Thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. Hard going for me at times and admit to not finishing reading. My opinion only and would guess that others may enjoy it more.
Many thanx to NetGalley,, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

Review: Blood Mothers ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Author: Gaye Maguire
Publication Date: 12 February 2023
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Mystery & Thrillers | General Fiction ( Adult)

Brilliant read from start to finish. I could not put this book down. I devoured this book in one sitting. It was well written and easy to follow the different story lines which I loved.

Totally gripping
A series of brutal murders have started to take place around Dublin and it’s up to DS Kate Hamilton and the rest of the elite Murder Squad to investigate and try to figure out what is going on before any more people get killed
This book caught my attention right from the beginning and I was so quickly pulled into the story, desperate to know how everything linked up. I don’t want to give spoilers so from here on some things may seem a bit wooly. A lot of Ireland’s past has come to light in the last few years with the mother and baby homes and the Magdalene laundries and this book looks at one girls experience in a private mother and baby home but it’s not until very late in the story that we discover how her story links through to what is happening
I really liked Kate and the rest of the Murder Squad as characters, they felt so believable and I ended up so invested and wanting to know more about them, especially Kate, and got caught up in their investigations. There are twists and turns throughout including a lot that I wasn’t expecting which drew me into the story further and I’m really hoping that this is part of a series so I can see more of some totally fabulous characters and the authors brilliant writing style
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a murder mystery story that goes against what you expect, that challenges you and makes you question things you though you know and which you will be caught up in right from the beginning

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great read with an interesting truth-based storyline. This is the first I have read from this author, but it won't be the last. Recommended.

This was a great read! The storyline follows a past/present timeline and it really kept the book flowing. The characters were well written and relatable. Looking forward to more from this author and series.

After a rich socialite is found brutally murdered in her Dublin home, Kate Hamilton is on the case. She soon discovers the connection between the socialite and other victims. I love how the author intertwines the past and the present throughout the story. This gives it depth and does not detract from the plot.



My first and definitely not my last read by Gaye Maguire. Will recommend this story to others. Cannot wait to read what comes next for Kate Hamilton

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

A brilliant start to the series. Enjoyed the jumping from past to present in alternative chapters. Always good to build a back story while building the tension in the present. Thought I had it figured out but the twist at the end blew my theory out of the water. Didn't see that coming. Definite 5 stars and looking forward to the next installment

I went into this thinking it would be more of a detective novel, but I feel like it was more of a mystery/thriller. When reading a detective novel, I like the POV being the detective's. The occasional chapter from the killer is ok, but I really just enjoy traveling along as the detective and learning the case as they do. This one jumps around several POVs and includes a dual-timeline, which as a thriller works great! I found myself trying to connect the past characters to the current day characters and making connections before they were revealed. However, Hamilton just didn't do it for me as a detective and I'm not sure if this is a series I'll follow.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, A crazy who done it and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! Although it was kind of a short book it still was very good! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Most will have heard about the infamous Magdalene laundries in which young women, many of them girls, were shamed into the notorious mother and baby homes in exchange for the brutal treatment they recevied and the heartbreaking separation that inevitably came when they gave birth. It is a part of Ireland's shameful social history that is often closely linked to some of the tragedies today. People who grew up never knowing the truth about their pasts or were shamed with the knowledge of what had taken place. While BLOOD MOTHERS touches on a piece of this dark history and is only fiction, the heart of this story is one that runs deep into Ireland's shameful past. Thankfully the Magdelene laundries played no part in this tale but it still lingered in the shadows serving as a stark reminder of the cruelties of the past.

The first in what looks to be a promising new series featuring DS Kate Hamilton of An Garda Síochána (the Garda) set mostly in and around Dublin, BLOOD MOTHERS starts off with a bang with the detective and her boss DI Jim Corcoran tasked to investigate the brutal murder of an affluent widow. Before forensics are even finished with the scene, the discovery of a second slaying is discovered and the team begin to wonder if they are dealing with a serial killer. Kate, who had been on secondment to the BAU in Quantico for two years, is the closest they have to a profiler so Corcoran relies on her immediate thoughts of the two scenes. How are the two women connected? And why were they killed?

But when the investigation leads them to an old convent, Kate realises there is more to this case than what at first appeared.

In 1960s Dublin, young naive 14 year old Rosie Jackson falls under the spell of her older cousin whose family have come to visit. The night before they are to return to England, the older cousin - a travesty to his family having been expelled from school yet again at 16 - plies the younger starry eyed Rosie with alcohol and after a quick fumble, turns on her and rapes her. Her screams when he lets her go wake the house who come running to her aid. Two months later she realises she's in trouble and her mother recalls a whispered conversation in the hairdressers which spurs her into seeking a solution. One that is illegal in Ireland.

A cursory examination by an obstetrician insists that Rosie is further along than the eight weeks that she claims, but her mother is adamant. Rosie is only vaguely aware of all that is going around her. Her mother mentioned something about an operation which frightened her and after some toing and froing, arrangements are made for Rosie to enter St Mary's Convent for the duration of her confinement. At a price, of course.

