🚨 Book Review 🚨

Thank you @netgalley @minotaur_books for the eARC of this in exchange for my review!

A Stolen Child is the 4th book in a new to me series but it read just fine as a stand alone. It follows an American Garda in Ireland as she navigates trying to become a detective. This book follows the case of a murdered young, former model and the subsequent abduction of her young daughter.

This was a really quick police procedural. It kept me entertained but it was very forgettable. It was very mild in my opinion and not nearly dark enough for my taste 🤣 I would likely read the rest of the series if I need a little break from heavy reads.

#AStolenChildBook #SMPInfluencer #minotaurbooks #review #netgalley #ARC

Maggie D’arcy is now a proper Garda in Dublin investigating the murder of a model/TV reality star in her flat. What’s more troubling is that her two-year-old infant, Laurel, is missing. The clock is ticking because with every hour that passes the likelihood of finding Laurel alive goes down significantly.

I was excited that Maggie is now a Garda, even though working as a beat cop again was a little discouraging to her it’s a big step at making detective. However, being that the department was shorthanded and Roly, the detective in charge, knew her value she was invited to help with the case. Maggie had good instincts and the experience they needed to figure out this case, and it was a twisty one!

Conor and Maggie are still settling in together, mixing their families, and so it wasn’t always smooth sailing, like real-life, but I’m so happy they’re together!

I’ve loved this series from the very first book! I enjoy that the setting is now in Ireland. The city of Dublin came alive with Ms. Taylor’s writing. There’s a mystery to solve with each installment, but also the ongoing story of Maggie and her relationships with Conor, her daughter Lilly, and her career as a police detective. It’s been an exciting journey and one that’s best started from the beginning. I’d recommend the series to any fan of police/crime procedurals with a strong personal aspect!

A Stolen Child is the fourth book in the Maggie D’arcy series. Maggie is a former Long Island homicide detective with twenty years of experience, who has moved to Ireland a few years ago, and is currently on community policing assignment in Dublin's Portobello neighborhood.

Maggie and her partner are called out twice for two separate incidents in just a few days. Jade Elliott is found strangled to death in her home and her toddler daughter Lauren missing. Maggie is the more experienced of the pair and begins to investigate the case.

Maggie, Roly and her temporary partner Detective Sergeant Padraig Fiero, do a deep dive into Jade’s past as they search for the missing child and try to find the killer. What follows is a complicated list of lies, secrets and shocking twists before the truth is revealed.

This was a good story, but I had trouble staying focused while reading it. There are lots of characters to keep track of during the investigation.

Maggie D'arcy is an American detective that pulled up stakes and moved with her daughter to Dublin, Ireland. When I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, since it was book 4, I went back to book 1, so I could learn the character ahead of time, but it wasn't enough. The author gives you enough information to understand the main characters, but it took a while to orient myself with her partner. In this book, I learned some things that I missed out on by not reading books 2 &3 (which I will do, just didn't have time yet). So, my advice is you haven't read any previous books, just start with this one and move forward. If you're like me, then read the books in order first.

Overall, the plot and storyline was well executed with interesting characters. The author writes in a way that flows well as a procedural, but doesn't get mired in minute details that can weigh down a book. She also did an excellent job of making me change my mind about who the murderer/kidnapper was throughout the book. Excellent read!

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Although A Stolen Child was the fourth book in the Maggie D’arcy series by Sarah Stewart Taylor, I was surprised how easily I was able to immerse myself in the police procedural plot of this murder/kidnapping mystery. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone book but at some point I might go back and read the previous three books just for background information. I enjoyed that the female protagonist, Garda Maggie D’arcy, had been transplanted to Dublin, Ireland from Long Island, New York. She had been a homicide detective in Long Island but would now have to work her way through the ranks of Ireland’s police force to earn that distinction again. Maggie and her teenage daughter lived with Maggie’s boyfriend and his son. So far the arrangement was proving to be very positive. Maggie was getting used to her new life in Ireland.

Maggie and her younger Garda partner found themselves walking the streets of Dublin’s Portebello neighborhood when they received a call about a possible domestic dispute in a nearby apartment complex. When Maggie and her partner arrived at the apartment where a supposedly loud scream was heard from, the woman occupant blamed it on a show she had been watching on her television. She claimed to be fine. The very next day, the same woman, Jade Elliott, a former model, reality show star and mother, was found dead and her two year old daughter was missing. Maggie’s expertise was needed for this case so a few strings were pulled to give her clearance to work on this murder/abduction case. Maggie’s systematic approach to all the interviews she conducted and the gathering of evidence proved to be quite effective and impressive. The obvious questions that were going through her mind and the minds of all that were involved in solving this case were who could have gained access to Jade Elliott’s apartment to kill her and why? Why was her young daughter taken? What had the monster who took the child done to her? Maggie and the other detectives were up against the clock. The longer the child was missing the more likely it would be that they would not find her alive or unharmed. Could Maggie and the other detectives get to the bottom of this case before it was too late?

