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Maggie D'arcy #3
The Drowning Sea
In The Drowning Sea, Sarah Stewart Taylor returns to the critically acclaimed world of Maggie D’arcy with another atmospheric mystery so vivid readers will smell the salt in the air and hear the wind on the cliffs.
For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is unemployed. No cases to focus on, no leads to investigate, just a whole summer on a remote West Cork peninsula with her teenage daughter Lilly and her boyfriend, Conor and his son. The plan is to prepare Lilly for a move to Ireland. But their calm vacation takes a dangerous turn when human remains wash up below the steep cliffs of Ross Head.
When construction worker Lukas Adamik disappeared months ago, everyone assumed he had gone home to Poland. Now that his body has been found, the guards, including Maggie's friends Roly Byrne and Katya Grzeskiewicz, seem to think he threw himself from the cliffs. But as Maggie gets to know the residents of the nearby village and learns about the history of the peninsula and its abandoned Anglo Irish manor house, once home to a famous Irish painter who died under mysterious circumstances, she starts to think there's something else going on. Something deadly. And when Lilly starts dating one of the dead man's friends, Maggie grows worried about her daughter being so close to another investigation and about what the investigation will uncover. Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime, and village politics are woven throughout this small seaside community, and as the summer progresses, Maggie is pulled deeper into the web of lies, further from those she loves, and closer to the truth.
For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is unemployed. No cases to focus on, no leads to investigate, just a whole summer on a remote West Cork peninsula with her teenage daughter Lilly and her boyfriend, Conor and his son. The plan is to prepare Lilly for a move to Ireland. But their calm vacation takes a dangerous turn when human remains wash up below the steep cliffs of Ross Head.
When construction worker Lukas Adamik disappeared months ago, everyone assumed he had gone home to Poland. Now that his body has been found, the guards, including Maggie's friends Roly Byrne and Katya Grzeskiewicz, seem to think he threw himself from the cliffs. But as Maggie gets to know the residents of the nearby village and learns about the history of the peninsula and its abandoned Anglo Irish manor house, once home to a famous Irish painter who died under mysterious circumstances, she starts to think there's something else going on. Something deadly. And when Lilly starts dating one of the dead man's friends, Maggie grows worried about her daughter being so close to another investigation and about what the investigation will uncover. Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime, and village politics are woven throughout this small seaside community, and as the summer progresses, Maggie is pulled deeper into the web of lies, further from those she loves, and closer to the truth.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2022
152 people are currently reading
10327 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Stewart Taylor
19 books754 followersSarah Stewart Taylor lives with her husband and three children on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and grow blueberries.
Sarah is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D'arcy series. The first Maggie D'arcy mystery, THE MOUNTAINS WILD, was nominated for the Dashiell Hammett Prize and was on numerous Best of 2020 lists. The new Maggie D'arcy novel, A STOLEN CHILD, is out now. AGONY HILL, the first installment in her new series set in Vermont in 1965, will be out in 2024.
Sarah is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D'arcy series. The first Maggie D'arcy mystery, THE MOUNTAINS WILD, was nominated for the Dashiell Hammett Prize and was on numerous Best of 2020 lists. The new Maggie D'arcy novel, A STOLEN CHILD, is out now. AGONY HILL, the first installment in her new series set in Vermont in 1965, will be out in 2024.
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May 17, 2022
Sarah Stewart Taylor balances a police procedural with sleuthing by a former homicide detective and with family drama in
The Drowning Sea
, the third book in her Maggie D’arcy series. Maggie is currently unemployed and on vacation in the village of Rosscliffe on a remote West Cork peninsula in Ireland. Her daughter Lilly as well as her boyfriend Conor and his son Adrien are with her.
When a tourist finds the body of construction worker Lukas Adamik, everyone seems to think he committed suicide by jumping from the cliffs into the sea. However, as Maggie learns more about the village and its people, she thinks it could be murder. When Lilly starts dating one of Lukas’ friends, Maggie is determined to get answers and protect her daughter.
The author does a great job of characterization. The characters, brimming with personality and depth, make it easy to bond with many of them and be wary of others. The protagonist is determined to solve the various mysteries and learn more about the history of the village, but she is far from perfect. Deciding whether to move from Long Island to Ireland is only the beginning. If she and Lilly move, what will Maggie do? There’s no going back to her old job in New York. How will Lilly adjust? While points of view shift throughout the novel, Maggie’s is the central one. The transitions worked well for me.
This is a well-plotted story with some unpredictable moments and a few twists and turns. For a small and relatively remote village that is gaining tourist interest, there was a lot of action, deception, half-truths, secrets, mysteries, and outright lies. Nevertheless, which ones are important? I kept turning the pages wondering what I would surmise next. The world-building is excellent, transporting me to the coast of Ireland. I could easily visualize the village and the Ross Head peninsula and feel the wind blowing in from the sea. While this worked as a stand-alone novel for me, I believe it would have been beneficial to read the earlier books in the series first. The novel isn’t fast paced, but it held my interest throughout.
Overall, this book was engaging, atmospheric, and suspenseful. It gave readers an opportunity to try to solve the multiple mysteries along with Maggie and the police. How successful will you be? This novel should delight those readers that enjoy international mysteries that have strong female characters and an absorbing plot. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Sarah Stewart Taylor provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 21, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Review coming soon.
When a tourist finds the body of construction worker Lukas Adamik, everyone seems to think he committed suicide by jumping from the cliffs into the sea. However, as Maggie learns more about the village and its people, she thinks it could be murder. When Lilly starts dating one of Lukas’ friends, Maggie is determined to get answers and protect her daughter.
The author does a great job of characterization. The characters, brimming with personality and depth, make it easy to bond with many of them and be wary of others. The protagonist is determined to solve the various mysteries and learn more about the history of the village, but she is far from perfect. Deciding whether to move from Long Island to Ireland is only the beginning. If she and Lilly move, what will Maggie do? There’s no going back to her old job in New York. How will Lilly adjust? While points of view shift throughout the novel, Maggie’s is the central one. The transitions worked well for me.
