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Jo Birmingham #1
If I Never See You Again
Review 'This is a formidable debut, as gritty, downbeat and realistic a take on the mean streets of Dublin's drug-riven inner city as you would expect from one of Ireland's top investigative reporters. Highly recommended' --Irish Independent 'Gripping, terrifying, memorable. Jo Birmingham is my sort of heroine.' --Tess Gerritsen Book Description In the bestselling tradition of Martina Cole, a gritty first novel set in Dublin's mean streets. The first in a series featuring Dublin-based Detective Jo Birmingham.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2010
17 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Niamh O'Connor
23 books24 followersNiamh O'Connor is one of Ireland's best known crime authors. She is a crime reporter with the Sunday World, Ireland's biggest selling Sunday newspaper, for whom she has written five true crime books which were given away with the newspaper. Her job, in which she interviews both high profile criminals and their victims means she knows the world she is writing about.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 31, 2024
Good book
June 16, 2011
No. 1 Jo Birmingham mystery
Jo Birmingham is a police detective in Dublin. She's also a mother and separated from her husband who also happens to be her superior in work.
When Jo finds the body of a horrifically murdered prostitute it doesn't take her long to link it to other recent murders. What she discovers is not pretty. It appears they're looking for someone with a religious obsession, someone acting out an eye for or an eye, a tooth for a tooth.....
With the body count rising the investigation appears to be moving forward once Jo and her colleagues discover what the link between the victims is. But with things less straight forward than they appear Jo will find herself in real danger before this case can be concluded.
I am a big fan of good mysteries and as such was not disappointed in this book. It is a bonus that the story is set in Dublin, a place I know well.
Jo Birmingham makes a good main character. She is a tough and intuitive detective who knows her own mind and doesn't allow anybody to mess with her. She is also a devoted mother and still in turmoil over the separation from her husband. This makes her a real and well-rounded character, especially since she may be good at what she does but is far from perfect.
The mystery was very well plotted with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the very end. I thought I had the solution very early on in the book, and when Jo came to the same conclusion a good bit later on, I felt a bit let down. But, we were both wrong, and that's all I say about that.
My one qualm about this book is that the murderer was virtually impossible to guess for the reader because the clues just weren't there. It made for a surprise ending though.
This book also strikes the right balance between the mystery and the personal story line. One never got in the way of the other and both were portrait realistically.
Another thing I really appreciated is the case O'Connor makes for Separate Legal Representation, a system which, if adopted, would allow victims of violent crime to have their own representation in court. Someone to give them a more personal voice, rather than just the voice of the prosecutor who, after all, speaks for the state, and not for the victims. O'Connor makes this case both in the story, and in a note at the end of the book and I fully agree with her.
All in all this was a great read, and a one day book for me. I'm very glad that my library has the second book, Taken, on order and that I will be get to get my hands on it soon.
My rating for this book is a very solid 4.5 stars.
Jo Birmingham is a police detective in Dublin. She's also a mother and separated from her husband who also happens to be her superior in work.
When Jo finds the body of a horrifically murdered prostitute it doesn't take her long to link it to other recent murders. What she discovers is not pretty. It appears they're looking for someone with a religious obsession, someone acting out an eye for or an eye, a tooth for a tooth.....
With the body count rising the investigation appears to be moving forward once Jo and her colleagues discover what the link between the victims is. But with things less straight forward than they appear Jo will find herself in real danger before this case can be concluded.
I am a big fan of good mysteries and as such was not disappointed in this book. It is a bonus that the story is set in Dublin, a place I know well.
Jo Birmingham makes a good main character. She is a tough and intuitive detective who knows her own mind and doesn't allow anybody to mess with her. She is also a devoted mother and still in turmoil over the separation from her husband. This makes her a real and well-rounded character, especially since she may be good at what she does but is far from perfect.
The mystery was very well plotted with enough red herrings to keep me guessing until the very end. I thought I had the solution very early on in the book, and when Jo came to the same conclusion a good bit later on, I felt a bit let down. But, we were both wrong, and that's all I say about that.
My one qualm about this book is that the murderer was virtually impossible to guess for the reader because the clues just weren't there. It made for a surprise ending though.
This book also strikes the right balance between the mystery and the personal story line. One never got in the way of the other and both were portrait realistically.
Another thing I really appreciated is the case O'Connor makes for Separate Legal Representation, a system which, if adopted, would allow victims of violent crime to have their own representation in court. Someone to give them a more personal voice, rather than just the voice of the prosecutor who, after all, speaks for the state, and not for the victims. O'Connor makes this case both in the story, and in a note at the end of the book and I fully agree with her.
