Hidden Daughters is the 15th book in Patricia Gibney’s Detective Lottie Parker series, and whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, this one can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone.

I absolutely loved this book! Detective Lottie Parker has become one of my favorite characters in crime fiction, and this installment reminded me why. I especially appreciated the shift to a new location and the extra time spent with Kirby—such a great touch for fans of the series.

The story itself was incredible—vivid, layered, and full of suspense. There were twists, secrets, and emotional turns that kept me completely hooked. As each new piece of the puzzle came to light, I found myself on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next.

Gibney has a real gift for crafting complex mysteries with strong emotional depth, and Hidden Daughters is no exception. It’s a gripping, fast-paced read with characters I’ve truly grown to care about.

I can't wait for the next book! Highly recommended for fans of well-written, character-driven mysteries.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I’m sharing my honest thoughts voluntarily.

Hidden Daughters (Detective Lottie Parker # 15) by Patricia Gibney
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: June 25, 2025

In this fifteenth novel in Patricia Gibney’s DI Lottie Parker series, Lottie and her partner DS Mark Boyd travel to Connemara for the wedding of Boyd’s sister Grace. Taking a rare holiday they will be spending a week with Grace and her fiancé, Bryan, a farmer, helping them get ready for the wedding. While she is away her team in Ragmullin are busy dealing with a murder, that of a young woman found dumped in a river scalded to death by boiling water.

Not long after Lottie and Boyd arrive at Grace and Bryan’s home, Lottie spots blue flashing lights down the hill. Being Lottie, she just can’t help herself going there to find out what’s happening and finds herself at the scene of a murder speaking with the detective in charge. Boyd warns her not to get involved in the investigation. They’re on holiday after all, but Lottie can’t resist offering to help, especially when more deaths occur, and is soon immersed in finding the murderer, even though Boyd is angry at her for ignoring him and Grace.

The murders seem to be connected to a convent where wayward girls were put to work in a laundry and treated horrifically. The police are keen to track down a missing woman who was making a documentary about the convent as well as a nearby home for delinquent boys in the hope that she might be able to provide them with a motive for the killings.

This was a complex and messy case involving a sad story of young girls being turned away by their families and sent to a convent, where they were judged immoral and treated as disposable. It’s a difficult subject in Ireland’s history and was treated sensitively by the author. I didn’t enjoy the book quite as much as the earlier ones because there were too many witnesses with information to impart to Lottie who inconveniently died before they could tell her. I also got tired of Lottie’s treatment of Boyd, her long-time partner she planned to marry. She seemed to have no room for his feelings as she let herself become obsessed with the investigation. It remains to be seen whether their relationship can ever recover.

Patricia Gibney books are a "must read" for me, when they come out. I really love the way this author writes and because they are set in Ireland, it gives the books an added flair, I feel.

DI Lottie Parker is having a well-earned break with Boyd for Boyd's sisters wedding. Of course, trouble follows her wherever she goes, and she finds herself in the middle of a local investigation into the disappearance of a journalist. She doesn't mean to get involved but when all roads lead to a derelict laundry for "fallen women", she tries her best to help the gardai as the bodies mount up.

The laundries in Ireland are such a terrible part of their history and the author writes about this with tact and sensitivity. Even though this particular one closed down decades earlier, the trauma that was inflicted on people who lived and worked within its walls continues on. So glad that things have changed in the world, these days.

Lottie does her best to unravel all the various strands of this messy story and she puts her life as well as her relationship with Boyd, at risk.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Hidden Daughters is the fifteenth book in the Lottie Parker series by Patricia Gibney. This is a Police procedural crime fiction series features D.I. Lottie Parker, a Garda Síochána detective inspector who lives and works in the fictional town of Ragmullin in the Irish Midlands.

