This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

The brilliant coda to a tremendous series sees psychologist Paula Maguire back in Northern Ireland when two bodies are unearthed on a farm, perhaps tied to her mother’s Troubles-era disappearance.

McGowan’s tales starring forensic psychologist Paula Maguire are intelligent and layered. This crime novel ticks all the boxes – good crime plotlines, interesting and well-drawn characters, plenty of depth to go with page-turning pace, a great and rich sense of setting, and plenty of underlying issues among the people and places she sets her tales. But there's also much more here than just ticking all boxes on what can make for a good or great crime novel; McGowan has that magic touch for balancing various aspects, and putting enough of a fresh spin on things to make the sum even greater than all its very good component parts.

A vivid and atmospheric book, continuing the arc of the story of Dr Paula Maguire, psychologist and expert in missing persons. Settled back in London, Paula is called to Ballyterrin, Northern Ireland, where her ex- boss has a dead body but no corresponding missing person...

The book is a great mixture of mystery, character development and delves into the psyche of modern Northern Ireland, where the Troubles still aren’t that far away in the past.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Killing House by Claire McGowan

The Killing House is the sixth and, I believe, final novel in Claire McGowan’s series about forensic psychologist Paula Maguire. Everything that has happened in previous novels comes to a head here and, although you could read it as a standalone, I think you really do need to have read at least some of the other books first. Because this is when the great mystery in Paula’s own life is brought to a close. Paula’s job is to help police find people, including the Disappeared who vanished during Northern Ireland’s Troubles. Paula’s mother Margaret was among the Disappeared. For years Paula has searched for the truth. Now she just might find it. If you’ve read any of the earlier books you’ll know how this search has dominated not just Paula’s life but also those of so many people around her.

Two bodies have been found in an abandoned farmhouse – one is a well-known member of the IRA who disappeared in 1993 and the other is a young girl. Both have been murdered but, whereas the man was thrown in his grave, the girl was carefully placed. 1993 is a key year for Paul Maguire. This is the year in which her mother vanished and the clues – as well as rumour – suggest that the Wallace family who used to own the farmhouse may have had something to do with Margaret’s disappearance. Paula is now based in London but she is back in her old hometown in Northern Ireland for a wedding. The timing is perfect. She’s soon on the case and there isn’t one person who doesn’t know how personal this is for Paula, her father, the man she loves, her child, for all of them.

I’ve now read and enjoyed four of the six books in this series and I have no hesitation in proclaiming The Killing House my favourite. There are several reasons for this, not least of which is my need to know what happened to Paula’s mother. This has been a shadow hanging over the books from the beginning and I’d reached the point where I think we had to find out the truth. In the previous books there have been other cases as Paula carries out her job but this time there is a focus and intensity which I found entirely gripping.

This novel is extremely tense and, at times, quite harrowing. It presents a plain speaking and insightful depiction of the Troubles and their legacy, a timely reminder of what the situation used to be like as well as how delicately poised the peace is. Deaths still happen. People still disappear. Claire McGowan’s discussion of how policy has affect Northern Ireland’s policing is especially fascinating and it is made all the more real and shocking because of our invested interest in Paula’s happiness – and safety.

The last novel, Blood Tide, was a bleak novel in many ways for Paula and in The Killing House we see elements of this intensified. There is such a strong feeling of everything reaching a climax in The Killing House and this mood is created and sustained brilliantly by Claire McGowan.

Claire McGowan is such a fine and thoughtful writer. She blends together an accessible picture of the repercussions and issues of Northern Ireland’s recent history while focusing on a few individuals that we’ve grown to care about very much. It’s almost painful watching them go through this. There is hope, as represented by Paula’s little girl, but so much stands in the way of it. The conclusion, I’m so relieved to say, is a perfect one in lots of different ways, evoking conflicting emotions. This series has never been an especially easy read for me but it has always been rewarding as well as compelling. I’ve consistently felt drawn to it. The Killing House is a wonderful conclusion and is also, in my opinion, the finest of them all.

Other reviews
The Silent Dead
A Savage Hunger
Blood Tide

This was the latest in the Paula Maguire series and I enjoyed it just as much as I did all the previous books. The story has lots of twists and turns so you find yourself getting hooked pretty quickly. The story also covers ongoing themes from the previous book. Its a great addition to a really good series.