All in all this was a great read, and a one day book for me. I'm very glad that my library has the second book, Taken, on order and that I will be get to get my hands on it soon.
My rating for this book is a very solid 4.5 stars.
August 25, 2014
For me this is an average read. The story isn't bad and the pace of the book moves along nicely. It's the story of a serial killer in Dublin and the personal life of the detective investigating the crime. I found the writing a little basic at time's hence the two star's and also some error's in the book. I know it's a fictional story but I find it annoying in books that use real places that give error's about the real places.
If you like crime book's and your from Ireland you might like the story as I wasn't sorry I read the book, but I think the audience for this book is limited.
If you like crime book's and your from Ireland you might like the story as I wasn't sorry I read the book, but I think the audience for this book is limited.
October 28, 2017
An average thriller on the whole, not a bad read but nothing here to set the characters or story out from the crowd. While the main character, Jo, is likeable enough, I found the relationship between her & her ex-husband irritating. Jo's ex is also her boss & uses this to try & undermine her authority & basically treat her like dirt at work - no surprise there, not an original concept by any means - but what made it less than credible for me was the fact that in their personal lives they would appear to be wanting to be back together & for me these two points didn't marry up (pun intended!).
The storyline itself is okay but the leaps that Jo seems to make in solving things ie; working out the next victim, seem to involve more luck than logic! I'll probably read more in the series if I come across them but won't be searching them out.
The storyline itself is okay but the leaps that Jo seems to make in solving things ie; working out the next victim, seem to involve more luck than logic! I'll probably read more in the series if I come across them but won't be searching them out.
September 16, 2017
Not. Bad book, I got a bit confused at times, but that could be me. Want to try another to see
August 31, 2021
Slow start but finished with a bang.
June 19, 2012
Well, I have to be honest and say I was really surprised. This book was recommended to me via Facebook from somebody who was currently reading this book. I fancied somebody new and realised that it has only taken me a few days to finish this and throughly enjoyed it.
I loved the setting in Ireland as it seems lately a lot of crime books I have been reading have been set in London. Niamh's writing is pretty good too. It's an easy to read style, nothing too taxing and complicated but enough to draw interest (nothing worse that reading a book and feeling like you are taking a course in forensic pyschology!). Jo Birmingham is a good lead character and her situation is one that is not uncommon, in books or in the real world. A typical working mother that has to try and balance work and home. What I really liked about Jo was that she wasn't made as perfect as other characters I have read in the past. Typical lead women do NOT have to be perfect and sometimes (like in the case of this book) it's nice to see them make mistakes and doubt themselves.
I also loved the other characters that make appearances throughout the story, namely her ex-husband Dan and her colleagues John Foxe (known and Foxy in the book. What a great nickname!) and Gavin Sexton. The story itself is built up in layers which made it more interesting to read, we weren't thrown out of the frying pan and in to the fat. The story is built up as we learn more about each person and the role they play following the discovery of the first body.
From the perspective of the crimes themselves, this was the area I felt it lacked a little something. Other crime writers are far more descriptive with murder scenes and this book lacked that certain something that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when reading about a murder!
The killer itself was not somebody I guessed which pleased me a lot (nothing worse than guessing half way through and being right) and although the ending was okay it wasn't the greatest. It felt a little rushed towards the end and amybe a little 'unfinished'.
I wouldn't say that the book was perfect and at the moment there is so much competition in this genre that it is very hard to stand out from the crowd. Having said that this book is certainly a great read and is a great catalyst for a series featuring Jo Birmingham. Crime itself is relentless wherever you are in the world and her personal life could go either way. Having loved the characters and enjoyed the writing I am looking forward to her second book featuring Jo.
I think overall for a debut novel this is a great book and I would recommend it.
I loved the setting in Ireland as it seems lately a lot of crime books I have been reading have been set in London. Niamh's writing is pretty good too. It's an easy to read style, nothing too taxing and complicated but enough to draw interest (nothing worse that reading a book and feeling like you are taking a course in forensic pyschology!). Jo Birmingham is a good lead character and her situation is one that is not uncommon, in books or in the real world. A typical working mother that has to try and balance work and home. What I really liked about Jo was that she wasn't made as perfect as other characters I have read in the past. Typical lead women do NOT have to be perfect and sometimes (like in the case of this book) it's nice to see them make mistakes and doubt themselves.
I also loved the other characters that make appearances throughout the story, namely her ex-husband Dan and her colleagues John Foxe (known and Foxy in the book. What a great nickname!) and Gavin Sexton. The story itself is built up in layers which made it more interesting to read, we weren't thrown out of the frying pan and in to the fat. The story is built up as we learn more about each person and the role they play following the discovery of the first body.
