Firstly, the narrator did a great job and read the story well.
The story itself was excellent; both chilling and heartbreaking. Telling the story of a missing mother of 5 who vanished during the troubles. Somehow this is linked to a recent and gruesome murder. A totally unputdownable tale

I'd like to thank net galley for giving me opportunity to listen to audio version of Who Took Eden Mulligan.

This was a very good book and I enjoyed the frequent references to locations in and around Belfast. It brought the book to life.

The storyline was not overly complex making it easy to follow. There was good character development with a hint of back stories which I hope leads to more books by this author.

A mother goes missing leaving 5 children abandoned in Belfast during the troubles. Over 30 years later a group of students are murdered whilst renting a cottage. It seems inexplicable that the two could be connected, but connected they are. How and why is the question that Danny & Rose must answer.

I was shocked at how little I knew about the troubles in Northern Ireland. Despite this I found this novel to be engaging right from the off. Eden Mulligan's story was fascinating & her disappearance needed a resolution. Her story certainly took the forefront, the student's murders seemed to disappear into the background, becoming almost inconsequential.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is definitely something that I would recommend to others.

I don't know quite what I was expecting from this book but I got a STONKINGLY good listen and thoroughly enjoyed every second. I really felt for Rose, she had built up so many defensive walls to protect herself from hurt. I thought the connection between her and police officer Danny was completely credible and made their working relationship very special. All the players had their own agendas and the characterisations were so detailed and rounded I felt as if I'd met every one personally at some stage. A very clever 'Whodunnit', well thought through with superb dialogue and a hugely satisfying resolution. A perfect performance from Melaine MacHugh added another layer of pleasure to an excellent listen.

This was a really intriguing listen. I hadn't listened to anything like this before and it explored a bit of history that I don't know much about.

The character development was great, I would really love to listen/read more books in this series (if there was one) as I think there is more to explore.

The narrator was great and really added to the story.

My only criticism is the resolution with the mother. That didn't ring true to me. This is why I haven't given a 5 star rating

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? - Sharon Dempsey

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and Netgalley. Narrated by Melaine MacHugh

‘They’re dead. They’re all dead. It’s my fault. I killed them.’
Those are the words of Iona Gardener, who stands bloodied and staring as she confesses to the murder of four people in a run-down cottage outside of Belfast.

Outside the cottage, five old dolls are hanging from a tree. Inside the cottage, the words “WHO TOOK EDEN MULLIGAN?” are graffitied on the wall, connecting the murder scene with the famous cold case of Eden Mulligan, a mother-of-five who went missing during The Troubles.

But this case is different. Right from the start.

Rose is a forensic psychiatrist assisting Danny with the investigation into a cold case and the recent murder of four friends. This book follows Rose and Danny whilst they investigate both of these cases. The investigation has many twists and turns to keep the reader invested in the story.

This is a slow paced but gripping thriller, with lots of insight into 1980s Belfast. I thought that this was a well written novel with the ending leaving the option open for a sequel.

Rating 4/5

I found myself eager to continue reading to find out who took Eden.

4.25* really enjoyed the book. Great topic. Striking cover.
A mix between a modern investigation and an old case.
Iona Gardener confesses to the murder of four people at the site of an old mystery and the dilapidated cottage has graffiti saying who took Eden Mulligen with 5 dolls strung up in the garden.
It immediately drew my interest.
The investigation took awhile to get going. We are diverted with Roses family history the ‘troubles’ in NI and reason for her return to Belfast. She has spent a long time putting her past behind her and distancing herself from her past and her mother’s politics, changing her name, her accent, her politics.
Too much time was spent on Rose’s back story for me at the beginning of the book which had a detrimental effect on the pace.
Interesting to see how people are still struggling in the aftermath of the troubles living with the atrocities that occurred. I really engaged with Eden’s children.
Most of the book concentrated on the historic story.
I like the narrator and the accent which was a nice lilt, and added interest and tension well.
My Fav quote from the book is ‘sometimes the dead don’t stay dead’
The ending is particularly good.

Rose Lainey left Belfast behind and became a forensic psychologist in London. She wants to forget her childhood in Ireland and her mother’s involvement with the IRA. She’s back, briefy, for her mother’s funeral, when she gets caught up in a gruesome multiple murder. Her best friend from college, Danny Stowe is the DI charged with the case and he needs Rose’s input. She reluctantly agrees to help and is immediately drawn back into the past, to the Troubles, when mother of five, Eden Sullivan, vanished without a trace. Eden’s name was written on the wall of the home of the current murder scene. What is her connection to the slaughter of five people? MacHugh’s melodious Irish accent brings this dark story to life (and reminded me of my beloved grandparents )

A Mixture of true crime and a psychological thriller! The narrator set the scene perfect, I absolutely loved listening to this while walking my dog, definitely had to stop at times because I got so immersed in the story line! Strong themes of family, community and strong will. Would love to have a physical copy of the book to re-read! Thank you so much to Net Galley, the author and publisher for allowing me an early copy of this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Dempsey and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the first book by Sharon Dempsey that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it took a little while to set the scene but after a few chapters it starts to get really good. I can see this being made into a tv series or film. It’s a dark, gripping thriller and brilliant. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Who Took Eden Mulligan? by Sharon Dempsey is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story was intricately woven between a modern day multiple murder case and the disappearance of mother-of-five Eden Mulligan in the 80s during The Troubles in Belfast.

Lead by DI Danny and Forensic Psychologist Rose the team needs to work out if the cases are linked and who is involved.

Well written, well narrated, with an interesting storyline and good character development this book kept me guessing til the end. An enjoyable 4 stars. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator portrayed the characters brilliantly.

The story was gripping, characters were well established and overall a great listen!

Would definitely be interested in more of these books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC