Complex, sophisticated, and sharp!

In this latest novel by Taylor, A Distant Grave, we head back to Long Island, where Detective Maggie D’arcy finds herself once again immersed in an investigation that will take her from the streets of NY to the green hills of Ireland when an Irish international aid worker with a complicated past is found suspiciously murdered on the beach in Bay Shore Manor Park.

The writing is absorbing and meticulous. The characters are multifaceted, intuitive, and persistent. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine methodically into a sinister mix of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deduction, mayhem, manipulation, corruption, politics, violence, and murder.

Overall, A Distant Grave is a dark, crafty, intriguing tale by Taylor that is thoroughly entertaining and undoubtedly another highly satisfying addition to the Maggie D’arcy series.

Pub day: June 22, 2021
Thank you to my wonderful friends @minotaur_books for the gifted copy to read and review.

With the release of book two, the Maggie D’Arcy series officially has a place on my forever shelf. Check out my stories and feed for my review of book one.

Maggie and Lilly are still recovering from what happened last fall, when a new case enters the picture. An unidentified Irish national is murdered on the beach in a wealthy Long Island community. The case straddles the Ireland and the U.S as Maggie teams up with the Garda in Ireland and works the case at home, paralleling her personal struggle to balance her lives in both places.

Like the first book, A Distant Grave is atmospheric, beautifully written and an absorbing read. I love a book that combines personal lives with mystery and Stewart Taylor has found a stellar balance in this series. I loved Gabriel’s interludes and thought they really added to the richness of the story.

And let’s talk about Maggie. She’s the best kind of lead character. Smart, determined and human. Her relationship with Lilly brought out all my emotions.

The parallels the author creates between the cases across the country and the characters personal lives were clever and definitely kept me guessing. There are so many layers here and I want to read more about the hidden adoption of Irish children.

And I am SO invested in seeing what happens with Pugh!! It’s a slow tease and I’m here for it. Book three, please !?😍

Highly recommend this book and series to mystery readers across the board and especially those who love a series that brings the thrills and lets you into the characters lives.

Homicide detective Maggie D'arcy gets called in when the body of an unidentified man is found shot dead near a wealthy Long Island beach community. When the victim is identified as Irish national Gabriel Treacy, Maggie teams up again with Garda detectives in Ireland to find out what he doing on Long Island. As Maggie and her teenaged daughter Lilly are still coping with the tragic events from last year, they travel to Ireland on their planned vacation to see Conor and his teenaged son Adrien. But the murder of Gabriel's solicitor draws Maggie away from her family vacation and she is eventually forced to return to Long Island to continue the investigation and stop a determined killer.

While the first Maggie D'arcy book The Mountains Wild was one of my top reads of 2020, this story does not hit the same highmark for me.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

4.25/5⭐️

I was happy to see this second in series coming out as I really enjoyed the first one (The Mountains Wild) as well as discovering a new author to enjoy.

This one takes up shortly after the events of the previous one, with Maggie D’Arcy, a Long Island homicide detective, caught up in a seemingly random robbery on a local beach. The victim, Gabriel Treacy, is an Irishman working in humanitarian aid who has no apparent reason for being in the US. Shortly after his death, his attorney in Ireland is also randomly murdered. Maggie travels to Ireland and back working on connecting the cases and discovers mysteries dating back to Gabriel’s stint as an aide in Afghanistan.

There’s plenty of corruption, deceit and cover ups here as well as tightly-honed suspense and tension as Maggie uncovers sinister truths that also threatens her family. Well written, with a good balance of job/personal life (there is some romance too), and some twists and turns to keep you riveted. Recommended and hope to read future adventures.

My thanks go to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This is the second book in this series and I think it’s better than the first one. It’s a tense police thriller and sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s definitely a page turner! Looking forward to where Maggie goes next.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

The following review was published on my blog on 06.19.21:

Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for A Distant Grave, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Mountains Wild. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

When a Dublin man is found murdered on a Long Island beach, Detective Maggie D'Arcy is called upon to help with the investigation. Although her colleagues believe Gabriel Treacy was robbed and killed by a local gang, likely at random, Maggie's not so sure. The old scars on the dead man's back say there's more to Gabriel's story than meets the eye. What was he doing in New York? Who made sure he'd never return to Ireland? And why?

