Kira's last days: Nicci French continue to be back to their best

I've been reading the psychological thrillers by writing partnership, Nicci French, for some twenty years now. I'd count them amongst my favourite authors. They are masters of chilling and suspenseful novels that explore the dark side of human nature. Their books are so clever and the characters are authentic and the situations believable. They never go for bonkers endings for cheap thrills.

However, I was completely thrown by their 2021 and 2022 offerings, Unheard and The favour, as they were, disappointingly, a bit rubbish. I felt quite bereft that my beloved author duo seemed to be off their game. Their 2023 book, Has anyone seen Charlotte Salter?, was thankfully a return to their quality work. I tentatively approached their latest novel but was so relieved to discover that it is also a ripper. Yay!

The last days of Kira Mullan | Published April 2024 | Read March 2025

Readers were introduced to Detective Inspector Maud O'Connor in Nicci French's previous novel. Maud is back again, this time investigating the apparent suicide of Kira Mullan, a young woman living in the downstairs flat of a multi-flat London home. I loved Maud in Has anyone seen Charlotte Salter? She's clever, caring, dogged and tough, so I was pleased to see her in this latest novel. Sadly, her partner in Charlotte Salter, Carrie Kessler, was missing, but hopefully she will reappear in later books. It looks as if Nicci French is embarking on a new series featuring DI O'Connor and I'm glad of that now that they seem to have retired their darkly intriguing Freida Klein series.

Nancy North is the central character in the Kira story. Recently moved into one of the upstairs flats in Kira's building, Nancy bumps into Kira the day before she is found dead. This encounter convinces Nancy that Kira's death is suspicious and she fights to gain justice for Kira even when it seems no one believes her. Maud has her own battles with the investigation as her boys' club colleagues seem determine to close the case and rule Kira's death a suicide.

Nancy does not make a believable source of information as she had previously suffered a psychotic break that caused her fledgling restaurant to fail and damaged longstanding friendships. Nancy and her boyfriend, Felix, are making a fresh start in the new flat, with Felix supporting Nancy's recovery and determined to help her move on with her life. The discovery of Kira's body seems to send Nancy spiralling, and tensions between Nancy and Felix rise.

The story is actually less about Kira's last days and more about Nancy's mental health struggles. The book drips with paranoia, suspicion, abuse and manipulation. As the story progresses, Felix's gaslighting and control over Nancy ramps up. This is hard to read at times, as it felt depressingly realistic, as did the authors' spotlight on the flaws in the mental health system. I never once, however, felt like I couldn't root for Nancy. Even though Kira doesn't feature much in the book, I was hoping for justice for her, too. The story made for a tense read that had me on edge.

I appreciated the way Nicci French handled the topic of mental illness, especially how sometimes people's thoughts, feelings, and observations are delegitimised and labelled as symptoms of an illness. I loved Maud even more for taking Nancy seriously and for the way she let her intuition and strong investigative skills spur her on. If you find reading about gaslighting infuriating, The last days of Kira Mullan may not be your cup of tea. I loved it (and didn't guess the perpetrator). I was also super happy to see Nicci French continuing their winning streak.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