Kiernan’s debut novel is a mystery of trauma, pain, justice, and secrets.
Olivia Kiernan
Novel | 304 Pages | 6.2” x 9.3” | Reviewed: Kindle ARC
978–1524742614| First Edition | $26.00
Dutton | New York | BUY HERE
Trauma and pain. Like it or not, these are some of the basic principles in life. We all feel them at some point, and how we react to them can determine much of our future. Do we hide from it? Ignore it? Or embrace it? This is one of the underlying themes of Olivia Kiernan’s debut novel, Too Close to Breathe.
Detective Superintendent Frankie Sheehan is back at work after surviving a brutal attack while on one of her cases, one where she wasn’t able to save the victim of a murder. She’s left with scars, both physical and emotional. But despite what she’s been through, she is determined to move past it. Despite coworkers being worried that she’s not ready, Sheehan dives headfirst into a new murder case, making it clear she doesn’t acknowledge their concerns.
“I don’t suffer pity parties for my staff, and I certainly don’t suffer them for myself.”
Eleanor Costello is a mystery to Sheehan. Rich, neat, and obsessively organized on the one hand. On the other, impulsive and somewhat secretive. Costello’s murder, first thought a suicide, worms its way into Sheehan’s mind. But it doesn’t stop there. Another murder victim is found close to Sheehan’s hometown, bringing a personal element to the case. When it’s discovered that the two victims are the wife and lover of a missing man, Sheehan can’t help but dive deeper into the case. The investigation goes on for months, and more information comes to light, as well as a third victim, the missing husband, who died before both his wife and his girlfriend. While she’s trying to get her head wrapped around the case, she can’t stop her mind from going back to the previous case that left her bleeding and injured next to a victim.
Another major theme of the book comes into play: secrets. They are also a basic principle in life. Everyone has them, and everyone protects them. And as it turns out, Eleanor had her fair share. Detective Sheehan has to uncover them if she has any hope of solving the case, but to do so, she has to go places she never thought she’d go, like the Dark Web and websites about people who purposely inflict dangerous amounts of pain on willing victims. But even more than that, she has to deal with the fact that as she learns more about the case, it becomes likely that the previous case she’s trying hardest to put behind her may actually be connected to the murders. If true, then everything she knew about her injury would be called into question, and she might not be able to handle that.
“Emotion is a hypocritical being; it seeks the truth but can’t listen.”
In the end, no matter the pain caused nor the secrets kept, only one thing matters for Sheehan: justice for the victims, even when learning that Eleanor might not be the person first believed to be. The case must be solved, not just for the victims, but for her herself. She won’t be able to put it behind her until it’s over. Sheehan is determined to bring it to an end, even if she has to put herself in a dangerous situation by facing down the real killer.