When a lonely woman is found burned to death in a remote cottage, with no family to grieve her. Detective Lottie Parker responds to the call, unaware that this case will take her into the darkest corners of the past. The victim’s life story begins in tragedy, abandoned as a child and hidden away at the infamous Sisters of Mercy Convent. Lottie quickly senses that the key to solving this murder lies buried in decades old secrets.

Her only lead is Imelda, a young journalist who visited the victim shortly before her death. When a second brutal murder occurs, a convent caretaker scalded to death in the same horrifying fashion, it becomes clear the killer is targeting those tied to the convent’s history. With Imelda now missing and only a blood-stained jacket left behind, Lottie races against time to find the young woman and stop a killer whose rage has clearly not diminished with time.

As Lottie digs deeper, she encounters broken women from the convent’s past, each carrying their own pain and secrets. Their stories are haunting, shedding light on the systemic cruelty hidden behind the convent’s walls. I did enjoy this novel and even though it is the fifteenth book in the series it can still be read as a standalone. I didn’t consider it to be as good as some of the other books in the series and would score it a 3 star rating.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read in the Lottie Parker series. This one is different as a Lottie is on holidays in Galway to attend the wedding of Boyd’s sister. Of course murders follow Lottie and she gets caught up in an investigation as an outsider. It also features the horrific stories of the events that happened in the Magdalen laundries. Can’t wait for the next instalment

Another fabulous read from Patricia. A great story line which had me gripped throughout.
I would highly recommend this series to everyone.

Yes........Lottie is Back!!!!!!

Hidden Daughters by Patricia Gibney is the 15th book in the excellent Detective Lottie Parker series and I loved it, and it was another totally addictive and absolutely gripping crime thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very end, especially as it has brilliant twists and turns throughout and you learn more about how complicated Lottie can be within this book, I really felt for her especially as she is a work alcoholic and she can't just switch off and have some relaxing days with Boyd!

Finally, Lottie and Boyd have taken a break to Connemara but only to attend Boyd’s sisters Grace’s wedding. Now, at Boyd's sisters farmhouse. . . Things become very tense between them all, when a call comes through about a someone found murdered locally. A lonely woman who is found burn't/scolded to death by boiled water, in a deserted holiday cottage, Like aways, Detective Lottie Parker is first on the scene.

Boyd is "Not happy" as Lottie gets involved in a murder case, especially as this was meant to be a small holiday for them etc - which they both need so badly!

Lottie can not stop herself and she start to investigate on her own and she swiftly reveals the victim has no family to mourn her. But, when the vicim was a young girl, she was abandoned by her parents and hidden away at the Sisters of Mercy Convent.

Now, has something in her tragic past led to her murder?

Lottie discovers that she had a visitor just before she died. She was a young journalist, called Imelda, and she had called on the vulnerable woman.

Could she have something to do with her death?

"I wonder?????"

Now, Lottie’s search takes her to the abandoned convent, which was closed down many years ago. This convent was dark and held many hidden horrific secrets of young girls living there working in the laundry etc. Lottie can only imagine how terrified the girls must have been back then.
Lottie finds a old caretaker who still lives on the site in his caravan, he is looking after the convent and he tells her that a woman matching Imelda’s description had been there a day earlier. . . . Asking questions about the convent.

Why was she there asking questions?

Now, Boyd sister Grace's husband approaches Lottie in private and asks her for help with his past. He has never spoken to anyone about his past, so it was a secret he had buried deep, but the murder of the woman found brings his secret to the bubbling to the surface and he has to find the answers. Lottie is the best one ask........
When he was very young in his teens, he got a girl pregnant and she lived in a convent. He was sent away and he wants to know what happened to her and if she had their baby? and most of all, are they both alive?

"WoW that is a secret to keep!"

Later that day, Lottie is devastated to be informed that the caretaker has been scalded to death, just like the woman in the cottage. Now, Imelda is the only connection between the victims, and Lottie is in a race against time to find her.

