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D.I. Lottie Parker #3
The Lost Child
They placed me in here and threw away the key. I look down at the gown they’ve put on me. I want my own clothes. I don’t know how long I’ve been here.
An elderly woman is found murdered in her own home, and Detective Lottie Parker and her partner Detective Boyd are called in to investigate. When they discover that the victim’s daughter is missing as well, they start to fear for the safety of the whole family…
Two days later as a nearby house is set on fire and with the body count rising, Lottie and her team begin to unpick a web of secrets and lies, as the murders seem to link back to a case investigated by Lottie’s father before he took his own life.
With little knowledge of what really happened to her father, Lottie knows this is a case that could give her some answers. But how much does she want to know? And how far is Lottie prepared to dig to uncover the truth?
An elderly woman is found murdered in her own home, and Detective Lottie Parker and her partner Detective Boyd are called in to investigate. When they discover that the victim’s daughter is missing as well, they start to fear for the safety of the whole family…
Two days later as a nearby house is set on fire and with the body count rising, Lottie and her team begin to unpick a web of secrets and lies, as the murders seem to link back to a case investigated by Lottie’s father before he took his own life.
With little knowledge of what really happened to her father, Lottie knows this is a case that could give her some answers. But how much does she want to know? And how far is Lottie prepared to dig to uncover the truth?
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2017
4021 people are currently reading
3489 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Gibney
28 books1,324 followersMy name is Patricia Gibney and I’m from Mullingar, County Westmeath. Right in the heart of Ireland. Surrounded by lakes, Mullingar is damp and wet most of the year but when the sun shines it is a little piece of heaven on earth. I’ve lived here all my life. I’m widowed, seven years in May, but was married to Aidan since 1982. I’ve three children who keep me sane, or maybe keep the madness at bay, just a little bit! I say that because I am an artist and a writer. I started writing, for therapy, when Aidan died.
I secured an agent in January 2016 and she is fighting my corner in an effort to get my debut novel published.
Three years ago, I decided to get serious about it. I joined The Irish Writers Centre. Started doing courses. I love reading crime thrillers so it was obvious to me to start writing in the crime genre. And let me tell you, it is not easy. A crime novel needs to be tightly plotted and plotting is the bane of my life. I prefer to write straight off the top of my head. Oh, Oh. Feels good when writing but then comes the editing. I lost 20,000 words in the process. But at least I am proud to say I got it done.
I am now writing the second novel in the series, featuring Lottie Parker and a host of credible characters. They are all part of my extended family, you know the kind – people you love one minute and want to kill the next!
So join me on this journey and lets see where it leads us.
I secured an agent in January 2016 and she is fighting my corner in an effort to get my debut novel published.
Three years ago, I decided to get serious about it. I joined The Irish Writers Centre. Started doing courses. I love reading crime thrillers so it was obvious to me to start writing in the crime genre. And let me tell you, it is not easy. A crime novel needs to be tightly plotted and plotting is the bane of my life. I prefer to write straight off the top of my head. Oh, Oh. Feels good when writing but then comes the editing. I lost 20,000 words in the process. But at least I am proud to say I got it done.
I am now writing the second novel in the series, featuring Lottie Parker and a host of credible characters. They are all part of my extended family, you know the kind – people you love one minute and want to kill the next!
So join me on this journey and lets see where it leads us.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews
November 26, 2017
Detective inspector Lottie Parker and detective Sergeant Boyd get the call to investigate the murder of a woman found dead in her daughter’s home. The daughter Marion is...well, nowhere to be found. Naturally, all eyes are on her as suspect Number 1. But is Marion’s life actually in grave danger as well?
This is book three in the very popular series, but could easily be a stand-alone. Although I must admit, this was my least favorite so far. The story seemed overly complex, with too many characters jumping back and forth between timelines. It takes a lot to lose me in a storyline but I just couldn’t keep up with this one. By the time the big reveals took place, I had completely checked-out.
On the positive side...is Lottie and her family! With three growing children and a grand baby filling the house, Lottie has her hands full (again) keeping everyone safe and happy. With each successive book, it seems she’s got to face down more and more demons. And she may have just met her match here.
I know I will be an outlier for this one. There are many fantastic reviews out there by very loyal fans to this series. So please, Judge for yourself and I hope it works better for you than it did for me. I hope to be back on board with loving the series with the release of book four!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for an ARC to review.
This is book three in the very popular series, but could easily be a stand-alone. Although I must admit, this was my least favorite so far. The story seemed overly complex, with too many characters jumping back and forth between timelines. It takes a lot to lose me in a storyline but I just couldn’t keep up with this one. By the time the big reveals took place, I had completely checked-out.
On the positive side...is Lottie and her family! With three growing children and a grand baby filling the house, Lottie has her hands full (again) keeping everyone safe and happy. With each successive book, it seems she’s got to face down more and more demons. And she may have just met her match here.
I know I will be an outlier for this one. There are many fantastic reviews out there by very loyal fans to this series. So please, Judge for yourself and I hope it works better for you than it did for me. I hope to be back on board with loving the series with the release of book four!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for an ARC to review.
October 24, 2017
I just love this series--it keeps getting better and better.
Dark, intense, and twisted, book 3 of the Detective Lottie Parker series takes an unexpected turn as Lottie’s murky past becomes the focus of the mystery.
The Lost Child is about a case in the 1970's in which an unstable mother tried to burn down her house with her twin children inside. Flash forward to the present moment, and Lottie and team are investigating a case in which Tessa Ball, a grandmother in her 70’s has been murdered in her daughter’s house. Her daughter Marian is missing, and her granddaughter Emma is keeping a huge secret.
Lottie’s personal life is still in a shambles. She has reverted back to her old ways, and is trying to deny the feelings she has for her partner, Boyd. Lottie also begins investigating her father's suicide, and the more she digs, the more she puts her life at risk.
Lottie’s character is the reason I am such a big fan of this series. I connect with the emotional rawness of her character, which keeps me rooting for her. Even though I was rather frustrated with Lottie’s character in the beginning of the book, I’ve come to realize she is who she is. Like the previous books, there are some gruesome scenes that made me nauseated. As always there’s a ton of action and the mystery kept me guessing. However, unlike the other two books in the series, there’s less drama surrounding her three children. I LOVED how her relationship with Boyd developed. I think that it sets up an interesting element for future books in the series. I hope we don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Dark, intense, and twisted, book 3 of the Detective Lottie Parker series takes an unexpected turn as Lottie’s murky past becomes the focus of the mystery.
The Lost Child is about a case in the 1970's in which an unstable mother tried to burn down her house with her twin children inside. Flash forward to the present moment, and Lottie and team are investigating a case in which Tessa Ball, a grandmother in her 70’s has been murdered in her daughter’s house. Her daughter Marian is missing, and her granddaughter Emma is keeping a huge secret.
Lottie’s personal life is still in a shambles. She has reverted back to her old ways, and is trying to deny the feelings she has for her partner, Boyd. Lottie also begins investigating her father's suicide, and the more she digs, the more she puts her life at risk.
Lottie’s character is the reason I am such a big fan of this series. I connect with the emotional rawness of her character, which keeps me rooting for her. Even though I was rather frustrated with Lottie’s character in the beginning of the book, I’ve come to realize she is who she is. Like the previous books, there are some gruesome scenes that made me nauseated. As always there’s a ton of action and the mystery kept me guessing. However, unlike the other two books in the series, there’s less drama surrounding her three children. I LOVED how her relationship with Boyd developed. I think that it sets up an interesting element for future books in the series. I hope we don’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2017
Oh my! What an incredibly satisfying read this was! I can say right now The Lost Child, book 3 in the Detective Lottie Parker series, will have a spot on my top ten reads of 2017.
OK, so Lottie, a detective in the Ragmullin garda (Irish police force), is a little messed up. Slight understatement. In fact, some readers don’t like Lottie, and I can see why. No spoilers here. She can’t control her drinking, she is always craving tranquilizer pills, and she is a pretty terrible mother to her three teenagers (though she loves them dearly). She has reasons to be screwed up. Her husband, her rock, is dead. Her father committed suicide. Her brother died young. Her mother and she have issues. I could go on, but you get the picture. Despite all of this, I really like Lottie. In fact, I may be getting close (not quite yet) to loving her. I already love her partner, DS Mark Boyd, who in turn probably loves Lottie, despite the fact that she can be a real bitch towards him.
