This was an interesting book to listen to and kept me engaged throughout. I liked the narration. There were definitely enough twists and turns to k keep me really intrigued. This is my first read by this author and I will look for more. I am going to go with it being deliciously dark.

This was the sort of book that can make you lose sleep..due to both the subject matter and the reluctance to stop listening.
The characters were very well written and the plot was, sadly, believable and well paced.
The narration was excellent
I'm really looking forward to reading more D.I. Lottie Parker books and will definitely be reading more by Patricia Gibney.

5⭐️/5

This is a MUST READ series for fans of gritty crime dramas - and had the same feel of Broadchurch or Silent Witness. I listened to this on audiobook as an advanced copy of the first book in the D.I. Lottie Parker mysteries, just released on audiobook for the first time. I was thrilled to discover that there are 13 more books to binge next!!

The narrator, Michele Moran, did a wonderful job giving voice to the battered detective inspector, able to show both her broken and vulnerable side, as well as the steel beneath the surface.

I loved the dynamics between Lottie and her family, the way that grief affected them all so differently, and the complex relationships of parents and teenagers. Lottie’s struggle to balance her work, being a mother, and a recent widow, was poignant but also relatable. And the underlying subplot of the cold case added so much to the story, tying the past and present together seamlessly, and adding depth to Lottie’s character and motives.

Overall, an excellent start to what I’m sure will be my new favorite detective series!

Thanks to Net Galley, the author, and Bookouture Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook to review.

Loved Loved Loved listening to this one
A little slow to get into things but once it picked up it was fantastic
If you enjoy a good detective story, easy to follow, then this one is for you

Detective Lottie Parker's first outing and a complex and personal one. Lottie has a lot to deal with in her personal life as well as solving this case. With plenty of twists along the way, this is an enjoyable novel. Michelle Moran is a joy to listen to and moves this novel along nicely. Thanks to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this review audiobook.

The first book in the Det. Lottie Parker series, it is a gripping thriller set in in the fictional town of Ragmullin, Ireland.
The book begins with the discovery of a woman's body in a church, leading Detective Lottie Parker into a complex investigation involving murder, corruption, and dark secrets from the past.
Soon after, another victim turns up, leading Detective Parker and her team into a deep and increasingly personal investigation. Both murders seem connected to St. Angela’s, a former children's home run by the Catholic Church, where long-buried secrets of abuse, corruption, and lost children begin to surface
The investigation takes Lottie into a disturbing world where institutional abuse, human trafficking, and the horrors faced by orphans decades ago come to light. As the bodies pile up, Lottie has to unravel the connections between these murders, the church, and powerful figures in Ragmullin. Lottie herself is haunted by the unresolved trauma of her husband’s death, struggling to raise her children while dedicating herself to solving the case. As the investigation intensifies, her personal and professional lives blur dangerously
Detective Lottie Parker, is an emotionally charged character. Her personal grief over her husband's untimely death, her tense relationship with her teenage children, and her struggles with authority make her a multi-dimensional character. Lottie’s flaws are prominently displayed—she drinks too much, avoids dealing with her personal grief, and throws herself into her work to avoid her problems.
Lottie’s backstory is subtly woven into the mystery, making her not just an observer of crime but also someone with her own demons tied to the central plot.
This was a long woven story but totally worth reading, thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for the ARC.

I want to think NetGalley for a copy of the missing ones. Honestly, the missing one is not what I thought it was gonna be just when you think you know what’s going on. The pilot twist gets twist-er, and will have you on the edge of your seat.

When I requested this book I didn’t realize it was a series with 14 books! I’m quite invested in the main Character Lottie Parker’s story, so I’m hoping to find the others on kindle!

It took me a while to get into this one but I ended up really enjoying this book! Lottie Parker was a great character - I foresee more in this run! I enjoyed the narrator

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

3.5 Stars rounded up

Publish date: 09/20/2024

Dealing with one of the darkest secrets in irish history this novel is set in one of the many mother and baby homes around the country.

Gripping from beginning to end though the subject matter is disturbing to listen to at times.

A young woman is found dead in a cathedral. A day later, her boss is found hanging in a tree in his yard. The deaths don't seem connected until both bodies show the same old tattoo. Then a third body is found dead, and two teenage boys are missing. What is going on in Detective Inspector Lottie Parker's sleepy little town?

This book had a LOT going on. On one hand, it seemed like a bit much. But everything tied together perfectly in the end. I have an affinity for detective mysteries, particularly those taking place across the pond. And this one was fun. Looking forward to reading more of Lottie!

