Excellent!

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"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