From the perspective of the crimes themselves, this was the area I felt it lacked a little something. Other crime writers are far more descriptive with murder scenes and this book lacked that certain something that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when reading about a murder!
The killer itself was not somebody I guessed which pleased me a lot (nothing worse than guessing half way through and being right) and although the ending was okay it wasn't the greatest. It felt a little rushed towards the end and amybe a little 'unfinished'.
I wouldn't say that the book was perfect and at the moment there is so much competition in this genre that it is very hard to stand out from the crowd. Having said that this book is certainly a great read and is a great catalyst for a series featuring Jo Birmingham. Crime itself is relentless wherever you are in the world and her personal life could go either way. Having loved the characters and enjoyed the writing I am looking forward to her second book featuring Jo.
I think overall for a debut novel this is a great book and I would recommend it.
September 12, 2011
This is a complex mystery with an interesting lead character. It's relatively unusual to come across a female lead detective with children, although of course a complex and often unhappy love life is de rigueur with crime-novel-cops. I warmed to Jo Birmingham and her struggles to be taken seriously amongst the boys in blue, and was drawn into the story through her character. She has an ongoing crusade - to get Separate Legal Representation for rape victims - which is mentioned throughout the book and picked up in an author's note at the end. This clearly is an issue which the author (a crime journalist) has strong feelings about, but she did not allow it to take over the plot, which a lesser writer could easily have done.
The setting of Dublin is strongly present and there probably were references that I missed which would delight those familiar with the city, but I wasn't left with a 'one step behind' feeling. The supporting characters were also well-drawn and inherently interesting, while the tense relationships between Jo, her teenage son and her ex-husband are effectively portrayed.
The plot itself (in terms of the crimes committed) was complicated and encouraged me to keep reading, but there were times I was surprised at the leaps made and I think there were aspects that were never completely explained - or maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. This was not sufficient to stop me reading (I wanted to know where it was going next!) and would absolutely not inhibit me from reading another Jo Birmingham novel in the future.
Thanks go to Transworld for sending this as part of their Crime Caper promotion.
The setting of Dublin is strongly present and there probably were references that I missed which would delight those familiar with the city, but I wasn't left with a 'one step behind' feeling. The supporting characters were also well-drawn and inherently interesting, while the tense relationships between Jo, her teenage son and her ex-husband are effectively portrayed.
The plot itself (in terms of the crimes committed) was complicated and encouraged me to keep reading, but there were times I was surprised at the leaps made and I think there were aspects that were never completely explained - or maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. This was not sufficient to stop me reading (I wanted to know where it was going next!) and would absolutely not inhibit me from reading another Jo Birmingham novel in the future.
Thanks go to Transworld for sending this as part of their Crime Caper promotion.
August 28, 2013
Liamh O'Connors Ermittlerin Jo Birmingham hat den Fall eines nekrophilen Serienmörders aufzuklären, der die Leichen seiner Opfer so drapiert, dass man ihn für einen religiösen Fanatiker halten könnte. Verknüpft sind die Taten mit dem Schicksal eines Kindes, das durch eine Entführung traumatisiert wurde. In der Figur der Ermittlerin begegnet dem Leser eine junge Frau, die sich als allein erziehende Mutter eines Pubertierenden und eines Einjährigen durchschlägt und deren ohnehin schwierige Situation als Frau bei der Kriminalpolizei Dublin weiter kompliziert wird, weil der Vater ihrer Kinder ihr Vorgesetzter ist. O'Connor geht im Nachwort ausführlich auf ihr Motiv ein, einen Krimi mit einem traumatisierten Verbrechensopfer in der Nebenrolle zu schreiben, um auf die in Irland damals noch fehlende Möglichkeit der Nebenklagevertretung für Opfer von Verbrechen und deren Angehörige aufmerksam zu machen.
O'Connors erster Band mit Jo Birmingham lässt sich zum Typ Thriller mit abgehackten Körperteilen zählen; die Auflösung des Plots hat mich weniger begeistert. Empfehlen kann ich das Buch Lesern, die sich für den Handlungsort interessieren oder die gern innerhalb einer Reihe die persönliche Entwicklung des Ermittlers verfolgen.
O'Connors erster Band mit Jo Birmingham lässt sich zum Typ Thriller mit abgehackten Körperteilen zählen; die Auflösung des Plots hat mich weniger begeistert. Empfehlen kann ich das Buch Lesern, die sich für den Handlungsort interessieren oder die gern innerhalb einer Reihe die persönliche Entwicklung des Ermittlers verfolgen.
