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 … 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.
Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning serial killer thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.
What everyone is saying about The Missing Ones:
‘I had been looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed. I will certainly be reading more books in this series.’ Angela Marsons
‘This debut novel from Gibney is just EVERYTHING!!! This was THE BEST book I have read in quite some time. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would!’ Butterfly’s Booknerdia Blog
‘Totally riveting and 100% engrossing.’ Books From Dusk Till Dawn
’A gripping read from beginning to finish.’ Deja Read
’AMAZING! Really well written and kept me itching to read the next page. It was unputdownable! Cannot wait to read book two when released.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I was immediately grabbed by the opening paragraph and was so enthralled that I read it in two sittings. I only put it down when my eyes refused to stay open!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘It’s one of those stories where you look at the clock and you think just a couple more chapters, and then you look again and hours have gone by. It was well worth the lack of sleep.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘A phenomenal read for a debut novel – when I say good, I mean gooooooooood.’ Page Turners Nook
‘Gibney definitely is a writer to watch and an exciting new voice in crime fiction.’But Books are Better
‘This story has it all, compelling characters, a strong plot, a lot of action, suspense, and tension. Reading this novel was fascinating and totally engaging.’ Carol’s Place
‘I have found a new crime author to add to my must read list. I find it incredible that this is a debut novel, as it’s polished, well plotted and gripping.’ The Book Review Cafe
’Thrilling … filled with twists and turns that surprise you out of nowhere; it is dark, mysterious, and gripping.’ The Reading Lodge
‘Wow! Thrilling and tense, with so many twists. A page-turning, unputdownable read. The suspense builds up throughout the book and the pace never lets down. And the ending – wow! I did not see it coming! I am in awe of this author. Five amazing stars.’ Renita D’Silva
‘If I had to describe this debut thriller in just one word, I’d choose engrossing.’ Book Reviews by Monnie
‘Every now and then something good comes into your life. Well in this case two things have. Detective Inspector Lottie Parker and her team; and the author Patricia Gibney who has written a brilliant page turner of a crime thriller. Let’s hope we hear a lot more from both of them.’ Nigel Adams Bookwormmore
I was thrilled to read this debut mystery and find out..it is as good as the publicity stated. Yeah! Make time to sit and read this as you don’t want to be disturbed.
Murders in a small town, corruption, old buildings full of misery and a tired female detective and her staff all make for an exciting read.
Lottie, the detective is a fully drawn character that you just want to wrap in your arms abd tell her things will get better. The weather and town seep into your mind and you’ll grab a blanket as you inhale the atmosphere
A warning that the subject matter does include the Catholic Curch and child abuse. The plot circles this subject and yet there is more to the book than the past of abuses. This is a tightly woven plot with great characters. I hope the author writes many more books!
The Parker’s are still grieving over the loss of their father/husband, when Lottie becomes personally involved in a murder/kidnapping. In a race against time, can Lottie save her son?
This is the first Patricia Gibney book I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. Her Detective Inspector Lottie Parker has a backstory: she’s the widow of an Army officer, mother of three children. Her sidekick, Boyd, is the voice of her conscience some of the time (though perhaps not often enough!) and I really loved the chemistry between them. The Lottie Parker series is set in Ireland, so you know there is likely to be some involvement with the church – and so there is in this first book in the series. An excellent introduction.Nikki Copleston
An okay police procedural. The story comes across as a little chaotic and I do wish the characters had been more developed. Still, a good read.
“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.
The book started out slow which I realize now was the author building the characters. I almost put it down. It got better and then I couldn’t put it down. I finished it at 3:00 am. No, I wasn’t up all night reading it, but I did get up early to finish it. I recommended to a friend right away. I hope she enjoys it as much as I do. I plan to read the next book.
read this one and had to get the rest in the series.
Read it thru. Right out of today’s headlines.
This was my first time reading this Author and after reading this book I immediately downloaded the next book…well worth the read!
This book had me from the first page til the end. I couldn’t stop reading because it was killing me not knowing. I can’t say anymore, I don’t want to give anything away! I am going to start reading all her books!
