Helpful Score: 2
Once begun, this is a difficult book to put down when real life interrupts reading life. This is the story of a missing child, Ben Finch, told from the perspectives of his frantic single mother, Rachel, and the lead detective in the case, Jim Clemo. The histories of the peripheral characters are also fascinating in their reactions and motivations relating to a missing child.
The book follows Rachel as she copes in the week following the disappearance of her son and endures the cruel judgments by the press and social media. Any parent can only imagine the fear and panic when a child is missing, and it is palpable in this novel. The characters are very well drawn and the heart-stopping conclusion is logical. This is a remarkable debut novel by a talented author, Gilly Macmillan, whose career I shall follow with interest. I am grateful to LibraryThing to be an early reviewer of this book.
The book follows Rachel as she copes in the week following the disappearance of her son and endures the cruel judgments by the press and social media. Any parent can only imagine the fear and panic when a child is missing, and it is palpable in this novel. The characters are very well drawn and the heart-stopping conclusion is logical. This is a remarkable debut novel by a talented author, Gilly Macmillan, whose career I shall follow with interest. I am grateful to LibraryThing to be an early reviewer of this book.
Riveting! So hard to put down. I had to know what happened. I did not have it figured out at all! It is somewhat bittersweet, but hopeful, too. Very well done!
Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It's an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry until Ben vanishes. The story is told in two POV, Rachel and the investigator, DI Jim Clemo. The book starts out slow but soon takes off and deals with the pain and panic of having a missing child. In the end the kidnapper was a surprise to me. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in The DI Jim Clemo series, The Odd Child. I recommend this book to those who love thrillers.
This was written from such a different angle than you would expect from the story line. I had a hard time with that at first, but you are so pulled into the story, that it became compelling, with an undercurrent that keeps you reading. I had a hard time at night closing the book and having to sleep.
I finished this exceptional book in two sittings into the wee hours of the morning.
Rachel and her 8 year old son were walking in the woods which is something they routinely do when he asked to run ahead to their meeting place by a swing. She hesitated, but since he knew the area so well, she gave her approval wanting to give him a sense of independence. Ben was missing by the time she got there.
So begins the story of the search, accusations by police, hounding by the Press and exploitation of everyone connected to Ben.
This book was so well written, I empathized with Rachel's terror and grief, her anger of the abusive press and social media, and when her beloved sister relays a secret that almost destroys her.
Quoting a review on the back cover: "completely addictive, a nail-biting, sleep-depriving, brilliant read"
I totally agree.
Rachel and her 8 year old son were walking in the woods which is something they routinely do when he asked to run ahead to their meeting place by a swing. She hesitated, but since he knew the area so well, she gave her approval wanting to give him a sense of independence. Ben was missing by the time she got there.
So begins the story of the search, accusations by police, hounding by the Press and exploitation of everyone connected to Ben.
This book was so well written, I empathized with Rachel's terror and grief, her anger of the abusive press and social media, and when her beloved sister relays a secret that almost destroys her.
Quoting a review on the back cover: "completely addictive, a nail-biting, sleep-depriving, brilliant read"
I totally agree.
4.0 out of 5 stars -- Nothing strikes fear into the heart of parents as much as the thought of a missing child -- their own missing child...
Eight year-old Ben Finch goes missing while out walking on a lovely autumn day near their home in Bristol. Ben had run on ahead by himself to a clearing to a rope swing and when Rachel Jenner, his mom, catches up -- Ben is gone! Brought to the edge of insanity by everything that transpires as police try to find her son, Rachel is undone by how the trust she innocently placed in others was misguided at best, and dangerous at worst. Who could have taken Ben? Neither the detectives nor the public are very sympathetic to Rachel, who is not behaving as expected. But no one involved is who they have held themselves up to be.
I enjoyed this fast-paced mystery thriller that alternated between the voices of Rachel and the lead detective assigned to the abduction, James Clemo, from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. The details of the investigation were solid police procedural mixed with conflicting personal drama that interfered with the case. Although I wasn't all that keen on Rachel, I was empathetic to her situation and kept biting my nails and holding my breath at the red herrings and distractions that prevented me from guessing the identity of Ben's kidnapper. I found the conclusion quite satisfying and would recommend it to any fans of domestic suspense. If you like the novels of authors such as Linwood Barclay and Gillian Flynn, you'll not want to miss this.
Eight year-old Ben Finch goes missing while out walking on a lovely autumn day near their home in Bristol. Ben had run on ahead by himself to a clearing to a rope swing and when Rachel Jenner, his mom, catches up -- Ben is gone! Brought to the edge of insanity by everything that transpires as police try to find her son, Rachel is undone by how the trust she innocently placed in others was misguided at best, and dangerous at worst. Who could have taken Ben? Neither the detectives nor the public are very sympathetic to Rachel, who is not behaving as expected. But no one involved is who they have held themselves up to be.
I enjoyed this fast-paced mystery thriller that alternated between the voices of Rachel and the lead detective assigned to the abduction, James Clemo, from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. The details of the investigation were solid police procedural mixed with conflicting personal drama that interfered with the case. Although I wasn't all that keen on Rachel, I was empathetic to her situation and kept biting my nails and holding my breath at the red herrings and distractions that prevented me from guessing the identity of Ben's kidnapper. I found the conclusion quite satisfying and would recommend it to any fans of domestic suspense. If you like the novels of authors such as Linwood Barclay and Gillian Flynn, you'll not want to miss this.
What a long ride through the trails and tribulations, the feelings of all involved, gut and heart wrenching, soulful and insightful read.
The story takes place in England. A single mom loses her 8 year old son on a walk through the woods. A walk they had taken countless times before. She had always kept him near her but the one day she allows him to go on ahead to a swing, alone, farther up the path, losing sight of him, he disappears.
The book is an account of each persons thoughts, feelings and actions after his disappearance. This includes the detectives involved in the case as well as many other people actively involved in the childs life.
It is every parents nightmare. So if your a parent it can be heart wrenching to read, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This was a long book. I thought it was well thought out, well coordinated, nicely written. I deff recommend this book.
The story takes place in England. A single mom loses her 8 year old son on a walk through the woods. A walk they had taken countless times before. She had always kept him near her but the one day she allows him to go on ahead to a swing, alone, farther up the path, losing sight of him, he disappears.
The book is an account of each persons thoughts, feelings and actions after his disappearance. This includes the detectives involved in the case as well as many other people actively involved in the childs life.
It is every parents nightmare. So if your a parent it can be heart wrenching to read, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This was a long book. I thought it was well thought out, well coordinated, nicely written. I deff recommend this book.
I read WHAT SHE KNEW for the August 2016 pick in my online book club, The Reading Cove. It's yet another missing child story. An apparent commercial fiction trend of late. Sigh.
What I Liked:
I thought the subplots and red herrings were well handled. I wasn't sure where things were headed and who the culprit would turn out to be, but the police investigation was quite engaging and interesting to follow as it unfolded.
And I truly appreciated that the mother, Rachel, wasn't falling for the detective searching for her missing child, or otherwise preoccupied with her love life in this one.
The character of the missing boy's father rang true, and the whodunnit turned out to be a plausible, unexpected reveal.
What I Didn't Like:
While Rachel wasn't side-focusing on her love life, we still have the romanticized mother who promptly goes home the very day her 8-year-old son is snatched on her watch, sits there glumly wringing her hands while friends, family and law enforcement pet, console and treat her like an egg shell perched to break. Seriously?!
Rachel's POV is nothing like the true nightmare of this situation in real, practical life. And quite honestly I have RCFKF: 'Romanticized Commercial Fiction Kidnapping Fatigue.' When an author has no clue what it's like to have her child suddenly disappear and merely ends up "playing house" with the premise, which apparently serves as sufficient entertainment for the average reader. :(
The pacing was also pretty uneven. The day-after-day plodding tedium suddenly got in a big hurry in the epilogue where it became all about telling and no showing. Very disappointing after the investment of time the reader makes to get to that point, traipsing through a lot of superfluous descriptions and supporting character backstories.
So overall, while it wasn't the worst of its kind, I have to say: I'm sorry but my brain works too well for this. I can't jump on the bandwagon of watered down child kidnapping stories. I'll have to avoid these "trendy" storylines in the future! LOL ~ 3.25 stars.
What I Liked:
I thought the subplots and red herrings were well handled. I wasn't sure where things were headed and who the culprit would turn out to be, but the police investigation was quite engaging and interesting to follow as it unfolded.
And I truly appreciated that the mother, Rachel, wasn't falling for the detective searching for her missing child, or otherwise preoccupied with her love life in this one.
The character of the missing boy's father rang true, and the whodunnit turned out to be a plausible, unexpected reveal.
What I Didn't Like:
While Rachel wasn't side-focusing on her love life, we still have the romanticized mother who promptly goes home the very day her 8-year-old son is snatched on her watch, sits there glumly wringing her hands while friends, family and law enforcement pet, console and treat her like an egg shell perched to break. Seriously?!
Rachel's POV is nothing like the true nightmare of this situation in real, practical life. And quite honestly I have RCFKF: 'Romanticized Commercial Fiction Kidnapping Fatigue.' When an author has no clue what it's like to have her child suddenly disappear and merely ends up "playing house" with the premise, which apparently serves as sufficient entertainment for the average reader. :(
The pacing was also pretty uneven. The day-after-day plodding tedium suddenly got in a big hurry in the epilogue where it became all about telling and no showing. Very disappointing after the investment of time the reader makes to get to that point, traipsing through a lot of superfluous descriptions and supporting character backstories.
So overall, while it wasn't the worst of its kind, I have to say: I'm sorry but my brain works too well for this. I can't jump on the bandwagon of watered down child kidnapping stories. I'll have to avoid these "trendy" storylines in the future! LOL ~ 3.25 stars.
