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!

Good detective work on the ages.

I remember Josh being unattractive on the early days but wondered whether his looks changed as the books are very much surrounding Maeve so as she grew to like and then love him, he looked better and better.

I’m pretty sure Rob was nice enough looking but not anything else in the first book. Then he became referred to a model and boy band member later on. Again, his looks improved as Maeve’s relationship with him developed.

I’m also certain that I read that the first book was designed to be a stand alone and not turn into a series at all. Therefore, Josh was deliberately brought in for book two to see where he went.

I think in the podcast Read and Buried, Jane Casey says Josh was only meant to be in book 2 but when she wrote the start of book 3 she realised he was driving the car so he stayed! It’s a nice podcast and worth a listen.
(I liked the ‘missing member of Take That’ jibes about Rob!)

I saw some stuff on twitter from Jane Casey commenting that she hadn’t kept track of their ages! She was clear that it wasn’t one book a year tho, so don’t think Maeve will be 42.

My maths - In the prequel novella, she is 21 - I think she then does 3/4 years as a response officer before moving to work for Godley, so in the first book she is probs 25/26? I had Josh as around 10 years older than her- so working it out I have her as about 32/33 and him as 42/43.

Ooo a question I can answer (instead of ask 😂) for a change...

@Zitouna you beat me to it 😃but similar to you I saw a Jane Casey post on Insta. It was a v funny comment about not asking about their ages (here but I think you need an account to see the comments). Anyway one of the very clever repliers had worked it out like this... So does this mean Maeve would be 34/35 and Josh 42/43 now?

I did wonder why she isn't a DI yet either - unless that can be used somehow in future plots. I still have no idea (if or) how they're going to have a relationship and keep working together. I want both obvs and if either the (almost) relationship or work partnership goes I will be equally sad.

I'm also still on the fence on whether Josh is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous or not. I think probably yes, but Maeve was blind because of her infatuation with Godley and/or Rob and/or not allowing herself to think about Josh like that. I guess it's a dead cert that he's v sexy. Rob was gorgeous I think but IIRC it was mostly Josh who called him a male model/missing member of Take That 😂. I guess we know now it was jealousy....

If anyone has insight on my earlier questions (about 1) the school counsellor in The Kill and 2) that passage in ASITF) I will be eternally grateful. I think I am turning into my parents where obvious plot points (like in movies) have to be explained in detail before I understand them and can follow along 😳

@Atlantic252 i can answer the counsellor one - yes, Josh went there to shag her and she lamped him on the head once he had stripped to his boxers. Maeve helps Josh to cover up the fact that that is what he is doing there.

on the ASITF section - not totally sure really. I think it could be either a reference to Maeve and needing support to get back into the role OR a reference to the wider complications of Melissa interfering. Probably more likely the former?

Aw @Zitouna thank you SO much. See i was sort of hoping I was wrong about the counsellor. Even though he's matured a lot, it makes me think Josh was right and he's not really good enough for Maeve with that sort of carry-on 😠.

If that ASITF comment is about how Josh helped her after Seth then it's good I think. But like a PP said (sorry I can't remember exactly) it won't be good for Maeve if he still thinks he has to protect her somehow 🙄.

@Atlantic252 i think the school counsellor episode was the fright Josh needed! I absolutely think he learned his lesson too. I
agree with both @Zitouna‘s suggestions as to what he meant in the ASITF passage. The one time he agreed to leave Maeve to cope on her own nearly ended in disaster in The Cutting Place and he would be worried about Melissa coping on her own as well.
as far as Josh’s age is concerned he’s Luke’s age plus 17. I just see Maeve as somewhere in her thirties and Josh somewhere in his forties now!

For what it’s worth I think Luke is around 25 in The Cutting Place (like Roddy) and around 27 or 28 in the last book.
i did wonder if in some future plot Maeve becomes as DI so they both report to Una (and argue over who has to have Georgia) but I think Una is too determined to get rid of Josh. They are always complaining about how Una takes on too many cases that could have gone to other departments!

Just to get back to the ages, in the 2010 book Maeve talks to a witness who is describing the deceased Rebecca, as ‘old’ and Maeve notes that Rebecca was 28, the same as as Maeve.

I agree that it’s unlikely that 14 years have passed in the books, but they don’t read as if they are taking place that long ago.

It is interesting that in the stand alone book about Maeve starting out as a police officer, the book tells us it is 2005, whereas in later books there is no reference to time.

In the introduction to Josh, he is described as having a thick neck like a bulldog and being of average height - she even describes him as having to look up at a witness, much to his disgust.

I agree it could be that we are seeing him through Maeve’s eyes - I certainly don’t imagine him as being of average height with a thick neck 😉

In the first few Josh books I had pictured him as Ross Kemp 😂. And then once the romance part took over I paid more attention to how he was described and unfortunately one small description of his hair gave me the worst mental image of a particular actor and has ruined Josh for me FOREVER. I won’t type it here as I don’t want to pass the contagion on!

