👁👁So many possible suspects: never a dull moment!😥

4.5🌟 stars
If you are looking for a thriller with constant movement and interlacing storylines, Three Widows is all that. The police detective lives are messy, running the gamut from caring for a parent sinking into dementia to child custody and alcoholism. In this story in the series, Kirby was the cop I found most tragic and stuck in a pattern that could not end up well. But I found them all so real and grounding while the case they are working is so warped and tragic.

The author kept me guessing and constantly changing my mind about who was the sadistic killer and whether others were abetting them. Every so often the POV is switched to being told from the killer's perspective but in a way that provides few clues to their identity or even motive. As the story progressed, instead of narrowing things down, the investigation opens more doors to secrets, half/truths and affected lives. It kept me captivated right through to the end when the motive is finally revealed.

Constant action, complex plot, engaging characters made this a fine read.

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

This story has all the elements of a thriller. A cold blooded calculating psychopath
of a killer. Elements of deep seated hatred and revenge towards his victims. Three
women - all have suffered loss of husbands.

Detectives try to put the pieces together to find out what links the random women together.
No one is talking and the trails are getting old, anyone on the periphery of tgr crimes
are aggressively not divulging any information and when one of the final abductions hits
close to the detectives themselves, you know the case is accelerating.

I enjoyed the writing, the painstaking detective work but three quarters through it became
very complicated to keep the plot in mind, along with many strands which were being
woven together tocome to the end. I am willing however toread other books by this author
because the storyline and characters were well portrayed.

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

Four women, Orla, Eilis, Helena and Jennifer, have formed a support group for widows called ‘Life After Loss’. When the body of one of the women is found lying on waste land Detectives Lottie Parker and Mark Boyd must find the reason she’s been taken before any more women go missing.

Before I was half-way through ‘Three Widows’ I thought it was going to be the best in the series and although I enjoyed it the storyline slowed down becoming longer than it needed to be. Despite this, the plot was action-packed with drama, suspense and twists and turns, and the characters were realistic with sniping between two of Lottie’s team. I admit the ending was a bit of an anti-climax and quite disappointing but nevertheless I enjoyed it and with Boyd’s ex-wife turning up again like a bad penny it looks promising that the series will continue.

This book is in a series of books about Lottie, a detective.
This is a serial killer, who dunnit with so many plot twists!
The characters were well developed and most were like able! Irated this book 4 stars ! For me it seemed a bit drawn out, but is worth the read! Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the arc read. Will pick up others from this series!

Wow!
That was a very intense and eerie story!
If you are in the mood to read a suspenseful thriller, you need to pick up Three Widows by Patricia Gibney. I can attest to the fact that Three Widows is certainly a creepy, chilling and disturbing read.
I do have to say, the story seemed to be dragged out a bit longer than necessary. I started to get confused with everything going on.
Overall, Three Widows kept me fully engaged as I tried to figure out where the author was taking the story. And, believe me, it was a wild and twisty ride!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars
Wow... book 12 and still going strong! I am glad I got over my misgivings and continued on with this series despite a few niggles. It's too good to hold a grudge and so I am more than happy to accept some of the things I rolled my eyes at for the sake of a good story playing out. Which, after all, is the point of reading... Oh and usual series rules apply although there is a lot of catching up to do!
So... Eilis, a young widow and mother goes missing in the middle of the night, leaving her two small children asleep in their beds. They manage to get help and Lottie and her team are called in to investigate the disappearance. An investigation that swiftly turns to tragedy when Eilis's body is found. Lottie starts to investigate and is just starting to piece a few things together when another woman, with ties to Eilis, is also found dead... They both were members of a support group for widows... coincidence, or...?
As well as the case being front and centre, we also have a few side-stories, the main one being Boyd, his ex-wife, and their child. But we also have Lottie who is perennially dealing with family issues, but not as many in this book I am happy to say! These are not as intrusive as maybe once they could have been and the balance between the personal and the crime is maintained. One of my criticisms of the earlier books....
As per usual the story gets on with itself very well with little padding or waffle to distract. The twists and turns are delivered at the right times to progress the story and keep the reader on their toes and the ending, when it came, was satisfying.
All in all, a good addition to what is now a firm favourite series. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is book is #12 in the Detective Lottie Parker series but can easily read as a standalone. I’ve read the whole series and would highly recommend it.

The body of a woman is found in a gruesome state and wearing a yellow dress several sizes too big. While Lottie and her team are investigating the murder, another woman goes missing, and they discover that the two dead women belonged to a group for widows.

There are lots of people and situations linking the members of the group, it’s not just that they no longer have husbands, so we meet lots of characters. The body count gets quite high towards the end.

There were so many twists and turns that I was totally gripped, couldn’t put the book down, and just couldn’t work out exactly who was behind the whole thing. A fantastic read, highly recommended.

