Patricia Gibney is back with a compulsively readable chiller that kept me reading all through the night: The Altar Girls.

When Detective Lottie Parker receives the heart-shattering news that a child’s body has been found in the grounds of the cathedral, she is terrified that it’s Willow Devine, who had gone missing that morning. However, when she arrives at the scene of the crime, she gets a huge shock: the dead body is not Willow’s but that of another eight-year-old called Naomi. Lottie is determined to find a connection between the two girls, but other than the fact that they were both altar servers at the cathedral, there is nothing else that links them. Father Maguire has a watertight alibi, their parents claim the two girls do not know one another and there seem to be no leads for Lottie to go on – except for this gut feeling she has that the old lady who found Naomi’s body knows more than she is letting on.

When Willow’s body is found the following day, Lottie is devastated. Convinced that she cannot trust anybody, Lottie wonders whether she will ever manage to untangle this web of lies and deceit – especially as the more she digs, the more she wonders what the two girls’ parents are desperate to keep hidden. When a little boy from the choir disappears, Lottie knows that she has no time to lose. She needs to solve this case before another child is cruelly murdered. But is she running of time? Or will she manage to find who is behind these horrific murders before more damage is done?

When I pick up a Patricia Gibney crime novel, I always know that I am going to devour it in one sitting and The Altar Girls was no different. Dark, twisted and shocking, this nerve-jangling and heart-stopping page-turner gripped me from page one and I was still engrossed until the early hours of the morning desperate to find out if Lottie Parker would manage to find out whodunnit.

Complex, terrifying and unputdownable, top-notch crime fiction does not get any better than Patricia Gibney’s The Altar Girls.

I absolutely love this series and Lottie Parker!

Another gripping read which I found fast paced and twisty. Highly recommend.

Lottie Parker is back for (can you believe) book 13 in the series. We start off the story with the discovery of a child body in a cathedral. As usual a gruesome and depressing start to the book. Shockingly, young Willow who was reported missing is not the young child they found. Instead, its that of a little girl named Naomi. In all honesty the murders of children (even fiction) never sit well with me, even more so that there was seemingly a religious collection.

I love being back with Lottie and her colleague and partner Boyd. Alongside them you have other team members as well as Lottie's children and her Mother Rose who is suffering with a decline in her health following the onset of dementia. The team really have to work quickly especially when another child goes missing. As usual it was great to read about the team and the storyline certainly held me captive however I found this book a little slower than others hence the middle of the road rating.

I had great expectations of this book as I haves loved this series but to be honest I thought it was very slow in places and then all over the place in others. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have previous books in this series and I was a bit disappointed.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Patricia Gibney for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Another good read in the series. The cases still feel fresh on the 13th outing and the team have great dynamics. This particular case has the same clever twists and turns I've come to expect from the series and I'm looking forward to the next gripping case.

Another great book in the series, it has a gripping twising storyline which keeps you guessing. I look forward to reading more.

This is the thirteenth book in this additive series featuring Detective Lottie Parker. Lottie is called out to investigate a new case where Willow, a young girl, has gone missing after her choir practice was cancelled. When a report comes in of a young girl’s body being found in the grounds of the church she expects to find the body of Willow. But it’s the body of another young girl, Naomi. She has been laid out like an angel in a white shroud. Lottie discovers that there is a link between both the girls and so the local priest becomes a suspect. Lorrie’s team member Boyd is also having personal problems and takes time off to search for his lost son who was kidnapped by his ex wife. We also learn more about Lottie’s personal life as she juggles with work, her family and her mother’s dementia. As always I was kept guessing as there were so many suspects and plenty of twists and turns that made this book a brilliant read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book,

The Altar Girls is book 13 in the Lottie Parker series. The series keeps getting better with believable characters and a plot full of twists. Gibney is a wonderful writer who delivers a gripping read. Her books are a treat for lovers of crime fiction.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc.

Patricia Ginny is one of my very favourite authors.
She writes from the heart and leaves no emotion untouched.
This series is one of the best in publication at the moment

Lottie Parker has a lot on her plate again. Ragmullin is under a thick blanket of snow. A child is missing after a cancelled choir practice. They find a child's body in the church grounds. Wrong child. Boyds son Sergio is still missing. They find the right child but too late. Lotties mom is sinking deeper into dementia. And that's just the first few chapters! But anything can happen in the murder capital of Ireland. Seriously, if I were Lottie and Boyd, I'd ask for a transfer to Tallaght. It would be a safer job.

This was an excellent page turner, but then I've come to expect nothing less from Patricia Gibney. The story is pacy and gripping throughout. No mean feat at over 500 pages. I still think Lottie needs a good shake sometimes. For example, she's stunned and disapproving when a mother doesn't know where her kid was. A glance through the previous books and her family calamities brings to mind pot,kettle black. But darn it, I still love her and her whole team (well, maybe not McKeown). It wouldn't take much detective work to know this series will be around for a while.

