THE ALTAR GIRLS

5 stars out of 5

Although it's hard for me to imagine anyone who's life is so, well, discombobulated, I always look forward to reading more about Detective Lottie Parker from Ragmullin, Ireland. This is the 13th book in the series, and if nothing else, the edge-of-my-seat ending made this one a favorite so far. To be sure, the topic - the murder of children - isn't exactly fun, but coupled with Lottie's love and coworker Mark Boyd's exhaustive search for the son his ex-wife stole from him, the whole thing is a barn-burner.

It begins with the discovery of a young girl's body on the grounds of the local cathedral; Lottie is crossing her fingers that it isn't little Willow Devine, whose mother reported her missing earlier in the midst of a terrible snowstorm. Turns out it's Willow's friend, Naomi Kiernan; but while that brings some relief, it still means a child has been murdered - and the question of whether Willow has met the same fate.

After questioning numerous potential suspects, including a priest who isn't terribly forthcoming (and several parents with similar attitudes), the worst happens; Willow's body is found. In the midst of all this, Lottie must deal with her mother's ever-worsening dementia and Boyd's abandonment of the case as he runs off to follow a trail he hopes will lead to his son.

There's plenty of action throughout as the investigation and Boyd's search continue, as well as plenty of murder suspects, and it was a struggle putting it down as activities of daily life - like cooking dinner - intervened. By the time I reached the three-quarter mark, though, you couldn't have pried it out of my hands. Fortunately, it's easy to read, so my long-suffering hubby didn't have to go hungry for long. Now, I'm ready for the next one - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

The Altar Girls by Patricia Gibney (Bookouture, November 2023); 504 pp.