👭Excellent whodunit with children the tragic victims🚨

This one is definitely a page-turner, and I think the format and the author's writing style added to my enjoyment. I especially like whodunits like The Altar Girls with shorter chapters as they keep me reaching for the next, the next, etc. until I'm totally embroiled in the plot. The story is packed with investigative action and a strong, driven woman police detective in Lottie Parker to keep the police team plugging away until the who and how of the perpetrator becomes clear.

A frigid, snowy day turns tragic for two school girls as they turn up posed and dead on the cold grounds of two local churches. The Altar Girls is full of closed lips and secrets until the story slowly reveals neither girl had a carefree life before her murder. Plenty of questionable behavior to build a suspect list that includes a local priest who led a choir in which both girls are involved. It certainly kept me baffled for the longest time and that's the way I like my mysteries!

Lottie is dealing with a parent with dementia and Boyd, one of her team and her romantic interest, who's desperate to reunite with his young son who disappeared with his mother. I really like the Lottie Parker character and I found myself just as caught up by Lottie and Boyd's personal life as by the murder investigation.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

'The Altar girls' a detective Lottie Parker Book 13 by Patricia Gibney is a thriller that takes you on a slow churning ride till it surprises you at the end.

A girls is reported missing one morning and when Detective Lottie Parker gets to know that a a body has been discovered in the church premises, she expects it to be of the missing girl but unfortunately it is the body of another 8 years old Girl Naomi. What is the relation between the two girls except that they were the altar girls at the church and also part of the choir?

The journey from the fateful night to when she discovers who the actual culprit is nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Lottie, is dealing with many personal issues with her mother, her children and also her partner Detective Boyd. Amidst all this the case takes over her life as she knows. Each of her team members are dealing with their own issues. Amidst all this the ever tangling threads of this case of two girls don't seem to unravel. Her efforts in unearthing the stories of all the main characters, her patience in dealing Detective Boyd missing in action and her resourcefulness is enlisting her mothers help, have all endeared me to Detective Lottie parker.

If you love a thriller that goes on till the last page and has many small stories within it that keep you hooked till the very end, then you will love this one.
I recommend this to everyone who loves a good psychological thriller with a great story.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for accepting my request to read and review the book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I make no secret of the fact that I love the Lottie Parker series and I can't quite believe that The Altar Girls is the thirteenth book in the series! I am in awe of Patricia Gibney's ability to keep her readers coming back again and again, giving us a fresh story every time, but still keeping us up to date with the central characters. I feel as though I know Lottie and her team like family now, and the plots that run alongside the investigation were just as engaging as the investigation itself. I am invested in these characters and I really wanted to know they would be OK.

The investigation that is central to The Altar Girls is a bit of a head scratcher for Lottie and her team, so it's quite a way into the novel when things start coming together. However, this doesn't mean that it is slow paced or that Patricia Gibney failed to hold my attention. Ragmullin is a small village, which Patricia Gibney has built so well over the series, and this means there is a whole host of suspects. I love the threads that run through the novel that connect the characters together and arouse our suspicion and I enjoyed trying to work out who had done what. I never guessed who the perpetrator was and this is testament to the author's amazing writing.

As The Altar Girls heads towards the ending, the tension is palpable and there are some scenes where there is a definite sense of danger. I was really gripped by this story and it will stay with me.

Number 13 but nothing unlucky about this addition to this excellent series.
It's so nice to be back in Ragmullin with Lottie, Boyd et al
A gripping main plot surrounding the deaths of two little girls with a whole host of possible culprits to choose from. Some of the developments in the subplots are heart-stopping and while we leave this cast of characters, who now feel like friends, on an evenish keel there's plenty to cause more heartbreak and upset in the future.
A brilliant series which doesn't get tired or stale.

Book 13 and I am actually completely over any issues or niggles I ever had about the main character. Usual series rules apply, even if you might have similar misgivings about the earlier books as I did. They are all get-overable. And boy am I glad I dug my heels in and just got on with it all...
So... we start with the worst news for Lottie, or any Detective to be honest, a child's body has been discovered. In the frozen grounds of the cathedral. If that wasn't enough, the finder was also a child. Talk about traumatic. There's already an alert out for a missing child and it looks likely that it will be one and the same. In a weird way, Lottie is hoping so, for obvious reasons. Sadly this is not the case. It's a different child. Meaning that little Willow is still missing...
Lottie and her team therefore face a race against time to not only find the missing child, but also figure out what happened to Naomi, and what, if anything connects them.
Meanwhile Boyd has issues of his own to contend with...
This was all things heart-wrenching. And also a bit convoluted. It had me running around chasing my tail as I, along with Lottie and her team, tried desperately to figure things out. I failed, they didn't. But they had to work darned hard to get there.
And Lottie did all this as well as juggling her own personal issues which, thankfully, although quite major in severity, didn't overshadow the main investigation. In fact, they actually helped... but I'm saying no more there.
The story gets on with itself very well, there is no waffle or padding to distract and the pacing matches the narrative all the way through. Yes there are slower parts but these only reflect the frustration in the lack of progress of the investigation and always felt real.
And the ending when it came... well... shocking is an understatement.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive series. I am so glad I followed my instincts and didn't give up. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Book 13 in the Detective Inspector Lottie Parker series. Can be read as a stand alone but to understand the background I’d recommend reading the series in sequence. Lottie is struggling with the pressure of balancing work and home. Her mother has dementia and keeps disappearing. Her partner Boyd is searching for his missing son, abducted by his ex wife, and as a consequence is unable to assist Parker when she needs him most. This is a great series but I definitely think this one is up there with the best in the series, fast paced and engaging from the start.

