Broken Souls (DI Lottie Parker #7) by Patricia Gibney

"They had to die too. They were breakers of hearts. Breakers of promises."

Two young women are found dead in wedding dresses on the same day. Although both originally are thought to be suicides, it's discovered that they were murdered. Evidence is produced that indicates there may be another linked death that was also ruled a suicide. The weather is awful in December in Ragmullin and DI Lottie Parker and her team have their hands full with a long list of suspects. And, then the 8-year-old daughter of one of the dead women goes missing from her dance school. The police are interviewing everyone connected to the victims and they find evidence of other criminal activity along with way. It appears that everything is connected but Lottie just can't see the case coming together. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, DS Mark Boyd, who proposed to her, is acting strange and Lottie is worried about their relationship. Can the team unravel this twisted crime spree and stop the madness? NO SPOILERS.

I've read this series from the beginning and I'm telling you that poor Lottie just can't catch a break. She loves her family but never seems to get any time to actually spend with them. Her messed up domestic situation is on her mind but nothing improves in her home and between her and her children. Lottie lives for her job and everything else just falls by the wayside as she does not have those critical conversations necessary to sustain close ties. She annoys me to no end and yes, I'd like to sit her down and shake her up a bit before she ruins everything and is left old, sad and alone with just her regrets for company. She's the only really well-developed character in the series and I'd like to get to know the other team members a little better but this book was really focused on the murder cases, the missing child, and a lot of conversations with all the extraneous lot involved.

Of course I'll be looking for the next installment. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the 7th book in a series that should be read, from the beginning, in order.
Genre - police and detective procedural, mystery, Ireland