When I requested this book from NetGalley I didn’t realise it was book 6 in the series but I think there’s enough background information given for this book to be read as a stand-alone.
I really liked this book and Paula’s character is hard not to like.
Paula has been working in London for a while but she’s asked to go back to Ireland as some bodies have been found buried at a farm.
The big pull for Paula is that her mum has been missing since she was a girl and she’s desperate to know if she’s one of the people found on the farm.
Paula’s fiancé is in prison in Ireland and while she’s visiting another contact she comes face to face with him. Deep down she knew he wasn’t a killer but how can they prove this?
It soon becomes clear that the barn on the farm was used by the IRA and in particular the Wallace family. As the story progresses we learn what went on in this barn, otherwise known as ‘the killing house’
This is a really good read and I’d highly recommend it.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

For the sixth episode in this series set on the border between North and South Ireland Paula Maguire returns to Ballyterrin from her new London home for a wedding. Home to where her determination to discover more about her mother’s disappearance when she was just a teenager are strongest.

This is the best series about ‘The Troubles’ that I have read. Paula Maguire’s personal story along with those of her friends, including Aiden whose father was shot dead when he hid under a table as a young boy, really underline what it was like for those who lived there at this time. But the series isn’t just about the past, in this book two bodies have been found at a remote farmhouse and Paula Maguire is asked, as a former member of the missing persons team, and forensic psychologist, to find out who they were.

As in the previous books in the series, Paula’s work in the present is told alongside her determination to understand the past. This is easier said than done when what she discovers could be devastating for her former Police Officer father and the life he now has as husband, father and grandfather. Paula Maguire is just the type of protagonist I like most, she is brave and yet conflicted, she makes mistakes and she tries to put them right and she loves and loses along the way - in other words under Claire McGowan's pen she has truly come to life.

I love the style of storytelling, and in The Killing House, we are transported back in time to hear the voice of one person held by the punishment team who have them held captive to find out the information for their cause. There are some horrific characters in this book but all held together by the basic goodness of many others, even those who may have done wrong in the past. The author has a way of differentiating between those who got caught up in the times, and those who enjoyed being part of it, exceptionally well so that the reader is able to look at this point in history at a personal level.

The current investigation, and the resultant politics which take into account the peace process are fascinating to learn about. The legal challenges in respect of crimes committed many years ago are put into the context of how the victims and their families, and of course the police officers, are trying to bring comfort in the form of knowledge, without the firm expectation that those who killed will face a trial. This book is full of the action which also underpins the series with danger around many a corner for all involved. There were many fast page-turning moments where I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.
There is never any doubt at all about the setting, the turns of phrase, without going to ridiculous lengths to recreating the accent, remind you on every page, the remoteness of some of the places describe and of course the interactions between the characters which are both heart-warming at times and so very practical at others.

I suspect that this is the last in this series, and I will miss Paula and what a ride it has been! This book has been meticulously plotted to ensure that the story arc which precedes it is wrapped up properly and although I think the time was right, I will miss the characters which I have invested in over the entire series. It was lovely to be given a proper conclusion to Paula’s personal story which I’m sure mirrors, at least in part, the stories of many others who lived through this time.

As this is what I suspect is the final episode in the series, I wouldn't recommend starting with this one, you really should read the books in order.

I'd like to thank the publishers Headline for providing me with a copy of The Killing House, which will be published on 5 April 2018. This unbiased review is my thanks to them, and of course the author for a brilliant and satisfying read.

First Published UK: 5 April 2018
Publisher: Headline
No of Pages: 336
Genre: Crime Fiction – Series
Amazon UK
Amazon US
The Paula McGuire Series
The Lost
The Dead Ground
The Silent Dead
Savage Hunger
Blood Tide

