I really enjoyed this book about Detective Garda Cathy Connolly. It's a part of a series, so to get the most from it, I'd definitely read 'Little Bones' and 'In Deep Water' From the opening quote "O, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!" from Walter Scott's, 'Marmion' I was hooked! The story begins with a prologue set late at night as a woman hurries along a icy coastal path overlooking Dublin Bay, she is set to met someone she needs help from, however this soon becomes the next crime to investigate for Connolly and her Detective Inspector, Dawson O'Rourke. Cathy and Dawson were partners previously and now through promotions have different roles, but their personal relationship in this book develops, it's been a underscore in the previous two and more built on a strong respect and friendship. I enjoy both the character of Connolly and O'Rourke; they work well as a team and their developing personal relationship is also engaging. The central story works well and explores how two deaths in different places on the same night are connected, some solid plot twists and I really enjoyed the read. I'll eagerly look out for the next in the series.

"No Way Back" is the third in the Cat Connolly thriller series by the author Sam Blake - which is the pseudonym for Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin. I hadn't read any books in the best selling series previously and looked forward to reading and joining what appeared to be very exciting and original set of crime thriller stories. I wasn't disappointed, this was a highly entertaining, gripping and with many a twist and turn along the way, excellent police procedural! I didn't feel I needed to read any of the others previously - other than for enjoyment - as any information you need to know to bring you up to date, is included in the story. Successful power couple Orla and Conor Quinn's son, Tom, is the victim of a deliberate hit-and-run. Just as Detective Garda Cathy Connolly is leaving Tom's parents she is called to the discovery of another body - that of student Lauren O'Reilly - not far from where Tom was found. What led her to apparently take her own life and as a friend of Tom's and both dying on the same night, are the deaths connected? As Cathy delves into the cases she is led into the world of the Dark Web and a scary peeping tom scenario turning things a lot more frightening! "No Way Back" is a very large book and will keep you entertained literally for days. I enjoyed Sam Blakes's writing, it's concise, easy to follow and has relatable and likeable characters that you soon connect with. I particularly liked Anna Lockharte and had so much empathy for her after learning about the tragic events in France. Detective Garda Cathy Connolly is an amazing criminal investigator, smart, fearless, passionate and a champion kickboxer to boot! The simmering 'will they, won't they' relationship with boss and mentor Dawson O'Rourke was very intriguing and I look forward to seeing how that all pans out in the next book. This is a slow burning story but still moves along perfectly, keeping you constantly entertained and allows you to slowly put together the pieces of the mystery for yourself. Set in Ireland's dark underworld, not my usual area of reading - but still a truly captivating and interesting backdrop. Although some of the internet/hacking terminology was a little beyond me, it didn't affect my love for the dramatic storyline and I especially liked reading the viewpoint from the unknown perpetrator between the chapters - it always adds an element of sinister excitement to the story. I have every intention to read the next in this gritty series and to buy the previous books and I'm more than happy to recommend "No Way Back" and its talented author. 4 stars

This is the third book in the Catherine (Cat) Connelly series, and although I had not read the previous two installments, this worked well as a stand alone novel. The book starts with the deaths of two students, which although at first appear unconnected, soon turn out to be intertwined, and part of an interweaving of principle characters. The plot follows the investigation into their deaths, alongside a will-they won't-they romance between Cat and her boss O'Rourke. The book also looks into the international dark web and involves the USA and London as well as Ireland where the majority of the action is set. The characters were well written and believable, but at times the plot jumpef about too much and some areas lacked depth. This didn't matter too much though, and overall I enjoyed it and would look out for more from this author.

after a slow start about investigating a hit and run accident the story takes on a dramatic twist. this is a thrilling and gripping read. this is superb writing. the characters are believable and a story of deep insight of police-procedural and investigation techniques. i was gripped so much that i was not able to put the book down. irish detective cathy connolly is called to investigate a hit and run involving the son of a successful, glamorous couple. at the same time she is called to the discovery of an other body of a teenage girl. she was a friend of tom the hit and run victim. the investigation leads cathy and her boss dawson o,rourke into the dark webb. this is superb writing and i cannot recommend this book more highly.

Orla and Conor Quinn are a highly successful, powerful and glamorous couple whose lives are torn apart when their only child, nineteen-year-old university student Tom, is found dead, the victim of a deliberate hit-and run. Then, as Detective Garda Cat Connolly is leaving his parents’ home she is called to the discovery of another body, found on the rocks, not far from where Tom was killed. This victim is Lauren O’Reilly, a friend and fellow student of Tom who had, apparently, committed suicide. Is it just a coincidence that both young people died on the same night or are their deaths in some way linked? As Cat and the team of detectives investigate both deaths they uncover various strands which point to links with the Dark Web, as well as with some cold cases. I found this an immediately engaging police procedural story and thought that the slow build up to the complexity of the plot was handled well. It seemed that most of the characters had secrets which led the detectives down many blind alleys, leading to multiple twists and turns as the story progressed. However, these were exposed in ways which felt, for the most part, reasonably convincing. Although I did guess the outcome quite early on, there was an interesting twist at the end which did catch me by surprise! I think that the slow-burn of the early stages of the investigation, followed by a quite dramatic acceleration in the later stages, was probably a reasonably accurate reflection of how many crimes are eventually solved. The Dark Web and computer hacking were central to the developing story and the exposure of the insidious nature of these themes made for some disturbing reading – I defy anyone who reads this book not to become paranoid about covering their webcam when they aren’t using it! I thought that the characters, even the more minor ones, were mostly well developed and credible. I found Cat, a determined and passionate investigator, quite an endearing character and loved the fact that she was also a champion kick-boxer in her spare time! Her relationship with Detective Inspector Dawson O’Rourke, her married boss and mentor, was a complex one because it included a powerful romantic element which led to a certain tension in most of their interactions. The “will they, won’t they” scenarios certainly added an extra dimension to the development of the story, although I must admit that there were moments when I found it hard to reconcile Cat’s confident, rather feisty persona with her apparent dependence on her attachment to her boss! Another character I found particularly appealing was Anna Lockharte, the university professor who was course tutor to Tom and Lauren but was also suffering from PTSD following her sister’s death during a terrorist attack in Paris. Some of the narrative is presented from her perspective, a device which certainly added interest as well as introducing some links to the complex, ongoing investigation. A rather more disturbing strand to the narrative were the occasional, italicised chapters which offered insights into the psychology and motives of the amoral computer hacker, whose activities are central to the story. Most of the action takes place in Ireland but the move to London for the dramatic conclusion, as well as strands which included France and America, added an interesting extra dimension to the story-telling. This is the third book in the Cat Connolly series and, although it would probably have felt more satisfying had I read the previous two, if only to gain more insight into how the close personal, as well as professional, relationship between Cat and Dawson had come about, there were certainly enough clues about the back story to make it easy and enjoyable to read as a stand-alone story. The strength of the character development and the quality of the writing are certainly factors which would encourage me to read the next book in the series. With thanks to Readers First and Zaffre for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.