A review by mepresley
A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor

dark mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A solid read. While the socio-political context in the background of The Mountain Wild was Ireland's history of colonization and rebellion, in A Distant Grave, there's a dual focus on Ireland's dark history with Mother & Baby homes in the 1960s & 1970s and the violence and chaos emerging under the new US president (unnamed, clearly Trump) in early 2017. Also, there's a bonus examination of the shady actions of

private military contractors

in Afghanistan post-9/11. 

Just before a planned vacation to Ireland, Maggie is called to a crime scene where the victim turns out to be

an Irish national, a humanitarian aid worker named Gabriel.

As such, Maggie once again joins up with Roly on an investigation, though the dynamics are entirely different this time, with Maggie able to play an open, active role in working the case.

A lot of Maggie's decisions drove me up the wall, but I was really invested in the mystery and found it impossible to put down once I reached the halfway point. Sarah Stewart Taylor crafted a

fabulous red herring with DA Cooney

.

Oh, and

RIP, Marty. You were the GOAT.

I think I would have been angry if A Distant Grave didn't end with

the clear implication that Maggie is going to move to Ireland.

I've already placed the last two books of the series on hold at the library.