What unfolds is actually a very sad story and, while it is fiction, is steeped in a social scandal that rocked Ireland for decades. One in which Kate finds herself embroiled unwittingly. Again, the Catholic Church who preach love, forgiveness and the Bible's teachings do little to prove such and rather than shroud those who needed love and care instead smothered them in shame and judgement, hiding them away and reminding them of their sinful behaviour daily. But in a twist on the notorious Magdelene laundries, what instead follows the illegal adoption scheme that ran for over five decades. And now someone is bent on revenge.

BLOOD MOTHERS is a fast paced quick read that I devoured and by the time I reached the end, the question that I am sure was on every readers' mind is something that will obviously carry over into the next book...which I am eagerly awaiting, I might add. The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger as such but it does tease us with a question. A question I can't really say...though it doesn't really reveal anything or is a spoiler. But it's a question that does pique one's interest. What is it?

A sad story at its core, BLOOD MOTHERS is a fantastic debut that is thought provoking as well as being well-plotted. I love the characters and the fact it's not a constant dog-eat-dog fight for supremacy. I want a crime thriller that's real not some claptrap recounting whose is bigger than the next guy's that's not. I like the camaraderie between Kate, Rory and their boss Jim, even is Jim's vocabulary is often reduced to the f-bomb. I loved this book and devoured it easily. Admittedly, I do love stories surrounding the mother and baby homes and all the mystery that ensues...

Overall, a brilliant debut and I can't wait to read more! Bring it on!

I would like to thank #GayeMaguire, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #BloodMothers in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

An interesting tale from the past brought into the present time with neither time period out doing the other. The historical subject matter is still shocking despite it being told many times over now but the author doesn’t make it over dramatic but rather just a sad state of affairs. The current time period has less interesting characters on the whole and for that I will only give what’s a good book four stars.

Story by Gaye Maguire 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Anyone that follows my reviews knows how much I hate Then/Now books. I find one part is really interesting and the other part is absolutely boring and quite frankly that style of writing has been done to death, but Gaye Maguire has actually done a brilliant job with both Then/Now stories lines and extra props as this is her debut novel!

I loved that this story wasn't drawn out, it made it so much more enjoyable.

The twist and turns were good even though you could see the direction it was heading in.

I would definitely continue with this series

A very good read for a first book. Alot of plot twists but I managed to keep up the plot that was going on. 4*****

Warning, spoiler alerts!
While I will read the next in this series, I guessed the plot twists pretty early on. The outcome of the trap to catch the killer was so stunningly obvious that it kind of ruined the ending for me, Kate felt guilty about it, and rightly so. I did like the writing style, and am hoping for a plot that is a bit more thought out.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This book was so so good I couldn't put it down. Really hope there is another book soon . It was like reading two stories in one . A great read .

A good start for a new police procedural series: gripping and twisty. I liked the characters and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of Blood Mothers, the first novel to feature DS Kate Hamilton of An Garda Síochána, set mostly in Dublin.

Kate has recently returned to the murder squad after a secondment to the FBI, when she is asked to investigate the brutal murder of a a rich socialite, closely followed by more murders. She soon finds that the victims were all linked to an illegal adoption scheme run by the Catholic Church from the 1940s to 1980s. Now it seems that someone is taking revenge.

I am in two minds about Blood Mothers, which has an unusual take on a scandal that rocked Ireland for decades, namely that it involved the daughters of the affluent and didn’t involve as much cruelty towards them as was often the case.

The novel has a split timeline, following Kate’s 2010 investigation and 14 year old Rosie Jackson’s experience of pregnancy in 1967. Obviously, they will eventually tie together but the how and the why are well concealed until the final scenes.

This is not a long novel, so it covers a lot of ground in a small space. It makes the many murders and their investigation somewhat superficial with no deep dive into anything as the developments seem to drop into their laps. If you want an action packed read where it’s bam, bam, bam then this will fit the bill, but if you want a more considered and detailed read, then maybe not. I didn’t find it particularly engrossing until the final showdown scene, which redeemed the novel somewhat with tense scenes and some bombshell revelations. I am a crime fiction reader through and through, so I was surprised to find myself more interested in Rosie Jackson’s story, which is heartbreaking, than the investigation.

I would read another novel in the series to see if the author fleshes out her characters, because in this one they feel like props for the plot.

Blood Mothers is a solid read. 3.5*

Unfortunately, I did not look at the archive date and that's why I won't be able to give feedback on it. My fault, too bad!

I’m so glad this is going to be a series! My only issues with this book is that it’s too short and near the end Kate doesn’t realise the significance of a text that is so blatantly obvious especially for a detective. The story all goes back to poor Rosie, in the 60s attacked by her cousin at 14 and then unbeknownst to her, carrying his child. The mother and baby convent she is sent to to have the child in secret is the main source behind the vicious murders Kate Hamilton is investigating.

I found this to be a pretty decent police procedural. I liked that the main character wasn't the usual cliche but I didn't really find myself rooting her on or caring about what was happening. I can't even explain why, she just didn't have much of an effect on me. I liked the plot and thought it wad quite unique. The dual timeline worked well and it never got blurry or confusing. I did find the writing style a but too characters driven for my particular tastes but I still loved the plot and the twists. I've no doubt that if you like police procedural thrillers then you'll love this