I enjoyed how Sarah Stewart Taylor portrayed Maggie. She proved to be a strong and well developed character. Author, Sarah Stewart Taylor, allowed Maggie’s character to shine, become more confident and step into a role she well deserved. I couldn’t read this book fast enough. Every time I thought I had figured out the mystery another twist was introduced. I did not see the ending coming. There was no way I would have guessed the outcome. I really enjoyed reading A Stolen Child and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for allowing me to read A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Fun police procedural! And I like the cover.

Maggie D'Arcy is an American Police Detective working as a Garda in a Dublin neighborhood. "A Stolen Child," is the fourth book in the Maggie D'Arcy series, but is easily read as a standalone. An excellent police procedural, with a plot that delivers suspense and authentic. relatable characters, had my interest on page one. The Dublin setting enriches and deepens the plot and provides a few smiles along the way. Maggie is an intelligent and strong protagonist, which is always appreciated. "The Mountain Wild," is on my TBR list. Five stars for me.

A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor is available now in eBook and Physical Book
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review

A Stolen Child is the 4th novel in the Maggie D’arcy Mystery series. Maggie is a former homicide detective who has recently moved to Ireland. While trying to make her way to the top again she assists with an investigation to find the missing toddler of a murdered model, Jade.

A Stolen Child is full of mystery and suspense. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. I am a sucker for a good mystery and can usually figure it out before the end. This one had me guessing incorrectly all the way through! The plot twists were believable and the characters loveable. I would highly recommend this mystery novel to anyone who thoroughly enjoys the suspense. This one will not disappoint. This is my first time reading a novel by Sarah Stewart Taylor. I'm off to get my hands on the remainder of this series.

A police procedural set in Ireland about a young, single mother who is murdered and whose toddler daughter is missing. Garda Maggie D’Arcy, former Long Island detective, works a beat with her partner Garda Jason Savage. They’re first on the scene of a reported possible homicide, the same place they had just responded to a possible domestic violence situation only days before. Maggie’s detective instincts kick in and she’s the first to notice the evidence that besides the victim, a child also lived there. Because of a shortage of personnel, she’s brought on to DI Roly Byrne’s team to help with the investigation. The missing toddler becomes the primary focus at first as time is of the essence in missing children cases.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've been enjoying this Maggie D'arcy series with its Irish and American stories. Maggie is a homicide detective in NY at the start of the series but she visits Ireland to try to find out what happened to her cousin. Her family has a rich history with Ireland, and runs an Irish bar on Long Island. In the first two books, Maggie works with the Garda in Ireland on cases. She also falls for an Irishman.

Now she has moved to Ireland and is living with Connor and their respective children. Her daughter is also dating an Irishman and starting college. Maggie has finished her Garda training and is working patrol, but DI Roly Bryne pulls her into a murder / child abduction case. She isn't able to work it full time which was frustrating but Maggie had great instincts as a parent and knowing the neighborhood. Her partner was not too impressive and took credit for some of her work.

I really enjoy police procedurals. I won't spoil this part but I thought it was well done with the investigation and the personal aspects of the team, suspects and witnesses. Any investigation like this turns up a variety of secrets some people don't want known. There are also things that are known but can't be proved.

The personal growth for Maggie with her daughter and relationship with Connor are also a nice part of A Stolen Child. Connor has just published a new history book and is anxiously waiting to see how it will be received. They are also renovating the house where they live for sale and then looking for a new home. I look forward to seeing how Maggie and her family develop now that they are fully in Ireland and she is part of the Garda there.