Imelda’s blood-stained jacket is found in an abandoned farm-building Lottie starts to fear that the killer has got to the young journalist first. Now, Desperate to find Imelda alive, and identify the deadly perpetrator, Lottie needs to find answers from the other broken women who were hidden at the convent.

But can she find them before another victim is silenced forever?

The clock is ticking

Lottie is being pulled into so many directions especially with what she has been asked to find out and she can't tell anyone about it. She is on her own! This has also put a big strain on her relationship with Boyd and another strain on his sister Grace with Lottie.

Is this going to break their relationship between her and Boyd?

This book was No different another 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. I highly recommend this author 👀

Even when Lottie isn’t supposed to be working, she’s still working. Traveling for Boyd’s sister’s wedding, Boyd’s soon to be brother in law confides in her about time in his past. When she begins to investigate, the bodies start to pile up. Even though Lottie doesn’t have jurisdiction, she can’t help herself but try to get to the bottom of things.

There was clearly a serial killer on the loose, in multiple towns (including Lottie’s home turf). I wanted to keep reading, I needed to know who the killer was, and I didn’t really have a clue who it was until the last murder. This book didn’t feel like it was over 400 pages, and I love books like that.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book.

My thoughts:
What a very sad and gripping story.
Lottie and Boyd have decided to go to Boyd’s sister’s wedding. Upon arriving, Lottie notices flashing police lights. As it goes…Lottie becomes fully involved in the investigation.
The dynamics of the investigating team as well as the other characters kept me fully engaged in the story. Reading the information shared about the horrors of the Magdalene Laundries was quite disturbing.
I recommend starting out with the first book in the series. There is so much backstory to all the main characters that is important to know.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Hidden Daughters' by Patricia Gibney.


WARNING ⚠ ADDICTION ALERT ⚠


Wow!! What another absolutely riveting, non stop action packed crime thriller from this epic author!!!


I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last!!! Not that I can say I am surprised as I absolutely LOVE Lottie and that gang!! This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that absorbs the reader into the storyline. The cover, title and synopsis suit the plot perfectly.

This book is the fifteenth book in Patricia Gibney's 'Lottie Parker' series but can be read as a standalone.

What I love about Patricia is that I don't even have to read the synopsis of any of her books to know that whatever that says the book is guaranteed to be a unique, gripping and addictive read and as always this book was no exception!!! This was yet another explosive addition to this fantastic series where Patricia completely emerges the reader into the storyline. The storyline is filled with suspense, crime, friendship, cruelty, murder, betrayal , heartache, secrets, family, lies and is absolutely rammed with tension which left me on the edge of my seat biting my nails with my heart pounding throughout. It is extremely fast paced and rammed with action and loads of red herrings. I loved the fact that you get to see what was going on from so many perspectives. The main ones are Lottie but you also get to see what happens through the eyes of several other characters!! Patricia manages to weave the chapters by different protagonists together perfectly and does not give a drip of information unless she wants you to know it!!! Patricia has absolutely everything covered and I absolutely love books like this as you really do get to see so much that it means you get further and further emerged into the storyline leaving you shocked and bewildered when you look up to discover your reality!! Patricia manages to drip feed the reader with titbits of information to allow you to try to solve it yourself without giving too much away. It is like you are Lottie trying to discover what is going on with your team surrounding you! However, I had no idea who was involved and was shocked when it was revealed so a HUGE well done to Patricia on shocking me. There were such a huge pool of suspects in this book and so many has the motivation , amongst other things that I had no idea who to believe until the bitter end!! I have read so many crime books it is getting harder and harder for me to be surprised but you achieved it so congratulations!! With so much going on in work as well as in personal lives will this amazing team be able to catch the killer this time? You'll have to grab your copy of this amazing read to find out for yourself but I promise you won't regret it!!! An epic, emotional, addictive and explosive addition to this absolutely gripping must read series!!! I cannot wait to see what Lottie and the rest of the team get up to next!!!




