Exhilarating is the only way to describe this fantastic book, I truly can't believe this is the author's first book
A rollercoaster of emotions turns and twists and secrets
Can't wait for 2nd book

It all starts in a small town in Irland, where each one knows the others and where appearently murder is something that does not occure.
Until one woman is found murdered. A women appearently no body really knew. And then another body was found, and then another and things just kept getting more complicated, intriguing and sometimes confusing.

Detective Inspector Lottie Parker was the one who had to figure out how to solve all that mess, with her team.
For the first third of the book, it felt that only bodies and more questions kept coming. No possible explanation, or link or even motive for anything happening in that town.
But then, the team started to find some answers, but what they unraveled was more than just the solutions to the murders, they opened "the lid of the can of worms" that held all the dark secrets of this small, peaceful town.

I liked how the author did not really try to disguise the different "player" in the drama and dark past of this town. We could sense who they might be, just enough mystery to keep the thrilling part of the story. And then there is the identity of the murderer, which was not an easy thing to guess. And we can't really forget the event that happened a long time before all this started. I liked the chapters that told the story of what happened in the past. The last 100 pages of the book were simply irresistible.

I highly recommend this book!

I liked this book but the middle was long and drawn out. Lottie is a very genuine character. I would read another book in this series to see if its better than this one.

Detective Lottie Parker is investigating the death of a woman found murdered in a church. Shortly after, a man she worked with was found hanging from a tree. Possible suicide? murder?

Both bodies have a tattoo on their inner thighs ..and a lead takes her to St. Angela's. St Angela used to be be a children's home run by Catholic nuns and priests. It's also a lead to a missing boy from 40 years ago ... a personal connection to Lottie.

Lottie and her team piece together clues, one by one with all roads leading to, not only a missing boy, but a murdered child as well. Throw in Catholic priests who are shuffled from one city to another ... and a possible victim back to take his or her vengeance.

Deep into the investigation, the son of a suspect goes missing. And then another young boy disappears which makes the case real personal to Lottie ..it's her son.

The closer she comes to answers, the more danger she and her team face.

This debut serial killer thriller is guaranteed to keep the pages turning, The story premise is suspenseful with lots of twists and turns. Every other chapter or so, the past is remembered by the children who were living at the home. There are plenty of suspects to go around. The ending came fast and furious.

Lottie makes a great series character. Her husband died two years ago leaving her with 3 teenagers to raise on her own. She and her mother have an on again - off again relationship. Lottie is a little sassy, but totally human. After her husband died, she turned to alcohol to ease the pain. These days, she drinks rarely, but when she drinks a lot, she calls one of her team ... Boyd ... who helps the nightmares go away.

I like that there is a balance of personal and professional life. I hope there is more to come. I would love to explore Boyd's back story and watch the two of them interact with each other.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE MISSING ONES. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The missing ones by Patricia Gibney.
The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.
The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’
When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?
The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.
This was a good read with good characters. I liked the story. Was surprised with who it was. 4*. netgalley and bookouture.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and to one of my favourite publishers Bookouture...

The 1970's :-The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.

The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. ‘I wonder which one of us will be next?’

Now present day :-When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how?

The trail leads Lottie to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal.

As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger?

Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice.

This is a powerful, in fact an amazing debut author from Patricia Gibney, with great pace, lots of great characters, many not so nice, a really great main character in Lottie Parker, a down to earth Detective recovering from the death of her husband...

I am sure the author has put many of her own feelings into this book with DI Lottie Parker, as the author sadly lost her husband and starting to write this her debut author.

This I believe gave this book so much in depth character and thoughts of Lottie Parker, and also to Doyle..and their really great relationship.

This story, or should I say stories keep at a great pace and the last few chapters are at a rollercoaster pace with tension and suspense.

Lots of red herrings to a put I kept guessing wrong and differently in each chapter.

A great read for debut author, a great book full stop !

A point should be made for this author, set the atmosphere of a little quite Irish town in the winter perfectly.

I hope writing this book has helped the author recover from the tragedy of the death of her husband, and realises that she has a talent for writing a great book, and I look forward to number 2 !

Five stars

Im always on the lookout for someone who can write a decent police procedural thriller with a good lead detective we can follow. In my eyes at the moment, Slaughter is the best at that, along with newcomer Sarah Hilary. The detective lottie parker is the character that makes this novel stand out to the rest of the police procedural thrillers out there. Shes a woman with her problems that we can all relate too. Other than that it was just okayish. Id give the next book in the series a chance though just to read more about her. I did think i had the ending sussed though and i didnt so bonus points for that.

I recieved a copy from netgalley and this is my honest review.