Very well written. The characters are vividly drawn and the story is compelling
This book was much more thrilling than I expected, and I found myself drawn into the life of Detective Lottie Parker. She’s tough and driven, still grieving from the loss of her husband 2 years earlier. She’s a bit rough around the edges and doesn’t always make the right decisions, but she manages to come out on top anyway. The book had so many twists and turns. The author surprised me more than once, which I admire. I like being challenged, and so I’ve already purchased book 2 in the series to keep the momentum going.
Whilst I didn’t relate to Lottie herself, it was a good story though vivid in places. I can see why fans adore her work but maybe not for me.
Patricia Gibney’s first crime novel and I must say it was phenomenal. I read this book in a day, I was not expecting any of the twists that kept appearing! So good. Looking forward to reading the next chapter.
This debut novel from Gibney is just… EVERYTHING!!! This was THE BEST book I have read in quite some time. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would!
The plot line is so intricate and expertly crafted. The characters are some of the most vivid and deeply-complex that I have “gotten to know” in a while. And, that is exactly how you feel, as you read this book… You feel like you are truly getting to know someone tangible.
On the job, D.I. Lottie Parker is salty and sassy. She is fierce, brave and bold. She is not afraid to grab life (or a perp) by the scrotum. She is a rebel and does not cater to bureaucracy or dance attendance on what is polite or politically correct. She is staunchly independent and doesn’t “play well with others”. She is, quite simply, a balls-to-the-wall, badass detective who is determined to get to the bottom of a case and see justice done, no matter what it takes!
In her personal life, well… Lottie is somewhat of a mess. She is still deeply grieving the loss of her husband three years prior and fighting the lure of the bottle. She is self-absorbed in her grief and not really “plugged in” to what her three children are doing or feeling. She has an on again / off again relationship with her overbearing mother and has not spoken with her in quite some time.
While trying to navigate through the maze of her personal issues and balance that with the demands of her professional life, she ends up with a case that will cause her two worlds to collide in a way she never imagined. People are beginning to turn up dead, and they all seem to have one thing in common: St Angela’s — a former children’s home run by the nuns and priests of the Catholic church.
Years ago, within the walls of St. Angela’s, unspeakable acts of physical and sexual abuse occurred on a daily basis. The horrors the children there witnessed and endured are atrocious and lie upon lie has been perpetrated to cover these things up. For decades, the empty, crumbling façade of St. Angela’s has faithfully hidden the truth and numerous secrets have been literally buried on its grounds. But, now, someone wants them to come to light… and others clearly DON’T!
It’s up to Lottie and her team to connect the dots and stop a killer. And, they need to make it quick, because two local boys have gone missing… And, one of them is Lottie’s teenaged son.
This book was absolutely riveting. Once I started reading, I was unable to stop, until I reached The End. The way in which Gibney crafted this story was just pure genius! I’m pretty good a figuring things out before reaching the end of a book, but this one took everything I THOUGHT I knew and threw it right out the window! I read a lot of psychological thrillers. It is one of my favorite genres. And, I cannot tell you how satisfying and refreshing it was to be stunned and completely wrong in what I thought I knew when the last pages were turned. The multiple twists at the end will have you reeling!
Because I am such an avid reader, I tend to immediately start a new book within minutes of finishing a current one. But, I waited a full 24 hours to start a new read after completing The Missing Ones. I felt it would be almost irreverent of me not to bask in the afterglow of the masterful brilliance that was this book. Patricia Gibney is an author in whom I am now firmly invested. I am really looking forward to reading anything and everything she writes, from here on, especially stories in the Lottie Parker series.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
A solid 4 1/2 stars!! This one was a very slow burn but I recommend sticking with it because you will eventually get engulfed by it. It reminded me alot of a TV crime show with so many twist and turns it will have you guessing the whole time. Detective Lottie is very strong, passionate and tenacious in every aspect of her life….from being a single mom to a great detective as well. And she refuses to rest until she solves the mystery and brings the guilty party to justice.
What a great read. Story line captivating, highly recommend