Briefly, is the week before Christmas in Ragmullin and it has been snowing heavily. A young girl has been reported missing by her mother but as the team start a search a body is found behind the local cathedral. Then another body is found and both have been laid out in the snow like snow angels. There are any number of suspects in this case from the local priests to a mortuary director never mind the parents! All seem to have the ability but where’s the motive?

This book deals with child abuse and will make uncomfortable reading for some. However, the abuse isn’t gratuitous. I love this authors style of writing and this was a book that kept me up late finishing it, it was so addictive. An excellent police procedural with a shocking storyline, lots of twists and turns, and a genuinely shocking reveal of the killer. A cracking read .

It is scarcely credible that Patricia Gibney has reached the thirteenth instalment of this admirable series, but long may it continue. As always the writing is exemplary and the plotting excellent. Poor old Lottie Parker has much to distract her but her detective skills are as sharp as ever.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ACR of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous series. I am so looking forward to the next book. I recommend them all.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Altar Girls’, book 13 in the Detective Lottie Parker series written by Patricia Gibney, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ragmullen is covered in deep snow when eight-year-old Willow Devine goes missing. Detective Lottie Parker and her team immediately start searching and when eleven-year-old Alfie Nally finds a body behind the cathedral they expect it to be Willow, but the body is that of another eight-year-old, Naomi Kiernan. The next day Willow’s body is found in the outdoor crib at the nearby church.

I always enjoy reading about Detective Lottie Parker and I can honestly say that ‘The Altar Girls’ is probably the best yet. It’s had me hooked from page one as Lottie seeks answers to why someone would kill two little girls, and there are so many possible suspects I’ve found it difficult to decide who could be responsible. The plot thickens as Detective Mark Boyd looks for his ex-wife Jackie who’s disappeared with their son Sergio after telling him of his son’s existence. This is a twisty and complex thriller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and with its abundance of drama, action and suspense it’s kept me engrossed from start to finish. It’s getting a well-deserved five stars from me!

Another brilliant gripping read, book #13 in the DI Lottie Parker series and it didn’t disappoint. I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t put it down, and didn’t want it to end.
This book has dual storylines to follow. First is Lottie and her team have a case to solve which includes the disappearance of one young girl and the murder of another. Secondly, Boyd is trying to track down his ex wife her has taken his son.
It’s fast paced with so many twists and turns and multiple suspects thrown in. The suspense mounts with each page turned.
It’s brilliantly written with a tense plot and great characters. This book has it all.
I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
Definitely recommend this book and the series. It’s just brilliant.
Thanks to #NetGallery @bookouture for an arc of #TheAltarGirls in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 9th November 2023.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Altar Girls, the thirteenth novel to feature DI Lottie Parker of An Garda Síochána, set in the fictional town of Ragmullin.

The town of Ragmullin is searching for missing eight year old Willow Devine, so when Lottie learns of a body in the cathedral grounds she is sure it is Willow, but it isn’t, it is Naomi Kiernan, Willow’s fellow altar girl. Now Lottie has to work on Naomi’s murder and find Willow, but not for long as Willow’s body is found the next day. She is working the double murder when another child goes missing.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Altar Girls, which is a welcome return to form for the series. I feel that the last couple of novels lacked a bit of oomph, but this is right in the reader’s face with non stop action and several serious suspects.

Lottie and her team start with almost nothing. Snow has destroyed most of the potential physical clues and the ones that remain aren’t much help, so Lottie plays to her strengths by investigating her suspects, her victims and their families. It’s amazing what you can find when you look. I got totally engrossed in all the blind alleys and misdirection the author provides and thus had no idea of the killer’s identity. It held my attention from start to finish. At times it seems a bit chaotic, but it never stops pushing forward and offering the reader a real puzzle.

I think the author is excellent at getting the balance between personal and professional just right. The investigation takes up the bulk of the novel, but as is fitting in an ongoing series with longtime readers there is room to keep them updated on the characters. Boyd, Lottie’s no. 2 and fiancé, is missing from much of the novel, off looking for his kidnapped son. Lottie is dealing with her mother’s dementia and Garda Martina McBride steals the show with her girl boss vibe.