This is the sixth book in this series and almost certainly the last so not really the best book to go in to cold. It basically ties up a lot of the loose ends that have been floating round since book one so, to get the best from it, and indeed the whole series should you want to read them too, I would strongly recommend you start from the beginning and read in order.
Paula is back in London and to be honest she's a bit bored. Due to go back home to attend a wedding, she jumps at the chance to go back early when she is asked to consult on the discovery of two bodies, buried on an old farm during renovations. A farm that has links to certain people who were instrumental players in the troubles of years ago. Players who could also be the keepers of secrets to what happened to her mother. A story that Paula is so eager to understand fully, especially after finding the note.
When she arrives there, she is shown some evidence and is shocked when she recognises an item of jewellery. That, along with a tip that her mother may have been held for interrogation at that same farmhouse, taken there on the day she vanished, makes Paula all the more determined to find out what really happened once and for all.
I have loved this series from book three. Yes, book three. I made that heinous mistake. But I did go back and play catch up with the first two and I am so glad that I did. I have got to know Paula and the other characters quite well along the way and I am in two minds about this being the last book. Yes, the story is complete and it has obviously been plotted out like a six book series rather than an open ended one but I am also still a little sad to be leaving them behind. On the flip side, I have previously abandoned series that have gone on way beyond their sell by dates and that have fallen rather flat for me so, in a way, I am also happy to leave them at a point when it is all still fresh. Anyway, you never know what will happen in the future. Maybe the author will revisit some or all of them in future books. All I do know is that, for me, the series is as it should be and it also ends well. As it should do.
Ms McGowan really does put Paula through the wringer in this book. More so than in previous as this is the book where all world seem to collide. her mother's disappearance, her partner's incarceration, her daughter's parentage. And all at the same time as her trying to do her job; heavy stuff! But she is made of strong stuff and there's always the inter-faith marriage of her friends to lighten the mood, especially with some of the shenanigans that go with that from the future in-laws! All very respectfully handled by the way, which is the same for the troubles. They are obviously quite prevalent throughout this series and with them still being fresh in people's memories there is a level of respect that must be upheld when using them in fiction and here Ms McGowan achieves this very admirably. There is also quite a bit around the Good Friday agreement which I was previously unaware of but which made me think quite a bit. And do a bit of looking up. Again handled well and objectively.
Plotting is tight and has been congruent throughout the series. In this book, most of the loose ends are tidied up quite satisfactorily. As with life, not everyone will be happy with every outcome and there will be some fallout to be had but, speaking as a reader, as I turned the final page I was left wholly satisfied. What better feeling...
It's quite an emotional book all told. Not just because it is the last of the series. More that there are so many key things happening that affect the characters on an emotional level. And, because I have invested in the characters, also affecting me as a reader. But again, at the end of the day, when the truth is revealed at the end the overall feeling is that of balance.
All in all, a perfect conclusion to a series I have loved. Although sad to wave goodbye to Paula et al, I am excited to meet the new characters that the author will create next.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have read and enjoyed all 6 books in the Paula Maguire series. It's been a great journey with her.
Book 6 is just as good, if not better than the others. I felt this time around one or two things were settled. Although there certainly is scope for a lot more of Paula Maguire, her character is first class. She's by no means perfect, yet wants to do the right thing, most of the time. She has a knack of getting herself into quite a bit of trouble at times.

After moving to London to start a new life with her young daughter, it's not long before Paula ends up back in Ballyterrin. Back to the old ways in no time.
Paula has returned when she was asked to help try to identify two bodies. The bodies have been found buried on a farm that is currently being renovated.
It soon comes to light that Paula's mother, who as been missing for many years could have a link with this farm. Is Paula finally going to be able to solve the mystery of her missing mother, and find out once and for all if she is 'Dead or Alive'.
Claire McGowan has certainly created a series here that drags you in, as each book ends you just can't wait for the next one.
Superb writing that draws you in right from the word go.

A satisfying conclusion to the Paula McGuire series.

The Paula Maguire series enters its sixth book and while I feel there’s plenty of legs left in it, author Claire McGowan has taken the understandable decision to make this the last Maguire book. I’ve become really attached to these characters and I’m really going to miss them. The book opens with Paula in London, doing mainly paperwork behind a desk, her life having fallen into some kind of normalcy. The pull of Ballyterrin is strong, however, and Paula finds herself heading back to investigate the discovery of two bodies under a remote farmhouse. To complicate matters further, Paula gets an anonymous tip that her missing mother was held there too. So begins a complicate dig through the past, covering the Troubles the Good Friday agreement and a whole raft of personal problems in between.

This is another excellently written book from Claire McGowan. The dialogue is sharp and witty and there’s no cardboard cutout characters here with what could have easily turned into cliche in the hands of a lesser writer being ably handled by McGowan. At long last the reader gets an insight into what happened to Paula’s mother, long a source of mystery with Paula alternating between thinking she’s dead or hiding out somewhere, there’s a definate answer for the reader. It’s smartly plotted and there’s plenty jammed into its 300 odd pages.

I’m going to miss this series but I’m really excited to see what Claire McGowan has planned next. A fitting end to a fantastic series.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Another fab installment of this series.

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I have not finished this book, I think my problem is that I have not read any others in the same series so the characters do not mean anything to me, as I feel that the story is ongoing from a previous book. So I am sorry about this.

Being a die hard fan of the Paula Maguire series I was so excited yet sad to read The Killing House as it meant Paula's journey was over. The Killing House is everything I wanted from a book; tense, revealing and highly addictive. Claire McGowan's writing really does get better and better. Definitely on my top ten of 2018 list!

Stunning, Mc Gowan goes from strength to strength as does this series. So many long running series get a bit lost, that's certainly not the case here. My family lost me for the hours it took me to read this.

A brilliant “conclusion” to Paula Maguire’s journey. A genuinely compelling and thought provoking series overall and this one had me on the edge of my seat to find out if Paula would get her happy ending. Y’all better read to find out..

