SACRIFICED: A Kieran Yeats Mystery

Kieran is contacted for a mysterious meeting, though she doesn’t expect the woman to go fleeing from the scene or leave behind an injured cat and a flash drive. The case takes a turn when the woman is killed in a car wreck that Kieran doesn’t believe was an accident. She takes the cat to her vet friend for help and soon uncovers animal testing at a cosmetics company. Kieran is drawn into the plans of an animal activist group called CLAW, tackles her first challenges as a parent, and confronts a killer. SACRIFICED is the second book in the Kieran Yeats Mystery series.

Picking up following events in Stolen, Kieran has settled into the role of parenting Tris, whom she rescued while taking down animal abusers. She’s balancing her roles of investigator and parent, which puts her in a different position from the first book as she’s no longer only looking after herself. This dynamic uncovers a new layer of who Kieran is. It’s lovely to see the two settled in together and to see the impact they have on each other as Kieran has fully gone into parent mode and Tris is encouraged to learn and to ask questions. Tris is an outspoken, brave, and intelligent eight-year-old who learns about the world around her by understanding bullying and trying out a vegan lifestyle.

The relationships are an important role in the story and in Kieran’s life as her friend group acts as the support system that keeps her grounded and provides back-up sleuthing support. Wright uses each of these strong women to give a voice to animals through vets, activists, and shelter workers. Wright provides some delightful and humorous moments between friends as they band together against the cosmetic company for some investigating, research, and even a break-in for some rabbit-napping. The amazing children in Kieran’s life provide a focus on bullying and veganism in the story. Jan, the daughter of a friend, provides a great influence on Tris by inspiring her to try veganism. She’s opinionated and passionate and confides in Kieran about crushes and life. The relationship between Tris and Kieran is a favorite part of the story as Kieran is so dedicated and full of love while also teaching Tris about morals and friendship. Wright uses the children in the story to spark conversations about veganism, identity, bullying, respect, and the treatment of immigrants and refugees.

Animal cruelty is the core issue of the series, as it follows Kieran’s job as she tackles cases that focus on the mistreatment of animals. Animal testing is the focus of this mystery as the characters rally together against a cosmetic company and Wright shines a light on the fight to get a law passed to end this practice. The title is a poignant message directly tied to animal testing and will educate you about what “sacrifice” truly means. Wright gives an honest look at the treatment of animals and the cruelty they endure while creating strong characters that will inspire you to act, speak out, fight, and look closer at the companies that support these practices. As with the first book, Wright delivers a mystery in Sacrificed that is poignant, emotional, heartfelt, and action-packed with important themes and sweet messages about being yourself, finding yourself, and the bond of family.