Title: THE LAST DAYS OF Kira Mullan
Author: Nicci French
ISBN: 9781398524156
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 441
Source: Review copy from the Publisher
Blog Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she’ll do anything to get back to normal. She and her partner Felix—who has been a saint through her recent troubles—move into a new flat for a fresh start.
Nancy is taking her pills, seeing her therapist, and avoiding unnecessary stress. She’s doing absolutely everything right, but something is still very, very wrong. On the first day in the new flat, she hears them again; the mysterious voices that triggered her first episode. It could just be the unfamiliar sounds of water in the pipes, or the screaming baby across the hall, but deep down she knows something more sinister is going on. Her fears are confirmed when the young woman in the downstairs flat, Kira, is found dead. Felix, her neighbors, and even the police insist it’s a tragic suicide, but the pieces aren’t adding up for Nancy. Can she trust her own instincts, or is it all in her head?
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor has misgivings about her colleagues’ investigation of Kira’s death. The boys club at the top seems intent on closing the case as quickly as possible, especially since the only person who thinks it could be anything other than suicide is known to be unreliable. But Maud knows what it’s like to be dismissed as an overemotional woman and isn’t so quick to discount Nancy’s claims. As tensions reach an explosive breaking point, the line between fact and delusion becomes dangerously blurred, but Maud will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth comes to light.
Official Summary
21 January 2025
This is my first blog tour for 2025 – Anne Carter from Random Things Tours is not doing well at the moment –I would like to say that we are thinking of her and wishing her a speedy recovery!
Nicci French’s The Last Days of Kira Mullan masterfully blends psychological suspense with a compelling exploration of resilience, trust, and the fragile line between perception and reality. From the very first page, I was drawn into Nancy North’s turbulent world—a place where every shadow seems to harbour secrets and every sound threatens to shatter her hard-won stability.
Nancy’s character is written with an authenticity that makes her struggle deeply relatable. Her determination to rebuild her life after a psychotic break is inspiring, yet French doesn’t shy away from portraying the isolating and often stigmatizing challenges of mental illness. Nancy’s journey of self-discovery and her fight to be taken seriously in the face of scepticism—both from herself and others—are at the heart of this gripping narrative.
The mystery surrounding Kira Mullan’s death is equally compelling. The tension builds steadily as Nancy’s suspicions grow, and her unravelling mental state injects a level of unpredictability that keeps you guessing. Is she a reliable witness, or are her fears a projection of her past trauma? The author plants seeds of doubt, leaving the reader questioning what’s real and what might be imagined.
Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor is an interesting character, providing a sharp counterpoint to Nancy. Maud’s battle against the dismissive attitudes of her male colleagues adds another layer to the story, highlighting general biases while showcasing her tenacity. Her determination to uncover the truth—even at personal and professional cost—brings depth and urgency to the investigation.
The atmosphere in The Last Days of Kira Mullan is superbly crafted. The new flat, with its eerie creaks and echoes, becomes a character, amplifying the sense of unease. French excels at creating an environment where paranoia and genuine danger coexist, making you feel as unsettled as Nancy. While the pacing is deliberate, it suits the story’s psychological depth. That said, a few plot points, particularly around Kira’s backstory, could have been fleshed out more. The resolution, while satisfying, left me craving just a bit more detail about how certain threads were tied together.
The Last Days of Kira Mullan is a haunting, thought-provoking thriller that explores the intersection of mental health and mystery with care. Nicci French delivers a story that is as much about understanding oneself as it is about uncovering the truth. Fans of atmospheric, character-driven mysteries will find much to love in this gripping novel.
REMEMBER TO VISIT THE OTHER TOUR STOPS
Also by Nicci French
BLUE MONDAY – Frieda Klein #1
Monday, the lowest point of the week. A day of dark impulses. A day to snatch a child from the streets …
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when a picture of his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson doesn’t take Frieda’s concerns seriously until a link emerges with an unsolved child abduction twenty years ago and he summons Frieda to interview the victim’s sister, hoping she can stir hidden memories. Before long, Frieda is at the centre of the race to track the kidnapper.
But her race isn’t physical. She must chase down the darkest paths of a psychopath’s mind to find the answers to Matthew Farraday’s whereabouts.
And sometimes the mind is the deadliest place to lose yourself.
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Nicci French is the pseudonym of husband-and-wife-team Sean French and Nicci Gerrard. They write seamless psychological thrillers while pursuing their own writing careers. Their novels include The Memory Game, The Safe House, Killing Me Softly, Beneath the Skin and The Red Room.
Thank you to Anne Carter, from Random Things Tours for including me on this tour. I loved the Frieda Klein series and was excited to read this one. Are you a Nicci French fan? Which is your favourite book? I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below. Until Next time…. Happy Reading!