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney begins with a dark prologue set in the 70s at a children’s home run by the church. The first chapter then starts on the present day with the murder of a woman at a cathedral. Detectives are soon called to the scene and that is when we are introduced to Detective Lottie Parker. The murder scene is not the only bizarre thing in this case. Soon enough, the body counts starts increasing, matching tattoos are discovered and the detectives start making connections between the victims.

One thing that stood out for me in this book was how detailed the investigation was. The author didn’t just gloss over the details but she went deeper. We were privy to each piece of evidence collected. We even got to know the detectives thought processes, daily discussion and hence the reason behind their actions. The story is narrated over a period of days from the first murder to the last one and each day; the picture becomes clearer as clues come together until the case is solved. I think that fans of cop procedural or crime thrillers will really love this aspect of the book.

The story has multiple narrations. We get to learn more about the case through different characters’ perspectives. Detective Lottie’s is the main perspective but her chapters alternate with other narrations hence giving a deeper insight into each character and the progression of the case. I liked the lead detective in this case. She was far from being one-dimensional. Lottie came with baggage. She was a widow with three children and a past that included a number of personal struggles. She was also being haunted by a personal, unsolved case. However, she was smart, feisty and determined. I liked how the author portrayed her personal and work life hence creating a well-balanced, realistic character. I also liked her partner Boyd although I wish there was more to him than just a few glimpses through the chapters. One of the support characters who I really liked was Father Joe. I remember Annie (The Misstery) mentioned the priest to me before I read the book. I kept wondering about that until I finally met him when I started reading the book. Father Joe is definitely not the usual kind of priest and I really don’t think that I will ever look at priests the same way again lol.

So there is a lot that I can say about this book. It is fast-paced with a number of twists and well-developed characters. The story is brilliant and unique. I liked the fact that it sort of had a Da Vinci Code vybe. The whole involvement of the church and the priests added to the darkness, intrigue and definitely fascination (looking and winking at you father Joe) of this brilliant crime thriller. The book is huge but it is not boring or tiresome. It was definitely worth the ride.

I recommend The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney to all fans of this genre.

I really enjoyed this book! (4.5 stars)
I think the characters were interesting and well developed, the story thrilling and an excellent book for a debut author.
That been said, I think the book was extremely hard on the catholic church. I can't give much details without spoiling anything but It's the only thing I could criticized about it.
But definitely is a great beginning for this debut author.

Enjoyed book, bit slow to get going, but would read another book by author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firstly, let me say, I loved this book, it had me hooked from the first page. There was so much of action to start off with. It just blew me away.

The past and present collide in this amazing book. I must admit, there are some really disturbing incidents described in this book but it is so well written and it had me totally engrossed.

I love the main character. She is so cool and so determined. I love how she doesn't let anybody walk over her. I also love that she has family and they play a role in her story. It is also interesting to see how she is coping with the loss of her husband to cancer. It makes her seem vulnerable and human despite being such a strong personality. As for the 'whodunnit' element, it really kept one guessing. There were some surprises along the way.

I love these strong female characters who are present in many of Bookouture's books. There are far too many books where women are 'shrinking violets', so your books are truly refreshing.

It's an excellent book and I am eagerly awaiting more books in the series. I highly recommend reading this book.

The Missing Ones features a flawed heroine; a suspenseful, dark, and well-plotted mystery and some really messed up twists and turns! This is the first in a new series featuring Detective Lottie Parker.

A series of murders occur in a small town in Ireland and the Catholic Church ties them together. Detective Lottie Parker, her partner Boyd, and team are called to investigate. What they discover leads them to uncover years of horrific sexual and physical abuse taking place at a home for orphans and wayward children. (Warning: some of the content is graphic and extremely uncomfortable to read).

Lottie is a bit of a mess. She hasn’t fully grieved for her husband, who died three years ago. Now a single mother to three children, she is doing what she can to hold her family together, but at the same time she is falling apart at the seams. Rather than deal with Adam’s death, she exists on pills and alcohol to keep the pain at bay. She has feelings for her partner, Boyd, but can’t come to terms with moving on from Adam. She is intensely flawed, but extremely relatable and likeable. She makes for a strong lead for this series.


I’m impressed this is Gibney’s first novel. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I now have another new series to be obsessed with (not that I needed another one). I highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book so much, I'm sad I have to wait for the next DI Lottie Parker book. This is crime fiction at its best, with twist and turns and red herrings galore, and a fiesty, grieving, superwoman at its heart.
Set in Ireland, which is endearingly clear from the narrative voice throughout, the story is that brilliant mix of intrigue without confusion, characters you love and characters you love-to-hate, and past crimes causing present-day murders.
I'm not one to constantly try to work out the end of the novel when I read 'who-dunnits', as I prefer to just be carried along by the story, but I had no real inclining as to how this book would eventually culminate.
Lottie Parker is a successful DI, who has complicated relationships with her colleagues, an on-off relationship with her mother and, especially after the recent death of their father, a stressful relationship with her three teenagers, as she struggles to balance the demands of her job with being home to support them. I found her to be a likeable character whose own story was as engaging as the murders she was trying to solve. The overlap of her story and the past events of St Angela's felt a little unnecessary, but this did not affect my overall enjoyment of the novel.
I'm not sure when we can expect the next volume of the DI Lottie Parker series, but hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

“The Missing Ones (Detective Lottie Parker #1) by Patricia Gibney is a thriller/mystery/police procedural that had me hooked from the first few words! After the first opening sentences, “The hole they dug was not deep. A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror.” I was hooked. I could not put it down. I had to find out what had happened, who witnessed it and why they were being killed off!