A little girl is found dead in the cathedral grounds and everyone assumes it is Willow Devine who has been missing. When Lottie Parker attends the scene she realises it is another little girl. Who is this little girl? Where is Willow? What is the connection between them? Days later Willow is found. Lotties team have to find the culprit but Boyd is having some personal issues and that takes his focus away.
I love catching up with Lottie and the team and look forward to every book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy.

Another great installment with Lottie Parker. Its what you come to expect from Gibney. Great story triggering subject but great nonetheless.

Snow closes schools for the day
But two altar girls don't know - they go anyway.
Willow's Mum reports her missing - where has she gone
The search to find her is now on.

When a body is found the police are shocked to discover
It isn't the missing girl - it is another.
What's the connection between these two?
Where is Willow and what's she going through?

Detective Lottie Parker and her team are on the case
With so many things feeling out of place.
There's personal anguish and family drama, too,
As people reveal what they're going through.

There's a sense of community as well as turmoil
As the killer the team attempt to catch and foil.
With secrets from the past and other children missing, too,
This is a fascinating read I highly recommend to you!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
Such an engaging read - and this is my honest review.

A great episode in the series set in Ireland. Lottie, Boyd and the team investigate to murder of two young girls who are found in the grounds of two churches in the town. There is a lot going on, in the lives of the girls and for both, the choir at the cathedral has been a steady activity in their week. On this particular day, choir has not gone ahead because of snowfall.
The narrative is told in short chapters and from multiple points of view. There is also lots going on in the private lives of both Lottie and Boyd. There are lots of different leads to follow and these are so well described that they all seem plausible, you come to understand the quandries that the detectives find themselves in. The evidence is added to by a social worker with knowledge of the earlier lives of the families turning up, but being selective with what he is willing to tell. The two priests also have knowledge, but they too are not telling much.
I love the descriptions, you feel the desparation of different characters and although the book is quite long, I rushed through it and it kept me interested all the way through .
Thanks to Net Galley for another great read in exchange for an honest review

There are a lot of suspects and a lot going on in this 13th installment of Lottie and her team. Boyd is off dealing with personal problems so Lottie and the gang are shorthanded while trying to solve the murder of 2 little girls. Another good one!
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. **

#TheAltarGirls #NetGalley Book 13 in the DI Lottie Parker series and it is still as fresh as book 1! Perfectly capable of being read as a standalone but it does help the reader to know more of the background of the main characters. As always it is packed full of action with lots and twists and turns. As well as the murder of two young girls which Lottie and the team are investigating, Boyd is also trying to discover the whereabouts of his son Sergio, recently kidnapped by his mother. There is lots going on in this book but the chapters are short and snappy which is just what I like. I look forward to the next installment in this series and another 5 stars from me for this book!!

The Altar Girls by Patricia Gibney is the thirteenth book in the excellent Detective Lottie Parker series and this series is another one of the best series of books out there at the moment, to get your teeth into!. With these books I never get bored of them, they just get better and better.

I wonder what case Lottie will get next, Looking forward to it whatever it is! Especially as this book was her best!

I just love these books and Patricia is a 1st class author.

I highly recommend this book and a great holiday read.

Another 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and especially Bookouture for my Arc.

This novel takes place during a cold winter snowstorm and its aftermath of freezing temperatures and icy conditions. And this is both a metaphor for the investigation as well as a character whose tension exacerbates the search for the missing girls. There are many twists and red herrings that will keep you guessing and reading.

I am a huge Patricia Gibney fan. And a huge fan of this series starring Lottie Parker. It seems that Lottie can’t catch a break, with children that have basically raised themselves because Lottie seems to be always at work, solving crimes that need her full attention. She has a team that doesn’t act like a team, and clashes with her constantly. Her mother is sinking into dementia, so she can no longer help at home. Lottie’s love life is non-existent, with her love interest looking for his lost son. I wish Lottie would have some down time with her family and her love interest, but that isn’t who Lottie is. Please write the next book fast!

* 4 & 3/4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

A great read. You had to feel for Lottie for what she was trying to do, with finding 2 missing girls plus with what her mother was going through and Boyd trying to find his son. She had so many people to interview but in the end she got her suspect. Great characters and a good ending.

An action packed novel which had me turning the pages of my Kindle long into the night. I can't believe that this is already the 13th Lottie Parker!

Lottie and her team are investigating the shocking deaths of two small girls on their patch. Lottie would like to have Boyd by her side as she tries to figure out the why and who, however, Boyd is distracted because his ex has taken off with his son and he has no idea where he is. Lottie also has an ongoing worry about her mother's state of mind.

So, Lottie chases the leads and she has to somehow make sense of all the facts that she gathers. There are many red herrings in this book and I had no clue who the killer was until the author revealed it!

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.