The thing that made this book so rewarding for me is its plot. For a while there early on I was dizzy, spinning this way and that as the bread crumbs kept falling from all directions. SO many directions. When I read crime fiction, I often sit back and let the story come to me. If I had done that in this case I would have probably given up and whined in my review that the book was too confusing. Instead I did something I rarely do and that was to get out my pencil and pad. This time I was inspired to do everything I could to crack the case, not to mention to not get lost in everything Ms. Gibney was throwing at me.
At the 60-65% mark, Ms. Gibney threw flames on the fire and really cranked things up. In between increasingly frequent episodes of information-induced vertigo, I took long pauses from reading and scratched on my pad as I tried to puzzle things out. On more than one occasion I thought I had it somewhat figured out and felt a little letdown as I thought I was depriving myself of the great reveals at the end. Note I say more than once. I was so sure on multiple occasions that I had it sussed. However, the shockers continued to come fast and furious and my poor notepad was reduced to shambles. Boy, Ms. Gibney, you are good! Not only did you engage me lock, stock, and barrel, but you beat me when I was so sure I had it all figured out.
Adding to my pleasure were the crisp short chapters. There were over 100 of them (and this was a fast read), and it seemed the majority ended with something that pulled at me to keep going. A nice change was the lack of a lot of back and forth in time. There were a few short flashbacks related to one character’s childhood, but they were not intrusive.
If I had to throw some constructive criticism out there, I would suggest that publishers consider laying to rest the cover portraits of a woman in bright clothes walking away, usually towards a house. It’s been used too many times and has started to steal the distinctiveness from each individual book and author. Since this has nothing to do with Ms. Gibney nor Lottie, my 5 stars stand.
In summary, this book challenged me in an almost exhilarating way. I actually felt joy when I was proven wrong so many times. I’d rather feel duped than smug when reading a book, and this one certainly succeeded in doing that. If you are willing to pay attention and play along with Lottie, then this book is for you. I do recommended reading this series in order to fully appreciate Lottie’s world. Great job, Ms. Gibney!
I wish to thank Net Galley, Bookouture, and Patricia Gibney for an ARC of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
OK, so Lottie, a detective in the Ragmullin garda (Irish police force), is a little messed up. Slight understatement. In fact, some readers don’t like Lottie, and I can see why. No spoilers here. She can’t control her drinking, she is always craving tranquilizer pills, and she is a pretty terrible mother to her three teenagers (though she loves them dearly). She has reasons to be screwed up. Her husband, her rock, is dead. Her father committed suicide. Her brother died young. Her mother and she have issues. I could go on, but you get the picture. Despite all of this, I really like Lottie. In fact, I may be getting close (not quite yet) to loving her. I already love her partner, DS Mark Boyd, who in turn probably loves Lottie, despite the fact that she can be a real bitch towards him.
The thing that made this book so rewarding for me is its plot. For a while there early on I was dizzy, spinning this way and that as the bread crumbs kept falling from all directions. SO many directions. When I read crime fiction, I often sit back and let the story come to me. If I had done that in this case I would have probably given up and whined in my review that the book was too confusing. Instead I did something I rarely do and that was to get out my pencil and pad. This time I was inspired to do everything I could to crack the case, not to mention to not get lost in everything Ms. Gibney was throwing at me.
At the 60-65% mark, Ms. Gibney threw flames on the fire and really cranked things up. In between increasingly frequent episodes of information-induced vertigo, I took long pauses from reading and scratched on my pad as I tried to puzzle things out. On more than one occasion I thought I had it somewhat figured out and felt a little letdown as I thought I was depriving myself of the great reveals at the end. Note I say more than once. I was so sure on multiple occasions that I had it sussed. However, the shockers continued to come fast and furious and my poor notepad was reduced to shambles. Boy, Ms. Gibney, you are good! Not only did you engage me lock, stock, and barrel, but you beat me when I was so sure I had it all figured out.
Adding to my pleasure were the crisp short chapters. There were over 100 of them (and this was a fast read), and it seemed the majority ended with something that pulled at me to keep going. A nice change was the lack of a lot of back and forth in time. There were a few short flashbacks related to one character’s childhood, but they were not intrusive.
If I had to throw some constructive criticism out there, I would suggest that publishers consider laying to rest the cover portraits of a woman in bright clothes walking away, usually towards a house. It’s been used too many times and has started to steal the distinctiveness from each individual book and author. Since this has nothing to do with Ms. Gibney nor Lottie, my 5 stars stand.
In summary, this book challenged me in an almost exhilarating way. I actually felt joy when I was proven wrong so many times. I’d rather feel duped than smug when reading a book, and this one certainly succeeded in doing that. If you are willing to pay attention and play along with Lottie, then this book is for you. I do recommended reading this series in order to fully appreciate Lottie’s world. Great job, Ms. Gibney!
I wish to thank Net Galley, Bookouture, and Patricia Gibney for an ARC of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Read
November 9, 2017
I've been reading this sucker for it feels like forever. I'm right at the halfway point. Should I keep going and then one star it with a bunch of cussing for my time I can't get back? Nah, I'm just going to call it done.
My feels is: Everyone else that has read this book loved it. I'm probably an idiot.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
October 23, 2017
Lottie Parker is drinking again. And the hangovers aren't helping with her ability to manage her latest case. She is damaged goods, when she's not searching out a drink, she's looking for pills. She's barely holding her personal and professional lives together. Even her team is noticing. The current case starts to have links to her father's death. A police officer, he committed suicide when Lottie was young.
Nice short punchy chapters keep the pace flowing briskly. The narrative goes back and forth between the past and the present. It's not exactly easy to piece everything together. But it's partially this confusion that keeps you interested, wondering how it will all come together. And I will be the first to admit I didn't see this ending at all. At first I had problems believing one of the premises of the book. But research about how long the Magdalene Laundries operated made me a more willing believer.
Mother Nature plays a significant role in this book. The weather really sets the mood, dark and brooding.
As much as I liked this, one thing bothered me. It seems every other book I read lately has to do with abused or abandoned children. Not sure if it's just a current trend, but it's getting a bit old for me. Luckily, this is only one part of the story.
This book is not for the squeamish. I can't tell you how many times I groaned Ewww while reading.
My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.
October 15, 2017
4.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Woohoo! Could my reading slump be over? I sure hope so! The "Lost Child" is the 3rd installment in the Lottie Parker series. This Irish widow with three teenagers and a baby grandson is a fierce detective with a chaotic home life and another grisly murder on her hands.
As the story opens up, Lottie is struggling with continued battles with the bottle, her conflicted feelings over her partner, DI Boyd and the cold case of her police father's apparent sucide. Lottie and Boyd are called to the scene where a woman has been brutally murdered, another has gone missing, and a teenager may hold the key to it all. But is this a domestic disturbance gone terribly wrong or is something more sinister simmering below the surface?
Unlike the first two books in the series, Patricia Gibney doesn't focus many scenes at Lottie's home. Nor do Lottie 's children have a narrative part- Sean and Chloe are both healing from their traumas with the support of professionals, and eldest daughter Kate has a case of post-partum but Lottie doesn't really tackle that. But that's Lottie's way of dealing with things, I guess! Its(Lottie 's parenting methods) never bothered me as much as I have noticed as other reviewers, but perhaps Patricia Gibney can consider making a case for it in Book 4.
No, the majority of the book surrounds the murder investigation which begins to be eerily linked with Lottie's deceased father, Patrick Fitzpatrick. A garda who worked in a special division of the police forces and was always believed to have committed sucide. But new evidence has Lottie wondering if someone else may have forced her father to do it. Unknown to Lottie she and her family are also being watched and they are beginning to panic at how close she is getting to the truth. I can see a huge arc building for book 4.