4.5⭐️

A solid procedural that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Garda Maggie D’arcy is a former Long Island homicide detective with twenty years of experience under her belt, who relocated to Ireland a few years back and is working her way up the ladder in local law enforcement, currently on community policing assignment in Dublin's Portobello neighborhood. When former mer model/reality television star and single mother Jade Elliott is found strangled to death in her home and her toddler daughter Lauren missing. Maggie and her partner Garda Jason Savage were first on the scene. Given her experience in homicide and the fact that the investigative unit is temporarily short-staffed, Senior Investigator Roly Byrne ropes her in to join the investigation. We follow Maggie, Roly and her temporary partner Detective Sergeant Padraig Fiero, as they do a deep dive into Jade’s past – both personal and professional as they frantically search for the missing child and try to find the killer. What follows is a complicated web of lies, secrets and some shocking revelations.
I liked the structure and pacing of the plot and enjoyed following the mystery as it is gradually unraveled. The procedural aspect is very well depicted. Plenty of suspects, twists and red herrings make for an engrossing read and I was surprised by the final reveal (which is always a good thing!). I haven’t read too many procedurals based in Ireland, and I really enjoyed the setting and the details of the law enforcement structure and procedure mentioned in the course of this novel. We also get to know more about Maggie and her boyfriend Conor, who discovers some old photographs within the walls of their home, adding a parallel track to the story that has a bittersweet ending. We also meet Maggie’s daughter Lillie and Conor’s son Adrien. This is the fourth book in a series and though I haven’t read the previous installments, I had no problem following this one. I do, however, intend to read the other books simply because I really liked the protagonist and how well the procedural aspect was presented in this novel. I also thought that the author struck a perfect balance while weaving the mystery and Maggie’s personal life into a fluid and engaging narrative, with the latter never overshadowing the former. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor and would gladly recommend it to those who enjoy reading police procedurals.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fourth book in the Maggie D'Arcy series where she is now living in Ireland after she followed her heart and started over as a police officer, working her way back up to hopefully become a detective as she was in the U.S. Having recently completed her required training, she stumbles upon an interesting murder case and is asked to use her skills to help out a short-handed detective team.

The mystery kept me in suspense until the end and, as in the previous books in the series, the character development and setting details were fantastic. Although this can certainly be read as a stand-alone mystery, I highly recommend starting with The Mountains Wild where Detective D'Arcy reconnects with her love in Ireland while investigating the disappearance of a cousin there long ago.

Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and the author for allowing me to read this eARC in advance of publication.

After relocating Donald the duck back to the pond with his wife Maggie and Jason get a call to a flat they were called to a few days before only this time instead of a surprise pretty woman they find a dead one an even worse her daughter Laurel is missing. Maggie has plenty of experience being a cop and a detective in America but has started over in Ireland she is resigned to doing the grunt work until she gets a chance to be a proper detective but her good friend Raleigh Burns is shorthanded and asked her to step in to help with the case and she is more than happy to do so. She’ll have to work with detective Farrar and he isn’t her favorite person nor is she his. After one lie and another she only wants to get to the truth but when the truth is revealed it will shock everyone involved. This book was really really good I have never read any book from the series nor from this author before but I really thoroughly enjoyed this one and will definitely be looking for her books in the future. I love Maggie‘s relationship with Connor her daughter someone else we get to know as the book goes on and how she does her best to deal with her family life and her professional as an American and Ireland. What a brilliant read! I received this book from NetGalley and Saint Martin’s press but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I enjoyed this police procedural! While it is part of a series, I didn’t find myself too overwhelmed with the background storyline. I find Maggie’s story to be interesting and a different take as she is an American who is now working overseas. The mystery focuses around the search for a missing child, and there are a lot of potential avenues to go down. Found this to be an easy and enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

New to this series but was drawn right in.aAn American woman becoming a cop in Ireland enjoyed following Maggie and her new life her role as a police officer..Will be reading more of this series.#netgalley #st.martins

I want to preface my review..I didn’t know this book was part of a series, that is on me. I also haven’t read any of the other books in the series.

Needless to say, this book wasn’t for me. The writing style was repetitive and things were revealed in a scene and then reexplained in the dialogue as a character told another character what they’d found. It led to a lot of skimming. The were also problems with consistency in POV. This was written in First person POV but the main character would often tell the reader things that she could only know if it was written in third person. I also had troubles caring about the character though this could be because I have not read the previous three books. All in all, I don’t think I’ll read the others that came before.

A Stolen Child
Pub Date 6.20.2023

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first novel by Sarah Stewart Taylor and will likely not be my last. This book is a police procedural that is part of a series but you don’t necessarily have to read the other books in the series to read this one. I felt like this novel was really easy to read and get into even though there were numerous characters that were apart of the story. I really enjoyed learning how all the characters we related together in the story and how it was all woven together! This is definitely one that will hold your attention and make you want to keep reading to see how the crime plays out!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

This book did not disappoint. A American detective living in Dublin who has recently become a cop in Ireland is faced with a death and a mystery of a missing child. This one had me guessing to end. I read the first book in this series but missed #2 and 3 so definitely is a stand alone.

Another entry into a pretty solid series. I didn’t feel like I learned any more about the characters, but the story was good on its own.

A good mystery set in Ireland. Part of a series, this is book 4. Former Long Island homicide detective, Maggie D'arcy made the move to Ireland with her daughter Lilly. She is brought into the investigative team by her friend, Detective Inspector, Roly Byrne, after some months of training. They are looking for the missing toddler daughter of a murder victim TV star and model Jade Elliot. Quite the manhunt ensues keeping the pages turning. Highly recommend it for those who love a good murder mystery.