I did have a couple of issues with the book. First, I wanted to smack Lottie at times. Her children were obviously in need of lots of mothering after losing their father. Not only does she ignore their demands for time with her and for food/dinner, but she has alienated her mother who could be a great help. She even throws a home cooked meal from her mother in the garbage! In her defense, she is a single mother, overworked, addicted to pills, a recovering alcoholic, and going through her own issues after the death of her husband.

Second, when Boyd took Lottie’s call at the gym where a known suspect was listening… really? Anyone could see that one coming!

4.5 stars from me, but as you can’t do halves on any of the review sites, I rounded up. This was a very solid first novel! Good story line with lots of twists and turns.

On the cover, I liked the black and white with the splashes of red text and coat. I assume that the building in the background is St. Angela’s. Not sure what else it could be. However, it should be much larger. Lottie’s counting of the windows played a large part in the ending. That structure is not even close to what it should be.

4.5 stars from me, but as you can’t do halves on any of the review sites, I rounded up. This was a very solid first novel! Good story line with lots of twists and turns. Plan to read the next installment in the series. Be sure to read the acknowledgments and Reader Letter at the end of the book. You will learn why the author writes about losing a husband so poignantly.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I wanted to read it. The blurb just increased my intrigue and curiosity. Now that I've finished it, I can say that this is a great book and the brilliant start of a fantastic new crime series.

Set in the fictional town of Ragmullin, in Ireland, this book kicks off with a very unnerving prologue, set in the past. Three kids are watching down from a window as two men bury a child's body underneath a tree in the garden. Who are these children? What is this place? What happened to the dead child? Why are they burying the small body in the garden?

This is immediately followed by the first chapter set in the present day. A woman goes out to meet someone in the town's cathedral. There she is murdered in cold blood by this unknown person. Who killed her? And why would anyone want this woman dead?

At this point we meet DI Lottie Parker and her team, as they are given the task of investigating and solving this murder. But without even a chance to start, a man's body is found dangling from a tree. A connection between both victims is quickly made, but this won't be enough to solve the case. Who's killed these people and why? Were they killed by the same killer? When the number of victims increases further, Lottie realises that the case is far more complex and multi-layered than she first thought. Lottie will need to dig in the past to find the answers she's looking for. But why does she have a personal interest in the case? And whose unsolved case file does she keep in her desk drawer?

This book is very well written and makes for some great reading. I really enjoyed it and I couldn't believe that it's the author's debut thriller. The plot did feel a bit complex at times, with many characters involved, but on the whole I found it very engrossing, twisted and knotted with many possible suspects. The author skilfully brings past and present together, slowly painting one complete multi-coloured picture.

The author's vivid descriptions set the scene and bring all characters to life in high definition. I instantly loved Lottie with her ballsy no-nonsense attitude and sarcastic comments and retorts. She's a very strong character, an intelligent police officer and a force to be reckoned with. She's a human tornado, never idle and always going about determined to find answers, sweeping anything and anyone getting in her way. But Lottie has a soft, fragile side too and the more I read, the more I grew fond of her. She's a widow still grieving for her husband but craving love and affection. She's also a mother struggling to cope with her three teenagers. I loved her interesting close relationship with her colleague Mark Boyde, another likeable character that adds spice and laughs to Lottie's otherwise miserable life.

Balancing these likeable characters are a bunch of unsavoury, powerful, scheming individuals. Who are they? What are they plotting? And why do they meet in secret, away from prying eyes?

With great characterisation, a very intriguing, strongly woven storyline full of twists, turns, red herrings, scandals, secrets and depravity, this book kept me on my toes throughout. I wanted to know who has killed those people and why, but the author satisfied my curiosity only at the very end.

If you, like me, love books by Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Ms Gibney is a new author to watch. Now I already can't wait to meet Lottie again in book two.

With thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read and review this book through NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in return for an honest review of The Missing Ones. This is probably the hardest book i will ever write a review for because while it was totally engrossing and extremely well written it was very disturbing and hard at times to read and i cried many times and put it down but had to pick it up again to see where it was going. It is definitely not for the fainthearted so read with caution. It is an excellent book but it will haunt you long after you've read the last page def one of those rare books you'll never forget.