The Altar Girls is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of The Altar Girls by Patricia Gibney
A little girl is missing and the search is on to find her, but then a body is found. When Detective Lottie Parker arrives at the scene she takes one look at the child and realises it’s not the missing girl. This is someone else entirely.
And so starts the hunt for a killer, two killers ? Both girls were in the church choir, is that the connection.
Lottie and her team work flat out looking for answers.

Eight year old Willow Devine has been reported missing by her mother but another young girl is found dead. So where is Willow? DI Lottie Parker has been called to the scene and she knows that she& her partner Mark Boyd will be breaking a mother’s heart. But nothing about the case makes sense as the murdered girl had been reported missing. Lottie knows that there is more to the case but who would want to harm the young girl? Does the family have something to do with it?
When Willow is found dead the case takes a deadly turn as there are too many suspects. Will Lottie & her team find the killer before another child dies?
Another great read in the series. Glad to see that Boyd is doing better and hopefully things will only get better between them. I like Lottie she is a strong woman that is trying to hold everything together. But I fear that something needs to give soon as she is pushing herself too much. Boyd is going through a really difficult time as well and I do think that Lottie is going to be good for him.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary review

An eight year old girl is found dead in the snow in the cathedral grounds, looking like an angel with her hair spread out like a halo. The girl’s body was found by an eleven year old boy Alfie who was due to be at choir practice.
Detective Lottie Parker is hoping it’s not the missing girl Willow Devine, but is surprised when it is not her, but another girl Naomi.
Willow’s mother had said she was missing, but Naomi’s mother hasn’t even realised that she had not come home. The girls were altar girls at the cathedral and Father Maguire seems to be hiding something, even though he has an alibi. The family lives of the two girls are strange and Lottie has to dig deeper to find out why.
Alfie then goes missing, and Lottie has to work out if he’s been taken by the same person who killed the girls.
Lottie’s partner Boyd is busy trying to find his son after his ex-wife disappeared with him, and he can’t concentrate on anything else, so Lottie is almost running in empty with looking after her mother and the case.
A good read. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read.

I previously read book one and then this was available so I jumped at the chance even though it’s book 13 in the series I read it as a stand-alone. Loved every page so intriguing full of tension twists and turns and a brilliant ending that was a great conclusion. Will be reading the other books in the series and cannot recommend highly enough.

This is the 13th installment in the Detective Lottie Parker series. And, boy, was it a complex and intriguing read!
A missing girl with so many twists and turns. Lottie and her team are running in all directions trying to figure out what happened.
The story is quite heartbreaking with many unsavory characters. Who is hiding valuable information? Who is telling lie after lie? Lottie and her team have their hands full following all the leads that seem to go nowhere.
I like seeing the personal side to Lottie and her team, In The Altar Girls we see more of Boyd and his personal struggles.
Definitely a series I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are sole my own.

It’s been ages since I read a Lottie Parker book, so I had to read two more before I could read this one. All good!
I really like Lottie. She’s very human. She solves some awful crimes, and this one was as bad as any. So many twists and turns, it really would take a detective inspector to solve this!

In Patricia Gibney's The Altar Girls, the 13th installment of the Lottie Parker series, Detective Lottie Parker grapples with a daunting case involving the gruesome discovery of two young girls, both former altar servers at a cathedral. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives in concise, fast-paced chapters, keeping readers riveted and guessing at every turn. Amidst the intricate investigation, Lottie's personal life is in turmoil, with her mother's worsening dementia and her partner Boyd's family crisis. While the story may occasionally tread the line of credibility with its abundance of twists and turns, it excels in creating a chilling atmosphere within the context of religious institutions, tapping into recent scandals and adding an element of moral ambiguity. The Altar Girls masterfully combines police procedural and personal drama, delivering a compelling and emotionally charged thriller.

I've read other books in this series and they never disappoint. The characters seem real and believable. The main characters have families and problems outside of work so it's a mix between them and the investigation. At times it was sad, but that could just be my opinion. This was one of those books I read in one sitting and now I'm hoping for the next book to hurry up!

This is book is #13 in the Detective Lottie Parker series but can easily be read as a standalone. I’ve read the whole series and highly recommend it.

Eight-year-old Willow Devine goes missing in bad weather and when Detective Lottie Parker is called out to the cathedral where the body of a girl has been found, she fears that it’s Willow. But it’s not; it’s Willow’s friend, Naomi.

Her body has obviously been placed, because she’s laid carefully in the snow, looking as though she’s praying. Lottie is sure there must be a connection between the two girls, and she discovers that they were both altar servers at the cathedral. Does the priest, Father Maguire, know more than he’s letting on? And what about the elderly lady who saw the body but has memory problems?

The next day, Willow’s body is found at another church in the town; laid out wearing a white robe, just like Naomi. Lottie then gets a report that there’s now a young boy missing, so she has her work cut out to find him before he meets the same fate as the girls.

A fantastic read, highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.