Good, though I preferred others in the series. Some quite graphic fight scenes and it felt a bit farfetched at times. The team do work well although circumstances try to conspire against them. Lots of action in this book, the plot is complicated.
A good read, but as previously stated, I preferred others.bThanks to Net Galley for the ARC

A child's dreams foretell a murder to come
The police don't believe her until it is done.
Then it is suspected it could be something she heard
Could she be psychic - or is that absurd?

A gifted mathematician but not yet a teen,
Could this be based on something she's seen?
The team are called in, but the local force aren't on side
Maybe some of them could have something to hide?

What happens to young Ellie is the stuff of nightmares
Detective Tessa Burns tries to show that she cares.
But with threats coming from the present and Tessa's past
Can they solve this case or will it be their last?

What a riveting read all the way though
With so many twists and surprises, what can they do?
Keeping the team safe seems a job on its own
And trusting any other officers seems to have flown.

A twisted killer, they seek to reveal
But behind his strange face, just what does he conceal?
A fascinating police procedural and so much more
Another Irish case that I hope you'll also adore.

I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing throughout
Wondering why all was happening, what it was all about!
For my copy of this book I say a huge thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

My Review
I read the blurb to Her Lonely Soul one evening a while back and knew immediately I was going to enjoy it.
I've been a huge fan of author S.A.(Shane) Dunphy's books with ever so long and I look forward to seeing what he brings to the table.
His Detective Tessa Burns series is in my eyes brilliant. His characters Tessa, Danny, Maggie & Pavlov along with a few minor characters brings a story of friendship to us along with each individual case. This team work so well together and we get to know them perfectly as we read along.
When a 12 year old girl walked in to a police station to report a murder which hasn't occurred yet, the police are quite baffled as are Tessa's team.
Her parents are with her and very stressed for their little girl.
When the murder actually takes place, rather than help the girl for coming forward, she is packed off to a juvenile centre by the police and Tessa is fuming.
The team are in a race against time to get to the bottom of what is happening and get poor Ellie out of the centre.
It would seem on the surface that the young girl is psychic but is that even possible..
Tessa's past does creep back in to this story for a time, a few little snipets here and there and I love how the author does this.
It keeps us interested and wondering.
I found book three to be quite a gripping story, very tense in places but lots of action.
If I didn't love and enjoy the team already, it definitely went up a notch after reading this book.
Who knows what book four will bring....

Detective Tessa Burns book 3.

This book had the team totally flummoxed as was I. Full of twists to keep you guessing I was hooked from page one. Loved it.

‘I’ve come to report a murder,’ the little girl declares, lips trembling, her head only just high enough to see over the police counter. ‘Please, you have to help me.’

When tearful young Ellie O’Farrell walks into a rural Irish police station to report she’s dreamed a murder that hasn’t happened yet, she is gently, but firmly, sent on her way. But the very next night a beloved local grandfather is found dead, lethal knife wounds showing a struggle exactly as she’d described. How did innocent Ellie know what was going to happen?

Called in to investigate, Detective Tessa Burns has never seen anything like this. Meeting Ellie and her desperate parents, it’s clear Ellie’s home is filled with love. She swears she has never met the victim: Tessa’s case seems to stall before it’s even begun. But when Tessa gets a frantic call from the young girl only days later to say she’s had a terrifying second dream, the race is on to prevent another murder.

Was Tessa’s usually flawless instinct about Ellie’s home life wrong? Has Ellie overheard something she shouldn’t? With only hours to go until Ellie’s terrible prediction comes true, Tessa is shocked to get a deadly warning from someone in her own dark past. Leave the case alone, or she – and Ellie – are next.

Tessa refuses to stop her investigation – it’s the only way to save Ellie. But then a deadly attack leaves Tessa’s team fighting for their lives, and Ellie taken… Tessa would risk everything to unmask the most twisted killer she’s ever encountered. But first she must rescue Ellie, before it’s too late for them all?

A big thank you to #Netgalley and @bookouture for the eARC.

Her Lonely Soul is the third in the DI Tessa Burns series. A police procedural set in Ireland that uniquely focuses on child protection cases.