Now let's leave Lottie and her family problems for a minute and talk about one of my favorite reasons to follow this series. Boyd Oh yes, I cannot resist a tall dark haired handsome man! Gibney is good to her readers. She knows we have been faithful and true and has teased us many times about good old Boyd and Lottie. But the epilogue-well, it just proves that she knows we 're invested! Also, there is a ripping off the shirt that is a very nice touch.
So why knock off a .5? Well, it is more to do with a cover design choice. Is it absolutely necessary to use the same tagline for every book in this series? Because while it is very true with this specific book that there is a jaw dropping/heart stopping reveal thrown at Lottie, I am just worried it will grow stale and readers will become, like me, and focus on that promise in all of our reviews.
Look for the newest installment which hits shelves on October 27/17
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Woohoo! Could my reading slump be over? I sure hope so! The "Lost Child" is the 3rd installment in the Lottie Parker series. This Irish widow with three teenagers and a baby grandson is a fierce detective with a chaotic home life and another grisly murder on her hands.
As the story opens up, Lottie is struggling with continued battles with the bottle, her conflicted feelings over her partner, DI Boyd and the cold case of her police father's apparent sucide. Lottie and Boyd are called to the scene where a woman has been brutally murdered, another has gone missing, and a teenager may hold the key to it all. But is this a domestic disturbance gone terribly wrong or is something more sinister simmering below the surface?
Unlike the first two books in the series, Patricia Gibney doesn't focus many scenes at Lottie's home. Nor do Lottie 's children have a narrative part- Sean and Chloe are both healing from their traumas with the support of professionals, and eldest daughter Kate has a case of post-partum but Lottie doesn't really tackle that. But that's Lottie's way of dealing with things, I guess! Its(Lottie 's parenting methods) never bothered me as much as I have noticed as other reviewers, but perhaps Patricia Gibney can consider making a case for it in Book 4.
No, the majority of the book surrounds the murder investigation which begins to be eerily linked with Lottie's deceased father, Patrick Fitzpatrick. A garda who worked in a special division of the police forces and was always believed to have committed sucide. But new evidence has Lottie wondering if someone else may have forced her father to do it. Unknown to Lottie she and her family are also being watched and they are beginning to panic at how close she is getting to the truth. I can see a huge arc building for book 4.
Now let's leave Lottie and her family problems for a minute and talk about one of my favorite reasons to follow this series. Boyd Oh yes, I cannot resist a tall dark haired handsome man! Gibney is good to her readers. She knows we have been faithful and true and has teased us many times about good old Boyd and Lottie. But the epilogue-well, it just proves that she knows we 're invested! Also, there is a ripping off the shirt that is a very nice touch.
So why knock off a .5? Well, it is more to do with a cover design choice. Is it absolutely necessary to use the same tagline for every book in this series? Because while it is very true with this specific book that there is a jaw dropping/heart stopping reveal thrown at Lottie, I am just worried it will grow stale and readers will become, like me, and focus on that promise in all of our reviews.
Look for the newest installment which hits shelves on October 27/17
October 22, 2017
This is the third book in Patricia Gibney’s Lottie Parker series and we are getting to know Lottie well. Widowed a few years before, she is a detective in the Irish Garda, living in the town of Ragmullin with her three children and baby grandson. Her life is not in the least bit under control, she drinks too much, takes too many tranquilisers and never seems to be at home to look after or feed her kids, two of who must still be overcoming trauma suffered during previous episodes. She also can’t decide whether to let her long suffering partner DI Boyd into her life and is still coming to terms with her police father’s suicide many years before. But she is a great detective and is nothing short of tenacious in getting the job done, to the point of ignoring orders and putting herself into dangerous situations.
The story is a convoluted one starting with the murder of an old woman, the torture and maiming of her daughter and then the disappearance of her granddaughter under Lottie’s nose. Lottie struggles to work out why this family has been targeted and no one is telling her anything. There also seems to be a drug gang in the area as a nearby drug shack is burnt down with two young men inside, but Lottie doesn't see how this could be related to the dead woman and her family. Moreover there is a link to her father’s suicide that she can’t understand. Throughout the novel there are flashbacks relating to a child’s memories of her early life and of her mother but who is that child now and how does she fit into this plot?
So, a gripping story, with a complex plot that comes together towards the end, great characters (even if you don’t like Lottie’s lack of responsible parenting) and a terrific ending setting up the next book in the series. Generally, I get annoyed with series where all the bad stuff keeps happening to the detective and her friends and family but in the case I’ll be looking out for the next instalment to find out what Lottie does next. 4.5★
With thanks to Neygalley and the publisher Bookouture for a copy of the book to read and review
The story is a convoluted one starting with the murder of an old woman, the torture and maiming of her daughter and then the disappearance of her granddaughter under Lottie’s nose. Lottie struggles to work out why this family has been targeted and no one is telling her anything. There also seems to be a drug gang in the area as a nearby drug shack is burnt down with two young men inside, but Lottie doesn't see how this could be related to the dead woman and her family. Moreover there is a link to her father’s suicide that she can’t understand. Throughout the novel there are flashbacks relating to a child’s memories of her early life and of her mother but who is that child now and how does she fit into this plot?
So, a gripping story, with a complex plot that comes together towards the end, great characters (even if you don’t like Lottie’s lack of responsible parenting) and a terrific ending setting up the next book in the series. Generally, I get annoyed with series where all the bad stuff keeps happening to the detective and her friends and family but in the case I’ll be looking out for the next instalment to find out what Lottie does next. 4.5★
With thanks to Neygalley and the publisher Bookouture for a copy of the book to read and review
October 14, 2017
Holy jumpin'catfish, Batman, what an ending! The jaw dropping moments just kept a-comin'. I usually don't start reviews with the ending chapters, but they really made the book. Sometimes it’s the ride, sometimes the destination. Destination wins here, although the ride was thrilling.
Third book in the D.I. Lottie Parker series, the first I have read. I don't feel as if I made a mistake, Lottie, her co-workers and her family were presented in all their glory in this book. But not too much of the previous books were mentioned so I won't have any problems going back to read them.
An old woman, Tessa Bell, is brutally murdered. Her daughter, Marion is kidnapped and tortured before being dumped on hospital steps. Then her granddaughter, Emma disappears. Throw in a few other crimes including another murder and you have the perfect maelstrom. Is it drugs, a domestic, land disputes, revenge or other unknown reasons that are the motivation of the murders? Or a combination?
A haunting narration from the past takes the reader to an insane asylum where a young girl is incarcerated with her mother, because no one else wanted to deal with her. Her narration continues until she is 21 and finally released.
Lottie, a widow of four years, a mother to three, a new grandmother, and detective inspector with the Ragmullin garda is a mess. A reliance on alcohol and a nascent addiction to Xanax add to the messiness of her life.
A drugs D.I. is brought to Ragmullin to investigate the drugs connections and attempts to take over the entire investigation. Her squad and supervisor manage to thwart his attempts.
Loneliness and frustration with an ongoing private investigation into the long-ago suicide of her father also add to her stress as secrets are finally, shockingly revealed.
I’m getting a bit tired of the spate of messed up female detectives I have recently encountered in my reading. But I guess it’s better than the spate of gang-raped detectives I was reading about last year. Still, a half star.
The book is extremely well written, but another half star for being a somewhat confusing story.
I like that loyal D.S. Mark Boyd has her back even when she treats him like crap. Her other squad members actually seem normal, and even her detective supervisor supports her on occasion, while he still adds pressure for an early solve to the many crimes.
As Bette Davis said in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts, its going to be a bumpy ride!”
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Third book in the D.I. Lottie Parker series, the first I have read. I don't feel as if I made a mistake, Lottie, her co-workers and her family were presented in all their glory in this book. But not too much of the previous books were mentioned so I won't have any problems going back to read them.
An old woman, Tessa Bell, is brutally murdered. Her daughter, Marion is kidnapped and tortured before being dumped on hospital steps. Then her granddaughter, Emma disappears. Throw in a few other crimes including another murder and you have the perfect maelstrom. Is it drugs, a domestic, land disputes, revenge or other unknown reasons that are the motivation of the murders? Or a combination?