Although this is the fifteenth book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without reading any of the others previously. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.


DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE FIRST PAGE WITHOUT CLEARING YOUR SCHEDULES AS THIS WILL KEEP YOU HOOKED!!!


I absolutely love Lottie, Mark and the majority of the team and they have become like old friends to me who I look forward to meeting again in every book and miss them between books. It was quite sad coming to the end of this book and knowing I am going to have to say Goodbye to them for a while. It is vital for me that I 'click' with the main protagonists and I love Lottie's kick butt attitude and that she doesn't take any CRUD. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better from the previous books. Mark is a sweet guy and I love how him and Lottie make such an epic team that work perfectly together. I absolutely love the fiery team dynamics and enjoyed that there was tension and fights in the team as it portrays the truth that a team won't always get along. All of these amazing, strong, unique and memorable characters come to life and jump out of the pages thanks to Patricia's fantabulous evocative writing skills and they have all become friends that I miss every time I turn the last page and always look forward to meeting them again and again. Keep up the amazing work Patricia!!

Congratulations Patricia on yet another fantastic book and this is exactly why you are on my favourite crime author list!!! I am looking forward to reading your previous and future successes and here's to your next 🥂!!


Overall a page turning and addictive explosive crime thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout!!


#HiddenDaughters #DetectiveLottieParker #PatriciaGibney #Bookouture #BookoutureBookClub #BookoutureAnonymous


@PatriciaGibney @Bookouture @BookoutureBookClub @BookoutureAnonymous

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I absolutely loved this book. The Lottie Parker Series never disappoints. Book #15 in the series and I couldn’t put this one down. A totally addictive page turner. I was completely immersed from the first page right up to the last.
Lottie and Boyd are on holiday for his sister Grace’s wedding, where Lottie gets involved with a murder case.
It’s gripping, chilling, fast paced, with plenty of action, tension, suspense and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout.
The storyline is compelling, intriguing and thought provoking, setting is beautifully portrayed with interesting and flawed characters who are likeable and realistic. I enjoyed the new detective Mooney who added something new to the story. It’s easy to follow the story and flashbacks.
I can’t wait for the next instalment @patricia_gibney_author. Definitely recommend this unputdownable serial killer thriller. It’s well worth the read.
With thanks to #NetGallery @bookouture @sarahhardy for an arc of #HiddenDaughters in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 25 June 2025

With Lottie Parker on holiday for a week it falls to Kirby to lead the investigation when a woman's body is found in the river in Ragamullin. Edie Butler was a widow with two sons and had suffered a gruesome death. Her ex-boyfriend Robert Hayes becomes the prime suspect when he leaves the town shortly after being questioned.

Lottie and Mark Boyd are in Connemara to attend the wedding of Grace, Boyd's sister. When a woman is brutally murdered in a local holiday cottage Lottie can't help but get involved. With other women targeted it becomes clear there is a serial killer at large and that all the victims have links to a local convent which had been exposed for its cruelty to the young women who were sent there. Although warned several times by the SIO and Boyd, Lottie can't help but get involved in the case.

Another great instalment in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Patricia Gibney for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Patricia Gibney hits hard and fast with this book. This series never disappoints. I would recommend you read from book 1.
Book 15 in the DI Lottie Parker series has a deep and harrowing story, with modern day murders to solve of vulnerable women, while delving into the horrific Irish history of the Magdalene laundries and Christian Brothers institutions.
This is a fast paced book, connecting historical crimes with modern day murders .
A lot of characters, some likeable, some not. A few twists, and a hell of a lot of story.
Great read, look forward to book 16.

Patricia Gibney is back with another first-rate Lottie Parker crime thriller that readers will devour in one sitting: Hidden Daughters.