This can be enjoyed as a standalone but reading the other two first will give you more depth to the characters, the dynamics of Tessa's team and the ongoing mystery of the Faceless killers.

In this third outing Tessa & her team are sent to the city of Cork. Young Ellie O'Farrell went to the police station with her parents to report a murder that she dreamt will happen. Her report isn't taken seriously and then the murder happens in just the way she detailed.
Does Ellie have psychic abilities or has she overheard something she shouldn't have?

Tessa is sent to investigate but soon comes across more trouble than she bargained for and Ellie's life is in danger.
Accompanying Tessa are Detectives Danny and Maggie and Pavlov the dog.
Danny is tall and tough but sensitive. Something of a gentle giant. Maggie is a crack researcher and computer expert but despite a disability and stuck in a wheelchair still knows how to handle herself when things get physical and I love this about her. She really is so far away from a cliché character and together with Pavlov is great with kids and a formidable opponent.
And Pavlov is probably the most valuable team member and is just the cutest and littlest police dog.
I worry about the effectiveness of the team when Pav has to save lives on numerous occasions!

This case is the most dangerous yet for the team with crime gangs, police corruption and Faceless killers to contend with.
It's a fast paced plot with plenty of twists and turns. Every time Tessa has the upper hand things escalate quickly and Ellie and the detectives are never out of danger for long.

We know the main team so less time is spent on character growth and more on the crime plot this time.
But there is more Pav! 🐕

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “Her Lonely Soul” by S.A. Dunphy.
I was so excited to see that another Tessa Burns book came out! S.A.Dunphy has done it again! Another excellent book with twists and turns that you don't expect.
I won't give away the ending but it is everything I had hoped for! Very good read! Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#HerTwistedSoul #SADunphy #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInIreland

This series is thrilling & suspenseful. I read the first two books & jumped right into book 3 to get more of Detective Tessa Burns, her team & a new case. Full of twists, Her Lonely Soul is another unputdownable installment in the Detective Tessa Burns series, an Irish police procedural, that’s unforgettable.

Thank you, S. A. Dunphy, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

The Tessa Burns series from S.A Dunphy is brilliant. This is the third installment, and yet again we find a a very well done, thought out suspenseful novel.
This series does not look like it’s going to slow down! Looking forward to book 4 and beyond

Fast-paced, intriguing and poignant Irish crime fiction that keeps you engaged and waiting for the next breathless twist. Sent to help a young girl whose dreams about murders are unerringly accurate, they find the local Garda Síochána hostile and are soon fighting battles on all fronts. It's intense and suspenseful and told from multiple viewpoints. The reader gets to see all perspectives, making it an immersive read. I like the dynamic between the detectives, the toxic ethos that means they don't know who to trust, and the twisty plot that keeps the adrenaline pumping and the mind engaged.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This series from S.A. Dunphy goes from strength to strength! In the third installment, we find a fast-paced, tense and very well done thriller. Looking forward to #4!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

📖 Book Review

Her Lonely Soul (Detective Tessa Burns 3)
By S.A. Dunphy
Bookouture, 19th August 2024

The Burns Unit - Tessa, Danny, Maggie, and dog Pavlov - are called to Cork to assist in the unusual case of Ellie O'Farrell. Ellie claims to have seen murders in her dreams before they occurred.

Sinking into this third outing for Tessa and the team was akin to slipping on a comfy pair of slippers. The team may be small, but they are mighty. Tessa is ex-military and as tenacious as they come, Maggie may be in a wheelchair, but her gadgetry use is second to none, and Danny's a gentle man mountain, but when the stakes are high he's a lethal force. And Pavlov, Maggie's assistance/therapy dog is as smart as they come and can lock his jaws around the softest parts of anyone who threatens his team.

