A Lesson in Malice

Solicitor (and part-time murder solver) Finn Fitzpatrick is invited to her alma mater for a presentation, some swanning about, and a fancy dinner. She doesn’t expect to be a murder suspect when a distinguished guest is killed – she’s not the only one, mind, everyone who attended the President’s dinner is under suspicion. Discreetly asked by the President to investigate, Finn is tasked, once again, to put her professional work on hold and look more closely at her fellow dinner guests, some more high profile than others. What will she discover? Secrets, lies, jealousy and rivalry in an academic setting that many wouldn’t expect. Finn also has some personal issue with which to contend, including a family storyline that is closer to home than she could have predicted. Catherine has once again spun a layered tale that is a pleasure to read.

An ingenious plot with an ending I did not anticipate. Brilliant descriptions of Cork and the University. Overall, a good read. Although the author has written other books, this works very well as a standalone.
Thank you to netgalley and Hachette books for this advance copy.

I enjoyed this one. This is the first book I have read by this author and while she has written other books with which the main character of this one has featured in , A Lesson in Malice works as a standalone read and having read it I am looking forward to going back and reading some of Kirwan's back catalogue.

A Lesson In Malice is set in Cork, Co Ireland and predominantly on the grounds of University College Cork, I really enjoyed the setting of this one and the vivid academic setting, Kirwan paints Cork in all its glory. The book opens with solicitor Finn Fitzpatrick being invited to give a talk at her own alma mater. After a day of talks from legal academics there is a dinner on campus for the guests. One of them does not survive the event and Finn finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation where everyone who attended the meal is a suspect.

This a quick pacey read, it kept me engaged and kept me guessing and the setting elevated this from a 3 to 4 star read for me. I enjoyed the twists in this one and I liked the characters. A satisfying entertaining read.

4 star.

Finn Fitzpatrick, full time lawyer and part time investigator, is invited to speak at an all day event at her alma mater and is expected to attend the exclusive dinner that follows. She is bored, feels out of place and is glad to have the long day behind her. Only it’s not. Days later, the body of one of the speakers is discovered and the university president asks Finn to investigate. Finn begins to interview this very different group, ranging from a PhD student to the president herself. A chance discovery will change this case for her, making it deeply personal.

This series, by the talented Catherine Kirwan, just keeps getting better. Finn Fitzpatrick is a strong character with a detailed backstory that makes her very relatable. The characters in this mystery are well described, especially Lia and Rory. The Cork location is atmospheric and makes you want to plan a trip to Ireland. I can’t wait to see what Finn does next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Books Ireland and Catherine Kirwan for this ARC.

Engaging, Pacy..
When Finn is invited to speak at a dinner and conference at her former university she feels compelled to agree - despite the fact that she cannot fathom why she was asked and despite her own personal reticence. When a body is later discovered at the university, suspects will include all of those in attendance at that dinner. It’s not long before Finn begins to take a much closer look at the guests. A well written, pacy and wholly enjoyable murder mystery with a firm and well described backdrop and an engaging plot peppered with twists and populated with a credible cast. This is the third entry in a series featuring, solicitor, Finn Fitzpatrick although this, as the others, can happily be read as a standalone.