The discovery of a young woman’s incinerated body in a deserted cottage makes Lottie Parker wonder about the deceased’s family. Discovering that she was all alone in the world and that she had nobody to mourn her compels Lottie to look into the woman’s past and she finds out that as a young girl her parents had abandoned the victim and left her at the Sisters of Mercy Convent. Could the victim’s past have somehow led to her murder? When Lottie uncovers that the deceased had been visited by a young journalist called Imelda, the detective vows to do everything in her power to find the last woman who had spoken to the victim.

Knowing that the old convent holds the key to uncovering this mystery, Lottie decides to visit and on her arrival is immediately creeped out by the imposing dark walls and echoes of past terrors that reverberate all around the abandoned building. The caretaker on site reveals to Lottie that a woman matching Imelda’s description had been at the convent a day earlier. Just what was Imelda’s connection to the dead woman? Was Imelda one of the girls at the convent? And could she somehow have something to do with the murder of the young woman?

When the caretaker is murdered in the same way as the victim, Lottie realises that she needs to find Imelda – fast! However, when Imelda’s jacket is found, Lottie fears she might be too late. Can she get to her in time before the killer strikes again? Can Lottie untangle the mysteries of the past to put a stop to the murders happening in the present? Or will all the daughters of the Sisters of Mercy convent end up meeting a grisly end?

Patricia Gibney is one of the best writers of crime fiction writing today and she exceeds all of her readers’ expectations with Hidden Daughters. Brilliantly plotted, immensely readable and full of twists and turns, heart-pounding suspense and nail-biting tension, Hidden Daughters is a crime novel aficionados of the genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Lottie Parker – like its creator – is on top form and in one of the toughest cases of her career, she once again uses her skills, compassion, humanity and instincts to bring a killer to justice.

Readers looking for the crème de la crème of contemporary crime fiction need look no further than Hidden Daughters by Patricia Gibney.

Hidden Daughters is the 15th Book in the DI Lottie Parker series. Yet again Patricia Gibney has written another absolutely unputdownable read in what is one of my favourite detective series. Right from the prologue I was pulled right into the story and just knew without a shadow of a doubt it was going to be another cracker of a read . I’ve been reading the Lottie Parker series from book one and they honestly just keep on getting better and better. This one in my opinion was one of the best. It’s dark and disturbing in places and the chapters relating to the past were heart wrenching at times. I just love being back with Lottie, Boyd, Kirby etc. as I’ve been with them from the start I feel like they’ve become my friends ! I honestly can’t recommend this book and the previous ones enough and I’m already looking forward to book 16.

When it comes to Cults and Religious themes I’m going to be all over it. I honestly couldn’t read this one fast enough. Loved it from start to finish. It starts off strong and never lets up throughout and the twists and turns just keep coming. It’s a really well developed storyline and Gibney really knows how to write a storyline that just draws you in and grabs you but so much so that you feel all the feels. I loved the majority of the characters especially Lottie, Boyd and Kirby. Others not so much with one in particular I honestly detested. This is such a good read and one you won’t be able to put down. Thank me later 😉..

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #HiddenDaughters

Another exciting installment in this crime thriller series.

Detective Lottie Parker is off to a wedding in Connemara but soon becomes involved in a series of horrific murders there. She and Detective Sergeant Boyd are meant to attend his sister’s wedding, but it seems that Grace’s fiancé, Bryan, has a secret that might derail the nuptials.

This episode details the horrors of the Magdalene laundries in one of the most disgusting and terrible periods in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Many young women and children were sent to convents. Some abandoned by families who couldn’t care for them or didn’t want them. Others were unwed and pregnant and sent there for their sins. Too many did not make it out alive. They were abused in every way possible and those nuns and priests were never held accountable for these crimes. It was evil and unimaginable — the stories told by the survivors are difficult to hear. Imelda Conroy is in Connemara to product a radio documentary about those women who were basically locked away in a convent there in the 1970s and 80s.