Maggie is just about to leave for Ireland anyway, already having planned to travel there with her teenage daughter, who is still reeling after her father's suicide. Anxious to see her boyfriend, Trinity professor Connor Kearney; let their children get to know each other; and help Lilly heal away from the place where her father died, Maggie decides to combine work with pleasure. Flying off during an intense police investigation doesn't sit well with Maggie's superiors, but she knows she's the best person to look into Gabriel's death in his home country. Working with her Garda friends is sure to produce some answers in what is becoming an increasingly puzzling case. When another murder ups the ante, Maggie finds herself back in New York working frantically to solve the crime before she, too, ends up dead.

I'm always thrilled when I find a new crime series to love. The Mountains Wild, the first book in the Maggie D'Arcy series by Sarah Stewart Taylor, pulled me in with its enticing blend of atmospheric setting, likable characters, and intriguing plot. A Distant Grave (available June 22, 2021), the second installment, offers the same in another story that is just as engrossing, just as exciting as the first. It's finely crafted, skillfully told, and wholly enjoyable. Needless to say, I'm anxious for the next volume. And the next and the next...

(Readalikes: Reminds me of the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey and of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad novels)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of A Distant Grave from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a fabulous read. I just love finding new and addictive detective series, particularly those with a strong female protagonist. And the icing on the cake, - the dual setting of this book, with the story - alternating between Long Island, NY and in and around County Clare, Ireland - ticks off even more boxes on my “must-read-o-meter”.

For doesn’t absolutely everything read better under “an Irish sky, blue-black,smudged with stars, salt water on the air”?

Lieutenant Maggie D’Arcy is one of that rare breed of perfectly cast female cops - tough, smart, compassionate and at the same time, deeply in touch with, and completely respectful of her “feelings” and the role they play in teaching her what to pay attention to.

Maggie, - as a cop, a mother, a lover, and as the narrator of our story - is one of the best drawn and interesting female protagonists I’ve come upon in a long while. (In my mind, Maggie’s multi-layered backstory, along with the unfolding of her current romantic situation and the challenges she and her daughter are battling, would count as compelling enough to make the book well worth reading, even on its own).

And yet, delightfully, we also have a crime to solve.

“Every crime scene has an immediate atmosphere, visual details you take in unconsciously that your brain uses to create a theory of what happened. My brain is telling me it’s more methodical than it looks.”.

As Maggie, and her partner Dave Milich work to find the identity of a Long Island killer, ties to Ireland quickly arise. First, for Maggie in her personal life, as her current love, Conor, resides there, along with her heart and her need to be with him. Secondly, links from the murder victim also lead back to Ireland, providing a plot segue that allows us to shadow Maggie in action (personally and professionally) on both sides of the globe.

And what a wonderful trip it is. As the author so cleverly points out, Maggie knows her job to be all about observing people, “what they do and why they do it”, whether or not all the pieces observed end up tying into the crime at play.

In a setting where “the air is cool and smells faintly sweet, like new grass and gin and honey”, as Maggie gets her “feel for the place”, we learn along with Maggie.

“These small towns never fail to surprise me. It’s all intrigue and secrets, isn’t it?”

The plot dazzles with twists and turns; mysteries hinted at; friends, family, colleagues and suspects to be coaxed into providing their revelations.

And so Maggie and her team have their hands full, right up to the very satisfying ending of this terrific read. The second in the “Maggie D’Arcy” series by this author, I’m happy to know I have another earlier Maggie book to look forward to.

A great big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance review copy of this book in return for an honest review. All thoughts presented are my own.

Suspenseful writing with a few surprising twists. I didn’t enjoy as much as book one but it was good. If you haven’t read the first book I highly recommend it but it can be read as a stand alone.
Book two picks up much later with all of the main characters. Not predictable you have to wait to the very end for everything to come out. I recommend it for mystery-thrillers. Thanks Minotaur Books via Netgalley

The second installment in the Maggie D'arcy series follows Dectective Maggie D'arcy as she investigates an Irishman who is found in her jurisdiction in New York. Dective D'arcy is surprised when she has to follow a lead on her vacation in Ireland when visiting her boyfriend Connor. Will she be able to solve the case?

This one was a good follow up to The Mountains Wild. I do feel like this one was lacking some in regards to being a page-turner. I just don't feel it quite lived up to my expectations after reading The Mountains Wild, but it was still an enjoyable read. I will definitely continue with this series.

