Éilis Lawlor is a widow caring for her two children asleep in their beds. When her son wakes to find no trace of his Mum he calls their babysitter. Pretty soon Detective Lottie Parker is called in and soon finds that this woman has literally vanished. With her keys, phone and handbag all present it's clear something untoward has happened to her. It soon transpires that she is part of a grief group and the other women in the group are shocked but it's also pretty clear there is more to the group than meets the eye.

As for Lottie and her colleague and love interest Boyd, things are getting a little 'stale' dare I say it. Boyd is trying to deal with the return of his ex-wife Jackie and frankly he needs to grow a set! This laid back persona is all well and good until you become the equivalent of a doormat. As for Lottie she is dealing with her Mum's decline with dementia. It was great to be back with all the usual characters and this book was certainly not terrible but for me the 'reveal' of the killer had me head scratching a little. That alongside the charcters sudden lack of oomph just meant this latest installment was a little bit 'meh'. I will of course be back for book 13 in the hope that Lottie, Boyd and all the others get more of a grip on things...

This is part of a series bit can also be read as a standalone.
It is gripping and gritty. It feels very realistic.
It is engrossing and entertaining.

Patricia Gibney’s crime fiction series starring DI Lottie Parker just keeps going from strength to strength and in her latest novel, Three Widows, this best-selling author has penned her darkest and most terrifying book yet.

The disappearance of young widow Éilis immediately set alarm bells ringing for Lottie Parker. Since the death of her husband, her young children all that she has and there is simply nothing that Éilis won’t do to give her kids the best possible childhood, having lost so much already. Éilis has started attending a support group for widows and when she vanishes off the face the earth leaving her two kids alone in the night, Lottie is convinced that something sinister is going on – a suspicion that is sadly proved right when Éilis’s broken body is found by the lake.

Lottie vows to get justice for Éilis and her children. However, when the body of another widow who attended the support group is found, Lottie cannot help but feel that the remaining widows might know far more than they are letting on. Who could possibly want Éilis and Jennifer dead? Why are the other women in the group claiming not to know anything about Jennifer and the fact that she barely left her house, save for attending the support group? What is behind her isolation? And why hasn’t she been going to work lately? Is it just grief? Or could it be something so terrifying that Jennifer had been left with no choice but to seek sanctuary inside her immaculate home?

Lottie vows to move heaven and earth to find out who killed Éilis and Jennifer. But with time not on her side, will she put the sadistic perpetrator behind bars before another body is found? Or is she already far too late?

Patricia Gibney writes superb crime thrillers that never fail to leave readers up all night turning the pages desperate to find out what is going to happen next and with Three Widows, she has once again penned a twisted, tense and terrifying tale that I couldn’t bear to put down. With Lottie Parker on top form as always, Three Widows is a heart-stopping page-turner that will have readers chewing their nails to the elbow.

Action-packed, full of twists and turns and so addictive it gives any Netflix binge a run for its money, Three Widows is the latest outstanding thriller from the fabulous Patricia Gibney.

Who doesn't love a new Detective Lottie Parker book? It's hard to believe that we are at the twelfth in the series, each book reads like the beginning of something new and exciting. These books are set in Ragmullin, Ireland a supposedly quiet town but in reality it has a heck of a lot of serious crimes.

Ragmullin has a new killer in town and this time they are targeting an already vulnerable group of women, the victims are part of a widows support group called Life After Loss. As if they haven't suffered enough they are brutally murdered and have further indignities inflicted upon their bodies. The killer does his best to eradicate his DNA then dresses them in a yellow dress that is too big for them, another turns up and others go missing. There is obviously a big significance in the dress but you'll have to read the book to find out what that is.

As always there's a lot going on in Lottie's personal and private, she seems unable to catch a break and have time to just be happy, to just live. In three Widows we find her mum Rose suffering from dementia and become more cantankerous than normal The whole family are finding it hard, bearing in mind that she has been a pivotal member of the family and they have relied on her greatly. On top of that we can throw Boyd's (Lottie's significant other) into the mix, he worries if he is now going to lose the his newly discovered son, Sergio as his not to be trusted ex is coming to Ireland as wherever Jackie goes trouble follows.

I found the discord and infighting within the team really rather sad, because as a general rule they've worked together as a brilliantly cohesive unit. I really felt that there were several times throughout this book that Lottie absolutely needed to bang some heads together. I thought there was a few unacceptable actions by some of the team that were let slide in the hope that they would give their collective heads a wobble and pull themselves together.

The time is coming that Lottie must make some really big decisions, one being to finally sort things with Lynch, this bad feeling between them isn't productive I feel she should either make peace or transfer her out. Another being Boyd needs to be issued with some kind of ultimatum regarding their lives together and for him to stop letting Jackie muck things up. I know he has a son with her but she behaves as if she can pitch up when she likes and cause chaos and mayhem for them both.

If you like a good police procedural by authors such as Angela Marsons, D. K. Hood and Rachel Lynch then Patricia Gibney should be right up your street. If you haven't read anything by this author you really are missing out.
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Thanks to the author Ms Gibney, Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone

A brilliant read
The twelfth book in the Detective Lottie Parker series
And I love this series and this book didn’t disappoint
Plenty of twists in this book it will keep you hooked
Can’t wait for the next in the series
Thanks NetGalley

Patricia Gibney's series featuring Ragmullin, Eire (Ireland) Detective Inspector Lottie Parker is one of my favourite current police procedural series. While Three Widows was a good read, I have to admit I was left a little underwhelmed by the resolution of the mystery.

A short prologue depicts someone disposing of a body, an "evil person who hurt good people, making me complicit in the crimes.", which foreshadows events a year later that form the major part of the narrative. Ragmullin women Éilis Lawlor, Jennifer O'Loughlin, Helena McCaul and Orla Keating meet regularly as a support group for widows and other women who have suffered a form of loss. But Jennifer hasn't turned up to a meeting for a while, and has been out of contact for a month. When a body is discovered on a deserted carnival ground, clad in an oversized yellow dress, readers anticipate the worst...

Meanwhile, group member Orla's husband Tyler has been missing for a year, neither he nor his car having been seen since he left home early one morning for an accounting conference. The reader is privy to the fact that Tyler was an unpleasant character, exerting coercive control over Orla in their relationship. It becomes clear that there are undercurrents in the "Life After Loss" group, a secret that has to be maintained and a fear of too many questions being asked in the wake of Jennifer's murder. Then Éilis too becomes a victim, leaving her two young children orphaned. Who is behind the attacks and what has motivated the targeting of these women?

The first three-quarters of this book met my expectations as a series reader, a good character-based plot with an intriguing backstory and plenty of added drama arising out of the dynamics within D.I. Lottie Parker's team. But the last part of the book, in which the killer and motive are revealed, seemed to veer off into quite bizarre territory that had me scratching my head and wondering if I'd missed something. Without wishing to include spoilers, I found the purported motive for the crime ill-matched to the rather theatrical modus operandi of the killer and inconsistent with the well-developed characterisations of the earlier part of the narrative.

Patricia Gibney creates an immersive setting in central Eire (Ireland), and a compelling cast of returning characters surrounding series lead D.I. Lottie Parker, including her partner D.S. Mark Boyd, the members of her investigative team and her multi-generational family unit. Both Parker and Boyd are dealing with increased personal pressure in this outing, as Parker's mother Rose is exhibiting signs of dementia and Boyd's ex-wife reappears, threatening his new relationship with his eight-year-old son Sergio. Personal tensions remain high between the detectives in Parker's team, frequently involving the uniformed gardai officers who assist them. Detective Larry Kirby plays a more central role in this instalment, as he becomes involved with an attractive local woman who has links to the "Life after Loss" group at the centre of the investigation.

I'd recommend Three Widows to lovers of the series and any reader who enjoys tightly-plotted character-driven police procedurals. D.I. Lottie Parker is an engaging protagonist and there is important series character development contained in Three Widows.

My thanks to the author, Patricia Gibney, publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I love Lottie I love her kids and her home. Her struggles with life and work and booze and relationships. It’s a scary town she lives in… so much goes on, and I hope she goes on too she is a warrior.. thanks

A complicated book - but when was a Lottie Parker book NOT complicated? Between murder cases and the personal lives of the team, there is always something going on.

Members of a widows support group are going missing and then turning up dead. Boyd's ex has turned up again and Lottie's mum's behaviour is worsening. Plenty of stuff to deal with right there.

I do love this series though and even though the conclusion of this one fell a little flat for me, I am still looking forward to the next one!

4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

A bit disappointed with this Lottie story. It had some good moments but the ending left me feeling frustrated. Hopefully, the next one is better.
** Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. **

I've been on a reading slump lately, and this book might just have ended it! I couldn't wait to finish it and really enjoyed the book. I love the way Lottie is described as this kick arse detective, but still has to deal with family problems like her mother's illness, and Boyd's own family issues. This was really a brilliant read, and I can't wait for book number 13!
Highly recommended!!
TB

This is the twelfth book in the series featuring Detective Lottie Parker. It is a good series of books but this reads well as a stand-alone. Lottie is called out when a woman’s mutilated body is found in a field. On investigation she finds that the woman had disappeared a month previously after vanishing from her home leaving her two young children and her phone and keys behind. Lottie also discovers that the woman was a member of a widows’ support group. When the body of another young woman from the group is found Lottie suspects that someone from the group may be responsible but they all seem to be keeping secrets. We learn more about Lottie and her boyfriend and colleague Mark’s relationship is progressing. He is having problems with his ex wife and Lottie is still dealing with her mother’s dementia. This is a brilliant series of books but I’d don’t think this was one of the best but still look forward to book number thirteen.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Whoa what a read. A rollercoaster that opens up with a terror filled bang. This was captivating and fear inducing throughout. It was well told with wonderful characters. The plot flowed smooth and quick. Oozes suspense. Twisty and turning. A perfect read

I was very excited to get the opportunity to review The Three Widows as I thought the plot sounded very exciting and I was not disappointed. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.

Another well written book with great characters in this series. I would highly recommend this series to everyone. I'm looking forward to reading more

Another excellent book in the Lottie Parker series, I have read every book and they just get better and better. Highly recommended. Patricia Gibney is an excellent author who brings her characters to life.

Another great book from one of my favourite authors.

I love the way the story unravels and ends. Lottie always gets to the root of the case even though she has a lot of other things this year.

I can’t wait for the next instalment.. I highly recommend this book. Five stars from me

Another fantastic installment from Lottie and the team. Fast paced, kept you guessing and twist after twist. What a roller coaster.

Thank you #Netgalley for my ARC copy.

A support group for widows is targeted by a killer. Detective Inspector Lottie Parker has an emotional and intriguing case to unpick. Can she keep the other widows safe?
Three Widows is the 12th book in the Lottie Parker series. Each can be read as a stand alone novel but the personal side of Lottie's life has threaded through the books.
Jennifer's mutilated body is found in a field. The forensic details are quite grisly but delivered in an objective way by the pathologist. DI Parker discovers the victim vanished a month ago and was a member of a widows' support group. Then another widow disappears and Lottie's team frantically try to locate her before the killer strikes again.
Most of the book is written from the third person perspective which allows us to see Lottie's investigation as well as anticipate the next victim. We also see the killer's viewpoint as they plan and carry out their crimes.
Lottie's personal life faces turmoil once more. Her mother is becoming more confused as dementia takes hold. Her boyfriend Boyd has been reunited with the young son he didn't know existed but now his ex is back on the scene. Lottie needs to juggle her homelife with her career and try not to leave either affect the other.
Three Widows is an enjoyable detective murder mystery and thriller.

#ThreeWidowsDetectiveLottieParkerBook12 #NetGalley I love the Lottie Parker series and have read every one of them. This was another good story but it was not my favourite. There were a lot of characters and it took me a while before I worked out where each fitted in and reading via a kindle it is not as easy to go back and re-read a particular part of a chapter. It seemed that Lottie's team were not as focused as they could be and although they were uncovering new bits of information, they could not tie them together - however, I suppose this can happen in a real investigation! I still enjoyed the book and when the action came it was very fast paced and exciting. I hope Lottie can get to grips with Kirby and McKeown n the next installment as they need their heads banging together!!

Another brilliant addition to this series! Lottie Parker is still a firm favourite for me. Keep bringing it Patricia Gibney please!