wonderfully tense book that I read in one sitting. Loved this one so much.

An interesting 2nd book in this series. The team is on the hunt for a killer with the connection of the female victims being the red roses, white bedding and the fact that the killer has taken away personal items fro their homes.
There is a lot going on in this book and with Alana still adapting to life in a wheelchair which she does very well keeps the reader interested. Thankyou for advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book

Roses for the Dead is the second book with Detective Alana Mack as the main character, Detective Garda and SIO Clonabee branch of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation based in Dublin, Alana and her team are working on Operation Octopus, which has been set up to discover the killer of two women in unusual circumstances. All of a sudden a woman goes missing and this takes the case in a different direction. I love how the characters work well together and the descriptions of locations helped me to see them. The story had me gripped from the beginning with a few plot twists and turns. The conclusion came as a surprise for me. I highly recommend you read this book. Bring on book 3.

This is the 2nd novel in the DS Alana Mack series set in Dublin. There are women being killed on a Dublin Dart train line. They only have fresh white sheets and a single rose on their bed at home. The novel is told in Alana's point of view. Sarah Buckenham is reported missing by her husband but her body has not been found yet. This is a real gripping read. Alana and Paddy, her partner, are great characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. If you like thrillers that have an Irish setting then you will love this book. I would highly recommend this series.

This second book delves deeper into the characters. Alana is complex and dogged. This case is a weird one. It's dark and twisted and leads to a shocking reveal. I really liked Paddy in this one. The addition of Leo made things interesting and I'm looking forward to more playing out.

Don't start this book if you're short on time! I planned to read a chapter or maybe a few, but read the entire book in one sitting. The characters seemed real and the team had good dynamics. I had my suspicions on who I thought could be the murderer as they were one of the unpleasant characters, but I won't elaborate on that. Plenty of twists so read it and see if you work it out!

Set in Dublin Detective Alana Mack is on the case of finding out who murdered two woman when a third is found on the DART line, the same as the previous two. Is there a serial killer loose on the streets of Dublin.

This is the second in the series about this detective, first for me and easily a stand alone book. It had me gripped and guessing the whole way through about who the killer was. It’s well written and a lot of thought has went in to make the murders different. Alana is a great character to read about and is great at her job. I liked the back story of why the killer became a murderer.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Love the character of Alana- she is incredibly well written that she just leaps off the page into your imagination (and would translate incredibly to screen!).
The case under investigation rapidly become interconnected with a second case- disappearing women being the key component of both and with an apparent threat of another body arriving in the post.
I loved the descriptions of the procedural elements of the cases and how the characters worked together, but for me the motive ended up being a bit lacklustre for what was such a cleverly written plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an arc. 'Roses for the Dead' is the second book featuring Detective Alana Mack and Jenny O'Brien has again written another cracker. DS Alana Mack and her team are dealing with two unsolved (gruesome) murders when another body turns up and a woman mysteriously goes missing. What, if any, are the connections? Add a new boss to the mix and Alana, Paddy and the rest of the team have their work cut out. This is a well researched and well written police procedural with a human touch that I am happy to recommend. Hope it's not too long until the next book.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This riveting crime thriller follows Alana Mack and her team as a woman’s body is hit on the train tracks in Dublin and a passenger on that same train is now missing.

With this being the third murder of its kind where the murdered women’s homes are found to be in an immaculate condition, and a signature of a white sheet with a rose left on the bed. It looks as if this is the work of a serial killer.

This crime has slight differences, but with a missing woman who could be linked causing further concern, the tension increases as it becomes more essential the killer is discovered.

Will the missing woman be found? Who is behind the killings?

This is the second book in the Alana Mack series, with both being as riveting as the other. With plenty of tension and mystery involved with the family secrets waiting to be revealed.

Alana is a strong female character who although has her difficulties, works through these with her team to use all their strengths to solve the case.

I saw this week there is to be another in the series released soon too, and I can’t wait to read.

Overall, a riveting, tense crime thriller where woman’s disappearance, turns into a hunt for a serial killer.

Detective Alana Mack & her team are investigating two murders of woman. A killer is on the loose, targeting women and leaving their broken bodies scattered across Dublin's Dart train line. The victims appear to have no connection to one another, but their murders bear the same chilling hallmark – identical single red roses left at each of their crime scenes. Then a mother is missing & has vanished from the same train that claimed the life of the young woman, she fears the worst. Every trace of the women’s lives has been extinguished from their homes. Their bedding replaced with pristine white sheets, photos of loved ones and precious keepsakes all eradicated. Then Alana receives a chilling message: 'Roses are red. Blood is too. One and two are on me. Number three and four are on you.'
Alana & her team are back in another well written, engrossing thriller. The characters have depth & the pace is good. I really like Alana & her team & I’m liking getting to know them better, there’s a good mix of professional & private lives. The case is intriguing & I was kept guessing as to who the killer was & how everything was linked. I look forward to the next book in the series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

From its sinister start, this book draws the reader into the dark world of bullying and murder. Alana Mack, a detective in the Garda and her investigative team are involved in missing persons and triple murder cases. With pressure from her new boss, she has to determine whether the cases are connected and if the missing person will be the next victim. The realistically paced investigation and believable team dynamic make this an addictive read. There is an engaging balance of professional and personal events, and Alana and her team are relatable characters. An antagonist viewpoint gives the reader an omnipotent view of events. I like the story's authentic characters and suspenseful mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The second in this series, I preferred this book to the first one . Alana is the main detective in this team in Dublin, she is in a wheelchair after some unspecified accident in the past. The team felt more established in this book, their work as a team gelled more. saying that, there were moments when the pace of the book was very slow and some repetition. The crimes are unusual, the timing of the 3 (or 4) murders, the reasoning behind them is quite convoluted though does come together in a fairly logical way .
The perpetrators are not immediately obvious, some parts of the book are told from the main (male) murderer, but it takes a long time until his identity is revealed . This is not a criticism because it added an interesting aspect to the book. There is also a dialogue between Alana and Billy, a reporter, which stretched out a little too long for me and the investigation went on a little too long without making any progress, no doubt realistic, but it doesn't always make good reading.
My thanks go to Net Galley for a good read in exchange for an honest review.