From the first book to this book, the stories have been absolutely gripping – each separate mystery brilliantly plotted and compelling – throughout though has been the thread of loss- what did happen to Paula’s mother? Every book has had a moving forward of sorts, now here we are and the end is in sight…

Claire McGowan writes with a quiet intensity that just draws you in, her characters are beautifully flawed and authentic, the Irish setting comes to life not only in style but in substance. There is an underlying emotional sense to these books that is really impressive. Poor Paula, she has been through the wringer over the years, with her relationships and her difficult career – the author offers no guarantees that the rug won’t be pulled out from underneath her yet again in this final reckoning – so to call it a page turner doesn’t really do it justice. You honestly wont be able to put it down.

As a reader who has followed these from the start I was very emotional myself when I got to the end of The Killing House – whether in a good, cathartic way or a completely destroyed sobbing heap way I’ll leave you to find out for yourselves – but I HIGHLY recommend this and the books leading up to it. If you haven’t read them yet get the lot, go on a binge read, it’ll be more addictive than anything on Netflix I can promise you that. If you, like me, have been waiting for this “closure” then you won’t be disappointed. Absolutely and completely brilliantly done.

I’ve been following this series from the start and can say that this is the best of the six books. McGowan has always been superb at conjuring up the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and this book, especially, deals with the politics of the peace process in a knowledgeable and sophisticated fashion.

In the foreground are characters and families traumatised and torn apart by their history, trying to build and re-build lives shattered by violence. For all that, Paula has been an inconsistent main character: her role as a psychologist has never really fitted into the structure of these books as she does no ‘psychologising’ and seems to spend all her time conducting her own investigations which the PSNI never try to stop. That said, she seems to have dropped her most irritating traits in this book and is at her most sympathetic.

With a local plot intersecting with the long-term question of what happened to Paula’s mother, this book seems to bring things to a satisfactory and emotionally rewarding conclusion. I hope McGowan isn’t tempted to renew the series: as it stands it reaches the end of a narrative arc and is best left there: 4.5 stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of The Killing House, the sixth and possibly final novel to feature forensic psychologist and missing person expert Dr Paula Maguire.

Paula is bored in her new job in London and jumps at the chance to consult with her old team when she returns to Ballyterrin for a wedding. DI Helen Corry has an interesting proposition for her, instead of finding a missing person she uses her skills to identify bones that have been found on a local farm with IRA connections. Could it have something to do with her mother's disappearance in 1993.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Killing House which is an absorbing novel with plenty of twists and turns. It reaches deep into the past and shows that The Troubles have cast a long shadow which still permeates present day life in Northern Ireland. It seems to me that Ms McGowan does this in a very practical way, choosing to highlight individual experiences rather than concentrating on the politics, although the brief mentions the politics do get made me see them in a different light. It's an extremely complicated and emotive subject but I have to admire Ms McGowan's skill in making it easily understood.

The novel is told in the third person and alternates between Paula's present day investigation and personal problems and her mother Margaret's experiences in 1993. Somehow the two narratives dovetail extremely well and had me gripped. I felt as if I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was coming next. It is, however, not an easy novel to read as the casual violence is upsetting and the fear felt during The Troubles almost palpable. Apart from this atmosphere it requires a fair amount of concentration to keep up with the characters, their motivations, secrets and intertwining relationships.

The novel is not without its moments of humour. The descriptions of the run up to Avril and Gerard's interfaith marriage are amusing and all too believable (I walked the same tightrope 30 years ago), deadly because they are so unimportant in the grand scheme.

Paula is an interesting character. Her life is overshadowed by her mum's disappearance and she is fairly obsessive about finding out what happened to her, regardless of the consequences. I'm unsure of how to view this obsession. Is it incredibly selfish or will it help her to heal and allow her deal with her chaotic personal life? Ms McGowan is at pains to point out some of the pitfalls and pain it may cause so I suspect she may be in two minds herself.

The Killing House is an excellent read, thoughtful and exciting at the same time, which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Killing House by Claire Mcgowan is book six in the Paula Maguire series, with each book surpassing the last.

Paula Maguire has moved with her daughter Maggie to London from Ballyterrin when she is asked to return home to help try to identify two bodies found buried on a farm that is being renovated. One is an adult man who was a well known IRA member missing since the nineties, the other a young female who they are struggling to identify. Following an anonymous tip, Paula discovers that her mother who also disappeared in the nineties could also have been buried at the farm.

As Paula delves into the past, all is revealed with regard to Paula’s mother, who kidnapped her and whether she survived her ordeal.

Another excellent read in the Paula Maguire series, Paula is a feisty character who never gives up even while putting herself in danger. This is a compelling story with numerous twists throughout the book culminating in a surprising ending. Is this the last we see of Paula? I hope not.