A haunting narration from the past takes the reader to an insane asylum where a young girl is incarcerated with her mother, because no one else wanted to deal with her. Her narration continues until she is 21 and finally released.
Lottie, a widow of four years, a mother to three, a new grandmother, and detective inspector with the Ragmullin garda is a mess. A reliance on alcohol and a nascent addiction to Xanax add to the messiness of her life.
A drugs D.I. is brought to Ragmullin to investigate the drugs connections and attempts to take over the entire investigation. Her squad and supervisor manage to thwart his attempts.
Loneliness and frustration with an ongoing private investigation into the long-ago suicide of her father also add to her stress as secrets are finally, shockingly revealed.
I’m getting a bit tired of the spate of messed up female detectives I have recently encountered in my reading. But I guess it’s better than the spate of gang-raped detectives I was reading about last year. Still, a half star.
The book is extremely well written, but another half star for being a somewhat confusing story.
I like that loyal D.S. Mark Boyd has her back even when she treats him like crap. Her other squad members actually seem normal, and even her detective supervisor supports her on occasion, while he still adds pressure for an early solve to the many crimes.
As Bette Davis said in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts, its going to be a bumpy ride!”
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 30, 2017
Patricia Gibney’s The Lost Child is more shocking than a bug in a zapper! WOW! I spent a lot of time bouncing in my seat, waiting for this book to come about for us to review. It was worth the impatient wait!
DI Parker and DS Boyd attend to a murder on the outskirts of Ragmullin. It’s a senior woman, at her daughter’s house. And the daughter is missing.
From that point on, The Lost Child takes off. There are flashbacks of a girl in a mental facility. A drunk prostitute who keeps having babies. A drug ring. And twisty relationships that weave in and out of each other. It’s a crazy ride.
And, as is ever present with each Lottie Parker book, she continues to delve into her father’s long-ago death.
Bestill my heart Ragmullin
So, let me first start off by talking about Ragmullin. I am not typically a reader that cares about the location of the book. I rarely know where the book takes place because that just isn’t a detail my mind gives much attention.
However, I LOVE Ragmullin. It’s entirely fictional and ever so spooky. A lot goes on in that small country town, and it has an eerie vibe to it that adds to the story. I would move to Ragmullin if it were real. Spooky towns thrill me.
The entire second half of the book was read in one sitting. OK, I stopped to get some water and use the restroom. But that was it. While the entire book is fantastic, that second half had me stuck to the book like glue.
It was an actual roller coaster ride, and I feel very privileged that I was able to read and review this book so soon. What an enjoyable treat. Five spooky stars!
Thank you to Patricia Gibney, Bookouture, and Netgalley for giving me this opportunity. All opinions are my own.
DI Parker and DS Boyd attend to a murder on the outskirts of Ragmullin. It’s a senior woman, at her daughter’s house. And the daughter is missing.
From that point on, The Lost Child takes off. There are flashbacks of a girl in a mental facility. A drunk prostitute who keeps having babies. A drug ring. And twisty relationships that weave in and out of each other. It’s a crazy ride.
And, as is ever present with each Lottie Parker book, she continues to delve into her father’s long-ago death.
Bestill my heart Ragmullin
So, let me first start off by talking about Ragmullin. I am not typically a reader that cares about the location of the book. I rarely know where the book takes place because that just isn’t a detail my mind gives much attention.
However, I LOVE Ragmullin. It’s entirely fictional and ever so spooky. A lot goes on in that small country town, and it has an eerie vibe to it that adds to the story. I would move to Ragmullin if it were real. Spooky towns thrill me.
The entire second half of the book was read in one sitting. OK, I stopped to get some water and use the restroom. But that was it. While the entire book is fantastic, that second half had me stuck to the book like glue.
It was an actual roller coaster ride, and I feel very privileged that I was able to read and review this book so soon. What an enjoyable treat. Five spooky stars!
Thank you to Patricia Gibney, Bookouture, and Netgalley for giving me this opportunity. All opinions are my own.
October 27, 2017
This is the third book in a series that follows Lottie Parker, I absolutely loved The Missing Ones and The Stolen Girls and was eagerly awaiting the latest installment. I don’t recommend jumping in at this point in the series because the character development is SO great and each book reveals a little bit more about Lottie and her other team members. Also, it’s an awesome series so if you’re a fan of police procedurals and haven’t read this you are definitely missing out!
Lottie is still a lovable mess, she constantly has way too many plates spinning but she just cannot help herself, she thrives on chaos. Her kids are doing a bit better after the events of the last book but their house is still crazy and Lottie is struggling to maintain a balance between work and family life. Speaking of work, her caseload is bigger than ever, true to form there is a lot going on in this book and several interesting sub plots/cases are being investigated, there is always action and excitement in a Gibney book. Boyd is still around, much to my relief and once again, his and Lottie’s chemistry is amazing.
This is told mainly in the present but there are several chapters from The Child, a nameless person who appears to have been raised primarily in an asylum under horrific circumstances. I wondered so many times how this could possibly relate to any of the investigations and when things all came together I was definitely surprised.
Gibney has certainly found her stride with this series, she does a fantastic job weaving together an intricate plot with red herrings galore and excitement and tension to boot. It’s dark, gritty and intense with shocking developments and well executed twists. This case turns deeply personal for Lottie and provided more questions than answers in the end and I really cannot wait to see what happens next!
Lottie is still a lovable mess, she constantly has way too many plates spinning but she just cannot help herself, she thrives on chaos. Her kids are doing a bit better after the events of the last book but their house is still crazy and Lottie is struggling to maintain a balance between work and family life. Speaking of work, her caseload is bigger than ever, true to form there is a lot going on in this book and several interesting sub plots/cases are being investigated, there is always action and excitement in a Gibney book. Boyd is still around, much to my relief and once again, his and Lottie’s chemistry is amazing.
This is told mainly in the present but there are several chapters from The Child, a nameless person who appears to have been raised primarily in an asylum under horrific circumstances. I wondered so many times how this could possibly relate to any of the investigations and when things all came together I was definitely surprised.
Gibney has certainly found her stride with this series, she does a fantastic job weaving together an intricate plot with red herrings galore and excitement and tension to boot. It’s dark, gritty and intense with shocking developments and well executed twists. This case turns deeply personal for Lottie and provided more questions than answers in the end and I really cannot wait to see what happens next!
October 10, 2017
Epic! Absolutely epic! The third in the series and the best so far. Seriously, straight into my top 5 favorite reads this year.
When an elderly woman is found murdered, Detective Lottie Parker and her side kick Detective Boyd are called to the house to investigate. When they find that her daughter is missing too, they fear that the whole family may be in danger.
A couple of days later a cottage is burned to the ground with two bodies found inside, one dead and one barely alive. With the body count rising Lottie and her team start unraveling secrets and lies from her hometown of Ragmullins past. A case her father seemed to have investigated and who someone wants kept secret at any cost. As she delves further she finds more and more secrets from the towns past, secrets that she hopes will help explain to her finally why her father killed himself all those years ago but is she prepared for what she may find and the terrible secrets that Ragmulkins past hold?
Well let’s cut to the chase. This was epic. It’s the only word to describe it. I mean this is now fast becoming my favorite series currently out there. The first in the series The Missing Girls was excellent, a four star review from me. The second The Stolen Girls an easy five star review and this has five star written all over it. Five star +.
Lottie Parker is a brilliantly written character. In a crowded market of troubled female Detective leads, she is now up there for me with Angela Marsons Kim Stone as the most memorable and well written one. She is such an interesting and alluring character to read and spend time with.
The story here is brilliant too. Complicated, multi layered, combining the past and the present, it’s extremely well plotted out. Your head is spinning with what is happening and at times it feels like there are too many characters to keep track of, but the writing is so good that you just happen to remember who everyone is. I seriously haven’t enjoyed a story so much in a very long time. The final few chapters will have your jaw dropping over and over again. I could actually feel my reading pace increasing as the excitement rose towards the finale.
