I’m sorry that it took me so long to get to this book. I was riveted from start to finish and I’ve already loaded the second and third book in the series on my Kindle.

The dual timelines were inextricably linked in a fashion that was believable and interesting. I was consumed by the story of the Magdalene girls and although it was difficult to read of their plight, it was a part of history that shouldn’t be forgotten. I learned that the Magdalene Institution was not only in Ireland, but in Glasgow, Scotland as well.

The series protagonist, Oonagh O’Neil, was a character that I immediately bonded with. For some reason she put me in mind of Susie Steiner’s character, Manon Bradshaw. From me, that is high praise indeed.

This well written crime novel touches on some difficult themes of domestic abuse, self-harm, journalistic ethics, and the corruption within the Catholic Church.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy well written crime fiction with a hefty dose of history thrown in for good measure. This was an impressive series debut!

The Lost Children
A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked!
by Theresa Talbot


Aria

Aria
General Fiction (Adult)
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 01 Apr 2018





I am reviewing a copy of The Lost Children through Aria and Netgalley:







Due to graphic content, and intense subject matters I recommend this book for those Sixteen and Over...







Oonagh O'Neil is an investigative journalist whose instincts tell her when a story is worth pursuing. The death of an elderly priest on the altar of his Glasgow Church just as she is about to expose the shocking truth behind the closure of an infamous Magdalene Institution, makes her realize a sinister cover up is at play.





Alec Davies is the DI appointed to investigate the priests death. He and Oonagh have a history that goes far back. They are united in finding out what happened to the lost babies that were secretly born in the institution as well as what happened to the young one who had survived, the women who had vowed loyalty to one another forever.








The Lost Children is a powerful debut crime novel that you’ll have trouble putting Down.






I give The Lost Children four out of five stars!




Happy Reading!

Great thrilling novel which kept me turning the pages, would highly recommend to others. Brilliant writing, plot and characters.

I really enjoyed this story, it had just the right pace to keep me entertained, as soon as you start reading you are thrown straight in to the story and it keeps a great pace until the end.

The plot is well planned and it has great character development and I warmed to the characters easily and would love to read more about them. A solid four stars – a really enjoyable read that gripped me!

Very different to what I would read, but really enjoyable. I liked the style of writing, and found this fast-paced enough to keep me interested and guessing all the way through. Lots of twists and turns through out, and I really liked learning more about the characters and plot through the different narratives.

This is a fantastic book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the character of Oonagh and her friendships with priest Tom Findlay and policeman Alec Davies. Oonagh is investigating Glasgow's Magdelene Institutions which originated in Ireland and were originally run by the Catholic Church. The suffering of the women who were incarcerated in these institutions is absolutely horrific, and Irene's story in particular broke my heart. The cruelty she was subjected to both as a child and throughout her adult life was unimaginable but it is true to how many women were treated at the time. Extremely harrowing to read about, but these women's stories deserve to be heard. At the same time, there are a couple of suspicious deaths linked to the Catholic church which may be connected to the Magdelene Investigations. Although extremely harrowing at times, there is quite a bit of humour in the book too which I really liked, as well as an insight into Oonagh's family life, her parents are quite the characters! I also loved Glaswegian setting.
I can't wait to read more of Theresa Talbot's books, both Oonagh O'Neill books, The Lost Children (formally known as Penance) and Keep Her Silent are excellent and I would highly recommend them.

Oonagh is a reporter in Glasgow trying to make her own stamp on investigative journalism with a break on the Magdalene girls who were mistreated in catholic establishments many years before. When a priest does during Mass can Oonagh get to the bottom of his sudden death using her own investigative mind. Helped by a priest struggling with a lapse in faith, the police Oonagh is faced with her own personal turmoil to being those to justice.

This was such a compelling read and I have a tiny crush on Oonagh! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I can't put my finger on why I couldn't get into this. Maybe it was the uninspiring characters. Maybe it was the slow pace. Either way I found this to be a difficult read with little pay off.

I loved this book, fasted paced and keeps you guessing right to the very last page!! I will be watching for other titles being released by this author. Thank you for letting me review this title

The first in a series involving journalist Oonagh O'Neil and detective Davies this was a very emotional read. I had read about the Magdalene homes and laundries and thought this was a horrific way for the Church to behave. There are no excuses when it is said it was symptomatic of their times. Compassion or sympathy as a human being was never part of these places and this story revolves around the children who were born, forcibly adopted and lost forever.

Oonagh knows that something is not quite right when Father Watson collapses on the altar of his church. A cranky priest with whom she has had run ins before, Oonagh is perturbed because she was to have an interview with him on the day he died and she just has an instinct that he was about to go out on a big reveal. Was his death a cover up. When attacks escalate and Oonagh herself is a victim narrowly escaping death the Inspector does know that things are not what they seem. Having to tackle an influential church is a daunting task and one that could get him buried as well.

The story tracks girls in general and one in particular - and the ramifications and trauma to the mind decades later. Unraveling it so that justice of some kind could be obtained for even one woman and some peace of mind is Oonagh's own aim. When her own convoluted love life gets in the way, it adds to the emotional roller coaster she is on.

