This was a quick, easy read, but for a book whose main protagonist is a criminal behaviourist, there was no behaviour analysis to speak of. Instead Jessie leads a police unit and turns into a bit of a SWAT specialist at one point. I liked the characters of Travellers Joe and Finbar, but the plot involving them was not really tied in to the main mystery of the monster in the forest. This main plot was entirely unbelievable and I found its resolution disappointing. This was more a thriller than a mystery or police procedural. ( )

Another book that I chose more for the cover tam the story content. This time I hit the jackpot. As the story progresses, we learn along with Jessie and Seamus, that there is more going on in the woods than meets the eye. Throughout the story there is an underlying sense of dread and mounting tension that increases with every chapter. The reader has plenty of action, some sub-plots, and several twists and turns. I grew up on Celtic legends, so I was surprised and very pleased to see that I knew some of those in this book very well. I always loved their supernatural, dark, and ominous vibes that brought the ancient tales alive for me as a young girl. It was like listening to my grandmother again with this book. I love tense, creepy, and atmospheric books. I also love books that keep me on my toes and kept me engaged from cover to cover. This one had it all. ( )

Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy
Boyle & Keneally #2

Gripping, gritty, and gruesome – grabbed my attention on page one and never let me go. The thought going through my head…maybe a song…or that creepy movie…and now this book…was…don’t go into the woods today…and something about a big surprise…

This is a series I am glad I came in on book one and look forward to reading for many books to come. Book one in the series introduced me to four characters that made me sit up and pay attention wanting to get to know them all better. Book two gave me a few insights into how the new investigation team put together in the first book are doing, reaffirmed that I like them and want to get to know each better as the series progresses.

What I liked:
* The setting…creepy woods in Ireland
* The writing…brisk, short, intense chapters that pulled me in and moved me quickly through the story
* The four main characters that made an impression in book one continue to be people to admire
* Jessie Boyle: criminal behaviorist, focused, professional, has suffered great loss, strong, team player, leader, competent, skilled, someone I want to get to know better and wouldn’t mind having as a friend
* Seamus Keneally: detective, partner to Jessie, takes on more of the police aspects in the story, strong, skilled, professional, team player, forceful, works well with Jessie and Terry
* Terry Kehoe: historian, genealogist, tech wizard-guru, third member of the team, small but mighty, provides great support in more ways than one
* Dawn Wilson: Irish Police Commissioner recently appointed, Jessie’s best friend from childhood, strong, determined, focused, professional, takes no guff, there for the team she created
* The way the team works together, steps in, reads one another easily, takes on jobs without having to be told to do so, their interactions
* The sense that the team is a tightly knit unit that will only become stronger over time
* Joe and Finbar Kennan and their dog Rufus: Travelers caught up in this story – in more ways than one – that their part in the story informed me a bit and made me interested in googling Travelers. I wouldn’t mind seeing them again in aa future book of the series
* The tie-in to the local myths and the way it played into the story
* Abhartach: see above…big part of the story and interesting take on a common myth/legend
* That it was believable…even when it made me angry-sad
* The tie-in, though slight, to the first book’s serial killer – imagine s/he will show up again later
* That I had empathy for the killer
* That there were surprises throughout the story

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly what I was meant not to like: whoever and whatever they might be.
* Knowing that evil exists in the world and some of it is similar to what was in this book…

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely…as soon as I can!

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

5 Stars ( )

black-ops, trauma, travelers, rom-families, behaviorist, historian, history-and-culture, historical-setting, law-enforcement, lawless, Ireland, espionage, murder, murder-investigation, PTSD, family-dynamics, fast-pace, folklore, forensics, friendship, fugitive, superstitions, support-system, survival, suspense, legend, urban-myth, rural, small-town, computer-nerd, thriller, procedural*****

A blending of the impossible, the possible, and the all-too-real, this is waaay more than a psychological thriller or police procedural. Gathered into a special division of the Gardai in Ireland under the command of a more than capable officer who is responsible to a very high muckity muck in the ministry, are a police detective, a behaviourist, a historian, and a computer geek of the finest kind. They respond to a rural detachment where a traveler (Irish Rom in the Isles) has been detained for reporting the site of multiple unreported burials of people who have been murdered. Then it really gets sticky! Folk horror mixed with a whole lot more made me stay up too late because I JUST had to finish it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you!
Now I just bought the audio of book one! ( )