Patricia Gibneys Lottie Parker novels are longer than most coming in close to 500 pages per book as opposed to the seemingly standard 300-400 for the genre but you know what? They don’t feel long at all. They still feel nice and lean and well edited. It’s just the stories are so readable from cover to cover that you don’t notice tha pages fly by.
Seriously, if you haven’t checked out this series already I’d advise you to as soon as you can. They are that good. I’m writing this review straight after finishing The Lost Girl and I’m still buzzing from reading it. An absolute pleasure to read from the first page to the last. You are in for a real treat if you haven’t read the series. I will be waiting with baited breath for book number four.
Of course this is a five star review. The easiest one given this year. Bravo Patricia Gibney. Bravo.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When an elderly woman is found murdered, Detective Lottie Parker and her side kick Detective Boyd are called to the house to investigate. When they find that her daughter is missing too, they fear that the whole family may be in danger.
A couple of days later a cottage is burned to the ground with two bodies found inside, one dead and one barely alive. With the body count rising Lottie and her team start unraveling secrets and lies from her hometown of Ragmullins past. A case her father seemed to have investigated and who someone wants kept secret at any cost. As she delves further she finds more and more secrets from the towns past, secrets that she hopes will help explain to her finally why her father killed himself all those years ago but is she prepared for what she may find and the terrible secrets that Ragmulkins past hold?
Well let’s cut to the chase. This was epic. It’s the only word to describe it. I mean this is now fast becoming my favorite series currently out there. The first in the series The Missing Girls was excellent, a four star review from me. The second The Stolen Girls an easy five star review and this has five star written all over it. Five star +.
Lottie Parker is a brilliantly written character. In a crowded market of troubled female Detective leads, she is now up there for me with Angela Marsons Kim Stone as the most memorable and well written one. She is such an interesting and alluring character to read and spend time with.
The story here is brilliant too. Complicated, multi layered, combining the past and the present, it’s extremely well plotted out. Your head is spinning with what is happening and at times it feels like there are too many characters to keep track of, but the writing is so good that you just happen to remember who everyone is. I seriously haven’t enjoyed a story so much in a very long time. The final few chapters will have your jaw dropping over and over again. I could actually feel my reading pace increasing as the excitement rose towards the finale.
Patricia Gibneys Lottie Parker novels are longer than most coming in close to 500 pages per book as opposed to the seemingly standard 300-400 for the genre but you know what? They don’t feel long at all. They still feel nice and lean and well edited. It’s just the stories are so readable from cover to cover that you don’t notice tha pages fly by.
Seriously, if you haven’t checked out this series already I’d advise you to as soon as you can. They are that good. I’m writing this review straight after finishing The Lost Girl and I’m still buzzing from reading it. An absolute pleasure to read from the first page to the last. You are in for a real treat if you haven’t read the series. I will be waiting with baited breath for book number four.
Of course this is a five star review. The easiest one given this year. Bravo Patricia Gibney. Bravo.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2023
OMG, kaip aš pamilau šitą seriją! Nuo pat pirmos pernai metais perskaitytos knygos. Viskas man iškart ten patiko: tiek komplikuotas asmeninis tyrėjos Lotės gyvenimas, tiek nusikaltimai ITIN primenatys true crime'us, kur niekas neperspausta, viskas detaliai, bet ne per daug smulkmeniškai, supainiota, nenuspėjama ir logiškai išsivynioja. Trečia dalis, tikriausiai, patiko labiausiai iš visų - visos penkios žvaigždutės iš manęs.
Kovodama su nusikaltimais, Lotė Parker vėl kovoja su savais demonais: alkoholizmu, gedulu ir trijų vaikų, vieno anūko priežiūra. Visko jos gyvenime labai daug ir tvarkytis darosi sunku. Bet atsiranda šeima, kuriai dar sunkiau. Ją visą kažkas bando išžudyti. Viskas prasideda nuo senyvos ponios, o toliau seka kiti jos giminaičiai. Lotė visa galva neria į byla, net neįtardama, kad ji sugriaus ir jos pačios menkutę ramybę.
Wow, wow, wow. Jei ne vaikai, buitis ir dalykai - knygą vienu prisėdimu būčiau suskaičius. Tiek asmeninės veikėjų peripetijos, tiek nusikaltimai čia buvo neįtikėtinai įdomūs. Nė vieno priekaišto neturėjau net iki knygos pabaigos, nežinodama kulminacijos, bet kai sužinojau atsakymus.... AR GALIMA GREIČIAU GAUT KETVIRTĄ DALĮ??? Absoliučiai mano stiliaus reikalas. Ir kažkuo primena Gerritsen kūrybą - čia viskas lengvai, su daug dramos ir veikėjais, prie kurių greit prisiriši. Puiki, puiki, puiki serija.
Kovodama su nusikaltimais, Lotė Parker vėl kovoja su savais demonais: alkoholizmu, gedulu ir trijų vaikų, vieno anūko priežiūra. Visko jos gyvenime labai daug ir tvarkytis darosi sunku. Bet atsiranda šeima, kuriai dar sunkiau. Ją visą kažkas bando išžudyti. Viskas prasideda nuo senyvos ponios, o toliau seka kiti jos giminaičiai. Lotė visa galva neria į byla, net neįtardama, kad ji sugriaus ir jos pačios menkutę ramybę.
Wow, wow, wow. Jei ne vaikai, buitis ir dalykai - knygą vienu prisėdimu būčiau suskaičius. Tiek asmeninės veikėjų peripetijos, tiek nusikaltimai čia buvo neįtikėtinai įdomūs. Nė vieno priekaišto neturėjau net iki knygos pabaigos, nežinodama kulminacijos, bet kai sužinojau atsakymus.... AR GALIMA GREIČIAU GAUT KETVIRTĄ DALĮ??? Absoliučiai mano stiliaus reikalas. Ir kažkuo primena Gerritsen kūrybą - čia viskas lengvai, su daug dramos ir veikėjais, prie kurių greit prisiriši. Puiki, puiki, puiki serija.
October 29, 2017
I’ve loved this series from the first book and could barely contain my excitement when I got my grabby hands on this new addition. The Lost Child is the third book in the DI Lottie Parker series and really, I don’t know how Patricia Gibney does it, but she has once again raised the bar and delivered her best book yet!
An elderly lady is found dead, her daughter has gone missing and a few days later, a cottage burns to the ground claiming more victims. Lottie Parker and her team are in for a very busy week. When it looks like the investigation is somehow connected to her father, things get pretty personal for Lottie. Will she finally be able to discover the truth about his death?
I have to say that Lottie got on my nerves quite a bit this time around and I often felt like slapping her. But most of the time, as I sat reading, the words coming out of my mouth were along the lines of “holy crap, what the hell is going on?!”. I didn’t have a clue because one thing Patricia Gibney does extremely well, is create an intriguing background story with its roots firmly in the past that seemed to grab me by the throat and not let go. Once again, it’s the most heartbreaking, dark and disturbing story with devastating consequences and it had me utterly hooked!
The Lost Child is insanely gripping and compelling and I stayed up way too late in a desperate attempt to finish it. Absolutely worth the zombie look I’m displaying today. This series keeps going from strength to strength, as does the author’s writing. With an intricate and complex plot and amazing character development, Patricia Gibney has delivered another absolute corker.
If you’re not reading this series, do yourself a favour and start right now! From the beginning, people, or you’ll be missing out on a lot of important background information! In the meantime, I will sit here and impatiently await book number four.
An elderly lady is found dead, her daughter has gone missing and a few days later, a cottage burns to the ground claiming more victims. Lottie Parker and her team are in for a very busy week. When it looks like the investigation is somehow connected to her father, things get pretty personal for Lottie. Will she finally be able to discover the truth about his death?
I have to say that Lottie got on my nerves quite a bit this time around and I often felt like slapping her. But most of the time, as I sat reading, the words coming out of my mouth were along the lines of “holy crap, what the hell is going on?!”. I didn’t have a clue because one thing Patricia Gibney does extremely well, is create an intriguing background story with its roots firmly in the past that seemed to grab me by the throat and not let go. Once again, it’s the most heartbreaking, dark and disturbing story with devastating consequences and it had me utterly hooked!
