Only the Children by S.A. Dunphy
DI Tessa Burns #2

Wonderful addition to an excellent series ~ Can’t wait to see what happens next!

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, wise, mature, good friend, intriguing, good people skills, team player
* Danny Murphy: lost his parents when young, raised in foster system, usually a gentle giant , quiet but also deadly, physically fit, caring, protective
* Maggie Doolan: family liaison officer, psychology and sociology degrees, qualified therapist, has cerebral palsy, friends with Tessa since childhood
* Pavlov: Maggie’s partner, support dog, a small black-and-white terrier-mix, bright, calming presence, protective
* The three children in potential peril – really hope they land in a soft spot
* Jim Shiels: Chief Officer in Coast Guard, intelligent, attractive, divorced, attracted to Tessa, potential love interest, hope to see more of him
* Eric Stafford: fixer for big shopping company, silent but deadly, saved the day a few times, wonder if he will show up again
* Being able to hate the bad guys…and there were plenty to hate
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The police procedural aspects and how the case unfolded
* That I became invested in the story and cared about the outcome
* The hook at the end that introduces the next book
* All of it and too many things to list every one of them

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the life the Merrow must have lived

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

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

5 Stars ( )