I'm glad this is going to be a series, because the first book started off with a bang and really lured me in! It's definitely creepy, but also a page-turner and I kept guessing until I reached the end!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

My thoughts: I've been on a streak with good books coming from Bookouture lately and this one is certainly no exception! This is Patricia Gibney's debut thriller novel and the start of a new series - double winner in my book!!!

As soon as I started reading this book, I was hooked. From the prologue to the epilogue, I found myself completely engaged and needing to know just what was going on. And even though this is a bit disturbing at times, it is highly suspenseful and kept me flipping the pages long after I should have been turning out the light!

With all first books in a series, you need time to set up back stories of the main characters and develop the purpose of your main character's purpose. Well, in this book, we not only get that, but an amazing first case. I love the characters in this series.

First, there's Detective Lottie Parker - she's a spit-fire, that's for sure! She's certainly got her baggage - she's a widow, has three teenage children, an estranged mom, battles with the bottle, and is constantly at odds with her boss. She's a flawed character for sure! Then there's Lottie's partner, Boyd - I just might have a little crush on him! He's the perfect balance to Lottie - he seems to be able to handle her, calm her down when she's being just a bit unrational and unbalanced and can talk her down. And he seems to have a bit of a thing for her, too! I love watching these two work together. The rest of the team - Lynch and Kirby - make up a good team and I look forward to getting to know more about each and every one of them.

The case itself that Lottie and her team were called to investigate in this first book was shocking and disturbing at times. It seemed to be all over the place, with many possible perpetrators, therefore making it difficult to guess who the guilty party really is. It takes us on a roller coaster of a ride, with plenty of twists and turns.

I really enjoyed this first installment in Patricia Gibney's new series and look forward to getting to know these characters more. This first book starts with a bang and really holds up the entire time, even though it was a rather long book! Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the next one!!!

“The Missing Ones” is the debut novel by Patricia Gibney and it is a solid start for a new series. I liked Lottie Parker with all her flaws. Reading about her daily struggles at home, with her children and at work felt real. After losing her husband to cancer Lottie lost a piece of herself and doesn’t know how to go on. And having three teenage kids being a single mother with a job as a police life is not easy.
The story was gripping and intense and once started it was impossible to put the book down. The twists and turns in the story made for a lot of suspense and entertaining. And at one point everybody seemed to be a good candidate for being the murderer. When the real killer is revealed and his/her motive becomes clear, it was the perfect ending to a well written book. I definitely want to know more about Lottie and can’t wait to read the next book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture!

The Missing Ones, by Patricia Gibney, is another Bookouture release that has me yelling from the rooftops. The novel opens with a bang. A murder in a church quickly leads to a suicide. Lottie Parker is called to the scene as lead investigator. It is clear the deaths are connected, but how? Parker quickly follows the trail to St. Angela’s, a children’s home with a dark history and direct link to her past. When things begin to get personal, Lottie must give her all to the case or risk putting herself, and her family, in danger.
Lottie Parker, as the protagonist, was a real treat; I loved her no-nonsense nature. The plot not only encompasses Lottie’s professional life but also her home life; the reader is privy to her relationship with her children and their family dynamic. I loved this aspect of the novel; it really allowed me to connect with this character.
My favourite feature, however, by far was the italicized portions of the plot; I was flipping through the pages wildly to see how everything would fit together.
This novel had a little bit of everything: church politics, police procedurals, secret societies and family ties. Perhaps this novel, at times, tries to tackle too many things and I occasionally struggled to keep up with the perspectives and the narration, but once all the pieces of this intricate puzzle fit together, everything became crystal clear.
I can barely wait for book two! If you are a fan of any of Bookouture’s other publications, this one would be a no-brainer to add to your list. Also, if strong female leads are your forte, then look out for Lotte Parker. She is a force to be reckoned with!