The Lost Child is insanely gripping and compelling and I stayed up way too late in a desperate attempt to finish it. Absolutely worth the zombie look I’m displaying today. This series keeps going from strength to strength, as does the author’s writing. With an intricate and complex plot and amazing character development, Patricia Gibney has delivered another absolute corker.
If you’re not reading this series, do yourself a favour and start right now! From the beginning, people, or you’ll be missing out on a lot of important background information! In the meantime, I will sit here and impatiently await book number four.
July 18, 2023
I have read a previous book in this series. The “crimes” are different but the DI stays the same (Lottie Parker).
If you read them out of order it’s fine, however you will miss out and have to piece together Lotties life. What a colourful character she is!
The plot is both gripping and “not put downable “ as it really does grip you.
It’s been over a year since I’ve read a Detective story as I was getting bogged down with the samesness.
It’s nice to take a break from a genre now and again. Well, was for me.
Gripping read.
If you read them out of order it’s fine, however you will miss out and have to piece together Lotties life. What a colourful character she is!
The plot is both gripping and “not put downable “ as it really does grip you.
It’s been over a year since I’ve read a Detective story as I was getting bogged down with the samesness.
It’s nice to take a break from a genre now and again. Well, was for me.
Gripping read.
October 12, 2017
Either they have more bizarre crimes in Ireland or this author has a particularly vivid imagination. I have never read about more people killed more creatively than in this book. People don't just get shot or stabbed. Oh no, that would be too easy. I won't go into the ways and spoil the surprise but being attacked by a canned good is the most normal method of causing harm.
Lottie Parker is a Detective Inspector who is really not easy to like. She is a widow and an alcoholic raising (sort of) three kids and a grandchild. Her mother helps out when the spirit moves her. She is not likable and is quite mean to her staff, her friend, her mother, and basically anyone she runs into.
I am not sure how she still has a job on the police staff as she regularly manhandles suspects and is quite abusive to people she interviews. Yet somehow you root for her to get her act together.
This book starts with the murder of an elderly lady, a brutal beating of that lady's daughter and a burned out drug house with two burned bodies, one barely clinging to life. And then there are more murders each more creative than the last. It's hard to sleep after reading some of them. Dublin sends another officer in to help with the investigation which does not sit well with her.
As if this wasn't enough on her plate, Parker investigates the supposed suicide of her father, another police officer when she was four. Her investigation brings in lots of creepy people and hidden secrets and starts to tie into her current investigation.
The ending is so unexpected, so suspenseful, so full of surprises that I can barely wait for the next book. This is a great series. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Lottie Parker is a Detective Inspector who is really not easy to like. She is a widow and an alcoholic raising (sort of) three kids and a grandchild. Her mother helps out when the spirit moves her. She is not likable and is quite mean to her staff, her friend, her mother, and basically anyone she runs into.
I am not sure how she still has a job on the police staff as she regularly manhandles suspects and is quite abusive to people she interviews. Yet somehow you root for her to get her act together.
This book starts with the murder of an elderly lady, a brutal beating of that lady's daughter and a burned out drug house with two burned bodies, one barely clinging to life. And then there are more murders each more creative than the last. It's hard to sleep after reading some of them. Dublin sends another officer in to help with the investigation which does not sit well with her.
As if this wasn't enough on her plate, Parker investigates the supposed suicide of her father, another police officer when she was four. Her investigation brings in lots of creepy people and hidden secrets and starts to tie into her current investigation.
The ending is so unexpected, so suspenseful, so full of surprises that I can barely wait for the next book. This is a great series. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a copy of this book to review.
September 30, 2017
Patricia Gibney just gets better and better with every stunning book! Her stories are blockbusters, having a little bit of everything. Beautifully written, packed with suspense, another spine tingling story that I couldn't put down. This author writes with cinematic flair - I can picture the scenes and I keep turning the pages, scared and awed, wanting to know more, completely absorbed in the lives and tragic deaths of the characters. Brilliant writing from an amazing author. She is my go-to author for a story that I know will take me in its thrall and not let go even after the book is over. Highly recommended - an absolutely perfect story. I cannot wait for the next.
March 7, 2018
The third book in this series and the best one yet! I really think Gibney has hit her stride with this one. Lottie is getting stronger as a character—even, though, at first I thought she was kinda bitchy at the beginning of this story. As for the story, I thought it was a great mystery. Lottie and her team find themselves solving murders and a possible drug ring. The story takes place in present time but we also get glimpses of the past through the POV of twins 40 years ago. Somehow everything is connected....but how? Lottie has her work cut out but will she have a meltdown before she solves the crimes? Highly addictive with an ending you won’t see coming!!
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2017
Oh my goodness! I could not put this book down once I started it. Murders, drugs, links to the past and a tangled web of deceit.. This book has it all. I have read the first book in this series but somehow I have managed to miss book 2.... something I will rectify ASAP! This book can be read without reading the others but I think the others should be read first. A big thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review
March 22, 2022
Finalizada. Edición digital. Menudo pedazo de entrega de la serie de Lottie Parker. Este sí me ha tenido enganchada de verdad. Por fin vamos a descubrir muchas cosas del pasado de Lottie y entenderemos actitudes de algunos personajes. Los hijos de Lottie me parece que restan en lugar de sumar y a ella se le va mucho la cabeza, pero me gusta. Me gustan sus locuras, sus borracheras, su manera alocada de investigar. Definitivamente , seguiré con la serie. Nota 4/5. FIN.
October 6, 2017
First off, let me say that I appreciate receiving a copy of this book via Net Galley and Bookouture. This is my honest review.
I was excited to read this story since I’d heard about this new police procedural series from my book-loving friends.
The story is about DI Lottie Parker and her team and how they struggle to solve a series of gruesome and seemingly unrelated mysteries. The story takes place in Ireland, which is important to mention because abortion is illegal (was?) in the story and thus unwanted children form a backbone of the plot.
I liked Lottie’s police partner, Brady, who has a calming influence on her and is often the one to speak reason.
Lottie has addiction problems (drink and prescription drugs) but manages to hold down her job and look after her three teenage children and new grandson.
The story has multiple threads and multiple characters, and, I have to say, I frequently felt rather lost and was unable to follow who was who.
It was around 40% into the story that I began to feel I had a grip. I should also say that, at times, I found it hard to suspend disbelief, probably because I found it difficult to immerse myself in the story. Sorry, I suppose this one just wasn’t for me.
Overall 3 stars.
I was excited to read this story since I’d heard about this new police procedural series from my book-loving friends.
The story is about DI Lottie Parker and her team and how they struggle to solve a series of gruesome and seemingly unrelated mysteries. The story takes place in Ireland, which is important to mention because abortion is illegal (was?) in the story and thus unwanted children form a backbone of the plot.
I liked Lottie’s police partner, Brady, who has a calming influence on her and is often the one to speak reason.
Lottie has addiction problems (drink and prescription drugs) but manages to hold down her job and look after her three teenage children and new grandson.
The story has multiple threads and multiple characters, and, I have to say, I frequently felt rather lost and was unable to follow who was who.
It was around 40% into the story that I began to feel I had a grip. I should also say that, at times, I found it hard to suspend disbelief, probably because I found it difficult to immerse myself in the story. Sorry, I suppose this one just wasn’t for me.
Overall 3 stars.
March 8, 2024
4,5/5
Esta es la tercera parte dela serie de la inspectora Lottie Parker, hasta el momento las novelas van in crescendo, en esta novela Lottie y su equipo investigan unos crímenes que están relacionados con el pasado de su familia, exactamente, con el último caso de su padre.
La trama te atrapa desde el comienzo, con unos crímenes cruentos y una trama muy bien hilada, y un final que te dejará con la boca abierta, deja por ahí algunos flecos que se ve que se solventarán en su próxima novela, pero son de la trama secundaria, en algunas partes para mí ha tocado temas muy duros que me ha costado leer mucho más que en las anteriores.
La novela tiene un ritmo ágil, con una trama muy interesante que no te da ni un respiro, estás deseando saber que pasará a continuación.