This is the first book in what is now a fairly long running series,

Aside from the dark and gritty plot, there was a lot of character development around Detective Lottie Parker, a recently widowed mum of three. Lottie clearly struggled with balancing her work and home lives, supporting her children with their grief, whilst managing her own, Honestly, I didn't feel she did a great job on that front, seeming to almost hide behind her work to avoid dealing with reality - an approach I think many people might take in an unimaginably difficult situation. I am interested to see how Lottie's personal life and her relationship with her children plays out as the series develops, in particularly with Katie, who inadvertently becomes involved in the plot.

The plot was dark and very disturbing! Set in the 1970s and the present day, the trail of clues from two bodies leads Lottie to St Angela's, a former children's home and to some horrifying historic child abuse.

I felt the pace slowed in the middle and the book could have been shorter, but overall a great read with some shocking twists.

The audiobook was really well narrated by Michele Moran.

3.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Patricia Gibney and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I didn't love this one, unfortunately. For some reason I didn't feel connected to the story and there was so much going on and so many characters I found it difficult to follow. I don't think I would read more in this series.

The case being investigated in this book felt quite complex, with a lot of strands that even by the end I couldn't quite see how they were all connected. It was a dark story covering difficult themes, and once again the Catholic church doesn't come out from it well. I enjoyed Lottie Parker as a character, and I thought her family issues provided an interesting background for the main plot line. I would read more from this series.

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job, she really got into the telling of the story and made it feel quite dramatic and atmospheric, without overdoing it by acting too hard.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator is excellent at bringing the characters to life. Some chapters in this audiobook deal with child abuse. They are integral to the story but difficult to listen to. The complexities and pacing work well in audiobook form. Detective Lottie Parker is a dedicated and successful investigator. Her personal life after the death of her husband is complex; she has three teenagers with all their complex needs, including grief, whilst she is also coming to terms with her loss. She is always conflicted when her work takes over. Lottie is a compassionate, insightful detective, which she demonstrates with this disturbing case. The investigation team have a believable dynamic, especially the humour, which lightens the story and makes it authentic and human.

The publisher provided a copy of this audiobook.

With thanks to the author, publishers Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first Patricia Gibney work that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with a fantastic plot that kept me guessing right to the end.

Lottie was believable as a main protagonist. Perfect by no means, a widow trying to control three teen children on her own, and a mother that she doesn’t get on with, she struggles to do all of that and do her job with integrity, but somehow manages to pull it off. Some of her dialog with her colleagues (Corrigan, but Boyd in particular) was very funny also, and epitomised the sarcastic and dry Irish sense of humour.

The content does touch on some sensitive topics (child physical abuse, sexual abuse, and church coverups to name a few), which are topical as they echo several historical occurrences that have quite recently come to light here in Ireland, and unfortunately still continue to do so. Some of the chapters cut a little close to the bone and were uncomfortable to read as a result, but overall I was engrossed by the storyline, which was unrelenting as it gradually unfolded to the final big reveal.

Special mention for the narrator Michele Moran who I thought did a wonderful job voicing the different characters, and took the story to another level with her delivery. I was happy to discover that she has continued to narrate the subsequent instalments in the series also, which will certainly encourage me to dig into them.

I just finished The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney. It was a riveting listen. I can’t wait for the next one. Hurry!!

This book wasn’t great but wasn’t awful. Lottie, the main character seemed to be kind of a bully. There were some parts I really liked, but some parts that just kind if seemed to drag on a bit. Some of their procedures weren’t done correctly, which didn’t seem like it was on purpose for part of the story. I wasn’t expecting it to be as much of a “religious” book as it was. It was like the entire religion was just awful, which I get people have opinions but just seemed very disturbing and kind of disrespectful. I did figure out the general idea of the ended pretty early on, so I didn’t really see a good plot twist, which I love a good plot twist. Overall just an ok book.

I think it is a well written book. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I listened to this at work and I genuinely enjoyed it

In this gripping police procedural, the darkest secrets come to light as investigators peel back the layers of corruption and abuse within the Catholic Church. Bold, unflinching, and meticulously crafted, this thriller delivers a powerful exploration of justice and morality. With twists that will leave you breathless and a narrative that tackles timely, sensitive issues with nuance, it’s a must-read for fans of intense, thought-provoking crime fiction.

This is the first Patricia Gibney I have come across and It did not disappoint, I liked the character Detective Lottie Parker, she is tenacious and flawed, and full of angst at trying to juggle her demanding job and motherhood to her three children especially since the death of her husband. She has a difficult relationship with her mother but she manages to just about keep it all together.
The story was good and Michele Moran did an excellant job with the narration and made it really easy to follow and kept me engaged. I have already downloaded book two to see how the character develops.