I need to talk about Maeve Kerrigan - includes The Secret Room[SPOILERS] *Title edited by MNHQ*

[Zitouna]

Following recommendations from on here I’ve just read the whole Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey over the Christmas holidays, and need to talk about my latest obsession!

has anyone else read them all? Happy to try and discuss without spoilers if people haven’t. They are basically brilliant police procedurals with a lot of character-driven background stuff - there are 10 main books, plus a few shorter spin offs set in the same world. The next one is out in March and I’d like to fill the gap with chat if possible!

Thoughts/predictions from me: Hoping beyond hope that the relationship stuff is resolved at least a bit in the next one, but predict more angst before it is. It might sort of ‘end’ the series - but then Casey could continue a series of the spin offs instead.

I had a question on chronology if anyone has read them all- wondering whether The Outsider (Rob spin off) is supposed to come before or after The Close? I think it matters for the relationship arc, and I can’t decide!

Am I the only one who thought Mumsnet would hate Josh and think he was a negger?! Loved the books and thanks for the recommendation. Binged them all, now bereft but due to this thread, have The Outsider to read. Also second Elly Grithith

@Ghostofborleyrectory i definitely thought that early on! The bit where they are all at a wedding and Maeve is still with Rob and tempted by Derwent for a moment - I read that and was horrified, because I thought he was AWFUL. But then he does change over time I think (not sure it’s the most consistent characterisation tbh, but I don’t really mind!)

Just devoured The Outsider. A good companion piece to the main series. Wonder if we'll get a Derwent POV.

Well, now I know what I am doing on my day off tomorrow - reading The Outsider, and then going back to re-read the whole lot from the start!

Whereas I read it while thinking “Oh, for god’s sake, the pair of you! Stop massively overcomplicating things / being obtuse to the point of perversity!” I still devoured it, obvs.

Ha also true @FortunataTagnips ! I came to the Maeve books after reading all the Strike ones - it’s a similar “it doesn’t have to be this complicated!” Situation.

The Outsider was excellent.

I really enjoyed The Outsider too.
I've just found The Missing on Spotify Premium so might read that next. Has anyone read the.5 books or the Jess Tennant ones?

I’ve read all the 0.5 ones - all worth it, my favourite being the prequel (left for dead, I think). The Jess Tennant ones are Young Adult fiction so I haven’t yet, but may crack and get those too in the year of waiting…

@milski I had no idea there were
audiobooks in Spotify Premium - thank you!!

Yes but you only get 15 hours a month. I got caught out listening to one of the Maeve books and had to wait a week to find out the ending!

Oh no!!! That’s a bit mad.

I didn't know about Spotify either - I don't use it but will have to check if it would work out better value than Audible.
I've indulged in the kindle version of the Burning to read the bonus chapter (thank you again @WendyWebersdrugget ) and it was definitely worth it. It's so clever in that it gives whole new understanding to how Josh behaved towards Maeve in the early books - even though it was written afterwards.

Did anyone ever read the pre-order short story for The Close? Apparently it was called 'Lost Time' but I can't find anything about it. There was a lot of criticism of how Josh tried to 'fix' Maeve (in the kitchen) and apparently it gave more context to that scene.

I think if Maeve was real (she's not, she's not) and a MNer she would have been warned off years ago and told to LTB even before she realised she fancied him 😂. I thought he was vile at the start but I can't wait to read them all again to see when he started to become more endearing (or at least in Maeve's eyes...).

I listened to an episode of the Read and Buried podcast with Jane Casey which had a couple of interesting snippets - one of which was that she intended Derwent to be a character for one book only (book 2), but then started writing book 3 and Maeve was in a car and she ‘realised’ that Derwent was driving. So basically he evolved over time for her too. Agree she would certainly have been told to LTB mumsnet at least up until book 8!

Casey also says that if anyone asks her who would play him on TV she always says “who’s the sexiest actor you can think of” - and for her it’s maybe a young Harrison Ford.

I’ve not read Lost Time and haven’t been able to find it. Would be massively grateful to anyone who had a link…

I’m sure when Derwent was first introduced he wasn’t described as incredibly sexy. Seem to remember something about him being stocky and obviously a distance runner? I thought he was a total dick to begin with but I’m intrigued by that bonus bit of Godley telling him to steer clear.

Also I have hair like Maeve’s which looks insane unless I spend hours with curl cream, mousse and a diffuser so I’m glad she feels as self conscious about it as I do.

@WendyWebersdrugget Just have to say how much I LOVE your username.

thankyou!! Big fan of Posy Simmonds!
I wish I could find the Lost Time story. Sounds intriguing.

Btw what has happened to Godley? He disappeared ages ago to deal with the whole gangster situation, but it was made known that he was still in charge of the team and Una was just temporary. Yet in this recent book, it was mentioned that Una had recently been made the permanent leader of the team…with no explanation as to what Godley is up to.

maybe there’ll be a book of his story at some point?

So glad this thread exists.
Firstly, loved Stranger in The Family but hated the epilogue. I hate cliffhangers anyway but also it felt like a cold dose of reality after the warm fuzzy sexy ending so I was disappointed. Like a bubble had burst. I’d rather have been able to stay with the ending for a bit.

secondly, I thought Maeve had long curly red hair? I might have imagined it or got mixed up with another book but I’m sure I read that early on. (This is in reference to posts about who would play her/which celebrity she looks like).

really glad to hear The Outsider feels connected to the Kerrigan books. I hadn’t bothered with it because I thought it would be too stand alone and I wasn’t grabbed by the blurb but I’m going to read that next.

There’s a bit where Maeve says people say she doesn’t look Irish because she doesn’t have red hair and green eyes but people don’t realise that dark hair and grey eyes are just as Irish

And yes I also really want the Godley book!

I feel like there’s a book about someone or something from Derwent’s army past in the making too

Just finished it. Jane Casey is probably my least favourite person right now

@Zitouna I will have to find that podcast - that's amazing about Derwent just 'being there' considering how his character has grown.

@brieliever if the book is anything to go by then you'll have the Robs and Derwents of the world drooling at the sight of your hair 😉. And I agree we definitely need more Godley (or ideally for him to come back) and army stuff is mentioned every now and again so could come back up too.

I also was never sure if Josh was supposed to be traditionally gorgeous, but I was thinking about one of the many lines that stuck with me (in Book 4 or 5?) where Fat Stu had gone off and had surgery to make himself look like Derwent. Maeve said something like that she had noticed how he resembled Derwent and how surprisingly hot he was. Harrison Ford is a FAB suggestion - he could do glowery and sexy very easily.

I know the cliffhanger is annoying a lot of people (me too - I was almost hyperventilating) but Jane Casey tweeted today reminding people to read the acknowledgements - which mentions Maeve and Josh will be back soon - so I think we are safe to assume now he is not dead. My bets are for Melissa to be involved as a PP said - or Seth Taylor maybe? Is he due out of prison around now?

My one worry is that the epilogue is a sort of flash forward and the next book will slowly lead up to what happens to Josh. But then, it mentions Thomas, so he must be still living with Melissa when it happens.

There is a brief description of the next book on amazon already for pre-order if anyone wants to have a look 😉

Seth is very plausible - the timing works.

Also Josh was the key witness for the prosecution apart from Maeve.