I had high hopes for this first book of a new detective series, especially since I've heard a lot of great things about it lately. Now I have finally been properly introduced to Lottie Parker in The Missing Ones, I have instantly joined the fan-crew. Psychological thriller plots can tend to start sounding the same if you read a lot of them, but Patricia Gibney had me fully intrigued by this story. Not only is The Missing Ones a very well written story, but it also has an intriguing and complex plot and very interesting characters as well. Sure, detective Lottie Parker is a bit of a cliche with her messed up personal life, but she does grow on you. And the case itself is a mix of twisted, disturbing, dark and intriguing and will have you on the edge of the seat until the very end. 1970s flashbacks are mixed in with the present and will slowly start to reveal more about the past and what really is going on... And boy, you will find some very disturbing details and plot twists along the way! I also loved the little Rome bits, especially since the Santa Maria Maggiore and me have a little history and my heart literally skipped a beat when it was mentioned. In short, The Missing Ones is a rich, intriguing and gripping psychological thriller that is both well written and will manage to surprise you more than once. Disturbingly good!

A brilliant debut thriller! Plot is detailed and could not read fast enough to discover new facts. Ended up reading late into the night.

I do love a good police procedural so thankfully this is a VERY good police procedural! And that is quite some achievement for Patricia Gibney and her debut novel The Missing Ones.

Lottie Parker is my kind of police officer and I have taken her to my heart already. She is my own personal favourite – a strong female lead, good at her job but struggling with her own personal demons which make her realistically normal! I loved her relationship with her kids and I thought their family dramas and conflicts were detailed with just the right amount of realism making them like every other family with teenagers, the only difference being that this family is now a single parent one after the death of Lotties husband. Which leads us to Lotties relationship with her colleague Boyd which was one of the most tender and poignant I have come across in a while. This is a partnership I will follow with interest as this series continues.

Plotwise this grabbed me by the hair and dragged me kicking and screaming through all the suspects but I didn’t guess who or the reason behind the seemingly connected murders. The first victims death I took particularly badly as it was a character I would have loved to have seen develop and have their own personal happy ever after but it wasn’t to be.

There was a real underlying feeling of loss and a terrible burden of sadness throughout this book. Not that it made me feel depressed or anything but it just made me hug my family just a little bit tighter after I finished it. Patricia Gibney writes beautifully with well crafted descriptive prose that flows perfectly so that before you know it minutes have passed while you have been utterly entranced by Lottie and her surroundings. I’m ecstatic to have discovered a new detective series to follow especially one created to such a high standard with believable characters and plotting.

If you love Angie Marsons Kim Stone series then you will love one too. Highly recommended by me.

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy of The Missing Ones which I have chosen to read and review.

Detective Lottie Parker has a lot to contend with - she's a single mother with 3 children she can't seem to control, nor is home a lot for due to her career. She feels she needs to prove herself in her career from a past incident where the victim really got to her. She won't allow herself to open up to any man since her husband died, thinking this will be better for her children, and for her own emotions. Then bodies start to pile up and it's clear that they are connected to each other and to a children's home where her own family has history. Can Lottie take this case on without making it too personal and balance the rest of her life somehow in the process?

Bookouture really knows how to pick them. I have yet to read a thriller by them that I haven't liked. As a debut novel, this is fantastic. I rate it as a 3 1/2 star only because it felt about 150 pages too long. I found myself zoning out a few times in repetitive areas and didn't feel myself full invested until about 60% of the way in. The author does a great job of building Lottie so you get a full sense of who she is, but I feel there needed to be a little more balance on the antagonist's side as well to get a full, well rounded story. I can only see the series getting better from here and I do look forward to continuing Lottie's story since this is the first in the series.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley.

I don't want to steer the reader in the wrong direction - but I started reading this book thinking it reminded me of "Midsomer Murders" - a small Irish village is shocked by the murder of a woman in their Cathedral, hours later, the body of a man is found hanging from a tree. Two murders within hours ... and if you've ever watched the show you know no one is safe, everyone is a suspect, and there's always more than meets the eye. The show usually involves a back story - and this book does the same, introducing us to 3 children in 1975 huddling in terror as they watch a body be buried. How are these two story lines connected?