I knew I’d read age 28 in the first book. I just couldn’t remember where!
i like the ambiguous timeline - I don’t recall any reference to lockdown, for example, but the issues covered are always relevant, sadly.

😂 I agree he fits the description! No offense to Ross, but I don’t think that’s the image we get in the steamy scenes in the latest books 😂

Ross Kemp 😱 I have no words 😂. But @BreadAhoy you have to tell us what the comment about Josh's hair was 😳.

To counter Ross Kemp, I give you this photo that Jane Casey posted. It's from her Pinterest inspiration board for Maeve (I think @Zitouna saw it already 😉). I must admit it did funny things to me. Even though 'this' Maeve doesn't have curly hair, I never imagined them as such a gorgeous/groomed couple - they're always a bit dishevelled in my head - but maybe cos they're always in trouble haha. There's something so moving about the eyes down and this 'Josh' being behind her 🥹.

I agree it’s unlikely they have aged too much but can anyone work out Tom’s likely age as once he is old enough, so able to see Josh of his own free will regardless of what Melissa says, that might make things easier for Josh and Maeve as well.

Re that piece in ASITF, I hadn't made the connections with Maeve telling Josh to stay out of her private life before the attack. Their relationship is so complicated! No wonder Josh warned her (and us) that it won't be easy.

@TheSnowyOwl someone on Twitter or Insta said Thomas is only around 8yo now ☹️ so there is a long way to go before he has any independence.

I do wonder if what Melissa's mother - and even Mark Pell - thought about her in After The Fire will become relevant again.

@Atlantic252 it was to do with his hair being tidy and neatly parted. I can’t remember which book it was - either ASITF or one of the first eight. ( I’ve gone back to the start to read them again with a view to paying more attention to Josh and as I’m on holiday I’m flying though them).

Oh @ToasterChic that doesn't sound tooo bad but I'm intrigued now about who the dodgy actor was 😂.

I'm very jealous that you're getting to read them all again. Please tell us what you find about Josh - especially now the way things have gone. I think I will have to indulge myself with the kindle versions, as it's very hard to skim the audiobooks.

I've started listening to The Close again though, because - even apart from the romance stuff - I love how Maeve recovered and got her motivation back and I need a bit of a lift at the moment. Josh has definitely got better looking with age 😂 because Georgia said how lucky Maeve was to be going away with the most attractive man in the Met 😳

I love The Close - you get three different crimes and a lot of character development. I also enjoyed the way they switch to different versions of themselves then back to reality, but changed by the experience. It’s so well written, like all Jane Casey’s books.

@ToasterChic we can have a race. I’m rereading for the second time, I’m on The Last Girl. It’s weird how much you forget and how clear some other parts are. I’m just remembering how much I loved Rob. I feel like I’ve betrayed him by falling for Josh, although there is no sign of smouldering Josh to date!!!

@Iloveshihtzus to quote Maeve "Same" 😂. I loved Rob and saw someone talking about Josh in later books and thought "oh no don't tell me he's still around 🙄" 🤦‍♀️.

2 things occurred to me so far in The Close. When I read it first (and still now), my heart broke a bit for Josh after the PMT conversation when Maeve said she didn't think about him and he said "I see" 🥺. But was the bit in ASITF when Maeve noticed his clothes & shaving cut (and that he'd been thrown out) and he said 'I didn't think you'd notice' a nod to that?

Also Josh went quiet when Maeve said the neighbour (Ruth) said they should hurry up and have babies. I'm wondering if he's already imagining babies with Maeve at this point? If so it's going to be very imbalanced if they do get together (and fascinating) when Maeve hasn't even acknowledged she loves him yet.

I bloody love all of it though.

I’m also doing a re-read. Had forgotten the bit in The Stranger That You Know, where they play Shag Marry Kill and Maeve notes that Josh would be devoted to his wife, “in a patronising way, of course”! She basically picks him over Godley though 😁.

my theory/hope is that the bit at the end of the latest one, where she thinks something awful has happened to him, will basically be a moment of realisation for Maeve about how much she loves him, and how, subconsciously, she basically wants that life with him, with the babies etc. A bit like when she thought Rob was dead…

Also just listened to this, which was generally really interesting and also had some good Maeve bits - confirmed age as “early to mid 30s” ! https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jane-casey/id1567609807?i=1000652213309

Hi everyone :)

Are there going to be only 12 books in the series?

Ooh thanks for the podcast link - I’ll listen to that on way home from work.

Am I the only person who didn't really warm to Rob? It's possibly because I thought the narrator who did Rob's bits in the MK books was pretty bad which is a shame! He grew on me in The Outsider but I didn't particularly like him before that!