Review: Who Took Eden Mulligan? by Sharon Dempsey

 

Who Took Eden Mulligan? by Sharon Dempsey

Publication Date: 18th February 2021 Kindle / 19th August 2021 Paperback

Publisher: Avon

Genre: Crime Fiction / Northern Irish Crime 

‘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.

Because no one in the community is willing to tell the truth, and the only thing DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey can be certain of is that Iona Gardener’s confession is false….

Who Took Eden Mulligan is a book set in my beautiful Northern Ireland. Belfast to be more specific. Bodies have been found in an isolated cottage after a young girl walks into a police station and and admits to murder. But things just don't add up. it seems highly unlikely she has committed this horrible crime. To further confuse the police, there is a statement written on the wall of the cottage. A question really. Who took Eden Mulligan? Eden was a young mum who disappeared many years ago at the height of the Troubles and before the wheels of the Peace process in Northern Ireland were set in motion. Just how are these two cases connected? How are the brutal and macabre murders in the cottage linked to a cold case? To one of  'the Disappeared.'  Cue Detective Danny Stowe. Feeling burned out and reeling from a marriage breakup and a previous case that went badly wrong for him, he calls in his old university pal Dr Rose Lainey, a forensic psychologist and originally from Belfast herself. Like Danny, Rose has skeletons she'd rather keep in the closet and a return to Belfast is more than a physical journey for her. Its an emotional one too. Rose is intent on finding out more about Eden Mulligan and in turn helping Danny solve the mystery of the murders in the cottage. But, finding a connection is proving difficult and is throwing up painful memories Rose would rather stayed in the past.

Sharon Dempsey has perfectly captured the essence of what it was like growing up during the height of the Troubles. The fear within communities of both retaliation from 'the other side' and the terror of those 'connected' within their own communities. Add to that the mistrust of the police within some communities, it was a scary time to be alive and with so much going on, the case of a missing mother just didn't get the attention from the police force at the time. But, just why would Eden Mulligan leave behind her 5 children to fend for themselves? A seemingly good mother who loved her children and was loved by them in equal measure. Is it possible she was murdered? Taken? Or, did she take her own life and her body has never been found? So many questions with very few answers.

I really warmed to the main characters Danny and Rose. There's such a sadness to the characters. A friendship lost through the years and loneliness for both of them. So many secrets between them both and neither reaching out after their university days. But, working on the case together seems to trigger a change in them both. An acceptance of their past...….and present. This is definitely a book that will keep you gripped from start to finish. Its not a super fast paced book but this seems to fit the progression of the story well. It is after all a story to slowly lose yourself in and one that is worthy of all your attention. There are important details not to be missed and an air of expectation throughout. I liked Sharon Dempsey's writing style and it was easy to find comfort in the familiarity of places in the book that are part of my life too. Sharon Dempsey is clearly a great ambassador for Northern Irish Crime Fiction and I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Dempsey is a PhD candidate at Queen’s University, exploring class and gender in crime fiction. She was a journalist and health writer before turning to writing crime fiction and has written for a variety of publications and newspapers, including the Irish Times. Sharon also facilitates creative writing classes for people affected by cancer and other health challenges.