Say hello to Detective Inspector Lottie Parker; full of guts, battling internal demons, searching for the truth and tenacious to boost. She knows something doesn't add up and is determined to connect the dots and find her murderer. I will admit that I didn't immediately connect with Lottie - but given a few chapters Lottie found her stride. Along with her partner, detective Boyd, Lottie starts to fling open the doors on a long hidden secret behind St. Angela's - a home for troubled youth, unwed young mothers, and years and years of abuse. Not a pretty story, but one that is told well.

This is Patricia Gibney's first novel - and she is able to create unforgettable characters, a chilling plot full of tension and suspense, and a main character, Lottie, who has enough flaws and determination to make a reader want her to succeed and want to read more about any cases she might work on.

If you enjoy Robert Galbraith, Louise Penny, and Jo Nesbo, I think you'll enjoy Patricia Gibney. Like the other authors, she is able to write a mystery that really is a mystery - I played the guessing game throughout the book and still doubted my choices. She was able to keep the tension and the mystery right until the very last page (Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike character is known for keeping the reader guessing as he discovers the clues but doesn't share them with the reader). Just like Harry Hole, Lottie's demons often involve alcohol, and annoying her superiors. And just like Inspector Gamache, Lottie doesn't take anything for granted, nor does she discount anyone as a possible suspect.

Although the subplot isn't the most pleasant one (Roman Catholic child abuse scandal, trying to cover up past wrongs and make some money in the process), it's really well told. I'm already anticipating her follow-up novel.

Recommended read. Once you start you might have trouble putting it down.

I can't wait for Book #2. Wow! This was a fast paced, page-turning, gripping novel. The main character Detective Lottie Parker, is well-developed and extremely likable. The book was filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing from the beginning to the end.

I'm always intrigued when Bookouture sign a new author or release a new book, particularly when it falls into the crime genre. I'm not going to lie. I really do enjoy a good crime mystery and when they announced they were to publish a new series featuring Detective Lottie Parker I jumped at the opportunity to pre-order and since then have been looking forward to reading it. I have high expectations when it comes to a Bookouture book and I am delighted to say that this one met every single one of them.

Set in a small Midlands community in Ireland, The Missing Ones is a somewhat twisted and occasionally disturbing tale which follows Detective Inspector Lottie Parker's investigation into the suspicious deaths of two colleagues from the local planning department. One was found murdered in the Cathedral, the other other found hanging outside his home. They are connected by their work but it is up to Lottie and her team to determine if the connection runs deeper. With a number of dubious characters on the edges of the investigation, and the local Bishop who seems to be stalling their progress when one of his Priests is a key suspect, it is a far from simple case to solve. And with Lottie struggling to balance her personal and working life, the scene is set for a thrilling read.

Now this is not necessarily an easy book to read, depending on your tolerance for certain subject matters. The backstory includes historic child abuse, none of which is described in any necessarily graphic detail, but it is enough to create a certain feeling of discomfort at times. Most of this is told in brief flashback chapters in which we see the world through the eyes of the children being abused. It is not told in their voice but it is no less effective in provoking an emotional response and there is never any doubt over what is happening. It just may be less clear who is doing the abusing and Gibney creates enough diversion and distraction to keep this hidden until the very end.

In terms of characterisation, Gibney has created a whole host of truly loathesome and unsavoury types to pit Lottie and her team against. You never quite know who to trust as they all seem to have an agenda of some kind or another. The writing is so effective in diverting attention that at times even those who should perhaps have pure motive seem to be questionable in their actions, the simplest of acts given almost double meaning. The exception to this rule, the only ones who appear trustworthy other than the victims themselves who garner utmost sympathy as the story progresses, are Lottie and Boyd, the two main Detectives in the team.