But someone doesn’t want Imelda to reveal those details. Women connected to the convent are being murdered, scalded and burned in fact. Even though Lottie is out of her home area, she immediately gets herself involved in the investigation along with local policeman, Detective Sergeant Matt Mooney. Lottie irritates everyone involved in this case. She enrages Grace and gets herself kicked out of their house, and Boyd is over it so their relationship hits the rocks. But, she continues her singleminded focus despite all.

I have to say that Lottie is definitely a person with whom it would be tough to be in a relationship with. I think Boyd’s words to her ring true and I hope she pulls herself together or gets some therapy so that she doesn’t ruin a good thing with him. If family is so important to her, she really needs to spend more time with her people.

I love the series and looks forward to the next installment. The plots are always complex and interesting. The author doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. Thank you to Bookouture for the ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Hidden Daughters grips from the first page and doesn't let up. I loved that it took on a slightly different format with Kirby at the helm. And as usual it didn't take long before Lottie got herself in trouble! Gibney has skillfully weaved a twisty story that keeps the pages turning. Hidden Daughters is probably the darkest novel in the series due to the subject matter. The plot revolves around the laundries and the horrific treatment of the women who were sent there. This may be triggering for some although I thought it was handled very well and considering the laundries are a huge part of our history it made for harrowing reading. I thorough enjoyed this instalment. I think my heart rate has started to come down!

This can be read as a stand-alone but I always recommend going back to the start to fully appreciate the characters development. It's like meeting up with old friends everytime a new book is released 😍

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the opportunity to read and review

As this 15th book in the D. I. Lottie Parker series begins, Imelda Conroy is recording a telling documentary. Imelda has done countless research into the convent laundries in Ireland that began in the 18th century and carried on for over a century.

Meanwhile, Lottie and Boyd have escaped to Connemara to attend the wedding of Boyd’s sister Grace. Their rare time together is interrupted when Lottie is asked to assist as a consultant on a local police investigation. A man named Robert Hays has disappeared, and the police are desperately seeking for answers. This greatly displeases Boyd, as he’d rather Lottie focus on their relationship and on the upcoming wedding of his sister.

The more Lottie investigates, the more she becomes unsettled. One thing very disconcerting to Lottie is it becomes more and more possible that Grace’s fiancé Bryan just may have something to do with Robert’s disappearance. Soon, Imelda also disappears and this makes Lottie look even closer at Bryan. This causes her genuine desire to maintain the wedding plans to take a backseat. However, Lottie’s unwavering commitment to justice remains unshaken.

The unfolding tragedy is a poignant reminder of the injustices faced by women in the past. As an avid bibliophile, I had no prior knowledge of the convent laundries, making this discovery particularly disheartening. These institutions had promised to be a safe haven for women in need, yet they were subjected to brutal treatment, often worse than that of servants. They were also subject to forced labor. The scandals that plagued these convents were numerous, yet the victims rarely received justice. It is disheartening to learn that these convents existed not only in Ireland but also in other parts of Europe.

From the very beginning, I have been captivated by the author’s thrilling series, and Lottie Parker has become a compelling character. Her relationship with her family and Boyd is heartwarming, and I appreciate the contrast between the drama of the past and the drama of the present. The intensity of the drama in this book has solidified its place as one of my favorites within the series. Book 16 offers a lot of hope, albeit with a touch of desperation for me as a reader.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book...

omg i cant believe what i have just read.... its jaw droppingly good but horrific at the same time....

when the first victim is found they know its not suicide because of the burns and scald marks all over the body.... what they dont know is who the victim is

lottie is away for a week for a wedding but she gets caught up in another murder investigation one so horrific that its beyond words.... again the victim is found in the bath with severe burns and scalds

tension is high and its not helped that lottie keeps getting pulled into a murder investigation but when the groom asks lottie to find something out about his past who knew what a can of worms that would open...

this storyline is horrific to read but man can this author write a compelling storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat... i look forward to seeing what is next for lottie and her family