Esta es la tercera parte dela serie de la inspectora Lottie Parker, hasta el momento las novelas van in crescendo, en esta novela Lottie y su equipo investigan unos crímenes que están relacionados con el pasado de su familia, exactamente, con el último caso de su padre.
La trama te atrapa desde el comienzo, con unos crímenes cruentos y una trama muy bien hilada, y un final que te dejará con la boca abierta, deja por ahí algunos flecos que se ve que se solventarán en su próxima novela, pero son de la trama secundaria, en algunas partes para mí ha tocado temas muy duros que me ha costado leer mucho más que en las anteriores.
La novela tiene un ritmo ágil, con una trama muy interesante que no te da ni un respiro, estás deseando saber que pasará a continuación.
October 12, 2023
P. Gibney man bus šių metų atradimas detektyvo žanre. Nes sugeba ši ponia taip nuo pat pradžių intrigėlę susukt, kad iki pat paskutinio puslapio niekas neaišku, o ir baigus knygą supranti, kad ta visa istorija toli gražu nesibaigė ir net spirgu kaip laukiu naujos dalies.
O su "Paliktoji" buvo viskas taip gerai, kad tiesiog privalėjau knygą perskaityti iki galo net ir miego sąskaita.
Patikėkit, buvo verta🙂
O su "Paliktoji" buvo viskas taip gerai, kad tiesiog privalėjau knygą perskaityti iki galo net ir miego sąskaita.
Patikėkit, buvo verta🙂
October 21, 2017
What an exciting read this was. Book three in the Lottie Parker series and you will not be disappointed. A very well written plot which has you spinning to keep up with all the little twists. Lottie is a determined detective with a home life full of turbulence due to three children and a small grandson. With her rather dodgy parenting skills, and demands of her job, she struggles to find time for her family. A missing child, drug ring, murder and a prostitute who keeps getting pregnant will be sure to keep you engrossed from the start. My thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for my copy.
November 12, 2020
For my complete review of this novel visit: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2...
In the first few chapters of this book, I was a tad impatient with Lottie Parker's self-destructive behaviours. Then, as I got into the book, I realized that those things that I was frustrated with were the very same things that make Lottie Parker so special to me. She has an abject fear that the darkness she encounters daily in her work, will permeate into her home and put her beloved children in danger.
This is a crime novel rife with sad and tragic family histories. A novel that will challenge the Garda team to the max, and one in which Lottie will be put in physical mortal danger. In addition, it is a case that will change how Lottie views her own family history.The way the myriad threads of the plot are woven together so succinctly, are a marvel. Clever plotting that makes sense is something I really admire.
The descriptions of the Irish locale in late October ensured that it is not the prime season for tourism. The wind and the lashing rain made the characters so soggy that even the reader needs a rain jacket.
Excellent characterization and compelling plots are the highlights of this series, and this third book is true to form. With themes of child abandonment, gruesome murders, insane asylums, corruption, and the illicit drug trade, it was an extremely difficult read at times.
I highly recommend this novel, and this series, to readers of crime fiction who are not deterred by graphic violence, and emotionally draining circumstances. I hope that not too much more time passes before I get the opportunity to read the 4th novel in this stellar series.
In the first few chapters of this book, I was a tad impatient with Lottie Parker's self-destructive behaviours. Then, as I got into the book, I realized that those things that I was frustrated with were the very same things that make Lottie Parker so special to me. She has an abject fear that the darkness she encounters daily in her work, will permeate into her home and put her beloved children in danger.
This is a crime novel rife with sad and tragic family histories. A novel that will challenge the Garda team to the max, and one in which Lottie will be put in physical mortal danger. In addition, it is a case that will change how Lottie views her own family history.The way the myriad threads of the plot are woven together so succinctly, are a marvel. Clever plotting that makes sense is something I really admire.
The descriptions of the Irish locale in late October ensured that it is not the prime season for tourism. The wind and the lashing rain made the characters so soggy that even the reader needs a rain jacket.
Excellent characterization and compelling plots are the highlights of this series, and this third book is true to form. With themes of child abandonment, gruesome murders, insane asylums, corruption, and the illicit drug trade, it was an extremely difficult read at times.
I highly recommend this novel, and this series, to readers of crime fiction who are not deterred by graphic violence, and emotionally draining circumstances. I hope that not too much more time passes before I get the opportunity to read the 4th novel in this stellar series.
September 22, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Boolouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited when I saw that this book was coming out. Patricia Gibney certainly did not disappoint. This book took me on a thrilling ride with so many twists and turns, it left me reeling. Unfortunately, the journey was so short as I devoured this book so fast.
Detective Lottie Parker is called in to investigate the murder of an elderly lady and to complicate matters, the victim's daughter has disappeared too. I don't want to say too much about the plot, I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will just say that it seems like an impossible case with uncooperative characters, leads which don't add up, and characters who seem to have no relation to each other, but it comes together beautifully in the end. Detective Lottie's cheekiness amused me to no end. The book ends explosively and leaves the reader with some questions which I am dying to have answered. Cannot wait till the next instalment.
I highly recommend the series. I suppose one could read this book as a stand-alone, but I think it is best to read the other two books first before this one.
I was so excited when I saw that this book was coming out. Patricia Gibney certainly did not disappoint. This book took me on a thrilling ride with so many twists and turns, it left me reeling. Unfortunately, the journey was so short as I devoured this book so fast.
Detective Lottie Parker is called in to investigate the murder of an elderly lady and to complicate matters, the victim's daughter has disappeared too. I don't want to say too much about the plot, I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will just say that it seems like an impossible case with uncooperative characters, leads which don't add up, and characters who seem to have no relation to each other, but it comes together beautifully in the end. Detective Lottie's cheekiness amused me to no end. The book ends explosively and leaves the reader with some questions which I am dying to have answered. Cannot wait till the next instalment.
I highly recommend the series. I suppose one could read this book as a stand-alone, but I think it is best to read the other two books first before this one.
March 21, 2021
Hasta el momento, el mejor de la saga. Increíble el ritmo trepidante.
Read
October 7, 2017..."Human life, just as fragile, is at the mercy of human greed and shame."
Ragmullin in October -- rain and murder. The first to die is Tessa Ball, mother to Marian and grandmother to Emma. When the bodies continue to pile up, Detective inspector Lottie Parker and Detective Sergeant Mark Boyd know that this is a series of killings such as they have never dealt with before. An intense police investigation involves the old psychiatric instutition, St. Declan's Asylum. A history of a mentally disturbed young woman, a fire, some children and an immense cover-up. Is this a drug-related vendetta? Or is it something much more sinister and evil?
This third in the series has all the elements of a great thriller. I love the characters, especially Lottie, as she is trying to do her job and take care of her children and grandson while also delving into her own family history. Pulse-pounding suspense with a complicated and convoluted plot that will keep readers guessing until the very last pages! I could not put this down. I hope the 4th comes out soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review. Highly recommended. You can't go wrong if you love strong female protagonists, action, and suspense with compelling plots.
Ragmullin in October -- rain and murder. The first to die is Tessa Ball, mother to Marian and grandmother to Emma. When the bodies continue to pile up, Detective inspector Lottie Parker and Detective Sergeant Mark Boyd know that this is a series of killings such as they have never dealt with before. An intense police investigation involves the old psychiatric instutition, St. Declan's Asylum. A history of a mentally disturbed young woman, a fire, some children and an immense cover-up. Is this a drug-related vendetta? Or is it something much more sinister and evil?
This third in the series has all the elements of a great thriller. I love the characters, especially Lottie, as she is trying to do her job and take care of her children and grandson while also delving into her own family history. Pulse-pounding suspense with a complicated and convoluted plot that will keep readers guessing until the very last pages! I could not put this down. I hope the 4th comes out soon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review. Highly recommended. You can't go wrong if you love strong female protagonists, action, and suspense with compelling plots.
October 4, 2017
Here we are at book 3 in the Detective Lottie Parker series and I started this book with the half hope that Patricia Gibney would give Lottie a break in this book and also half hoping that she wouldn’t…because if she did then would Lottie lose her edge. You see Lottie has more issues than the Readers Digest. She is the alcoholic, pill popping self-destructive mother to three teenagers, grandmother to one. In the past two books she has desperately been trying to find out why her father, who was also a Garda killed himself. With few answers coming from her mother Rose, Lottie was left trying to piece together things by herself.