Lottie is a strong female protagonist, which is always good to see, but she is as flawed and ultimately human as the rest of us. Lost in grief, she is stuck somewhere between being a good mother and an effective Detective, but it is invariably her job that wins out. She will not be kept down, ignores her bosses (as all good Detectives seem to do) and will work hard to follow any and all leads, regardless of obstructions. She has a complicated relationship with her partner, Boyd; something more than colleagues but not quite bridging the gap to a romantic coupling. I really liked the dynamic between the pair of them; the tentative way they circled each other on a personal level while still excelling as a Detective duo. They play off each other, sparring well, with Boyd acting as a calming influence to the more volatile or impetuous Lottie. I kind of liked the other male Detective, Kirby, too. Although he featured less, he was an interesting, slightly humorous character always in the background, plodding and sometimes clumsy in approach but still likeable. Lynch, the other female Detective I am not yet sure of, perhaps my opinions clouded by those of Lottie who was more than wary of her junior Detective.

The book starts as it means to go on; a dark and chilling prologue that sets both tone and expectation for what will follow. It poses questions that you will need to be answered and only as you read on will you discover the who, what and why of what you have read. The pacing is variable, rising and sinking in waves depending on the urgency of the investigation. Where the investigation stalls, the narrative flow slows with it and yet there are moments of great tension, where the pace picks up brilliantly, echoing the action and the ultimate sense of jeopardy emanating from the page. You can almost taste the fear at times as certain characters are threatened, their lives placed in grave danger, but you also sense the acceptance and resignation of others at what comes to pass. There is true sadness in the pages as a whole disturbing history is brought out into the open. Gibney perfectly captures the feeling of what it meant to live in Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s and the impacts Religion and its strict observance had upon characters in the present day. I got a true sense of setting from the prose, both in a physical and historical sense.

This really was a page turning read and I worked through this in just over a day. It was only really work and other commitments that stopped me reading it faster. I was absorbed by the story, engaged by the characters and desperate, and yet not, to read the ending. I would certainly put Patricia Gibney into the list of must read authors for me and I shall wait (almost) patiently for the second instalment in this series. It is delivers as much as this first story did, it's bound to be a cracker.

A chilling and emotional 4.5 stars.

This review is written with thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of The Missing Ones.
There are a number of suspicious deaths in the Irish town of Ragmullin and it falls to DI Lottie Parker and her team to investigate them. The investigation takes Lottie to St Angela's Children's Home. St Angela's has now closed, but the people who worked and lived there are holding on to some horrifying secrets which are now threatening to rear their ugly heads. What happened at St Angela's all those years ago, and who is responsible for the deaths now?
I enjoyed my first introduction to Lottie Parker, a detective with her own demons to battle alongside this investigation. Lottie's personal issues and her struggles to balance her private and professional life mean that she is an easy character to relate to and I was willing her to succeed throughout the novel. As the novel is fairly long, it took me some time to build a full picture of Lottie's character and there are areas of her life that I felt could have been explored in more depth. However, I did gain enough information to pique my interest as to how Lottie's character will develop in future instalments of the series.
The investigation itself is full of twists and turns. At the beginning, I felt that some aspects of the plot were stereotypical, and was concerned that as a result, the novel would become predictable. However, even when I had guessed who the perpetrator was, there was still more to come, and the anticipation that Gibney creates kept me hooked until the end.
Gibney's writing is very descriptive, and as The Missing Ones is set over winter, I could almost feel the cold winds and snow flurries as I read. This helped me to imagine that I was working alongside Lottie, which drew me in further to this intricate plot. The descriptions also helped me to gain a greater sense of place whilst reading the novel. Although the town in which the novel is set is fictional, the sense that most people know each other and the community is close knit is one I recognise from the town in which I grew up, and this helped me to relate to the characters in the novel and their backgrounds.
I look forward to reading more about Lottie Parker in future.

I hadn't read many things about Patricia Gibney's novel, and sometimes that's the best thing we can hope for. I started The Missing Ones knowing nothing about its plot. And I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

The book was dark and I loved how the author didn't try to sugarcoat anything: The Missing Ones was straight-forward and explicit when it needed to. It also featured a strong main character, who wasn't always easy to like, but I found her more interesting especially because of that same reason. Lottie Parker was sometimes kind of rude sometimes and didn't make her colleagues' lives easier. But she was an excellent detective and her instinct was spot on.