This case is dynamic, shocking, fraught with tension and exceedingly fast-paced. Dunphy's writing is enthralling from the first paragraph. I was powerless as the story grabbed me in a chokehold and dragged me along for the ultimate rollercoaster ride. Emotive at every turn, this is a shining example of the best in police procedural writing of today.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and S.A. Dunphy for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

What a suspenseful mystery!
Detective Tessa Burns is investigating the mysterious ability a young girl seems to have. Tessa along with her Burn Team are known for their focus on crimes involving children. The local Irish police are being hostile. They do not believe what the young girl is saying to be true.
Can Tessa and her team figure out what is going? What will it take to get answers?
A fast-paced thriller suspense mystery.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this third installment of the Tessa Burns series. Dare I say, it’s my favorite installment to date (I’m hoping there’s more!). This is such an exciting, thought provoking, and complex story and I was here for every word of it. The plot slowly builds with such intensity (but in a good way) and then it reaches the peak and there is so much action.

Ellie was such a believable character. I was absolutely horrified at the way that the Sargent handled the situation with her. She’s just a little girl and a good one at that! I really enjoyed Tessa, Danny, and Maggie once again. I enjoy these three together. I have such a soft spot in my heart for kids, that they work that they do in these series is what makes me want to read them (and of course, the author’s talent at storytelling!). There were quite a few twists that I didn’t see coming – which is the way that I like reading these types of books!

There could be some triggering themes in here: kidnapping, organized crime, gang violence, and foster system failures.

If those do not trigger you, then start this series (if you haven’t already), and read this book!

Tessa and Pav are back, this is the third book in this series, all can be read as stand-alones, but I’d recommend reading them all in order.
Another body has been found after Ellie a local girl walks into a police station to report she’s seen a murder. The crime story is fast paced with good local knowledge of Ireland. It will grip you from the first chapter to the last. It’s easy to read with smaller chapters and really liked reading about the watcher.
Another great 5 star crime thriller. Can’t fault this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Her Lonely Soul by S.A. Dunphy
Detective Tessa Burns #3

Another thought-provoking twisted tale with the “Burns Team” working as advocates for a potentially in peril Irish twelve-year-old girl ~ Riveting read ~ Couldn’t put it down~

What I liked:
* The seamless transition from the first to second book
* Tessa Burns: parents murdered when she was young, spent years in the child-care system, ex-military, strong, lethal, dedicated, excellent instincts, mature, good friend, intriguing, good people skills & team player – when she chooses to be, perhaps not ready to “settle down”
* Danny Murphy: lost his parents when young, raised in foster system, usually a gentle giant , quiet but also deadly, physically fit, caring, protective, would like to know more about him
* Maggie Doolan: family liaison officer, psychology and sociology degrees, qualified therapist, has cerebral palsy, friends with Tessa since childhood, promoted recently, intriguing
* Pavlov: Maggie’s partner, support dog, a small black-and-white terrier-mix, bright, calming presence, protective, empathetic, there for all of the team and those they are helping
* Dawn Wilson: Commissioner and Burns Team boss, there for her team, strong
* Ellie O’Farrell: genius, mathematical savant, loves her parents, endangered and at risk, resilient, survivor, would like to see her again in the future if the series continues
* Jim Shiels: Coastguard captain, widow, interested in Tessa, wonder if he will appear again in the future
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The police procedural aspects and how the case unfolded
* That though I had to suspend belief in the abilities of the team at times I was still able to enjoy the story and root for them to succeed – I was invested in the outcome

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The evil, vicious, amoral, self-centered, gain-driven gang leaders
* That at times I had to venture into fantasy when reading about the almost super powers of some team members when thinking about the “faceless-unattested”

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Tessa and the Burns Unit are back! This time they're off to Galway to deal with small town drama, police corruption and possible ESP in a child!

Poor Ellie. When we first meet her she is terrified of the "dreams" she has. Dreams which appear to be foretelling of murders to come. Tessa and Co don't give much thought to them as dreams but how else could a young girl have access to that information, and before they happened?

Bring on one hard-nosed, incorruptible Sgt who thinks the best way to get through to her is to lock her in the local secure child unit! Then add in the weirdly hippie/tech guru dad and his job at a local tech company and a rash of teenagers and other youngsters who seem to have a complex relationship with some local shadowy uberbaddie!

Tessa, Danny, Maggie and Pavlov are back at their best mystery solving selves. However, as in most things their professional achievements can leave them lacking in other areas. I really hoped that Tessa and her coastie would have worked things through, 'cos every hard charging cop needs someone to go home to at night! Even if it's just a goldfish, we're left with their relationship on a bit of a "shoogly peg".