This book was fast paced and just kept you turning the pages. The body of an older lady is found in her daughters house, her daughter is missing and her granddaughter has clammed up and goes on the run.
Patricia Gibney threw little clues out all over the place in this book. And the whole thing moved so fast that there was not a moment that you were not trying desperately y keep up with Lottie and Boyd. There were a few times I thought I had it all figured out and the Ms. Gibney would slap me round the face with something I completely was not expecting.
The best part of this for me is the way that Patricia Gibney writes. I am Irish and I have read so many books where the author was Irish and hammed it up but I adore the way she writes. The language is so honest and true and the turn of phrase she uses are so familiar and real.
This book (no spoilers I promise) ends wide open for book 4 and all I have to say is…poor Lottie. But I simply cannot wait for the next book in this series. Another hands down fantastic read.
This book was fast paced and just kept you turning the pages. The body of an older lady is found in her daughters house, her daughter is missing and her granddaughter has clammed up and goes on the run.
Patricia Gibney threw little clues out all over the place in this book. And the whole thing moved so fast that there was not a moment that you were not trying desperately y keep up with Lottie and Boyd. There were a few times I thought I had it all figured out and the Ms. Gibney would slap me round the face with something I completely was not expecting.
The best part of this for me is the way that Patricia Gibney writes. I am Irish and I have read so many books where the author was Irish and hammed it up but I adore the way she writes. The language is so honest and true and the turn of phrase she uses are so familiar and real.
This book (no spoilers I promise) ends wide open for book 4 and all I have to say is…poor Lottie. But I simply cannot wait for the next book in this series. Another hands down fantastic read.
October 16, 2018
Another book that grasps the nettle of a social evil l, exposing it through the fictional pages of this popular Lottie Parker series.
A crime thriller based within a real time police procedural where the secrets of the past are hidden and where the threaten to individuals are murdered.
Third book in, once more the author’s template for a successful story is followed. The tensions within the team grow, the problems at home deepen as Lottie’s work life balance remain out of kilter. Lottie’s personal battles with alcohol, popping happy pills and frustrated feelings of love mixed with quilt multiply.
A widow, damaged by the death of her husband. A daughter of a servicing police officer who died in suspicious circumstances, Lottie’s private investigation into her dad’s ‘suicide’ is the back story here.
These personal depth charges into Lottie’s past certainly leave her a barely functioning mother let alone detective. However to date they have been a constant theme in these series of books. Book 1 her missing brother, book 2 possible truth of her late husband’s army career and now her dad’s death.
I can think of now modern fictional detective who has been on such a short and harrowing journey.
What is also disturbing is that along the way Lottie’s own family have been caught up the the fallout.
In this cleverly plotted novel it is family secrets that are laid open. How the rich could place delinquent children in Asylums for anti social behaviour amid a judgement community and intolerant faith.
The story is never fully in focus as a serious drug gang are intertwined with a series of murders.
No-one is safe when this author unleashes her plots on her well drawn characters. All these ideas and actions are credible it just is unfortunate it all happens so frequently in Ragmullin and on Lottie’s watch.
I love the writing and I am completely absorbed in DI Parker’s dogged style. By dint of never slacking and hard work these cases are solved but in The Lost Child it seems to be last 2 suspects standing.
Please dive into this series I spent far too long just dipping my toe in the water.
A crime thriller based within a real time police procedural where the secrets of the past are hidden and where the threaten to individuals are murdered.
Third book in, once more the author’s template for a successful story is followed. The tensions within the team grow, the problems at home deepen as Lottie’s work life balance remain out of kilter. Lottie’s personal battles with alcohol, popping happy pills and frustrated feelings of love mixed with quilt multiply.
A widow, damaged by the death of her husband. A daughter of a servicing police officer who died in suspicious circumstances, Lottie’s private investigation into her dad’s ‘suicide’ is the back story here.
These personal depth charges into Lottie’s past certainly leave her a barely functioning mother let alone detective. However to date they have been a constant theme in these series of books. Book 1 her missing brother, book 2 possible truth of her late husband’s army career and now her dad’s death.
I can think of now modern fictional detective who has been on such a short and harrowing journey.
What is also disturbing is that along the way Lottie’s own family have been caught up the the fallout.
In this cleverly plotted novel it is family secrets that are laid open. How the rich could place delinquent children in Asylums for anti social behaviour amid a judgement community and intolerant faith.
The story is never fully in focus as a serious drug gang are intertwined with a series of murders.
No-one is safe when this author unleashes her plots on her well drawn characters. All these ideas and actions are credible it just is unfortunate it all happens so frequently in Ragmullin and on Lottie’s watch.
I love the writing and I am completely absorbed in DI Parker’s dogged style. By dint of never slacking and hard work these cases are solved but in The Lost Child it seems to be last 2 suspects standing.
Please dive into this series I spent far too long just dipping my toe in the water.
September 26, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Lost Child, the third novel to feature DI Lottie Parker of the Ragmullin Gardai.
Lottie and the team are called out to a dead body in Marian Russell's house but it's not Marian it's her mother, Tessa so the hunt is on for Marian and the prime suspect, her husband Arthur. The name Tessa Ball, however, rings a bell with Lottie and she finds it in her dead father's notes of his investigations back in the 70s. As the bodies pile up Lottie and the team struggle to find the links.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Child which had me glued to the pages from start to finish. The plotting is complex with its web of interconnecting relationships but never difficult to follow. There are multiple twists, some genuinely shocking and almost all unexpected which held my attention throughout. The narrative is interspersed with first person chapters entitled "The Child: The Seventies" which have no apparent relevance to current events and distract from them but, given they are written in italics, it's no stretch to understand that they will be relevant by the end. I can't be bothered with this kind of insight and skim read them.
There are also hints of where the next novel will be going as Ms Gibney hasn't finished with Lottie's history and it will be a long wait to find out. It's not a cliffhanger by any means, just a couple of loose threads. The novel does work well as a stand alone but this ongoing thread means it makes sense to read the novels in order.
Lottie is an excellent protagonist and an inspired creation. A widow, she does her best to hold down a demanding job and raise her 3 children and new grandson but it's a struggle and her life is chaotic, no wonder she sometimes resorts to vodka and Xanax. Nevertheless she is lovable with her determination to get justice for the victims, even if she doesn't always get it right, and her guilt about her children's upbringing, in other words a very normal woman trying to juggle all the demands on her.
The Lost Child is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Lottie and the team are called out to a dead body in Marian Russell's house but it's not Marian it's her mother, Tessa so the hunt is on for Marian and the prime suspect, her husband Arthur. The name Tessa Ball, however, rings a bell with Lottie and she finds it in her dead father's notes of his investigations back in the 70s. As the bodies pile up Lottie and the team struggle to find the links.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Child which had me glued to the pages from start to finish. The plotting is complex with its web of interconnecting relationships but never difficult to follow. There are multiple twists, some genuinely shocking and almost all unexpected which held my attention throughout. The narrative is interspersed with first person chapters entitled "The Child: The Seventies" which have no apparent relevance to current events and distract from them but, given they are written in italics, it's no stretch to understand that they will be relevant by the end. I can't be bothered with this kind of insight and skim read them.
There are also hints of where the next novel will be going as Ms Gibney hasn't finished with Lottie's history and it will be a long wait to find out. It's not a cliffhanger by any means, just a couple of loose threads. The novel does work well as a stand alone but this ongoing thread means it makes sense to read the novels in order.
Lottie is an excellent protagonist and an inspired creation. A widow, she does her best to hold down a demanding job and raise her 3 children and new grandson but it's a struggle and her life is chaotic, no wonder she sometimes resorts to vodka and Xanax. Nevertheless she is lovable with her determination to get justice for the victims, even if she doesn't always get it right, and her guilt about her children's upbringing, in other words a very normal woman trying to juggle all the demands on her.
The Lost Child is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
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