I ended up enjoying this one even more than the first in the series. More time in this book is spent in Long Island than Ireland, and somehow the author has managed to make that setting come to life just as vividly as the Irish one. Trauma is explored a lot in this one- the ones that Maggie and her daughter are healing from as well as the ones experienced by the victim Maggie's investigating. I though the Irish/US investigation plot worked out really well, and the story was tense and well paced.

Who killed Gabriel Traecy? The Irishman, a humanitarian worker, was shot to death on Long Island but nothing about the crime makes sense, especially to Lt. Maggie D'arcy. She's about to leave with her daughter Lily for two weeks in Ireland to see her boyfriend Conor and finds herself taking the case with her. Traecy was well respected by his peers but no one knows why he was in the US. And then, before she can interview him, his attorney is murdered. The story is told largely by Maggie with periodic interjections by Traecy- his sections focus not only on his childhood but also on when he was held prisoner in Afghanistan. This twists back and forth between the US and Ireland. Maggie's partners in both locations are terrific, the Irish atmospherics good, and Maggie herself is a treat. I read and very much admired the first book and if I have a quibble about this one it's that it would have benefited greatly (hugely) from a couple more sentences (a paragraph would have done) about what happened to so traumatize Lily. This will be fine as a standalone because that's not critical to the story but it would have enhanced the experience. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a twisty complicated mystery that goes a little sideways at the end but it's still an excellent read.

I had not read anything by this author nor did I read the first book in this series. I think I might have fared better if I had as I never felt connected to the characters from the very beginning. Detective Maggie D’arcy is called to the scene of a man who was visiting from Ireland and was shot on the beach. The musings by the man before he was shot was confusing as he seemed to know that he was going to die and accepted the situation. Since Maggie has a history from her past visit to Ireland, she leaves for Ireland to discover why the man was in Long Island and who wanted him dead…and why. Will Maggie decide that maybe Ireland, and her boyfriend Conor, would be the best place for her and her daughter Lilly? It was a bit of a struggle for me to finish this one, although I did enjoy when she faced off against Jay at the very end. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Sarah Stewart Taylor's latest mystery series featuring Detective Maggie D'Arcy with the Suffolk County P.D. continues with this second installment that kept me enthralled from the get-go.

A man is found shot to death on the beach in Bay Shore, Long Island, and Maggie's team is called in to investigate. Was it a mugging? A gang shooting? They learn the victim was a visitor from Ireland named Gabriel Treacy, who worked for an international aid organization. His body bears terrible scars. What is his story? Why was he in NY? They need to interview his friends and coworkers back in Ireland to find out more. Maggie just happens to have plans to visit her friend and lover, Conor, in Ireland, so she's given the go-ahead to fly there to make further inquiries.

This is a very intriguing police procedural with international overtones. The plot is well paced with interesting characters and well-described settings. Interspersed among the details of the current investigation are italicized sections relating the past story of the victim. Fleshing out the plot are relationship and family problems and tensions at work.

I will definitely look forward to reading more in this series to see in which direction the author takes this character and series. If Maggie's relationship with Conor is serious, decisions will have to be made about where to live and work.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

This was an entertaining second book in the gripping mystery series by Sarah Stewart Taylor.

I have loved both books in this series because they are well written and have interesting characters. Speaking of characters, I am hoping Maggie’s relationship with Connor will feature more prominently in future books of this series.

Sarah Stewart Taylor writes her mystery plots so well that it is impossible to figure out the murderer. I also enjoyed the way she conveyed the sense of silent menace/being watched throughout the book.

As a finishing touch to this gripping mystery, the book culminated in an exciting finish. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this mystery series!

A Distant Grave follows on the success of last year’s first in this series, The Mountains Wild. I wish that both books had slightly more engaging titles and covers as they deserve to be picked up and read. I gave a very favorable review to The Mountains Wild. Ideally, it should be read before A Distant Grave as otherwise there are some spoilers at thes beginning of the book. Readers who are fine with that can certainly start with this one though.

Maggie D’Arcy is again straddling two continents; part of this title takes place in North America (on Long Island) and part in Europe (Ireland). There are also sections that take place in Afghanistan. Each locale is fully brought to life.

Familiar characters from the first book abound; these include Maggie’s daughter, Lilly; her uncle, Frank; Irish boyfriend Conor and the many police and legal officers in both places. I enjoyed spending time with all of them.