The faceless mercenaries are back and still causing trouble for our intrepid trio. I really was stumped as to who the overarching badguy was, I did manage to guess bits of the plot but I also sadly thought one of the goodies may actually have been a baddie! LOL The red herrings and twists and turns kept me guessing which I really enjoyed.

As the story unfolds more layers of duplicity are revealed and some are quite shocking, especially about who does the revealing!

I loved this amazing book. I could not put it down. every book in this wonderful series is just absolutely addictive and gripping. I cannot wait for more from this author.

4.5⭐

The Burns Unit return for another absorbing, fast-paced mystery.

That sees Tessa and her small team including cerebral palsy sufferer Maggie and trusty dog Pavlov try to uncover how a young girl Ellie O'Farrell has knowledge of a series of crimes including murder before they happen.

But even before Tessa, Danny and Maggie can start asking questions Maggie is attacked, and a hostile local sergeant has Ellie deemed a danger and locked away in a children's detention centre.

And to make matters worse Tessa is threatened by a featureless man and told to accept an explanation that will allow Ellie to be freed and the case to be shelved.

But Tessa and her team know that something isn't right and are determined to protect Ellie and get answers by any means necessary. Especially as the threat has come from a man with connections to the people responsible for killing Tessa's parents.

Yet, none of them are prepared for just how dangerous this threat really is and how far certain locals will go to stop them.

And with plenty of twists, turns and danger. This was genuinely a story that I found hard to put down and one I would happily recommend to others.

When twelve year old Ellie O’Farrell comes into a Cork police station with her parents wanting to report her dream of a murder that hasn't happened yet, the desk sergeant is inclined to dismiss it as an overactive imagination, especially as he has already dismissed the family as, "the hippy type!" When things happen as Ellie predicted the commissioner sends in 'The Burns Unit' Led by Tessa Burns, along with DS Danny Murphy & wheelchair bound DI Maggie Doolan (not forgetting Pavlov, Maggie's amazing wee dog) this small group, works on cases connected with children. Before they even get to Cork it seems that someone doesn't want them there & the reception from the local police bears this out. However this is a group that doesn't give up!

I have been hooked on this series from the start. The characters of the team are so compelling & the stories are always engaging (OK suspension of belief is necessary but that's why they call it fiction!!) I can't wait to catch up with the team again. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I loved it!

Tessa, Danny, Maggie, and Pavlov are all back for the third installment of the DI Tessa Burns series. I was so excited to get my hands on this book. As usual, this group of detectives is assigned to help out a child in danger. This time, their charge is Ellie O'Farrell, a. young girl who has premonitions about people who will die. The third time this happens, her parents take her to the local police as this most recent crime has yet to be committed. The cops do not believe the girl's physic abilities and separate her from her parents by sending her to a home for troubled teens. Days later, the discover a body under the exact same circumstances Ellie mentioned to the Garda.

What unravels nexts are layers of betrayal, lies, suspense, and twists that kept me so submerged in the plot, When Ellie is forced to lie about how she knew about the deaths, she is relieved to be released from the home to be back with her parents. This doesn't quite go to plan as she is kidnapped multiple times, first from someone she should have trusted. And to be honest, who can Ellie really trust? Her parents? The cops? Tessa becomes personally involved in this case, and due to corruption within the local Garda station, she and her team are removed from the case. They will not stop them from saving the girl and bringing the criminals to justice, and hurdle after hurdle keeps popping up.

As with the other two books, I loved the setting. S.A. Dunphy really does a great job with the backdrop. I also loved getting to know more about the main characters. Each of them has been through trauma, while each different, bonds them together and makes them unstoppable as a team. I was hopeful there would be more of a loving, personal side to Tessa shown with her man friend, but I can see she has more to work on internally before that can happen. I LOVED there was more insight into the Faceless Man. There is more interaction with him and more to the story on how it links to Tessa's childhood. There were also some times I wanted to smack the villain and moments where I gasped! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and has quickly become one of my favorite series to read. I truly hope there is a book 4 (and more!).