Search This Blog
Love reading challenges? Check out my other blog:
2023 Bookish Books Reading Challenge
2023 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (1)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Ireland (1)
2023 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2023 Reading Challenge
2023 52 Club Reading Challenge
2023 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2023 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2023 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2023 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Children's Book Reading Challenge...For Adults!
Friday, June 18, 2021
Second Installment in U.S./Irish Mystery Series Just As Compelling As First
7:54 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for A Distant Grave, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Mountains Wild. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
When a Dublin man is found murdered on a Long Island beach, Detective Maggie D'Arcy is called upon to help with the investigation. Although her colleagues believe Gabriel Treacy was robbed and killed by a local gang, likely at random, Maggie's not so sure. The old scars on the dead man's back say there's more to Gabriel's story than meets the eye. What was he doing in New York? Who made sure he'd never return to Ireland? And why?
Maggie is just about to leave for Ireland anyway, already having planned to travel there with her teenage daughter, who is still reeling after her father's suicide. Anxious to see her boyfriend, Trinity professor Connor Kearney; let their children get to know each other; and help Lilly heal away from the place where her father died, Maggie decides to combine work with pleasure. Flying off during an intense police investigation doesn't sit well with Maggie's superiors, but she knows she's the best person to look into Gabriel's death in his home country. Working with her Garda friends is sure to produce some answers in what is becoming an increasingly puzzling case. When another murder ups the ante, Maggie finds herself back in New York working frantically to solve the crime before she, too, ends up dead.
I'm always thrilled when I find a new crime series to love. The Mountains Wild, the first book in the Maggie D'Arcy series by Sarah Stewart Taylor, pulled me in with its enticing blend of atmospheric setting, likable characters, and intriguing plot. A Distant Grave (available June 22, 2021), the second installment, offers the same in another story that is just as engrossing, just as exciting as the first. It's finely crafted, skillfully told, and wholly enjoyable. Needless to say, I'm anxious for the next volume. And the next and the next...
(Readalikes: Reminds me of the Maeve Kerrigan series by Jane Casey and of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad novels)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of A Distant Grave from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
8 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
Listening
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin9 hours ago
-
Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder11 hours ago
-
Stacking The Shelves19 hours ago
-
-
Sloth Goes Places – “A” States21 hours ago
-
-
-
Stacking the Shelves #74!21 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post #4891 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Review of Matilda2 days ago
-
-
-
-
The Jeweller of Stolen Dreams by M J Rose2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Just finished and currently reading.4 days ago
-
-
Authors I First Read in 20225 days ago
-
-
2023 Goals (and 2022 in Review)5 days ago
-
-
-
My Bookish Goals for 20231 week ago
-
Top Ten Books of 20222 weeks ago
-
Books Read in 20233 weeks ago
-
December Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
Thinking Out Loud: Our Wives Under the Sea2 months ago
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 months ago
-
-
HEARTS OF BRIARWALL by Krista Jensen5 months ago
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ▼ 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
Thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like my kind of book. I’ll be checking these out!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this mystery series continues to be so good!
ReplyDelete2 good books in a series? Sign me up!
ReplyDeleteI skimmed this because I already have the 1st on my TBR but I'm so glad to see this one held up. I can't wait to get started with this author.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the first in the series yet, I am looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a neat read! I like when there's a realistic reason for travel in murder mysteries - the movie versions at least seem to use the travel just as an excuse to add filming locations, with no plot reasons.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good, especially the fact that the author is sustaining the quality of the series through multiple books. Lots of good stuff being set in Ireland these days, seems like. And I love the author's last name. For some reason, that surname always catches my eye.
ReplyDeleteSee, you had me at Jane Casey and Tana French! I actually own the first book in the series and haven't read it yet. Will make a note to try it and then go for this one. It sounds very good!
ReplyDelete