Maggie’s case centers on the perplexing death of humanitarian aid worker, Gabriel who is murdered in Maggie’s neighborhood. There are many strands to his life and death. Does his demise have to do with his mother’s rebellious and independent nature that led her to be a single mother in conservative Ireland? Does it have to do with who Gabriel’s father was? Why was Gabriel’s Irish lawyer also murdered? What does the case have to do with Gabriel’s time in Afghanistan (if anything)? Are there connections between the murders and some of those with whom Maggie works in New York? What brought Gabriel to New York any way?

Readers can intuit that with all of these questions, finding the answers will make for an involving read. There is the added plus of the fully realized and engaging characters.

I highly recommend this title to those who enjoy mystery and suspense novels. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher! All opinions are my own.

Sarah Stewart Taylor’s A Distant Grave starts like a thunderstorm and ends like a hurricane, building throughout the book. The book opens in Gabriel Traecy’s point of view as he explores the rocky beach of Bay Shore, Long Island. He senses he is being observed and as he anticipates, he is murdered by a single shot. Detective Maggie D’Arcy is called to the scene and starts her investigation, hoping she can solve it before her scheduled trip to Ireland..

The investigation starts in New York and continues in Ireland as Maggie begins her vacation, then returns to New York as Maggie is forced to return by the DA, who has a grudge against her. Gabriel is an Irish national and Maggie is able to get some investigation done while on vacation, including uncovering an unexplained link between Gabriel and the DA who orders Maggie home.

The story of the investigation is peppered with passages told from Gabriel’s point of view, remembering a time he was held hostage in Afghanistan. While the investigation turns up information about the hostage event and with a growing indication this is connected somehow with the murder, Maggie and her team are constantly frustrated as someone seems to always be one step ahead, resulting in the death of several people connected with Gabriel’s past.

The plot is intricate and well designed. Gabriel has spent his life working with non-government aid organizations in a lifetime of service to others. What connects him with the DA on Long Island and why would a murderer lurk in the shadows intent on killing him? Maggie feels as if she and Lilly, her daughter, are both being watched. Is Lilly in danger? Maggie is constantly torn between trying to do her job and insuring the safety of her daughter.

The pace builds steadily to a crescendo and has the reader fully engaged from start to finish. In the final few chapters, the book becomes so compelling many readers will likely push to finish it, even if it means staying up well into the night.

There is a resolution to Gabriel’s murder with the end leaving the reader with thoughts about what is next for Maggie, for the department, and for secondary characters such as Maggie’s grandfather, her partner Dave, her boyfriend Conor, and her daughter Lilly. Many readers will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series to learn where everyone goes from here.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Loved the second book in the series. Aggie goes back to ve with her boyfriend, Conor, and there becomes involved in a murder investigation with ties to both Ireland and the United States. I loved the descriptive writing and the bookade me want to book a flight to Dublin.

Sarah Stewart Taylor moved to my list of favorite authors when I read The Mountains Wild with strong characters, in-depth plotting, and atmospheric surroundings. The second book in the Maggie D'arcy series didn't disappoint. Maggie finds her latest case on Long Island has connections to Ireland, and threatens to derail her vacation plans there as she gets pulled into the investigation. Maggie's a tough broad and a good cop, but is beginning to wonder if it's time for her to move on, both literally and figuratively. I liked that it addressed the issue of moving to Ireland realistically; all too often, fiction makes it seem too easy for someone to simply pick up and start over again, but there will be hurdles if Maggie moves to Ireland. Looking forward to the next chapter in the Maggie D'arcy series.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

I really like the Maggie D'arcy character and her side romance and Irish heritage. The mystery has many parts that eventually click together with few flaws. A couple of twists influences the direction of the investigation. The police characters give summaries which helps to keep everything straight with so many characters and directions regarding the case of a murdered Irish aid worker while visiting Long Island. Who and why are top priorities in this smart story.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

What a terrific read. “A Distant Grave” is the follow up novel to “The Mountains Wild”, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s first novel featuring Long Island detective Maggy D'arcy. Both books take place in both Long Island and the Republic of Ireland. Ms Taylor's descriptions of Ireland are so vivid I could almost feel myself driving the country lanes and exploring the glorious countryside. This novel is a well constructed mystery and is quite suspenseful. My only wish is that I had gone back and skimmed her first novel before reading this one to re- familiarize myself with the relationships between the many characters. I am already looking forward to the next chapter in Maggy D'arcy's life.