Brilliant novel.

Glasgow investigative reporter Oonagh O'Neill takes on the sordid history of the Magdalene Institute and the Catholic cHurch set back in 2000 when many revelations came out. Taut thriller with good characters my hat I hope to see i further books.

The Lost Children is a book of tragedies. Towards the end of it, I was struggling to see more to it. If anything, the author makes me count my blessings. The true evil in this book is not where people would think. Everyone is hiding something.

Somehow, I think this book is missing an essence that is crucial in delivering the story of awful secrets kept, hence the 4 instead of 5 stars. It’s probably because it’s mostly told from the perspective of an investigative journalist trying to unearth the truth instead of the people actually suffering through the injustice. Still, Theresa Talbot did a respectable job in shedding light to history and in making readers more aware of the cruel things happening out there.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy.

The Lost Children is a compelling and tragic story. A story of what happened to young girls that came up pregnant. They were institutionalized in some of the most terrifying, demeaning and cruel environments. Not only had these young girls been raped, sexually assaulted, sometimes by their own fathers, but they were forced to take responsibility for actions not of their doing.
This Author has conveyed this subject in a fictional book. She has taken the events if one girl, Irene, and made it her story. How everything culminates into each character is nothing short of genius. Strongly recommend.
5 Stars

Oonagh O'Neil is an investigative journalist in Glasgow. She has been researching for a programme about the infamous Magdalene Girls and the dreadful things done to them mostly (but not exclusively) the Catholic Church. When Father Kennedy dies suddenly after he had been in touch with her investigative instincts kick in, little realising what danger it will put her in.

The story switches from Glasgow in 2000 where Oonagh is and to the horror stories of the Magdalene Girls. Full of interesting diverse characters I found this book impossible to put down. I'm really looking forward to more in this series if this first one is anything to go by.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this terrific book!

The Lost Children is the first book from Theresa Talbot. It was our first time to meet journalist Oonagh O'Neill who is investigating the background stories to the Magdalene laundries. At the start of the book the priest that she has been talking to dies suddenly on the altar and the story develops from there. Along the way we meet her friend Fr Tom Findlay and detective Alec Davies. They story jumps between their story in the present day and some girls in the laundry in 1958. I found the 1958 story captivating and the development of the characters very good. The start of the present day story was very disjointed, I found it hard to keep track of the characters, who was who, in particular Tom Findlay as sometimes he is called Tom and at other times Findlay.
Overall the story was good and I look forward to meeting Oonagh O'Neill again.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline of this book was something that I could see happening. Good characters. Would recommend.

My initial thought on finishing reading this book was ‘oh my days what a fantastic, but sometimes traumatic, read this was’. Well actually, my initial reaction used ruder language but the sentiment is the same. I absolutely LOVED reading ‘The Lost Children’ but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Oonagh O’Neill and took to her from the start. She is a television and investigative journalist, who is the darling of the media world. It’s obvious from the start that she is keeping something back and that she has been through a hell of a time of it. As the book continues, we learn more and more about her, which helps to fill in her back story and helps to explain why she is the way she is. She is one feisty lady, who is like a dog with a bone when she gets a sniff of a story. If something doesn’t seem right to her, then she investigates until she has satisfied her own curiosity. She isn’t afraid to stick up for herself. She has a chequered love life. She has been having a fling with a married man, who is still sniffing around even after she has told him that she wants nothing more to do with him. Oonagh recently lost her father and she is still grieving for him. Oonagh is loyal and trustworthy but she doesn’t not like being made to look a fool. If somebody upsets her then she is sharp quick to tell them. Oonagh has some strong friendships and one such friendship is that which she enjoys with Detective Inspector Alec Davies. They work closely together to investigate the case of the lost children and how appallingly young girls were treated in the Magdalene Institutions of Galway and Glasgow. This links into the disturbing case of a priest, who dies in suspicious circumstances. How are the cases linked? Was the priest killed and if so, who by? Will Oonagh and Alec get to the bottom of what happened to the lost children and will they expose the appalling treatment that was dished out in the Magdalene Institutions? Are Oonagh and Alex in danger and if so, from whom? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I have to say that this has to be one of THE stand out books of 2018 for me. (‘The Lost Chlidren’ was released under the title ‘Penance’ in 2015). As soon as I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down and because I needed to know if Oonagh and Alec solved the case and if the victims of the Magdalene Institutions got justice, I became addicted to reading it. I was so mesmerised by the story that I didn’t notice how quickly either the time was passing or the page numbers were flying by. I found myself feeling for the victims of the Magdalene Institutions and I was rooting for them. I felt as though I had been through the emotional wringer after I had finished reading this book because I found myself feeling all sorts of different emotions. I felt sad, angry, upset, irritated, hopeful and well you get the picture. There were several times that I wanted to jump into the pages of this book to sort out certain characters. I won’t say exactly which characters as that might be giving away a bit too much. I have to say that reading this book was one heck of a rollercoaster ride.
‘The Lost Children’ isn’t entirely a work of fiction as the book is actually based on real life events. I am a passionate supporter of abuse survivors and I used to work in safeguarding. I am not usually affected by what I read but I have to say that some of the descriptions in this book actually moved me close to tears. I couldn’t believe how badly some of the children were treated both at home and in institutions. I was also horrified to realise that this abuse was ignored, swept under the carpet or even sometimes condoned by certain people and by certain members of the Catholic Church. This just made me even angrier and I felt a huge amount of injustice for those who suffered. Sorry for my little rant there.
In conclusion, it seems wrong to say that I enjoyed reading this book as it deals with some pretty horrendous subjects and there are only a small number (thankfully) of people who would get pleasure from reading such things. What I will say is that I found it a fascinating and heart breaking read, in equal measure. I would definitely recommend this author and this book to other readers. This book is an important lesson in what really happened in these institutions and highlights the mistakes from the past that should never be repeated. I look forward to reading what comes next from this fantastic author. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is 5* out of 5*.

