The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Byrne

May 27th, 2020 Kimberly Review 12 Comments

27th May
The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Byrne
The Business of Blood
by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: The Business of Blood #1
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Length: 8 hours and 56 minutes
Genres: Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.3x

London, 1890. Blood and death are Fiona Mahoney’s trade, and business, as they say, is booming.

Dying is the only thing people do with any regularity, and Fiona makes her indecorous living cleaning up after the corpses are carted away. Her childhood best friend, Mary, was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper. It’s been two years since Fiona scrubbed Mary’s blood from the floorboards, and London is no longer buzzing about the Ripper, but Fiona hasn’t forgotten.

And she hasn’t stopped searching for Jack.

When she’s called to a murder in the middle of the night, Fiona finds a victim mutilated in an eerily similar fashion to those of the Ripper, and only a few doors down from Mary’s old home. The relentless, overbearing, and irritatingly handsome Inspector Grayson Croft warns her away from the case. She might have listened, if she hadn’t found a clue in the blood. A clue that will lead her down a path from which there is no return.As a killer cuts a devastating swath through London, a letter written in blood arrives at her door, and it is only then that Fiona realizes just how perilous her endeavor is. For she has drawn the attention of an obsessive evil, and is no longer the hunter, but the prey. Fiona Mahoney is in the business of blood.

But she’s not the only one.

historical MURDERMYSTERY ROMANCE twisted

The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Byrne takes us to 1890, London, where the business of murder is booming. Grab a cuppa and meet feisty, determined Fiona Mahoney but prepare for trouble….

Fiona Mahoney makes her living cleaning up after corpses. Nearly two years ago, her best-friend Mary was the last victim of Jack the Ripper. Fiona hasn’t stopped searching for him. She imagines herself to be a sleuth and by the end so you will.

I love slipping into a story when there is a serial killer afoot. Especially when there is a possibility involves Jack the Ripper. Byrne delivered a fast-paced murder mystery with plenty of twists, unusual characters and a feisty, stubborn heroine.

When Fiona cleans up a grizzly murder scene, she realizes it is eerily similar to Jack’s style. Could he be back? The location is just a few doors down from Mary’s home. Fiona gets the itch to investigate. Inspector Grayson Croft warns Fiona off, but Fiona finds a clue in a pool of blood that sets events in motion.

Twists, old lovers, business partners and an annoyingly handsome Inspector soon have Fiona searching for a killer. But will her questions place others in danger? Worse yet, will she be their next victim?

There are romantic side threads but these are all firmly served on the side and we will just have to see which threads become viable.

Gruesome discoveries, old flames now forbidden, and Fiona’s own secrets led to an intense tale that kept me listening into the wee hours.

Fiona interacts with a variety of people because of her line of work. Everyone from priests to criminals. Few people truly know Fiona. I found her to be tenacious, and fiercely independent with a tendency to run headlong into danger.

“Be careful in the dark,” he cautioned. “You’ve drawn the attention of a killer.” –The Business of Blood

Justine Eyre narrates and does a fine job from Fiona’s Irish lilt to pacing and tone. Each character had a unique voice, and through inflection she amped up the suspenseful moments.

The story is atmospheric with its macabre murders. The murder-mystery was fascinating and kept me guessing. I like that the case had closure but look forward to more dark adventures with Fiona. After all, she still has a killer to catch.

Grab a cuppa and meet feisty, determined Fiona Mahoney but prepare for trouble….The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Byrne #audiobook #Historical #MurderMystery #FemaleSlueth Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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12 Responses to “The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Byrne”

  2. Katherine

    All I had to see was Jack the Ripper to get me on board with this one! Historical mysteries have been such a win for me this year so far and this looks great!

  6. Carole

    I love the premise behind this story. I am definitely going to have to check this one out. Thanks for putting it on my radar!

  7. Lover of Romance

    I just adore this author so much and very eager to pick this one up. Good to know that the romance takes a back seat, but as long as there is some level of romantic elements I will be for it!!