Title: A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Maggie D’arcy Mysteries Book Two
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 426 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In the follow up to the critically acclaimed The Mountains Wild, Detective Maggie D’arcy tackles another intricate case that bridges Long Island and Ireland in A Distant Grave.
Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy and her teenage daughter, Lilly, are still recovering from the events of last fall when a strange new case demands Maggie’s attention. The body of an unidentified Irish national turns up in a wealthy Long Island beach community and with little to go on but the scars on his back, Maggie once again teams up with Garda detectives in Ireland to find out who the man was and what he was doing on Long Island. The strands of the mystery take Maggie to a quiet village in rural County Clare that’s full of secrets and introduce her to the world of humanitarian aid workers half a world away. And as she gets closer to the truth about the murder, what she learns leads her back to her home turf and into range of a dangerous and determined killer who will do anything to keep the victim’s story hidden forever.
With the lyrical prose, deeply drawn characters, and atmospheric setting that put The Mountains Wild on multiple best of the year lists, Sarah Stewart Taylor delivers another gripping mystery novel about family, survival, and the meaning of home.
Review:
A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor is an intriguing mystery which takes place in Long Island, NY and Ireland. This second release in the Maggie D’arcy Mysteries series can be read as a standalone.
Detective Maggie D’arcy is looking forward to a trip to Ireland with her daughter Lilly. She is eager to reunite with her Irish boyfriend Conor Kearney and introduce Lilly to his son Adrien. However, not long before she leaves, Maggie and her partner Detective Dave Milch are assigned to the murder of an unidentified man at the South Bay Harbor. Maggie and Dave track him to a hotel in the vicinity and learn his name is Gabriel Treacy. With his phone and laptop missing, they have no idea why he is in NY or why he was murdered. Although they are making incremental progress, her boss, Marty Cascic gives her the go ahead for her trip. Much to Conor’s dismay, his reunion with Maggie turns into a working vacation as she tracks down information about Gabriel. Maggie is soon embroiled in another murder when Treacy’s solicitor Noel Thomason is killed during a break-in. Is there a connection between the two deaths?
Maggie and Lilly are extremely close but her daughter has been withdrawn ever since her ex-husband’s suicide. Hoping the Ireland trip will help Lilly, Maggie is relieved when Marty allows her to take her vacation as planned. She is hoping Conor will understand when she spends some of her time investigating Gabriel and Noel’s murders. Maggie uncovers some valuable information along with some puzzling details that she is certain might be instrumental in solving both killings. In the meantime, Lilly, Conor and Adrien are connecting with one another and Maggie is thrilled to see her daughter laughing and smiling again. But her vacation comes to an abrupt end when D.A. Jay Cooney demands she return to Long Island to resume working on the case.
Maggie and Dave’s search the killer is a bit slow moving as they continue tracking down leads and trying to locate people that are linked to Gabriel. They also do some under the radar sleuthing based on information that Maggie uncovered in Ireland. She is a little unnerved by the feeling that someone is watching her. With the killer always one step ahead of them, will Maggie and Dave find the murderer before it is too late?
A Distant Grave is an exciting police procedural with a marvelous cast of characters. Maggie is extremely intelligent with excellent people skills and keen instincts that prove to be invaluable throughout the investigation. The storyline is engaging and quite clever. The various settings spring vividly to life which makes them very easy to visualize. With incredible plot twists, Sarah Stewart Taylor brings this brilliant mystery to an edge-of-the-seat conclusion. Old and new fans are to enjoy this newest addition to the Maggie D’arcy Mysteries series.