While reading this book I was reminded of Angela Marson's first book in her series. The topic is quite similar and although this one was set in Ireland, I thought they had some similarities. If you're a fan of Marsons, you need to read this one as well. She's definitely one author to watch out for.

Even though it was a pretty long book (about 500 pages?), I managed to finish this one in a day. I was so engrossed in the story I didn't want to do anything else but keep on reading. And just because this is a police procedural, it doesn't mean that the plot is all that matters. All the characters were well-written and I felt like I had known them for a very long time. I found myself really caring about Boyd, Lottie's children and another character that I won't mention because of potential spoilers.

My complaints have little to do with the book itself, as you will see. I simply think the blurb reveals way too much and I removed part of it. Also, I do not think this is a novel that relies on the classic "jaw-dropping twist". There isn't one. There's one detail that will surely come as a surprise and I absolutely loved it, but it's not even connected to the main case. So nope, don't read it because of that. Read it because it's an excellent book!

Let's do this: check out the prologue and tell me if you don't want to know more...

A brilliant debut thriller featuring Detective inspector Lottie Parker, a very flawed but tough-as-nails inspector. Still reeling from the loss of her husband, she’s also taxed with trying to find the difficult balance between work and raising her three children. She will leave you rooting for her both personally and professionally.

Years ago St Angela’s had been a home for wayward children, where families would drop off their children when they could not, or simply chose not to care for them. Several of these children went missing, never to be heard from again. 40 years later information came to light that perhaps many of these missing children were in fact killed.

Now a woman is found murdered in a cathedral. As Lottie and her team chase down the leads more murders occur that tie together loosely by a single thread. Can all these killings have anything to do with the abandoned St Angela’s?

Assisting Lottie is Detective sergeant Mark Boyd, who wants more from the relationship than just fellow detectives on a case. Is there potential for them to grow in the next installment? I sure Hope so!

I had expectations of a very light thriller but this was not the case at all. Dark and disturbing subject matter, involving exploitation of children. Maybe difficult for some to read.

Quite lengthy, but with very short chapters keeps the reader engaged and the book flowed effortlessly. It was a slow, steady build for the first half and I had no idea how it would all come together. The last 30% took off with Lots of twists and turns to keep me guessing right up to the end. (And who doesn’t like that!) Just not exactly jaw-dropping as the teaser on the cover stated.

I will definitely be looking forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for the ARC to review.

I found this book a bit hard to read for myself. I think it could have been timing as well. I understand why people would like the book I just couldn't connect fully with the characters

THE MISSING ONES is Patricia Gibneys debut thriller novel and features Ireland Detective Lottie Parker. This is a well-written, highly suspenseful page turner, while disturbing in nature, but with well flushed out characters and plenty of twists and turns to satisfy the reader, I am sure this is the beginning of a promising series.

The subject matter is both graphic and disturbing in nature, and not for the faint-hearted. Some passages are hard to read, but are critical to the story.

“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?’

Detective Lottie Parker, our protagonist, is a widow, mother of three, drinks too much, has an estranged mum, and one horrible boss…in other words a totally believable flawed central character!

“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? “

Upon further investigation, Lottie is lead to St Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history.

And then two teenage boys go missing. Lottie must catch the killer before they strike again…but in doing so is she putting her own children in petrifying danger?

Lottie will come face to face with a serial killer.

This is one lengthy novel (could have been a little shorter) that is sure to please and will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as it is so well-written and holds your attention from beginning to end. I definitely have this new author on the radar. Don’t miss out on this amazing read. An easy 5-star rating from me.

Many thanks to Patricia Gibney, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow! This was an absolutely fantastic read that kept me up long into the night. Patricia Gibney's Detective Lottie Parker certainly won my heart and I am sure she is going to worm her way into the hearts of other readers too. Dedicated to the job, ruffling the feathers of the higher ups, a widowed mom trying to do right by her kids, but Lottie's personal life is a bit of a mess! I really loved her character! Her co-workers Boyd, Kirby, and Lynch were quite interesting too and I highly anticipate the rest of the series.