Mysteries linking present crimes to dark chapter in human history have always had a strange appeal for me, perhaps because it is interesting how the echoes of the past still reverberate and affect people today. In The Lost Children, Talbot bravely tackles one of the darkest chapters in Ireland and Scotland’s history – that of the Magdalen institutes, asylums for “fallen women”, girls pregnant out of wedlock or troublesome for society or the church in other ways. It is frightening to know that there were several hundred of these terrible institutions in England alone, and that the idea was so appealing to society that several other countries soon followed suit! Although I have read previous novels with similar themes, Talbot has a very unique voice and seamlessly weaves her tale into the present in a way that was both intriguing and chilling.

As expected, the theme of the Magdalen women and their lost babies was heartbreaking and infuriating, especially knowing that these events were still occurring in living history. According to the history books, the Magdalen Institution in Glasgow operated unchecked until 1958! Irene’s fate made me want to weep and wail in anguish, with anger welling at the unfairness of it all and the smug attitude of other characters in regards to her plight. It is always a credit to an author for being able to evoke such a visceral reaction in her readers!

I liked Oonagh O’Neill, Talbot’s gutsy and complex heroine – even though her taste in men was terrible! Perhaps this was one of the reasons the plight of the Magdalen women was so close to her heart. Unlike our typical fictional detective, Oonagh is an investigative journalist who is not easily intimidated or put off her scent. With a sometimes abrasive and secretive manner that hints at secrets of her own, Oonagh makes for an interesting main protagonist for other books to come in the series. I also expect to see her friend Tom back in future books, who provides quite a unique POV that made for interesting reading, giving the subject manner.

Talbot’s career as a journalist stays her in good stead as she provides a solid background to her story, and her passion for her subject is obvious in the sensitivity with which she presents Irene’s chapters. In an interview about her novel, Talbot stated that she finds it distressing that no one was ever brought to trial over the injustices inflicted on the innocent women incarcerated in the Magdalen Institutions, and that society turned a blind eye on the crimes committed to them. Even though her characters are fictional, she has used her book to give those victims a voice and to bring their plight to our attention. The paragraph about baby Patricia had me in tears and I felt like my heart was bleeding! Due to the subject matter, The Lost Girls is a somewhat sad and bleak story that prompts reflection about crimes committed in the past and how they affect generations to come. Tying this historical component to a present day murder gave it an extra twist that lovers of crime fiction will enjoy.

Whilst somewhat bleak and tragic, The Lost Children will appeal to lovers of crime with a historical context and readers who enjoy a strong female protagonist with a passion for justice and the courage to stand up for the underdog.

A well paced story with an interesting subject. Great lead characters. Looking forward to the next in the series.

A high profile investigative journalist, the death of a priest and past secrets of abuse and injustice make this mystery thriller an enthralling read.
'The Lost Children' is written in dual timelines, the terrible lives of the young girls in the Magdalene Institution in the late 1950s in Galway and Glasgow inform the investigation and mystery explored by Oonagh O'Neil and DI Alec Davies in 2000 Glasgow.

The chapters from the 1950's are harrowing reading, the abuse suffered by young girls forced into the Magdalene institutions is compounded by their imprisonment and torture when they are there. These young unmarried pregnant girls treated like criminals for being victims of abuse and an uncaring, judgemental society. Their stories are written sensitively and backed up with social history that makes them believable characters.

Oonagh is a successful journalist produces a series of exposes into the seedier areas of Glasgow and British society. Her ongoing investigation into the Magdalene institutions coincides with the death of an old priest who is part of her inquiry, what follows is the gradual revelation of the mysteries and a collision of characters seemingly unconnected as the story progresses.

Oonagh is a dedicated journalist, still grieving for her father, she doesn't suffer fools, but she is loyal and trustworthy. Her polished outer shell hides a tender heart which she keeps well hidden. Her personal life is complicated, and she has a surprisingly deep friendship with DI Alec Davies a hardened Glasgow cop.

In the year 2000 chapters there are multiple storylines; a frustrated priest, a seedy journalist, cynical police and a successful doctor all have their own stories, but these are necessary to the plot and part of its perfectly pitched ending.

Realistic characters, a well-researched plot tempered with mystery and surprises make this a riveting, crime based thriller.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.