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Serafina Steer plays a harp and sings in a dew-fresh style that lends itself well to storytelling....
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Two broken hearts…one perfect fit. Alpha Morris Danvers likes his quiet life as a paralegal...
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Developed in collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine. As featured in the WWDC...
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Little Darlings in Books
Feb 3, 2019
I looked at Melanie Golding’s debut novel, Little Darlings, several times on NetGalley before I decided to click the read now button, and after spending the whole day reading it, I’m certainly glad I did. I’m not a mother myself, but Golding’s prose brings to life the very real concerns that any parent faces: the fear of losing their children. In this beautifully written book, readers are introduced to a deliciously dark fairytale, alongside the ultimate horror a parent can encounter.
Lauren Tranter is a new mother to beautiful twin boys. Cautious and brimming with worries common to becoming a parent, she finds herself quickly in a predicament: a woman has shown up at the maternity ward, demanding Lauren’s children in exchange for her own. When Lauren refuses, things quickly become murky and, when her children go missing at the park, her life is turned upside down.
I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship with a few of the characters in this book, and it’s a bit difficult to really nail down how I feel about them. For the most part, I absolutely adore Lauren–perhaps because I feel she’s portrayed exceptionally. Her husband, on the other hand, I can’t stand. Arrogant and self-centered, all Patrick seems to care about is himself. The detective, Jo Harper, falls squarely in between these two. Coming off as unlikable early on, she quickly finds her way into the reader’s heart with her go get ’em attitude. In part, it’s because of her noble desire to get to the bottom of things: to determine whether or not Lauren is mad, or if there might be some truth to what the new mother is saying.
Golding’s command of language lends a dark atmosphere to her novel. With excerpts from tales on changelings spaced throughout the book, she creates a deeply disturbing reality, where as a reader I found myself questioning everything. She simultaneously makes both sides of the plot’s story, that is Lauren’s side and the side conducting the investigation into the attempted abduction of her children, equally believable. I’m still asking questions, even after finishing the book. Oh, and the things uncovered toward the end of the book adds a delicious twist on top of Lauren’s plight.
Little Darlings is a wonderful read, and I read the majority of it in one sitting. It starts out a bit slowly, but once things begin picking up, Golding’s style drives the story forward at break-neck speed. After reading this, I was thrilled to discover it’s already been optioned for a film and I eagerly await its release. This book is definitely a must read for fans of psychological thrillers.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lauren Tranter is a new mother to beautiful twin boys. Cautious and brimming with worries common to becoming a parent, she finds herself quickly in a predicament: a woman has shown up at the maternity ward, demanding Lauren’s children in exchange for her own. When Lauren refuses, things quickly become murky and, when her children go missing at the park, her life is turned upside down.
I have a bit of a tumultuous relationship with a few of the characters in this book, and it’s a bit difficult to really nail down how I feel about them. For the most part, I absolutely adore Lauren–perhaps because I feel she’s portrayed exceptionally. Her husband, on the other hand, I can’t stand. Arrogant and self-centered, all Patrick seems to care about is himself. The detective, Jo Harper, falls squarely in between these two. Coming off as unlikable early on, she quickly finds her way into the reader’s heart with her go get ’em attitude. In part, it’s because of her noble desire to get to the bottom of things: to determine whether or not Lauren is mad, or if there might be some truth to what the new mother is saying.
Golding’s command of language lends a dark atmosphere to her novel. With excerpts from tales on changelings spaced throughout the book, she creates a deeply disturbing reality, where as a reader I found myself questioning everything. She simultaneously makes both sides of the plot’s story, that is Lauren’s side and the side conducting the investigation into the attempted abduction of her children, equally believable. I’m still asking questions, even after finishing the book. Oh, and the things uncovered toward the end of the book adds a delicious twist on top of Lauren’s plight.
Little Darlings is a wonderful read, and I read the majority of it in one sitting. It starts out a bit slowly, but once things begin picking up, Golding’s style drives the story forward at break-neck speed. After reading this, I was thrilled to discover it’s already been optioned for a film and I eagerly await its release. This book is definitely a must read for fans of psychological thrillers.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Midge (525 KP) rated The Nowhere Child in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Brilliant And Dark
“The Nowhere Child” is a debut psychological thriller by Christian White and it was so special! Several things cast their spell - my favourite genre; a very smart cover design; winner of the Victorian Premier Literary Award; and great ratings from the offset. It could only be a winner!
The book opens with an introduction to the main protagonist Kimberly (Kim) Leamy who is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year-old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. James Finn, an American accountant who contacts Kim is convinced she was that child, kidnapped just after her birthday. She cannot believe the woman who raised her crossed international lines to steal a toddler.
Jack and Molly Went’s daughter Sammy disappeared from their Kentucky home in 1990. Already estranged, the couple drifted further apart as time passed. Jack did his best to raise and protect his other daughter and son while Molly found solace in her faith. The Church of the Light Within, a Pentecostal fundamentalist group who handle poisonous snakes as part of their worship, provided that faith.
Now, with proof that she and Sammy are in fact the same person, Kim travels to America to reunite with a family she never knew she had and to solve the mystery of her abduction that will take her deep into the dark heart of religious fanaticism.
For me, Christian White’s writing is captivating and extremely well structured. Although the theme of a child being stolen is not particularly original, the clever telling of this story made it a joy to read. The chapters alternate between the past and the present, maintaining the reader’s attention. The chapters narrated in the past explore the impact of Sammy’s disappearance on her family and the community in which they live. The other chapters follow Kim’s pathway of discovery to the truth about her past.
The most gripping parts of “The Nowhere Child” were the chapters about the past, as the author unearthed long-buried secrets of Kim’s grieving family. It seemed that nearly every character from her past had something they wanted to be kept hidden. Revelations were made that included identity, betrayal, secrets, loss and a sinister cult. A tense story of menace and suspense, the story held my interest from start to finish and the way in which Christian White brought everything to a conclusion was just fabulous.
I loved “The Nowhere Child” and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It has left me eager to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to #NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK for a free ARC of #NowhereChild in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
The book opens with an introduction to the main protagonist Kimberly (Kim) Leamy who is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year-old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. James Finn, an American accountant who contacts Kim is convinced she was that child, kidnapped just after her birthday. She cannot believe the woman who raised her crossed international lines to steal a toddler.
Jack and Molly Went’s daughter Sammy disappeared from their Kentucky home in 1990. Already estranged, the couple drifted further apart as time passed. Jack did his best to raise and protect his other daughter and son while Molly found solace in her faith. The Church of the Light Within, a Pentecostal fundamentalist group who handle poisonous snakes as part of their worship, provided that faith.
Now, with proof that she and Sammy are in fact the same person, Kim travels to America to reunite with a family she never knew she had and to solve the mystery of her abduction that will take her deep into the dark heart of religious fanaticism.
For me, Christian White’s writing is captivating and extremely well structured. Although the theme of a child being stolen is not particularly original, the clever telling of this story made it a joy to read. The chapters alternate between the past and the present, maintaining the reader’s attention. The chapters narrated in the past explore the impact of Sammy’s disappearance on her family and the community in which they live. The other chapters follow Kim’s pathway of discovery to the truth about her past.
The most gripping parts of “The Nowhere Child” were the chapters about the past, as the author unearthed long-buried secrets of Kim’s grieving family. It seemed that nearly every character from her past had something they wanted to be kept hidden. Revelations were made that included identity, betrayal, secrets, loss and a sinister cult. A tense story of menace and suspense, the story held my interest from start to finish and the way in which Christian White brought everything to a conclusion was just fabulous.
I loved “The Nowhere Child” and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It has left me eager to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to #NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK for a free ARC of #NowhereChild in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Muscle and Motion Anatomy
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Muscle&Motion – Anatomy for iPad is now available! An equally powerful instrument for academic...
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated What's Done in Darkness: A Novel in Books
Jun 24, 2021
An excellent dark and foreboding mystery
Sarabeth is seventeen when she's held captive for nearly a week and then dumped along the side of the road, bound and blindfolded. She doesn't know who took her, or where. The police doubt her story and her parents do not even report her missing from their rural Arkansas farm . Sarabeth had argued with her religious parents, who insisted she follow their strict rules and marry someone of their choosing. As she returns home and finds her family appalled by her kidnapping, she realizes something good may come from the abduction: she can escape life on the farm for good. Five years later, she's now known as Sara when investigator Nick Farrow asks her to help with the missing persons case of another girl--one incredibly similar to Sara's. Reluctantly, Sara returns home, where she must face her darkest fears (and her family) to assist in bringing this girl home.
"Sarabeth had come to think of her time on the farm as a sentence that she had to serve, one with an end date. Now it seemed like she'd have to plan an escape."
I adore Laura McHugh's writing at this point. She's an excellent writer, and this is a great mystery in her deft hands. The religious, almost cult-like aspect of Sarabeth's family seems extremely timely in this era. We see how they narrow her options, forcing her to choose between her family and her own life. Religion and darkness are major themes in this book, with darkness playing not just in the title but across the entire novel. McHugh weaves it in and out of her story--Sara being afraid of the dark, darkness and shadows lurking at every turn. And it's a dark book to read too, even if it has its light moments. Still there's hope here as well.
I loved how Sara was a complicated heroine, with a complex past and many scars. She reminded me of Joanna Schaffhausen's Ellery Hathaway in that sense--a troubled soul who must overcome her own darkness to try to save others. Her interactions with Nick were an excellent respite, and I certainly could see myself reading about these two again.
"A piece of me was still there in Arkansas, but I was gone. No one in my new life knew who I was, what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way."
The book is atmospheric, sucking us into both the deep religious aspect of the Ozarks and the Arkansas countryside. The Arkansas hills seem to play their own role in the book--another character so to speak. This one kept me guessing and even as I worked out some pieces, there were plenty of twists and turns. It's a fairly quick read, but an excellent one. Certainly recommend to mystery fans and those who enjoy a character-driven read.
"Sarabeth had come to think of her time on the farm as a sentence that she had to serve, one with an end date. Now it seemed like she'd have to plan an escape."
I adore Laura McHugh's writing at this point. She's an excellent writer, and this is a great mystery in her deft hands. The religious, almost cult-like aspect of Sarabeth's family seems extremely timely in this era. We see how they narrow her options, forcing her to choose between her family and her own life. Religion and darkness are major themes in this book, with darkness playing not just in the title but across the entire novel. McHugh weaves it in and out of her story--Sara being afraid of the dark, darkness and shadows lurking at every turn. And it's a dark book to read too, even if it has its light moments. Still there's hope here as well.
I loved how Sara was a complicated heroine, with a complex past and many scars. She reminded me of Joanna Schaffhausen's Ellery Hathaway in that sense--a troubled soul who must overcome her own darkness to try to save others. Her interactions with Nick were an excellent respite, and I certainly could see myself reading about these two again.
"A piece of me was still there in Arkansas, but I was gone. No one in my new life knew who I was, what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way."
The book is atmospheric, sucking us into both the deep religious aspect of the Ozarks and the Arkansas countryside. The Arkansas hills seem to play their own role in the book--another character so to speak. This one kept me guessing and even as I worked out some pieces, there were plenty of twists and turns. It's a fairly quick read, but an excellent one. Certainly recommend to mystery fans and those who enjoy a character-driven read.