Lottie Parker is the lead character in this police dective murder mystery read. I loved Lottie, I found her a realistic lead character and nowadays that's hard to find. Lottie lost her husband to cancer 3 years ago and struggles to look after 3 teenage kids and manage to keep her high ranking job in the police and lead her team to finding out who the murderer is.
There are several murders in this book and there are quite a few characters and I did briefly get a little confused over who was who especially when they are being called by other names rather than their full title. The book is a great read but does have child abuse and the Catholic Church as the main storyline. I'm glad to see that I read this is book one as I would definately read the next instalment to this.
I would like to thank netgalley and bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
Oh and in case anyone was wondering I didn't get who the murderer was or the unexpected twist at the end!

I'm really not sure what to think about this book when it comes to recommending it. It was a great book, with excellent writing and a strong plot that never let me down, but it is also a rather graphic novel that included subjects that I try to avoid if possible--including sexual abuse. I think it takes a strong individual to read a novel with this kind of subject matter and not recoil a bit.

The crimes are interesting and the web of intrigue the author builds makes you want to keep turning pages to find out how things are connected and why they happened in the first place. There is a wide net of suspects and it is hard to guess the ending, particularly with the red herrings the author tosses into the mix. I liked the descriptions of the setting and the way the weather and time of year played into the story.

For the first book in a new series, this was complex, engaging and exciting and made me want to read the next book before I even finished this one, but, as mentioned above, there is some tough subject matter in this novel, and it may not be for everyone.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent book and really enjoyed the voice of this author.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Three years after losing her husband Adam to cancer, Detective Lottie Parker is still trying to come to terms with her grief and juggle her all-consuming job in the police force with the demands of bringing up three teenagers singlehandedly. Murders are not a common occurrence in the small Irish town of Ragmullin, so when two people are killed in short succession it rocks the community to the core. With her team of detectives, Lottie is at a loss to connect the two deaths, until her enquiries lead her to the gates of St Angela’s, a deserted old mansion that used to serve as a home for wayward teenagers and the unwanted children of unmarried mothers until the 1970’s. The mere look at the old building sends shivers through Lottie, as she is reminded of her own personal connection to the place. As her enquiries lead her further and further into the dark history of the home and the secrets buried deep in Ragmullin’s past, she realises that she is dealing with some powerful people who will not stop at murder to keep the truth hidden. And soon the body count mounts ...

Giving Lottie Parker’s richly drawn history, I was surprised to read that The Missing Ones was Patricia Gibney’s debut novel! With her opening sentences, she instantly mastered that most difficult of all arts – to draw me into the story immediately, and keep me deeply rooted there. The Missing Ones is a very dark book, with sinister themes that haunted me in my sleep, even more so since we know that the abuse described has its origins in true historical facts. I was somewhat shocked and surprised at the timeline of the story, which had its origins in the 1970’s, a time when I had assumed that there would have been more awareness and compassion preventing the hideous acts depicted. Terrifying! Linking the past with greed, corruption and depravity in the present time, the novel skips back and forth through history, exposing the true – and horrific – extent of the crimes Lottie is investigating.

Whilst I haven’t quite yet welcomed Lottie into the fold of my personal favourite fictional female detectives, such as Maeve Kerrigan (Jane Casey), Lacey Flint (Sharon Bolton), Fiona Griffiths (Harry Bingham)and Erika Foster (Robert Bryndza), she certainly has the potential to be included on that list. Most women trying to juggle a demanding career with family will be able to relate to her struggles, and the guilt she feels on a daily basis as she is constantly torn between the two areas of her life. And as much as she is trying to keep work separate from family, the more impossible it becomes, until she finds that the nature of her work has put one of her own in danger. There are also the tentative hints at office politics involving Lottie and her colleagues, which I am hoping will further play out in future books and make this a very addictive series with many characters we will want to revisit.

Although this was a dark and disturbing read, I enjoyed the slow methodical unravelling of the clues leading to the story’s chilling finale. At times, the sheer amount of different characters was a bit overwhelming, and the book was perhaps just a tad too long, but these are minor quibbles. I loved the cold, damp and grey Irish winter setting, which was beautifully evoked on every page, and added its own chilling atmosphere to the story.

Gibney definitely is a writer to watch and an exciting new voice in crime fiction. I look forward to seeing Lottie Parker featuring in many more novels to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Patricia Gigney's debut novel featuring Detective Lottie Parker is a spine chilling, engrossing read. While some of the scenes were difficult to read they were a integral part of the overall story. This isn't a book that is a quick read, you really have to pay attention because what seems to be a minor point proves to be the one that ties everything together. Well done, well written. All I can say is when is the next Lottie Parker book coming out.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.