This is a well-plotted story with some unpredictable moments and a few twists and turns. For a small and relatively remote village that is gaining tourist interest, there was a lot of action, deception, half-truths, secrets, mysteries, and outright lies. Nevertheless, which ones are important? I kept turning the pages wondering what I would surmise next. The world-building is excellent, transporting me to the coast of Ireland. I could easily visualize the village and the Ross Head peninsula and feel the wind blowing in from the sea. While this worked as a stand-alone novel for me, I believe it would have been beneficial to read the earlier books in the series first. The novel isn’t fast paced, but it held my interest throughout.
Overall, this book was engaging, atmospheric, and suspenseful. It gave readers an opportunity to try to solve the multiple mysteries along with Maggie and the police. How successful will you be? This novel should delight those readers that enjoy international mysteries that have strong female characters and an absorbing plot. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Sarah Stewart Taylor provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 21, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Review coming soon.
April 23, 2022
The Drowning Sea is the third in the Maggie D’Arcy series. And while I enjoyed the prior two, when Maggie was a police detective, this one was lacking something. Maggie has retired and come to Ireland to spend the summer with her boyfriend and decide if she wants to move with her daughter there permanently. They’re renting a lovely cottage in a small atmospheric town when a body washes ashore. Maggie is curious, but she’s not part of the active investigation. She’s also trying to help her landlord with a mystery from 1973, when the woman lived with her family in the manor house.
There’s a decided division in the town regarding the proposed development of the old manor house, which has been abandoned for decades.
Stewart does an excellent job painting the town and the cliffs. She doesn’t do nearly as good a job giving the reader a sense of the characters, of which there are a lot. And Maggie seems to float through the first half of the book, not really learning much about either mystery. We also hear from the local detective, Griz, as she investigates, which provides the reader with background on a prior murder as well as what’s happening with the active investigation. But there was a disjointed feeling to the story and I had trouble envisioning some of the scenes, especially as the book reached its climax. At times, the writing just felt clunky.
This would not work well as a stand alone. It’s important to have Maggie and Lily’s background from the prior books.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
There’s a decided division in the town regarding the proposed development of the old manor house, which has been abandoned for decades.
Stewart does an excellent job painting the town and the cliffs. She doesn’t do nearly as good a job giving the reader a sense of the characters, of which there are a lot. And Maggie seems to float through the first half of the book, not really learning much about either mystery. We also hear from the local detective, Griz, as she investigates, which provides the reader with background on a prior murder as well as what’s happening with the active investigation. But there was a disjointed feeling to the story and I had trouble envisioning some of the scenes, especially as the book reached its climax. At times, the writing just felt clunky.
This would not work well as a stand alone. It’s important to have Maggie and Lily’s background from the prior books.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
June 14, 2022
This is the third in the Maggie D’Arcy series; it is the first I have read. It works as a standalone but references to things in Maggie’s past made me wish I had read the others as well for better background. The prior novels bridged New York and Ireland; this one is set totally in the Emerald Isle.
Maggie, no longer a New York detective, and her daughter are spending the summer in Ireland with her lover and his son in preparation for a permanent move there. While vacationing on the West Cork Seaside, she is drawn into the local drama of controversy over the redevelopment of a rundown manor house and two suspicious deaths.
Although the deaths are at the center of the story, this is not really a police procedural. Rather, it focuses more on Maggie and her “family” as well as the relationships, secrets, and conflicts of this small Irish village.
With strong character development and atmospheric descriptions of the seaside environment, It takes a while for the mystery to develop. I had some difficulty keeping some of the characters straight and I thought the plot lines unraveled a bit near the end. Still it was an engrossing, entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC
Follow me on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/shereadbook...
Maggie, no longer a New York detective, and her daughter are spending the summer in Ireland with her lover and his son in preparation for a permanent move there. While vacationing on the West Cork Seaside, she is drawn into the local drama of controversy over the redevelopment of a rundown manor house and two suspicious deaths.
Although the deaths are at the center of the story, this is not really a police procedural. Rather, it focuses more on Maggie and her “family” as well as the relationships, secrets, and conflicts of this small Irish village.
With strong character development and atmospheric descriptions of the seaside environment, It takes a while for the mystery to develop. I had some difficulty keeping some of the characters straight and I thought the plot lines unraveled a bit near the end. Still it was an engrossing, entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC
Follow me on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/shereadbook...
May 11, 2022
This is the third book in the Maggie D'arcy series and the third one I've read. Thank you to Sarah Stewart Taylor and Minotaur Books for another chance to read one of her books. This one again centers around homicide detective Maggie, and her calm vacation by the sea. Her vacation quickly gets more interesting when a body washes up on the shore. While many people think it was a jumper, Maggie learns about the history of the area and about other deaths. Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime, and village politics are woven throughout this small seaside community, and as the summer progresses, Maggie is pulled deeper into the web of lies, further from those she loves, and closer to the truth.
Thoughts: I really love how atmospheric this series is! The writing is wonderful and the setting feels like a mysterious character. You don't have to read the other two books to get into this one, so don't worry about catching up! The setting of Ireland is fun, as well as the addition of a haunted house on a hill!
The multiple mysteries tie together to create one great story. The plot builds over time as more and more comes out as Maggie investigates. I love the strong women in this book and the way their characters are written. This is a police procedural but it has plenty of domestic suspense thrown in a as well. 4-stars!
Thoughts: I really love how atmospheric this series is! The writing is wonderful and the setting feels like a mysterious character. You don't have to read the other two books to get into this one, so don't worry about catching up! The setting of Ireland is fun, as well as the addition of a haunted house on a hill!
The multiple mysteries tie together to create one great story. The plot builds over time as more and more comes out as Maggie investigates. I love the strong women in this book and the way their characters are written. This is a police procedural but it has plenty of domestic suspense thrown in a as well. 4-stars!