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

This is another excellent and consistent read from the author. I really like the characterisation in this series, especially Boyd, and the plotting is always interesting. As the body count rises, Lottie investigates the connection with a group for widows which links the victims. Boyd's ex Jackie appears back on the scene, I do wish the author would bump her off! As always, the pace is good and there are plenty twists as the tension mounts. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Fantastic. I have read all the books in this series. I love the characters and also the personal back stories. This is abit gruesome, just how I like it, and you can never guess the ending. I stayed awake until 3.30 am because I just couldnt put it down. Another brilliant book from Patricia Gibney. Highly recommended.,

Number 12 in this series and another good read. There’s a lot going on here. Firstly the subplots. I absolutely loved being back in Lottie, Boyd, Kirby etc live’s. It was like catching up with old friends and their stories. I love the developments in the subplot, and can’t wait to see how things pan out, especially for the three mentioned.
There is a lot going on in the main plot and a lot of characters and I did find myself having to keep up with who was who from time to time and I found some of the connections confusing. Lots of possible reasons for the murders are bandied about, but as each suspect seems to be the next to die it’s definitely a surprise when the villain is unveiled. A nice twist in the end too.
This series has a lot more to give and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

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

This is the 12th book in the series, not a bad read but not the best in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

Since 2017, the DI Lottie Parker series has held me in its grips. The Irish Inspector, widow, mother of 3, grandmother of 1, and lover of her police partner, Mark Boyd has definitely kept me riveted for 6 wonderful years. Each case could be treated as a standalone but if you really want to understand Lottie and all her ticks, you might want to peruse the series.

In this latest installment, Lottie and her team have to solve a series of baffling cases that surround the disappearance and murder of a group of women. Women, who belong to a grief support group. On top of that, Lottie's growing more concerned with her aging mother's health. While Mark Boyd grows closer to his young son and deals with the return of his ex-wife, Jackie.

The murders in this story are quite brutal and I was as shaken by the violence as much as the characters. Patricia Gibney manages to give readers quite a range of suspects and that kept me turning the pages.


Until....

The suspect was revealed and the motive was unveiled and I was like "Ummm...but...yeah...okay, I am speechless."

Don't get me wrong, I have considered my possible review for quite a few hours and tip my hat to Patricia Gibney. Because I don't think in a long list of motives, I would have grabbed onto the one she gives us. Heck ,even Lottie Parker was disappointed!

*Those who've read the book get where I am coming from and those who plan to read book 12 are hopefully intrigued.* I also still have plenty of questions.

Other thoughts as a long-time fan:

1) Lottie needs to put her big girl panties on and forgive Lynch.

2) The macho man competition between Kirby and McKweon- entertaining shit

3) The Rose storyline is going to make cry hard.

4) In a review of one of the previous books in this series, I once declared Mark Boyd as my fictional boyfriend. Fellow fans, I have to straight up say it, I am sorry but he's fizzling for me. It's getting lame. I either want Patricia Gibney to make Jackie one of her next victims. Or she's going to have to pull a Shonda Rhimes and Mark is going to have to write Lottie a letter and go raise Sergio with Jackie. Honestly, I can't take it anymore!


Not sure if giving an author of crime fiction an ultimatum is a good idea but "nothing ventured nothing gained, right? "

Overall, a page-turner but not one of my faves.

#ThreeWidowsDetectiveLottieParkerBook12 #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 10/02/23
Goodreads Review Pub. 23/01/23

The 12th in the Lottie Parker series and unfortunately one of the weaker ones.

Someone is gruesomely murdering members of a local widows support group and Lottie and her team are at a loss to what the motive might be, never mind who may be behind it.
The team are also at loggerheads with each other, be it from personal stuff or personality clashes. There is a lot of bitching and back biting in this book.

Look I love this series and it has been very strong overall but this one didnt do it for me at all. The story is overly complicated and the book overly long. When the team arent fighting they seem to be constantly at a loss as to what is going on. The story gets so complicated that they every so often do a bullet point presentation of where they are with the investigation and I cant help thinking that was as much for the reader as it was for the story.

The ending I have to admit I found a bit daft and the whole book just didnt have the soul of the other ones.

I think perhaps the author out thought herself here with a story that has too many arcs, too many characters, too many improbabilities and too many words.

Heres hoping book 13 is back on form.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Dead widows in yellow dresses? Many from the same support group? Several wind up in similar situations but one lives to tell the story...
These women were no less tortured, eyes gouged out, some bound/gagged, and some dressed and moved to another location like rag dolls.
The case begins with D.I. Lottie Parker investigating a young mother Eilis Lawler missing whereabouts when her body turns up in a lake.
The deaths begin to mount so much so that we need a 'laundry-list' to keep them all situated mid-stream through the 443 pages on Netgalley.
The real 'humdinger' is when these women seem to have a similar background to a particular group - a group that seems to be holding out secrets of more than just support.
Follow the money trail might be one clue but following the truths about marriage may just be the break one needs for justice.
Who knows if these women can ever heal or if they'll be found dead or alive but what I can tell you is the freaky nature of the killer being broadcast just prior to each killing. It was unnerving to have this person discuss each death in detail as each plot thickened.
A great effort for Gibney who showcased just how crazy, yet elusive, this killer became.
Speaking of which there's also an issue with a husband (Tyler Keating) gone missing a year earlier that's on the back burner. His wife is in the hospital recovering from serious injuries in an alleged atack by a suspected serial killer.
This serial killer is the one person you'd least expect so keep your options open when conducting the 'm.o. tally.'
Where might Tyler be today? Good question...as some clues seem to have been 're-located' to another woman's area.
As for these yellow dresses....What's up with yellow?
Ahhh, if I told you it'd be cowardice of me so I'll leave that for second guessing sleuths to determine.
This novel is perfect for the legal beagles, the thrillers, those who love a heart pounding piece that has an interesting ending.
Thank you to Patricia Gibney, Bookouture, Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Detective Lottie Parker book 12