I seriously don't think that Bookouture has let me down yet. They know how to publish amazing thrillers! Much like Little Girl Lost, Blink, and Bad Little Girl, The Missing Ones is a great thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you like puzzles and intertwining storylines, then this is one that should be on your list.

We start out with a bang, not only in the prologue, but also in the first chapter. Children worrying about who will be next in the ground and a murder in a church that is followed by a suicide. Another thing that Bookouture is known for is having strong female character leads. We have Detective Lottie Parker on the case. As she follows all leads, she is brought to a former children's home, St Angela's. Where she has to face parts of her past and discovering that decades old unsolved mysteries are connected to her victims.

I enjoyed all of the elements to this story. The murders, the children's home, the church, the investigation. While it felt like, at times, that it was a lot packed into one book, it all was worth it in the end! If you enjoyed past Bookouture titles, or just want a good thriller then I highly recommend picking up this title! Patricia Gibney did an incredible job weaving a story and making the characters real. I'm excited for book two!

Big thank you to Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The story starts in the past with 3 small faces watching from a window as the hole had been dug, and the little body was in asked in a flour bag. The middle child spoke, I wonder which one of us will be next?

When a woman's body is found in a Cathedral and a few hours later a man is found hanging from a tree at his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to investigate. Both bodies have the same tattoo. So how are they connectedness?

This is a gripping, fast paced, well written book. Before I had finished the first paragraph I was hooked. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Patricia Gibmey for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another day, another delicious debut to get my teeth into. Although, as I found out early on, it wasn't so much me getting my teeth into this book, rather the book was slowly getting under my skin. I put it down last night at bed time for a rare early night and, after about five minutes snuggled up in bed, the light went back on, the book picked up again and that was me up again reading until I had finished it.
As with all first books in a series, there are characters to introduce and get to know, scenes to set, relationships to establish and that's before you factor in the case that they are trying to solve. A precarious balance indeed but an important one. Unlike a stand alone, a series author needs to establish a connection with the reader so that they will continue on with the series after the first book is finished. They also have to make the main story worth reading. I am pleased to report that this book ticked both these boxes for me. I finished not only satisfied with the case in question but also eager to return to Lottie and crew in the next episode. Job done.
Lottie is a bit of a complex character. Mother of three teenagers, widowed for three years after the passing of her husband, she has thrown herself into her job. He boss is a jerk, always on her case whilst trying to muscle in on her investigations and steer her away from anyone who he "networks" with. She has a chequered past with her partner in crime Boyd, they have history shall we just say, and their constant sniping at each other implies that there is much unresolved between them. She also has a strained relationship with her mother. She mostly plays nice with others but does has her own agenda and that's where the rules get a bit blurred. She is, at times, her own worst enemy. But her heart is in the right place. Between coming to terms with what has happened to her, moving on from it, trying to raise her children alone and her job, she really does seem to be trying to do her best, albeit trying to go it alone. I really felt for her at times. Yes, a wee bit stereotypical for a cop but, despite sounding over the top when spelled out, as a character she works really well. Not sure I really like her at the moment to be honest, but I have a suspicion that she will grow on me as she develops through the series.
The storyline itself is a little harrowing and disturbing at times. But the you can guess where it goes from the blurb, and indeed the opening, so I assume that other readers will know to avoid if this stuff upsets. That said, it is all dealt with in a sensitive way, not for shock tactics.
The case itself was, for me anyway, a little predictable in places. That said, there was still quite a lot I got wrong and I was dealt a few blows as things were revealed. Maybe I was lulled into a false sense of security by some of the easy clues that I missed the hints at others...
As Police Procedurals go, this one follows many of the basic rules and is, at times, a bit formulaic. Although there is a lot more to it than just that as I soon found out. Especially when the case takes a turn towards being a bit close to home for Lottie. All things that contrive to make this book quite difficult to put down, as already illustrated.
All in all a good series opener and I am very much looking forward to book two which I believe the author is currently working on. Hope she writes quick!

My thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.