June 30, 2022
In this third outing in the series, Maggie D'Arcy and her daughter Lilly have come to Ireland to spend the summer with Conor and Adrien, to decide whether to permanently move there. They've rented a cottage in West Cork on the coast and look forward to some peace and quiet.
But a young man's body has been found in the sea at the bottom of the cliff and Maggie can't help but be a little curious. Was it suicide, an accident or murder? She also gets roped into looking into an old mystery by their elderly landlord. The old and decrepit manor house on the cliff has secrets to tell. Could it be haunted?
Meanwhile she dealing with her daughter's angst about making a permanent move to Ireland but maybe falling in love will ease the way...
I enjoyed these characters with their many problems and secrets. The setting was creepily atmospheric and added to the tension of the plot. The ending kept me on pins and needles--quite dramatic! I'll definitely look forward to reading more in this series.
NB: I received an arc of this new mystery from the publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
But a young man's body has been found in the sea at the bottom of the cliff and Maggie can't help but be a little curious. Was it suicide, an accident or murder? She also gets roped into looking into an old mystery by their elderly landlord. The old and decrepit manor house on the cliff has secrets to tell. Could it be haunted?
Meanwhile she dealing with her daughter's angst about making a permanent move to Ireland but maybe falling in love will ease the way...
I enjoyed these characters with their many problems and secrets. The setting was creepily atmospheric and added to the tension of the plot. The ending kept me on pins and needles--quite dramatic! I'll definitely look forward to reading more in this series.
NB: I received an arc of this new mystery from the publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 7, 2022
I’ve been a fan of the Maggie D’arcy series from the start and was eager to dive into the newest installment. For me, Maggie’s personal life is just as interesting as the mystery at the center of each new installment. Maggie has reunited with a man she met while trying to find her missing cousin in Ireland 23 years ago. They had a passionate few weeks together, but ended up parting ways for reasons that you’d have to read the book to understand. That mystery was solved in book one, with Maggie assisting the Irish Garda, establishing the relationship between Maggie and Conor, and set up the rest of the stories to come.
After the events from the last book Maggie is no longer working as a homicide detective in Long Island which leaves her and her teenage daughter, Lilly, free to spend the Summer in Ireland with Conor and his son. Maggie’s planning to move to Ireland and needs a way to break the news to Lilly. Maggie will have to start at the bottom of the police force in Ireland and the training is a bit of an issue for her and Conor. Spending the Summer in the beautiful coast of West Cork is just the respite they all need to recharge. However, Maggie always finds herself a few mysteries to solve.
A young Polish worker goes missing and the rumor is he either committed suicide or fell off the treacherous cliffs into the sea. His girlfriend insists neither can be true. Also, Mrs. Crawford, owner of the idyllic cottage they’re staying at, has some childhood memories returning and she’s sure she remembers a blood-soaked rag hidden and a governess that went missing around the same time. Mrs. Crawford asks Maggie to look into it for her. These mysteries don’t seem like much danger at first, but the ending had me holding my breath for a second or two worried about how it’d all turn out!
Sarah Stewart Taylor has a way of writing that brought Ross Head to life, with its stunning seaside cliffs and views! I’d love to stay in the cozy cottage described, minus the trouble Maggie encounters, of course. Although, maybe that might be a little fun, as long as it wasn’t too dangerous.
The Maggie D’arcy series is best started from the beginning as the relationships and history are important to each story. I highly recommend the series for any who enjoy police procedurals with excellent characterization and beautiful, atmospheric writing.
For audiobook lovers, the audios are fantastic! I alternately read and listened to all the books, and I was a little concerned because the narrator changed in this installment. However, Aoife McMahon was excellent with all accents. Maggie’s is a strange sort of Long Island/Irish mix and she nailed it, as the did the past narrator. The Irish accents were good, too, subtle, and genuine feeling, to me anyhow.
An e-copy was kindly provided by Minotaur Books (I purchased the audio) in exchange for an honest review.
After the events from the last book Maggie is no longer working as a homicide detective in Long Island which leaves her and her teenage daughter, Lilly, free to spend the Summer in Ireland with Conor and his son. Maggie’s planning to move to Ireland and needs a way to break the news to Lilly. Maggie will have to start at the bottom of the police force in Ireland and the training is a bit of an issue for her and Conor. Spending the Summer in the beautiful coast of West Cork is just the respite they all need to recharge. However, Maggie always finds herself a few mysteries to solve.
A young Polish worker goes missing and the rumor is he either committed suicide or fell off the treacherous cliffs into the sea. His girlfriend insists neither can be true. Also, Mrs. Crawford, owner of the idyllic cottage they’re staying at, has some childhood memories returning and she’s sure she remembers a blood-soaked rag hidden and a governess that went missing around the same time. Mrs. Crawford asks Maggie to look into it for her. These mysteries don’t seem like much danger at first, but the ending had me holding my breath for a second or two worried about how it’d all turn out!
Sarah Stewart Taylor has a way of writing that brought Ross Head to life, with its stunning seaside cliffs and views! I’d love to stay in the cozy cottage described, minus the trouble Maggie encounters, of course. Although, maybe that might be a little fun, as long as it wasn’t too dangerous.
The Maggie D’arcy series is best started from the beginning as the relationships and history are important to each story. I highly recommend the series for any who enjoy police procedurals with excellent characterization and beautiful, atmospheric writing.
For audiobook lovers, the audios are fantastic! I alternately read and listened to all the books, and I was a little concerned because the narrator changed in this installment. However, Aoife McMahon was excellent with all accents. Maggie’s is a strange sort of Long Island/Irish mix and she nailed it, as the did the past narrator. The Irish accents were good, too, subtle, and genuine feeling, to me anyhow.
An e-copy was kindly provided by Minotaur Books (I purchased the audio) in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2022
This book took me a bit to get into it. A summer vacation brought ex-detective Maggie Ireland and of course a body being discovered in the water reeled her back in to solve the mystery.
I liked this book once it really got going, so over halfway in. There were so many characteristics to sort out, I was even a bit confused near the end. I did enjoy Maggie's family dynamics since that made them seem more relatable and real.
I think the plot could have been streamlined a bit more instead of meandering so much. The 1970s history lesson part of the plot wasn't really necessary and didn't really add much. An old house and the cliffs added some of the eerie factor to the book, but not enough to have me on the edge of my seat.
Overall enjoyable, but I left the end of the book with mixed feelings.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
I liked this book once it really got going, so over halfway in. There were so many characteristics to sort out, I was even a bit confused near the end. I did enjoy Maggie's family dynamics since that made them seem more relatable and real.
I think the plot could have been streamlined a bit more instead of meandering so much. The 1970s history lesson part of the plot wasn't really necessary and didn't really add much. An old house and the cliffs added some of the eerie factor to the book, but not enough to have me on the edge of my seat.
Overall enjoyable, but I left the end of the book with mixed feelings.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
March 29, 2022
I enjoyed this novel set in Ireland's Cork county enough that I booked a trip to Ireland to break out of my Covid funk. Stewart weaves an engaging story that's part mystery while centering the story around the Maggie D'arcy's domestic life as she struggles over whether to relocate to Dublin. The prose is beautiful and the descriptions of the Cork coastline are evocative and atmospheric. This can easily be read as a standalone.
June 26, 2022
In THE DROWNING SEA, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s third Maggie D’Arcy mystery, the former Suffolk County homicide detective from Long Island is on a summer vacation among the beautiful but dangerous cliffs of Ross Head in West Cork, Ireland. She is there with her teenage daughter, Lilly, and is sharing a cottage with her boyfriend, Conor, and his son, Adrien. Maggie seeks a fresh start after a rough finish to her time on the force, and she needs to sell her daughter on the idea of a permanent move to Ireland. This will be tough as Lilly is still going through a lot following the death of her father just over a year ago.
Maggie is adjusting to Ross Head quickly, which is marked not only by its scenic cliffs and pounding sea but also by Rosscliffe Manor, a huge, abandoned castle-like structure that must have some serious history behind it. She has befriended Lissa Crawford, who runs a bakery shop and happens to be their landlady for the summer. One day, while she is chatting with her, DS Ann Tobin of the Garda Síochána stops by and informs Lissa that a Belgian tourist found the remains of a body on the beach that morning. The corpse is that of Lukas Adamik, a Polish construction worker who had gone missing.
Conor takes his family to a gastropub where they run into one of his academic colleagues, Grace, who invites them to join her. Dining at her large table are a number of locals who will play big roles in the story. Sam Nevin, Lukas’ former employer, is the main developer of Ross Head’s revitalization and is looking to turn Rosscliffe Manor into a fully functional hotel. Grace’s husband, Lorcan Murphy, is also a big cog in the wheel of this development machine from a financial standpoint. The D’arcys end their evening in the village with a visit to the tavern where a local band is playing. Alex, the lead singer, takes a shine to Lilly, and it’s not long before they become an item. It turns out that Alex is from Poland and was a friend of Lukas.
Maggie does some digging and finds out from her contact at the Garda that Ross Head has been under investigation for drug trafficking for a number of years. Could this have played a role in Lukas’ tragic fate or perhaps be tied to the Polish workers in the village? Needless to say, Lilly’s new relationship with Alex does not leave Maggie with a warm and fuzzy feeling based on all the information she has gathered. It’s not long before a second body turns up on the beach. This time it’s Zuzanna, a waitress at the gastropub who dated Lukas and may have been silenced for whatever she might have known about his death. Meanwhile, others in the village are trying to claim that she took her own life out of grief.
Now, both the Garda and drug enforcement officers have descended upon Ross Head, bringing to a halt all the construction and putting each resident under suspicion for what could be a string of possible homicides.
THE DROWNING SEA is a perfect mystery novel. Not only are we presented with numerous suspects, the motive for any potential murder may lie in the village’s deep history. Ireland is a beautiful and mysterious place, and Ross Head is no exception. Sarah Stewart Taylor deftly handles all of this and more without letting the narrative become overstuffed. The finale is quite suspenseful with more than a few surprises, and I look forward to seeing how the series progresses.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Maggie is adjusting to Ross Head quickly, which is marked not only by its scenic cliffs and pounding sea but also by Rosscliffe Manor, a huge, abandoned castle-like structure that must have some serious history behind it. She has befriended Lissa Crawford, who runs a bakery shop and happens to be their landlady for the summer. One day, while she is chatting with her, DS Ann Tobin of the Garda Síochána stops by and informs Lissa that a Belgian tourist found the remains of a body on the beach that morning. The corpse is that of Lukas Adamik, a Polish construction worker who had gone missing.
Conor takes his family to a gastropub where they run into one of his academic colleagues, Grace, who invites them to join her. Dining at her large table are a number of locals who will play big roles in the story. Sam Nevin, Lukas’ former employer, is the main developer of Ross Head’s revitalization and is looking to turn Rosscliffe Manor into a fully functional hotel. Grace’s husband, Lorcan Murphy, is also a big cog in the wheel of this development machine from a financial standpoint. The D’arcys end their evening in the village with a visit to the tavern where a local band is playing. Alex, the lead singer, takes a shine to Lilly, and it’s not long before they become an item. It turns out that Alex is from Poland and was a friend of Lukas.
Maggie does some digging and finds out from her contact at the Garda that Ross Head has been under investigation for drug trafficking for a number of years. Could this have played a role in Lukas’ tragic fate or perhaps be tied to the Polish workers in the village? Needless to say, Lilly’s new relationship with Alex does not leave Maggie with a warm and fuzzy feeling based on all the information she has gathered. It’s not long before a second body turns up on the beach. This time it’s Zuzanna, a waitress at the gastropub who dated Lukas and may have been silenced for whatever she might have known about his death. Meanwhile, others in the village are trying to claim that she took her own life out of grief.
Now, both the Garda and drug enforcement officers have descended upon Ross Head, bringing to a halt all the construction and putting each resident under suspicion for what could be a string of possible homicides.
THE DROWNING SEA is a perfect mystery novel. Not only are we presented with numerous suspects, the motive for any potential murder may lie in the village’s deep history. Ireland is a beautiful and mysterious place, and Ross Head is no exception. Sarah Stewart Taylor deftly handles all of this and more without letting the narrative become overstuffed. The finale is quite suspenseful with more than a few surprises, and I look forward to seeing how the series progresses.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
September 3, 2023
Book three in this series staring Irish American cop Maggie D'arcy. These are very easy and quite enjoyable reads. A little predictable but good entertainment between the heavier tomes I often read.
June 22, 2022
Menacing, twisty, and intriguing!
In this latest novel by Taylor, The Drowning Sea, we head back into the life of Maggie D’Arcy, who, after recently leaving her job as a detective on Long Island, heads for a vacation in West Cork, Ireland, where things aren’t as quiet and relaxing as she hoped when the town she’s ends up staying in is rife with misfits, mayhem, a history of drug smuggling, and an estate, Rosscliffe Manor, that seems to have a lot of long-buried secrets of its own.
The writing is crisp and tight. The characters are multilayered, dependable, and tenacious. And the plot is a captivating mix of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deception, obsession, manipulation, malicious intentions, small-town politics, and murder.
Overall, I found The Drowning Sea to be another fabulous addition to the Maggie D’Arcy series by Taylor with its complex characters, sinister storyline, and exceptionally dramatic ending.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
In this latest novel by Taylor, The Drowning Sea, we head back into the life of Maggie D’Arcy, who, after recently leaving her job as a detective on Long Island, heads for a vacation in West Cork, Ireland, where things aren’t as quiet and relaxing as she hoped when the town she’s ends up staying in is rife with misfits, mayhem, a history of drug smuggling, and an estate, Rosscliffe Manor, that seems to have a lot of long-buried secrets of its own.
The writing is crisp and tight. The characters are multilayered, dependable, and tenacious. And the plot is a captivating mix of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deception, obsession, manipulation, malicious intentions, small-town politics, and murder.
Overall, I found The Drowning Sea to be another fabulous addition to the Maggie D’Arcy series by Taylor with its complex characters, sinister storyline, and exceptionally dramatic ending.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2022
This series is just fantastic, and #3 in the Maggie D’Arcy mystery series didn’t disappoint. I love the fact that this reads like a standalone — there are hints to the previous two books, but if you haven’t read them, it’s not a big deal. I loved the callbacks to the two other books especially because it’s been a while since I’ve read them, and it was a great memory jog.
I love that this book was fully set in Ireland — the southern coast of Ireland, in West Cork. I haven’t been to Ireland (only spent 48 hours in Dublin once in 2015) in years but this was also a lovely bit of “armchair travel,” and reignited my desire to go back to Ireland someday soon. Once again, Maggie is a badass protagonist. I was a bit thrown at first how the narrative switched from Maggie to random chapters with Ann Toibin, Griz (love her!), Agnieska etc., but I really do think it added something extra to the narrative, and I did enjoy the other perspectives and seeing how everything came together at the end. Once again, Sarah Stewart Taylor destroys me with all of the PLOT TWISTS that I never ever see coming 🤣🥲 I really tried to predict this book, but gave up halfway through lol and by the end, I was basically just like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maggie and her daughter, Lilly, are spending the summer in Ireland with Maggie’s partner, Conor, and his son Adrian. For the first time in her adult life, Maggie is unemployed, and really doesn’t know how to chill out lol (relatable). Human remains are found nearby below the steep cliffs of Ross Head, and obviously she can’t stay away, and is lowkey, unofficially, back in the game. It’s always so fascinating to get inside Maggie’s head and see her mind spin in a million different directions as she’s trying to grasp the different threads and figure out what the heck is happening in this possible suicide-turned-murder investigation. Fantastic, atmospheric read full of twists and turns and jaw dropping moments. I absolutely flew through it.
So many things happened in this book:
- tension between Maggie and her 17-year-old Lilly about a potential move from Long Island to Dublin, and then tension about Lilly dating a friend of the murder victim (and being hella late for curfew without a courtesy text, which annoyed the heck outta ME lol)
- History of Rosscliffe House, the Crawfords, painter/Maggie’s landlady Lissa Crawford (who sold the house to a local developer and now has regrets)
- Small town/village vibes — everyone knows everyone and is everyone’s business
- Drug investigations and illicit deals
- Maggie lowkey investigating while navigating relationships with her partner, his ex-wife, locals in town, the local gardai force
I love that this book was fully set in Ireland — the southern coast of Ireland, in West Cork. I haven’t been to Ireland (only spent 48 hours in Dublin once in 2015) in years but this was also a lovely bit of “armchair travel,” and reignited my desire to go back to Ireland someday soon. Once again, Maggie is a badass protagonist. I was a bit thrown at first how the narrative switched from Maggie to random chapters with Ann Toibin, Griz (love her!), Agnieska etc., but I really do think it added something extra to the narrative, and I did enjoy the other perspectives and seeing how everything came together at the end. Once again, Sarah Stewart Taylor destroys me with all of the PLOT TWISTS that I never ever see coming 🤣🥲 I really tried to predict this book, but gave up halfway through lol and by the end, I was basically just like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maggie and her daughter, Lilly, are spending the summer in Ireland with Maggie’s partner, Conor, and his son Adrian. For the first time in her adult life, Maggie is unemployed, and really doesn’t know how to chill out lol (relatable). Human remains are found nearby below the steep cliffs of Ross Head, and obviously she can’t stay away, and is lowkey, unofficially, back in the game. It’s always so fascinating to get inside Maggie’s head and see her mind spin in a million different directions as she’s trying to grasp the different threads and figure out what the heck is happening in this possible suicide-turned-murder investigation. Fantastic, atmospheric read full of twists and turns and jaw dropping moments. I absolutely flew through it.
So many things happened in this book:
- tension between Maggie and her 17-year-old Lilly about a potential move from Long Island to Dublin, and then tension about Lilly dating a friend of the murder victim (and being hella late for curfew without a courtesy text, which annoyed the heck outta ME lol)
- History of Rosscliffe House, the Crawfords, painter/Maggie’s landlady Lissa Crawford (who sold the house to a local developer and now has regrets)
- Small town/village vibes — everyone knows everyone and is everyone’s business
- Drug investigations and illicit deals
- Maggie lowkey investigating while navigating relationships with her partner, his ex-wife, locals in town, the local gardai force
September 1, 2022
In this third in the Maggie D'Arcy mystery series, D'Arcy is vacationing on a rural peninsula in West Cork with her boyfriend and their two teens when she's drawn into a local case involving a real estate development and the deaths of several immigrant workers.
While Taylor's books always provide a lovely sense of place and interesting, complex characters, this title is my least favorite in the series. The mystery is less engrossing than in the first two books, and the resolution employed one of my pet peeve tropes. The ending was so sudden that I went back and re-read it, thinking I'd missed something. Recommended for die-hard fans of the series, if only to keep up with the developments in D'Arcy's personal life.
While Taylor's books always provide a lovely sense of place and interesting, complex characters, this title is my least favorite in the series. The mystery is less engrossing than in the first two books, and the resolution employed one of my pet peeve tropes. The ending was so sudden that I went back and re-read it, thinking I'd missed something. Recommended for die-hard fans of the series, if only to keep up with the developments in D'Arcy's personal life.
July 28, 2022
Having quit her job as homicide detective on Long Island, Maggie has taken her daughter to Ireland to see if the teen would be willing to relocate there, since Maggie would like to join the man she's loved for many years. Lilly's attraction for a young Polish musician living in the West Cork village where they are vacationing answers one question, but the deaths of two Polish workers who were friends makes Maggie just itch to get involved in the police investigation. Since she can't, she tries to help their landlady, who used to be daughter of the now-deserted manor house, reclaim her lost memories of the last summer she spent there. Was a young woman killed there? Is the house really haunted? And does this old, old story have anything to do with more recent deaths? I gradually got used to reading a book written in the present tense, but it took a few chapters!
August 12, 2022
I enjoyed the third installment of this series, though it was different than the first two. There was much less action and way more atmosphere. The main character, Maggie, has left the United States and is considering living in Ireland full time. She and her boyfriend and daughter are spending the summer in a small village that is anchored by a large ruin. The politics of the vacant house and of the Irish class and labor system are the focus of the novel, and, of course, a mystery sits at its center. When the body of a Polish laborer washes up on the shore, Maggie gets wrapped up in figuring out if a potential redevelopment scheme had something to do with his death.
August 25, 2022
slow paced, low key mystery set in ireland. living on the coast here in oregon i really related to the locals resisting investors coming into their small village & changing every good thing about it. same as it ever was i guess.
April 7, 2022
I loved this book. Reading the description of the west coast of Ireland made me long to go back and visit again. This book is book 3 in a series called Maggie D'arcy. I had not read the first two books yet (Oh but I will). I had no problem following the story if anything the references to the other books just made me want to read them more. A huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Stewart Taylor and St. Martins Press for the ARC copy. This review is my personal opinion.
April 19, 2022
This is an interesting book about a former police detective and her family, healing from recents traumas and trying to rebuild, stumbling into a town with lots of mysteries both current and many years ago. >|Likeable main characters, a little slow at first with so many characters and history of the town to be described but it picked up and resolved all the loose ends.
August 13, 2022
#3 in the Maggie D'Arcy series - continues on from #s1-2. This story set entirely in Ireland with the 2 blended families - a romantic mystery suspense thriller. Its a great series and Taylor is a wonderful writer. Highly recommend.
June 18, 2022
This is the 3rd book in the series and doesn't disappoint. In this homicide detective Maggie has retired and is visiting Ireland when a body washes up on the shore. The characters and the investigation capture the reader.
I highly recommend this book, and all the author's previous books.
I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
I highly recommend this book, and all the author's previous books.
I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
June 21, 2022
Happy PUB Day!
The Drowning Sea is a really good atmospheric murder mystery. What should have been a nice summer family vacation in Ireland turns deadly.
When a body washes up on shore - Former Detective Maggie D’Arcy can’t resist the urge not to investigate further once she starts to notice clues being overlooked.
Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime and village politics come into play. I enjoyed seeing the investigation unfold outside of the active investigation - a different perspective.
The author does an amazing job of drawing in your attention to details with the landscape, now I want to go to Ireland. This is the third instalment in the Maggie D’Arcy series and now I have to read the first two. Not that I’m complaining and you can totally read this as a stand-alone.
Check it out if you enjoy a good murder mystery novel with some police procedural aspects.
Special thanks to minotaur books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Drowning Sea is a really good atmospheric murder mystery. What should have been a nice summer family vacation in Ireland turns deadly.
When a body washes up on shore - Former Detective Maggie D’Arcy can’t resist the urge not to investigate further once she starts to notice clues being overlooked.
Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime and village politics come into play. I enjoyed seeing the investigation unfold outside of the active investigation - a different perspective.
The author does an amazing job of drawing in your attention to details with the landscape, now I want to go to Ireland. This is the third instalment in the Maggie D’Arcy series and now I have to read the first two. Not that I’m complaining and you can totally read this as a stand-alone.
Check it out if you enjoy a good murder mystery novel with some police procedural aspects.
Special thanks to minotaur books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2022
Goodreads Giveaway.
I really struggled with this book. I was initially excited to read it as I usually find this genre appealing. As I was reading it, I kept telling myself that it would pick up but it really didn't. I essentially forced myself to finish it. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the plot moved really slowly. Usually I don't mind a slower progression through a book, provided there is lots of description and less conversation between the characters. This was not that kind of book. I'm sure that this book will appeal to someone however - it is not badly written.
I really struggled with this book. I was initially excited to read it as I usually find this genre appealing. As I was reading it, I kept telling myself that it would pick up but it really didn't. I essentially forced myself to finish it. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the plot moved really slowly. Usually I don't mind a slower progression through a book, provided there is lots of description and less conversation between the characters. This was not that kind of book. I'm sure that this book will appeal to someone however - it is not badly written.
August 2, 2022
Excellent! A satisfying ending & that almost-at-the-end climactic scene--wow!
September 3, 2022
I have been a fan of Sarah Stewart Taylor for many years. I really enjoyed her Sweeney St George series, but apparently I was in the minority. It definitely was a quirky series featuring a university professor with an interest in cemetery art. Since I also enjoy cemetery art, I read every one, but the last one was published in 2006. She emerged with Maggie D'Arcy, probably a better popular choice. Luckily she writes well and I've enjoyed the series. This is the latest one and it's terrific.
Maggie and her daughter, Lilly, are spending the summer in Ireland with Conor and his son. She has resigned from her job as a Long Island Detective and is unsure of her next steps. Her friend in the Dublin police has reserved a spot for her in the Guarda but that means starting from the beginning.
Meanwhile she is enjoying her time in beautiful, wild Western Ireland on vacationing with Conor and his son. Lilly is bent on returning to Long Island but then she meets a local musician. So you kind of know where things will end - or at least hope that's what happens.
In the meantime, though, a body is found washed up on the shore. It is the body of a Polish worker, one of several in the area. It was assumed he was depressed and homesick and just left, but his girlfriend firmly believes that this isn't the case. Then another body is found at the foot of the cliffs.
Soon Maggie is embroiled in more than one mystery including the death of a young man during drug running and the disappearance of a wealthy family's nanny.
This was a good one that unfolds slowly and deliberately. It's really interesting and very atmospheric. There's another book coming out in June 2023. I hope it's another Maggie D'Arcy as we follow her new career in the Dublin Police.
Maggie and her daughter, Lilly, are spending the summer in Ireland with Conor and his son. She has resigned from her job as a Long Island Detective and is unsure of her next steps. Her friend in the Dublin police has reserved a spot for her in the Guarda but that means starting from the beginning.
Meanwhile she is enjoying her time in beautiful, wild Western Ireland on vacationing with Conor and his son. Lilly is bent on returning to Long Island but then she meets a local musician. So you kind of know where things will end - or at least hope that's what happens.
In the meantime, though, a body is found washed up on the shore. It is the body of a Polish worker, one of several in the area. It was assumed he was depressed and homesick and just left, but his girlfriend firmly believes that this isn't the case. Then another body is found at the foot of the cliffs.
Soon Maggie is embroiled in more than one mystery including the death of a young man during drug running and the disappearance of a wealthy family's nanny.
This was a good one that unfolds slowly and deliberately. It's really interesting and very atmospheric. There's another book coming out in June 2023. I hope it's another Maggie D'Arcy as we follow her new career in the Dublin Police.
May 17, 2024
I enjoy reading Maggie D'arcy's books, this is probably not the best one, but it is good.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
book burp:
In The Drowning Sea, Sarah Stewart Taylor returns to the critically acclaimed world of Maggie D’arcy with another atmospheric mystery so vivid readers will smell the salt in the air and hear the wind on the cliffs.
For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is unemployed. No cases to focus on, no leads to investigate, just a whole summer on a remote West Cork peninsula with her teenage daughter Lilly and her boyfriend, Conor and his son. The plan is to prepare Lilly for a move to Ireland. But their calm vacation takes a dangerous turn when human remains wash up below the steep cliffs of Ross Head.
When construction worker Lukas Adamik disappeared months ago, everyone assumed he had gone home to Poland. Now that his body has been found, the guards, including Maggie's friends Roly Byrne and Katya Grzeskiewicz, seem to think he threw himself from the cliffs. But as Maggie gets to know the residents of the nearby village and learns about the history of the peninsula and its abandoned Anglo Irish manor house, once home to a famous Irish painter who died under mysterious circumstances, she starts to think there's something else going on. Something deadly. And when Lilly starts dating one of the dead man's friends, Maggie grows worried about her daughter being so close to another investigation and about what the investigation will uncover. Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime, and village politics are woven throughout this small seaside community, and as the summer progresses, Maggie is pulled deeper into the web of lies, further from those she loves, and closer to the truth.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
book burp:
In The Drowning Sea, Sarah Stewart Taylor returns to the critically acclaimed world of Maggie D’arcy with another atmospheric mystery so vivid readers will smell the salt in the air and hear the wind on the cliffs.
For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is unemployed. No cases to focus on, no leads to investigate, just a whole summer on a remote West Cork peninsula with her teenage daughter Lilly and her boyfriend, Conor and his son. The plan is to prepare Lilly for a move to Ireland. But their calm vacation takes a dangerous turn when human remains wash up below the steep cliffs of Ross Head.
When construction worker Lukas Adamik disappeared months ago, everyone assumed he had gone home to Poland. Now that his body has been found, the guards, including Maggie's friends Roly Byrne and Katya Grzeskiewicz, seem to think he threw himself from the cliffs. But as Maggie gets to know the residents of the nearby village and learns about the history of the peninsula and its abandoned Anglo Irish manor house, once home to a famous Irish painter who died under mysterious circumstances, she starts to think there's something else going on. Something deadly. And when Lilly starts dating one of the dead man's friends, Maggie grows worried about her daughter being so close to another investigation and about what the investigation will uncover. Old secrets, hidden relationships, crime, and village politics are woven throughout this small seaside community, and as the summer progresses, Maggie is pulled deeper into the web of lies, further from those she loves, and closer to the truth.
June 20, 2022
This was an entertaining third book in the gripping mystery series by Sarah Stewart Taylor.
My favorite part of this series is the way the author can set the scene, and Sarah Steward Taylor has done it again! She is a master at vividly describing a landscape and placing the reader smack dab in the middle of it! In this book it was an Irish coastal town with a mysterious (haunted?) house –sufficiently beautiful and creepy
This is a bit different from the other books in the series because Maggie is not a detective anymore. I really like her as a detective working with her colleagues, so I hope Maggie becomes a PI or a detective again in future books in the series.
The mystery was interesting and had sufficient twists and turns. I did not figure out the murderer until the end!
I liked the family tension between Maggie dealing with her daughter’s teen years while navigating her new relationship with Connor. I can’t wait to see what is next for these characters.
I received a complementary eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review
My favorite part of this series is the way the author can set the scene, and Sarah Steward Taylor has done it again! She is a master at vividly describing a landscape and placing the reader smack dab in the middle of it! In this book it was an Irish coastal town with a mysterious (haunted?) house –sufficiently beautiful and creepy
This is a bit different from the other books in the series because Maggie is not a detective anymore. I really like her as a detective working with her colleagues, so I hope Maggie becomes a PI or a detective again in future books in the series.
The mystery was interesting and had sufficient twists and turns. I did not figure out the murderer until the end!
I liked the family tension between Maggie dealing with her daughter’s teen years while navigating her new relationship with Connor. I can’t wait to see what is next for these characters.
I received a complementary eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review
June 24, 2022
Of the three books, so far, in this series, this is my least favorite. I think it's due to the transition for Maggie who is trying to decide what she wants to do. now that she has retired from the police force. She and her daughter Lilly have rented a cottage on the West Cork Peninsula to share with her boyfriend Conor and his son, Adrien. Will she find a way to continue her career in law enforcement by joining the Garda? As that big question looms over her she becomes involved with both a new case and a decades old one. The body of a man missing for months washes up on the beach - accident or homicide? Then her landlady asks for her help finding answers about a decades old disappearance connected to Rosscliffe Manor, an abandoned manor house slatted for redevelopment into a hotel. Some locals are happy about it but others not at all. Which may be hiding a decades old secret?
The atmosphere of the Irish village, the inhabitants and various issues addressed make for an enjoyable read. There are lots of characters to keep straight and that slowed the pace a bit as I tried to stay focused on their relationships. The setting alone makes this a great read. My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
The atmosphere of the Irish village, the inhabitants and various issues addressed make for an enjoyable read. There are lots of characters to keep straight and that slowed the pace a bit as I tried to stay focused on their relationships. The setting alone makes this a great read. My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
April 17, 2022
If you like mysteries set in locations that feel like home and an exotic land at the same time, this book is for you.
The Drowning Sea has many of the things I love- a beautiful setting on the Irish coast, a small town mystery where everyone knows each other and keeps their secrets, generations of families with secrets...I could go on but you get the idea.
I enjoyed the characters and especially the budding romance between two young characters, Lilly and Alex. The way Sarah Stewart Taylor built their relationship felt true and real for teenagers who are discovering love for the first time.
The back story on the townies and their ancestors was one of my favorite parts. I loved learning more about Lissa's family and what truly happened at Rosscliffe House.
The ending was partially a surprise. One part was obvious but the other was a shock. I read a lot of mysteries so it's nice when the answer takes me by surprise. I liked the different perspectives and the writing was well done. I will be reading more of Taylor's books in the near future! Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.
The Drowning Sea has many of the things I love- a beautiful setting on the Irish coast, a small town mystery where everyone knows each other and keeps their secrets, generations of families with secrets...I could go on but you get the idea.
I enjoyed the characters and especially the budding romance between two young characters, Lilly and Alex. The way Sarah Stewart Taylor built their relationship felt true and real for teenagers who are discovering love for the first time.
The back story on the townies and their ancestors was one of my favorite parts. I loved learning more about Lissa's family and what truly happened at Rosscliffe House.
The ending was partially a surprise. One part was obvious but the other was a shock. I read a lot of mysteries so it's nice when the answer takes me by surprise. I liked the different perspectives and the writing was well done. I will be reading more of Taylor's books in the near future! Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2022
I enjoyed this contemporary mystery that had the shadowy feel of a gothic novel. The setting on a rocky cliff line along the coast of West Cork, Ireland, also played a major role in the atmospheric feel of the book, not to mention the abandoned and thought to be haunted manor house on the hill.
This is the third book in a series featuring Maggie D’arcy, a former Long Island, NY, homicide detective, who happens to be vacationing on a remote peninsula with her daughter, boyfriend and her boyfriend’s son when a body washes ashore on the rocks below the cliff where the manor house and their cottage sits.
Maggie of course wants to find out who the dead man is, but the local authorities are reluctant to accept her help. She is thinking about moving to Ireland to be with her boyfriend but is facing many obstacles including the time and training needed to resume a career as a detective and maybe more importantly, the happiness and well-being of her teenage daughter who would be uprooted from her life back in New York.
The author has written an interesting mystery with well-developed characters. I would recommend it to other readers. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
This is the third book in a series featuring Maggie D’arcy, a former Long Island, NY, homicide detective, who happens to be vacationing on a remote peninsula with her daughter, boyfriend and her boyfriend’s son when a body washes ashore on the rocks below the cliff where the manor house and their cottage sits.
Maggie of course wants to find out who the dead man is, but the local authorities are reluctant to accept her help. She is thinking about moving to Ireland to be with her boyfriend but is facing many obstacles including the time and training needed to resume a career as a detective and maybe more importantly, the happiness and well-being of her teenage daughter who would be uprooted from her life back in New York.
The author has written an interesting mystery with well-developed characters. I would recommend it to other readers. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
October 24, 2022
3.5 stars. I like the characters and the setting in this above-average mystery series (book #2 is so far the best), but in this 3rd installment there are too many storylines that don’t really seem all that interconnected until the somewhat awkwardly done conclusion. I’ll stick with the series for now…there’s a 4th book on the way for 2023. To get the full picture of the characters and their backstories, you do need to read them in order.
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