Goodnight Irene

In Jan Burke's Goodnight, Irene, the first installment in the Irene Kelly mystery series, this debut will grip you from the first page. It all started when Irene's friend O'Connor was killed in a car bombing, when he was about to tell her something important. After his death, it was up to Irene to pick up the pieces and return to her former newspaper as a journalist. When her brother-in-law ended up in a car accident, things had gotten too close to personal. While Irene look for his cryptic notes about a 1955 Jane Doe case with only the skull, she picked up the pieces and searched for clues in microfilm and microfiche. She comes to rely on her good friend, Frank Harriman, from the Las Piernas PD, who ended up injured from helping her on the case. For Irene, she goes to Phoenix to find some clues there on the missing person and talk to the victim's family. The closer she gets to the truth on whodunit and why, the more endangered she would be in the end to solve this puzzle things aren't what they seem to be in the end for a shocking climax.

This was a gripping and interesting debut that would hook you on the first page and reel you in. I really cared for Irene who had been going through a lot of stuff at the same time. But for her to step in O'Connor's shoes to pick up where he left off before his untimely demise, she was more than onto something when she identified the missing person with little clues. I also had found Lydia a hoot and a remarkable good friend for Irene too. Frank is so easy on the eyes.  I also loved the dual locations of Phoenix and Las Piernas for this gripping debut and how the imagery popped on the screen for the scenic settings. This would make you want to keep reading with non-stop drama, plenty of suspense, intrigue, and lots of clues for a great mystery on every page.

Will you be there to help Irene solve this mystery in Goodnight, Irene today?