When a young woman's body is found badly beaten and dumped on waste ground Lottie and the team have their work cut out trying to identify her and why anyone would do such a barbaric act.

Then another woman is reported missing.

I am usually a huge fan of this series but for some reason this book just didn't grab me. There was a lot of characters introduced and none of them were particularly likable. I read the book more to get it finished rather than having to know who and why.

Hopefully this is a glitch and the next book will be back to its gripping best. Other people have loved it so obviously it's just not grabbed me this time.

I love Lottie Parker! Ms. Gibney’s Detective Lottie Parker always means a twisty and fast paced great read. The “Three Widows” is no exception. The story takes place over multiple days with a heroine who has teenage children and an infant grandson. Throw in a mother who occasionally helps out but is developing memory issues and a partner in love as well as in her police team. The race to find out ‘whodunit’ takes precedence over Lottie’s personal life. I don’t know what the next step in Lottie’s life will be, but I hope she can decide which is more important to her, her job or her family, who already think of her as a bit player in their lives. The rest of the detectives in her squad are also dealing with the ‘Job’ taking over their lives. I’m very interested in finding out how the characters develop in the next Lottie Parker books.

Three Widows is the book that the pages keep turning, the lights stay on for one more chapter (make it 3 more) and heaven help the person that tries to talk to you while you are following the trail of dead bodies.

Lottie Parker has her hands full with her family. She is spread thin with her mom who is ailing, her children and Boyd.

Then there is work.

A body is found and its a gruesome site. She is severely beaten and her eyes surgically removed.

Then another body is found.

They both belong to a Widow's Club ( I wont be joining any one of those anytime soon).

That's just the beginning .

The pages fly by as the bodies mount up.

Lottie Parker and her team give it their all to end the mayhem.

This is one of my all time favourite series and each book somehow just keeps getting better and better.

Highly recommend not only Three Widows but the entire series but be warned nothing else will get done once you pick up the first book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a nail biting read.

I’m always excited to read a new Lottie Parker novel – I just love her! I found the story very fast paced with lots of twists I didn’t see coming.

As ever Lottie’s home life is frantic looking after her mother who is showing early signs of dementia and her brood of kids. Her partner at work & in life, Boyd is loving being a dad to Sergio. However, his scheming ex is back on the scene & wanting things all her own way..

A woman is found by a member of the public. She’s been tortured before being killed & is found wearing clothes which don’t seem to be hers. When I second body is found in similar circumstances Lottie & the Team need to find who is responsible & quickly. As they investigate the leads they find that the women are connected by a mutual club for widows & as they delve deeper they find all sorts of connections...

I found the story gripping & was chopping & changing who I thought was the murderer. A really fantastic read with an extra twist at the end. So good, I highly recommend it.

This is my first book in the Author's long running Detective Lottie Parker books and after reading this one won't be the last .
When a the body of a missing widow is found with her eyes cut out and wrapped in a yellow dress Lottie knows she will have a difficult case on her hands . Another women is soon found in similar circumstances ......... the only link is a membership of a women's group , helping the women to re-integrate in society and move on with their lives .
Lottie realise that she is in a race against time to save anyone else falling to the murderer but people are keeping secrets , secrets that could get them killed

This was a fast paced book , full of twists and turns - where the Author brings to the fore the relationships within the various groups which enhances the reading experience

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is book 12 of the Detective Lottie Parker series. It is described as an unputdownable read and every word of that is true. Lottie is a great character, despite her pretty disastrous personal life, which may finally be settling down, or not, she is a dedicated and skilled detective. There is plenty of good (and bad) interaction/banter between the team members and the detective personal lives create all sorts of additional tensions.

Briefly, we are back in Ragmullin near Dublin and the body of missing widow Éilis, is found, badly tortured and beaten, on waste ground. Lottie Parker and her team are called in to investigate. Before they can get into the case another person is reported missing and the story builds very quickly thereafter. What has a support group for widows got to do with the killings and what secrets are they hiding? As more bodies are discovered the team are forced into a race against time to discover the truth.

So many suspects as the twists and turns accelerate until matters come to a head in a startling fashion. Brilliant plot as always. Loved the book and already looking forward to the next one.