Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.

I've been trying out quite a few new-to-me authors who are female in the past year, and I've specifically taken on old and new writers who write domestic suspense. I liked this book particularly because I liked the lead detective, Guard Claire Boyle, who is quite pregnant during the course of the novel.

Can Anybody Help Me? is a book about a series of murders committed against fellow members of an online parenting and pregnancy support group site netmammy. This particular brand of domestic suspense is quite claustrophobic or laced with a touch of post-partum depression with a number of characters navigating the world of new parenthood. I found the book to be a brisk read: the parenting forums are quite familiar and feel real, there are a reasonable number of plot twists, and though I had a short list of suspects, it was still an enjoyable read.

Other reviews appear in Reviewing the Evidence and Crime Thriller Girl.

"With consciousness came distress. Her eyes flickered open and met his. but her thirst was greater than her feat and she moved her hand feebly on the blanket, her fingers flickering in the direction of the bedside locker."

(adapted from Goodreads) Struggling with a new baby in a new city with a new husband, Yvonne turns to an online support group for help and support. When one of her new friends goes offline, Yvonne is concerned but dismisses her fears. She doesn't know the woman, after all. But when the body of a young woman with striking similarities to Yvonne’s missing friend is found, Yvonne realises that they’re all in terrifying danger. Can she persuade Sergeant Claire Boyle, herself about to go on maternity leave, to take her fears seriously?

This felt quite slow to get going (despite the nearly first-page murder), as two apparently separate storylines took their time to intermingle. Once we did get going though, there was no stopping our twisty-turny plot. Relatively straightforward to children of the internet age, some of it might be confusing to older readers. I loved it.Writing? So standard, so good, right? for a police procedural? I've got nothing to say on the writing - nothing exceptional, but certainly nothing that got in the way or in any way detracts from the book.

As I always do, I really like the lead police character in this one; and of course she's a single-minded five-months-pregnant go-getter determined to absolutely get this bad guy right now. Yvonne came across as a bit pathetic, but on the whole totally believable and rounded. I was unconvinced by Eamonn as a character - he seems overly charming, too nice. But for me the most skilful bit of character-building was the online chat - Yvonne's character chatted online in a manner that fitted her offline personality, and the other online voices were easily distinguishable and well-built up.

My knowledge of Dublin is zero (never having been), and Crowley sets the scene well with the run-down estate, the dingy pub, the pleasant terrace houses, the surety of rain at an Irish funeral. There's a smattering of Irish dialect to make absolutely sure that you know you're in Ireland - I didn't mind it, and I imagine it makes the dialogue more authentic. It certainly doesn't get in the way.

And I most definitely did not see the identity of the bad guy coming. I had a couple of indications in that general direction, but it was a huge surprise to me when it was revealed. A quick, thrilling read, and a slightly scary look into online forums (fora?) and life. ( )

This book centres around internet message board, Netmammy. As the name suggests, it's an Irish site for mums and mums-to-be. Yvonne Mulhern is one of its users, increasingly reliant on it to get her through each day with her baby daughter. When a young mother goes missing and is later found dead, she thinks there might be a link with one of her online friends. Detective Sergeant Claire Boyle, herself pregnant, is the investigating officer.

I enjoyed this thriller. I've seen reviews that say there are too many pregnancy and baby references. As the mother of a 5 month old who spent a lot of her pregnancy on similar forums I really liked the fact it was very orientated towards mothers, but I can imagine that it might not appeal so much to those without children. Nevertheless, it's a great story that kept me guessing completely until the big reveal at the end.

It's very current and makes you think about just how much you are revealing about yourself online. I raced through it and found it to be a page turner. ( )

Reviewed for Reviewing the Evidence.I quite enjoyed it, and it has some interesting things to say about how communities form online and how much even those who communicate anonymously disclose about themselves.