Irish author Jane Casey has made quite a name for herself with her bestselling series starring DC Maeve Kerrigan. Last year Casey became one of a quartet of overseas stars shortlisted for the first-ever Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction.

Her new novel, The Killing Kind, steps away from DC Kerrigan and instead focuses on a young lawyer in London. Ingrid Kelly is a barrister whose life is upturned (again) when she lends her umbrella to a senior colleague who is then killed on a busy London street. It looks like a tragic accident, but Ingrid fears it may be something more sinister. Or is that just her past traumas playing tricks with her mind? But if it wasn’t an accident, was Ingrid the real target?

Her fears are amplified when her former stalker reappears, a man whose actions destroyed Ingrid’s marriage plans. Then someone is killed in Ingrid’s flat. As she scrabbles for answers, desperation leads the young barrister not only to the police, but her ex-fiancé, and even her past stalker. Can they help, or are they behind it all?

Casey keeps readers guessing with a heart-in-mouth story that delves into some murky places, such as the trauma inherent in the justice system and the difficulty of sexual assault cases. A twisting story that builds to a strong conclusion.

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson