Two mysteries with an able policewoman proving her skills: great, knotty plot🚨

4.5🌟 stars
Two hard mysteries for the Irish Garda to solve that had me stumped for the longest time, too! I loved how the author kept me guessing and constantly re-evaluating the potential suspects. With a young single mother murdered and her two year old daughter missing, there's plenty of drama and legions of law enforcement officers spring into action. The focus, however, remains on Garda Maggie Darcy and a few colleagues as they sift through the scant evidence, look for the child and then her mother's killer. I thought the opening was very low key, but the story quickly picked up urgency when Maggie discovered the dead woman.

The plot was plenty complicated and unpredictable for my liking and I like Maggie, who has to reestablish her credentials in the Irish force since she's a transplant from the U.S. Plenty of detective experience, but she has to work her way up from street patrol and, fortunately for her, a shortage of investigative officers allows her to demonstrate her detective skills on this case. There's an interesting dynamic between her and her male detective colleagues. I did not like how they seemed to question or just disregard her ideas and crow over their own when they turned up results. Whether that was because she's American or a woman or both, I was happy with her persistence in spite of their behavior. And when their interrogation tactics don't work and hers do: yes-s!

The author came up with a fresh combination here. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Where is 2 year old Laurel? Her mother Jade has been murdered in their home and the toddler is missing. Maggie D'arcy, an American once a detective in the US is now, finally a Garda in Dublin where she's moved with her daughter Lily. Yes, she's walking the beat but then she's brought in to help with the twisty case. Jade was a model before Laurel was born after what Maggie is led to understand was a one night stand of sorts with Laurel's father. But nothing about what she's told-about the relationship, about Jade, and so on sits quite right with Maggie and she probes to first find Laurel and then to identify Jade's killer. I'm a huge fan of this series for the characters as well as the complex mysteries, which started with one in Maggie's own life. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books -this will be fine as a standalone. Which is my one quibble-those who have been following along should know there's less of the personal here. Admittedly that leaves more room for the fully fleshed out and twisty mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm eager for the next one. Great read.

Maggie D’arcy has completed her training and has officially joined the Garda in Ireland. While she waits for an opportunity to be promoted to detective, she is on patrol and is called to the scene of a murder. Not only does Maggie recognize it as an address she had been to a few days before after a domestic disturbance call, she also realizes that the victim had a toddler who is now missing. On loan to the detectives for this case, can Maggie find the child in time? Will her knowledge of the neighborhood help?

Maggie has been on quite a journey in this series, and it’s nice to see this natural step in her career. The plot starts strongly. While it does get a little uneven in the middle, things pick up when we get to several logical twists at the climax. I liked how Maggie’s knowledge of the neighborhood where the crime took place played an important part of the plot. The suspects come to life, and it is nice to see Maggie’s relationships grown, both personally and professionally. As a police procedural, this is a bit darker than the cozies I typically read, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. If you are looking for a solid police procedural set in Ireland, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.

Just love this particular series of police procedurals. I especially love the character Maggie D'Arcy and love the concept that she came over to Ireland as an American and is making a name for herself as a police detective.

Maggie D’Arcy is finally a Garda after months of training. It is a step down from her American role as a homicide detective in Long Island, but she is happy. She loves community policing with her partner in the Portobello neighborhood in Dublin. Things change when she and her partner are called to a murder. The victim, a former reality TV star and model, has been found strangled in her house. But, to their horror, they find out that the victim also has a toddler daughter, and she is nowhere to be found. Due to Garda shortages because of a gang murder, Maggie is brought in to help investigate. They are not only tasked with finding the toddler but solving the murder. And the deeper that Maggie digs into the victim’s life (professional and personal), the muddier it gets. Who killed the victim and why? And more importantly, where is the baby?

A Stolen Child is the 4th book in the Maggie D’Arcy series. This book can be read as a standalone book. But I always suggest reading the previous books to catch up on the backstories. I have added books 1-3 to my Goodreads list, and hopefully, I will get to read them at some point.

A Stolen Child is a medium to fast-paced book. I was a little torn on how to describe the book’s pacing. It was fast-paced up to about the middle of the book and then slowed down to a medium pace. I thought that slowing down the storyline would throw the reader off. Surprisingly, it didn’t. There was a slight lag after Laurel was found, but it didn’t affect my interest.

A Stolen Child occurs entirely in Dublin, Ireland, with a few brief forays into a small village on the outskirts of Dublin. I loved it. Ireland ranks very high on my bucket list of places to visit when the kids leave the house.

The main storyline centers around Maggie and the investigation into Jade Eliot’s death and the disappearance of her toddler, Laurel. The author did a fantastic job of showing how the Garda deals with child abductions in Ireland. I also loved seeing how the police investigated a murder in Ireland. When Laurel was found (about halfway through the book), the author turned the storyline into Jade’s murder, which became this twisty-turny storyline that captivated me.

The characters in A Stolen Child were well-written and well-fleshed out. Even the secondary characters had a depth to them that I liked.

I liked Maggie. She was no-nonsense about her job and genuinely enjoyed it. I was thrilled with her when she was asked to be on the murder investigation. It made sense since she was a homicide detective in Long Island. She brought an American approach to Jade’s murder investigation that I felt helped it.

The main storyline, Laurel’s disappearance and Jade’s murder, was well written. I was genuinely afraid that they wouldn’t find Laurel alive. I also did guess who took her. It wasn’t a huge stretch to figure it out. But, on the other hand, Jade’s murder was this twisty turny mess. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who killed her. I was not expecting who it was or her storyline’s turn. Talk about a substantial unexpected twist for both.

I wasn’t too sure what to make of the ending. As I said above, there were a couple of massive twists that I didn’t see coming. I am hoping that there will be a book 5. I am curious if Maggie gets promoted to detective in the Garda.

I recommend A Stolen Child to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Stewart Taylor for allowing me to read and review A Stolen Child. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

This is a magnificent police procedural story. Readers will never guess who the killer is until it is revealed. The plot takes readers on several surprising twists and turns. It was so interesting that I read it in one sitting. Maggie is an American immigrant in Ireland. Her along with the other characters are an interesting mix. Their drive to solve the case and excitement when they do is contagious. Beneath all the crimes is also Maggie’s love story that will also endear readers.

I believe this book has won the award for the most twists and turns ever found between two covers. I will be recovering from whiplash for the next week, and I am not sorry about it. Sarah Stewart Taylor has created an astonishing plot that just keeps on giving. I was on the edge of my seat, the world around me shut down, and I was suddenly a Garda Detective in Dublin. This is the fourth book in the series and can be read as a standalone. I will be going back and diving into the last three books, you know I love to start a series a few books in. The characters are layered, the mystery is deep, dark, and just keeps giving. I thought I had it all figured out and another fifty twists happened.

Maggie D’arcy and her daughter Lily are finally settled into their new Dublin life. Maggie is working with her partner Jason as an officer. Walking the beat and saving Donald Duck on a weekly basis. When they discover Jade, a young woman strangled in her apartment and her almost two-year-old daughter missing. All hands are on deck and Maggie is able to put her detective skills to work. At first it appears as if there are no new leads. Where could the child be and why was Jade strangled. With one pull of a thread the case opens up. It starts pouring down information, everyone is suddenly involved, but in what way. Will the young child be found safe?

This is one intense rollercoaster ride, and I loved every second of it. The pages flew by in a blur. My mind was trying to decipher what was going on and how all of the pieces fit together. The ending had my jaw on the floor and an aha moment came crashing down upon me. Thank you to Sarah Stewart Taylor and Minotaur Books for this spellbinding read. I will be recommending this book to everyone who is within yelling distance.

Maggie D'Arcy, an ex-New York homicide detective, completed her training and is walking a beat as a member the Gardá with hopes of returning to investigation at some point in the future. When called to the scene of a murder and possible child abduction, Maggie and her partner realize that had been called there for a domestic disturbance recently. Loaned to the investigation for a few days, she becomes enmeshed in the search for the toddler. Meanwhile she still is navigating her and new relationship and combining of families. This well-told story resonates with sharply drawn characters and a structured mystery. While you can read this as a standalone, why deprive yourself of the pleasure of reading the whole arc of Maggie's story and the three other mysteries highlighted.

This was my first book by Sarah Stewart Taylor and I really enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Minitour for approving me to read this book. I really enjoyed my time in Ireland with Maggie, Roly and friends. I loved the fact that there were no time jumps so the story flowed from start to finish. I also loved the use of slang ie: youse and eejit as it made the dialogue more realistic than forced. Thought the story was well paced and the characters well drawn. It was a great mystery with a murder, a missing child, and a pedophile all rolled into one story. Didn't like the constant use of street directions (maybe if I lived in Ireland, it would have made sense) but going from this street to that street made little sense to me. Overall, I thought it was a good mystery and hopefully I'll have time to go back and read the other books by this author.

This is the 4th book in the Maggie D’arcy series and I highly recommend starting this series from the beginning with The Mountains Wild. In this book , Maggie and her family have moved to Ireland and Maggie has joined the Garda. The story is taut and well plotted. I really love these characters and the stories surrounding them. An excellent entry!

This is 4th in the Maggie D’Arcy mystery/police procedural series about a Long Island homicide detective who has moved with her teenaged daughter to Dublin to live with her lover and his son.

Maggie has just completed her Garda training and is assigned to a local neighborhood as a street cop when she is temporarily pulled into the murder case of a young model and her missing toddler. There are lots of suspects, twists and turns and a big surprise during the denouement.

This has really turned out to be a new favorite mystery series for me as there’s good writing with interesting characters and well plotted storylines.

Recommended.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of A Stolen Child for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Compelling and atmospheric tale of murder, kidnapping and various other goings-on in Dublin. An American detective who is living there is now becoming a Garda for Ireland. All characters are fully developed, and I look forward to the next in the series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC!

Continuing the story of American Maggie D'Arcy after her move to Ireland with her daughter, this book focuses on the murder of a mother, whose young daughter disappears at the time of her murder. Maggie, demoted to a patrol officer after having to start from scratch in the Irish Garda, nevertheless gets to use some of her homicide detective skills in the investigation. As with all of Taylor's books, this one has a lovely sense of place, engaging characters, and a well-plotted mystery. It was a delightful, fast read, and I look forward to the next in the series! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

Another terrific entry in the Maggie D'Arcy series. In book #4, Maggie has finished re-training to be a police officer in Ireland, but is back to being a patrol officer, after previously ranking as a detective in the US. The case of a murdered mother and a missing toddler allows her to work with the team trying to solve the mystery and prove herself as worthy of a promotion. At home, she and her teenaged daughter are still adjusting to life in Dublin as they blend families with her boyfriend and his teenaged son. The case goes in two directions as the police realize the person who took the toddler may not be the same person who murdered the young mother. Everything eventually comes to a satisfying conclusion and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Sarah Stewart Taylor gives us a complicated murder and child kidnapping in A Stolen Child.

Garda Maggie D’arcy is now fully located in Ireland and living with Colin and the kids. She has finished her training and is walking her beat. This duty introduces D’arcy to a number of interesting characters which end up in the middle of the mystery of a mystery.

The mystery is solid. I love how Taylor breaks it all down. This is my third book in the series and I am concerned that this the third story with a child pedophile as part of the story. I am not denying that 1.6% of all children are sexually abused.a I just don’t think that every mystery involves a pedophile unless you are working in sex crimes or family relations.

The romance is unrealistic to me as both adults are mature and parents. Moving in together so quickly after reconnecting after twenty years just doesn’t make sense to me as a parent or as an adult.

I love traveling around Ireland. I like the detective crew with the exception of D’arcy’s new partner. I don’t understand how an experienced detective in New York who has experienced stereotypical harassment would react to Fiore the way she did.

If you just concentrate on the mystery, you will thoroughly enjoy A Stolen Child.

I have really enjoyed the previous books in the Maggie D’Arcy series, and I definitely enjoyed this one as well! Reading about Maggie’s newest adventure is like learning what one of your friends has recently been up to — and how her relationship with Conor is coming along. Additionally, each has been an extremely well-written and plotted police procedural with just the right amount of twists and turns. I definitely look forward to solving more mysteries in the future with Maggie D’Arcy!

A stunning mystery thriller that will leave readers at the edge of their seats.

An American in Ireland implanted as a member of elite.

I was turning the pages one after the other and astonishingly finished before I could register what was actually happening.

A thrill ride packed with twist, turns, and suspense unlike any others I’ve read in quite some time.

I will be recommending this read to my thriller book club upon release!

A Stolen Child, by Sarah Stewart Taylor, is an international police procedural featuring Maggie D’Arcy, a New York detective who has relocated her family and career to Dublin, Ireland. This book is the fourth in the Maggie D’Arcy series, but I enjoyed it as a standalone – although it’s made me want to read the whole series.
Maggie has trained to be a Garda, aspiring to be a detective again in this new country, and is currently assigned to community policing in Dublin. She and her partner are called to check on a potential Domestic Violence complaint, but the woman who answers the door says there’s no problem, it was just a loud television show. Then, a week later, the woman is found dead in her apartment, and her toddler child is missing. Maggie and her partner wonder, what did they miss on that earlier call?
Then Maggie is assigned to the detective team for the case, temporarily filling in while the team works another high-profile case. It’s a chance for her to use her detective skills and her commitment to and knowledge of the community she’s been working in. She’s also balancing the intense requirements of the case against her personal life – her daughter, her lover and his son, remodeling the lover’s home so it can be sold and they can all move to a new home together. And she’s still adjusting to Irish culture.
What I found most compelling about the book is how Maggie’s professional skills as a detective combine with the professional and personal skills in listening, observing, intuiting the spots where something is off but there’s no obvious clue. As she and the team sort through the facts and witnesses, she weighs a witnesses’ reaction against her own experience as a mother, tests someone’s statements against her sense of whether they might be lying and why.
The book is mostly dialogue – the investigators, the witnesses, the family of the victim, questioning the neighbors – and when the investigation really gets underway this technique becomes a fascinating way to show how police questioning works. It was fascinating to read the questioning and see Maggie’s reactions, her quick shifts in technique based on an unexpected answer or a small revealing physical movement, or something left unsaid. The dialogue took me right inside the police procedural process, how it works and how it feels.
The book is well plotted, and the characters are complex and very individual. It held my interest, and was hard to put down. I’m anxious to go back and read the earlier Maggie D’Arcy books in the series.

United States Publication: June 20, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Maggie D'arcy is a ex-pat in Ireland, having moved from Long Island, and her well-established police career, to hopefully build a life with her Irish-born and bred boyfriend and begin a second police career. However, she has to start from scratch and while on her street beat as a Garda, she and her partner are called to a crime scene. Her detective instincts and training kick in upon arriving on the scene but as a Garda she has to practice self-control and keep her observations to herself. However, Maggie's friend on the force invites her to join the investigation and lend her skills to finding not only the murderer but the child that seems to have been abducted in the wake of her mother being murdered. The clock is ticking as it's all hands on deck to find the missing baby.

I haven't read books 1-3 in this series and after reading this book, I'm not interested in reading them. I didn't really connect with this series or the main character of Maggie D'arcy. It looks like the author has spent time living in Ireland but is not native to Ireland and I think that comes through in her writing. I've read other titles based in Ireland and by Irish-based authors and there are some significant differences between those native authors and those who aren't native to the country and its culture. The author's attempts to bring authenticity to her Irish-based (mostly) series didn't feel true and felt more like a parody than true-to-life.

A transplanted American Detective now a Garda in Ireland.
A good intriguing mystery, suspense with twists and turns,
Good story and characters held my total interest.
Voluntarily reviewed.