September 19, 2015
Was a little slow to start or slow for me to get into,either way it was a slow boiler but gradually picked up the pace and I enjoyed it. It didn't have me rushing to read the next chapter etc but it was a good story with a good plot,plenty of twists and turns and possible killers.
It leads you down several paths to who the killer is and I never guessed which is the best kind of crime novel I believe.
I really liked the lead role of Jo Birmingham and she was just a normal working mum at the end of it trying to juggle work and home life and not always doing a great job. I liked the other characters too especially her ex husband Dan, I enjoyed their 'relationship' such as it were.
The ending was all wrapped up with the crime but Jo's personal life left us hanging. The ending itself felt a little rushed,all that build up and then over and done with in half an hour.
Like I said I liked this debut novel and its characters so I will definitely read the rest in the series.
It leads you down several paths to who the killer is and I never guessed which is the best kind of crime novel I believe.
I really liked the lead role of Jo Birmingham and she was just a normal working mum at the end of it trying to juggle work and home life and not always doing a great job. I liked the other characters too especially her ex husband Dan, I enjoyed their 'relationship' such as it were.
The ending was all wrapped up with the crime but Jo's personal life left us hanging. The ending itself felt a little rushed,all that build up and then over and done with in half an hour.
Like I said I liked this debut novel and its characters so I will definitely read the rest in the series.
July 17, 2012
"Empfehlen kann ich "Opferspiel" thriller-lesenden Frauen, aber auch Männern (!), die sich für ein Setting in Dublin, Irland interessieren und etwas über religiös motivierte Morde, Bandenkriege und politische Machenschaften im Hintergrund lesen möchten. Übrigens: "Opferspiel" hält sich bei der Beschreibung von "Gemetzel" zurück, hier können auch zart-besaitete LeserInnen zugreifen. (Wer allerdings schon die Beschreibung von Tatorten und deren Leichen nicht ertragen kann, wird auch bei "Opferspiel" Probleme haben, denn es bleibt nicht bei einer Leiche ...)"
Die vollständige Rezension findet ihr hier: http://bookaddicted.de/?p=1187
Die vollständige Rezension findet ihr hier: http://bookaddicted.de/?p=1187
October 19, 2015
The book was totally cool. The book of exodus was the best part. I loved the killers idea. Really love serial killing books (not that I lyk serial killing..lol) jo was a really string and smart woman. I always thought it was sexton but it turned out to be Walter. Gosh who would have thought. All for Katie. .. that was fine but no for some disgusting sex thing ..yuckky. . Gross..well what else loved the biblical idea behind it. And why oh why are u like this dan ..I really wished that jo would find a nice guy.. maybe it was kind of not so great and maybe 4 stars only but hey cool concept.. so guys try it if u can bear the killings ..its kind of gross
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2011
With her hugely in-depth knowledge of the Irish crime scene, I might have expected this debut to be meticulously researched and written, and I wasn't disappointed.
Where Niamh really scores though, is on the writing. Her characters are so real they grip the reader from the start. I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and the pace built and built, keeping me totally in it's grip.
I love Jeffry Deaver, and the early Patricia Cornwell books, and am delighted to have found a fabulous new author that I can now wait for new releases from. If you like crime - get it. It's great.
Where Niamh really scores though, is on the writing. Her characters are so real they grip the reader from the start. I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and the pace built and built, keeping me totally in it's grip.
I love Jeffry Deaver, and the early Patricia Cornwell books, and am delighted to have found a fabulous new author that I can now wait for new releases from. If you like crime - get it. It's great.
December 3, 2013
Drawn in by the awesome main character and her inability to brush her hair or give a flying fazoodle, plus the interesting case and lots of great city, mildly puzzled by two POV bobbles, then totally betrayed by the WTF ending.
Still going to read book 2, dang it.
Still going to read book 2, dang it.
October 25, 2014
I wavered between 2 and 3 for my rating here. It was perfectly readable- you can't skim a crime novel no matter how tempting. But the plot, while a good idea came over as muddled and the conclusion a bit random, the efforts of the police team directionless, and soap box things leave me cold
April 8, 2011
really good crime novel. it kept me guessing all the way to the end. Characters interesting and it makes me want to read another novelk with them in!
August 28, 2018
starting is quite boring..hard to find what is going on actually..but after a few chapters the novel becomes interesting to read..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2014
Cracking thriller.
January 22, 2015
This book is more 3 and a half stars than 3.
September 24, 2011
first book of hers and really enjoyed it
October 27, 2013
Easy to read, but very enjoyable and attention holding!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews