Book Review: THE NEXT WOMAN

Title: The Next Woman

Author: Caroline Corcoran

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Pages: 322

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Lily’s best friend, Alice, disappeared on her birthday. Living on Aurora Island, there are so many places you can disappear to. The police are unable to find Alice. Then a woman called Becca disappears and then Corinne. They are termed the Alphabet Women, as it increasingly becomes obvious that someone is kidnapping the women in alphabetical order, one women for each letter of the alphabet. An office manager at the Aurora Island Eco Wellness Retreat, Lily lives in fear of being taken when L comes around.

Ross, a journalist from Manchester, comes over to the island to start a podcast that would help find the missing women and stop the nightmare. He convinces Lily to help produce his podcast and to offer her local knowledge. And all along, the danger is inching closer. The police are at their wits’ end.

Then L comes around, and Lily is safe, as another woman is taken. Has Lily escaped or are her secrets about to catch up with her?

 

The story is written in the 1^st person present tense PoV of Lily first, and then, once she disappears, we get the 1^st person present tense PoV of Zadie. The chapters are named after letters.

 

WHAT I LIKED:

The chapters move fast. The chapter named M was dripping with tension.  The point where Lily disappears is the high point of the book.

 

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

After that, it’s downhill, and we stop caring about the missing women.

I found the resolution very disappointing, bland and downright silly. The execution was flat. The reason why 26 women were kidnapped was unbelievable in a very underwhelming way.

Lily’s backstory doesn’t hit us with the force that the author intends it to. The mystery turns out to be related to her past, but in most incidental way.

It is very annoying when a character, supposedly key, is introduced at the 87% mark. Even Lily’s dad, Duncan, was introduced at the close of the story, without Lily ever mentioning a word about him.

We never get answers to how the kidnappings actually take place, which is something we need considering the suspense that has been built.

The last chapter, the actual tying up of the loose ends, should have been summarised by a 3^rd person omniscient narrator. In podcast format, the information was annoying with Ross appearing to be some kind of a know-it-all.

 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:

For the bulk of the story, we have no idea what the police are doing.

There are some diversity token characters put in just because. These are Radhika, Anushka and Jameela. They have no role to play.

 

ALL SAID AND DONE:

A good premise, with a very tepid mystery attached.

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)

Book Review: CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

Title: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Author: Kristin Mulligan

Publisher: Self-published

Pages: 157

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chloe Simpson, still single in her early 30s, signs up for a speed dating event for singles, to be held on Friday, February 6, a week before Valentine’s Day, allowing enough time for singles to hit it off with someone and pair up for the big day. She will meet 15 men for 5 minutes each, hoping one of them will be the man of her dreams.

When she arrives there, she meets Jude, a drop-dead handsome paramedic that she hopes she will be paired with. Inside there are other good men. There’s Lucas, a handsome accountant; Dominic, a kind-hearted farmer who appears so wholesome; Peter, a podiatrist with a foot fetish, and Dustin, the over-animated organiser of the event. Then there’s Augustine, who gives Chloe the creeps, and Warren, who is horribly sexist and rude, Tyler, who is polished but still married, and the charming Grant.

Before the night is over, Chloe finds herself trapped in a dark space, with no way of escaping. It is clear that her captor is someone related to the speed dating night. But who is it? And what plans do they have for her?

 

The book is written in the 1^st person present tense PoV of Chloe, with occasional chapters written in the 1^st person present tense PoV of her kidnapper. The chapters alternate between Now and Before, meaning Before she was kidnapped.

 

WHAT I LIKED:

The book raises questions about the fraught world of dating, with its dangers as much as the unrealistic expectations that this social ritual raises. The story also serves as a cautionary tale, in terms of alcohol combined with the malicious intentions of unknown people.

The author has thoughtfully provided a content warning for attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, physical violence and psychological stress, among other grievous crimes.

 

I liked the Main Character; her brand of honesty and self-awareness was very relatable. Her experience was so graphic and visceral that the trigger warnings made sense. I was totally hooked on the story as it played out. The writing was good, evoking imagery that was vivid and sensory.

For once, the Main Character’s profession is not just a random thing. Here, Chloe’s knowledge as an architect helps her in captivity. When she uses terms like drywall and caulk, we don’t question, how does she know.

There is a point in Chapter 9, in the Before, when Chloe tells us, I know where I’ll be held prisoner during the event, effectively and unknowingly foreshadowing the future for herself.

There are 15 men at the event who could have kidnapped Chloe. The mystery bothers us as much as it bothers her.

The name of the book, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, reminded me of the song by Queen. The chapter names are a playlist of some of my favourite songs from the 80s and 90s, and a few from the 60s and 70s too, songs I haven’t heard in ages. I’m going to listen to them once I’m done with this review.

The song titles cleverly evoke reactions and emotions that are the opposite of those evoked by the songs whose names they bear. Coupled with the story of unhinged love, the chapter names take on new meaning.

Here are some examples of the naming of the chapters:

Chloe finds herself trapped in a dark space = Come Undone (song by Duran Duran)

Chloe is increasingly frightened after her cries have brought no help = Take My Breath Away (song by Berlin)

Chloe first meets Jude = Can You Feel the Love Tonight (song by Elton John)

Chloe finally remembers = It’s All Coming Back to Me (song by Celine Dion; this title was rather clever)

Here's a list of all the songs that have been referenced in the chapter titles, besides the ones named above:

Friday I'm in Love -- The Cure

Every Breath You Take (I'll Be Watching You) -- The Police

I Want to Know What Love is -- Foreigner

Careless Whisper -- George Michael

Isn't She Lovely? -- Stevie Wonder

I Don't Want to Miss a Thing -- Aerosmith

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us -- Starship

Said I Loved You But I Lied -- Michael Bolton

I Swear -- All 4 One

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You -- Bryan Adams

Kiss From a Rose -- Seal

You Make My Dreams -- Elvis Presley

Right Here Waiting -- Richard Marx

Wicked Game -- Chris Isaak

Can't Fight This Feeling -- REO Speedwagon

Let's Get It On -- Marvin Gaye 

Unbreak My Heart -- Toni Braxton

Faithfully -- Toby Mac

How Deep Is Your Love -- BeeGees

Endless Love -- Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

Tainted Love -- Soft Cell

All Out of Love -- Air Supply

Truly Madly Deeply -- Savage Garden

From This Moment On -- Shania Twain

I Would Do Anything for Love But I Won't Do That -- Meat Loaf

Crazy Little Thing Called Love -- Queen

Hungry Eyes -- Eric Carmen

Didn't We Almost Have It All -- Whitney Houston

(I Just) Died in Your Arms -- Cutting Crew

Save the Best for Last -- Vanessa Williams

 

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Nothing

 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

There was one mistake, where the narrator tells us that Dustin has just made a wildly inappropriate remark. But Dustin hadn’t said anything at that point.

At one point, the captor reveals that the first woman he ever kidnapped escaped. We are never told who that woman was or what happened to her. This felt like a loose end. 

 

ALL SAID AND DONE: The premise of unhinged love is not an uncommon one. But the clever way in which the author has packaged this story, showing us the danger posed by obsession and unhinged love, and the manner in which she has written it wins a big recommendation from me.

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)

Book Review: THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Title: The Mystery of the Haunted House (Sycamore Street Mysteries #1)

Author: Willow Night

Illustrator: Elizabeth Leach

Publisher: Willow Night Press

Pages: 116

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐

 

Sixth-grader Noah and his fourth-grader brother Josh are excited about a supposedly haunted house in their neighbourhood and the single word, Beware, that has been painted high above on one wall.

While Josh is free to indulge his curiosity about the haunted house, Noah feels the weight of his age. Poor boy! As a sixth-grader, he has too much Math homework to do. Soon, they learn that they aren’t the only kids who are interested in the house. There is a girl called Olivia, a new girl in Noah’s class, who is just as keen to know more about it.

The kids decide to join hands in the investigation and it helps that Olivia knows a lot about cameras and electronic bugs and how to spy on the house. But when Josh disappears, Noah and Olivia are forced to act quickly to save Josh. There’s no doubt that he is trapped in the haunted house. How will they ever manage to get him out?

The story is written in the 3^rd person omniscient PoV.

 

WHAT I LIKED:

Olivia is very tech-savvy, and it is really good to see a girl in such a role. She knows a lot about computers and cameras, how to shoot, record and post the evidence to the authorities.

The illustrations by Elizabeth Leach were very nice.

 

WHAT I DIDN’T:

The book ended very abruptly. There should have been some hint that there would be another adventure in the future, or that they couldn’t wait to do some more investigations. Some kind of a cliffhanger to invite young readers to join the kids on their next adventure.

Instead, we are told that the doughnuts were very delicious. I thought it was the end of the chapter, but no, it was the end of the book.

 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:

The flat ending.

Also, the mystery was quite insubstantial. The kids weren’t in any real danger. It is hard for readers to feel invested in characters who are not in danger.

 

ALL SAID AND DONE: The book might be of interest to young kids who are first-time readers. 

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)

Book Review: THE HOUSE OF LOST WHISPERS

Title: The House of Lost Whispers

Author: Jenni Keer

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Pages: 378

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

 

In 1912, thirteen-year-old Olivia Davenport is orphaned when her father, author Jasper Davenport, and mother Selina die on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Olivia is invited to live with her father’s friend, Sir Hugo Fairchild and his wife Cynthia and their four sons, Clarence, Louis, Howard and Benji, at their lavish home, Merriford Manor.

The new house becomes the setting for Olivia’s overactive imagination, which she uses to deal with her grief, imagining that her parents aren’t dead but that they have lost their memories and will someday find their way to her.

Moving to an unused part of the mansion, Olivia has the initially unsettling experience of being able to hear and converse with a man called Seth who seems to be living on the other side of the wall in her tower bedroom. Both think the other is a ghost or a product of their overwrought imaginations.

Meanwhile, with the war breaking out in Europe, Sir Hugo and Lady Cynthia watch with increasing dismay and sorrow, as one by one, three of their sons go to war and never return.

It’s only after the war that Olivia realizes that Seth lives in another world where her parents are alive. And now she wants to get to that other world. But how can she find a way into his world?

 

 

I liked Olivia, her imagination, her contentment in her solitude, her longing for her parents, her faither, her larger than life outlook, her willingness to stand up for the bullied, Benji. These are the traits that get her in trouble, pushing some of the events forward, particularly in the fate of Seth, the undergardener.

I liked that Olivia wasn’t coy but knew exactly what she wants with regard to her future and the role she wanted to play in it. That she imagines a life for herself that isn’t limited to marriage and keeping house. But the scene in which she pleasures herself and explores her own sexual awakening was unreal and completely out of sync with the reality of an older teenager in the aftermath of World War I.

Among the others, the only one I liked was Lady Cynthia, who had the only developing character arc to speak of. From being standoffish and reserved, she learns to show affection, to get past her hangups. It’s a pity she ceased to play a role in Olivia’s life in the section called After the War.

 

I was a little uncomfortable with the scenes between Olivia, as a child, and Seth, because of the vast age difference between the two. While these scenes are driven by her imagination, there is no explanation for why Seth should turn out to be the one big love of her life.

 

It’s also more than a little strange that Olivia, no stranger to grief after the death of her parents and then the death of her fiancé soon after, should suddenly forget him, and begin to imagine that a guy she really doesn’t know all that well is the one great love of her life. What’s more, she is not even mildly curious about her parents who are alive and well in the other world.

 

The novel suffers because it tries to become too many things at once. Until the 23 percent mark, nothing happens. When things start happening, the novel starts shifting from one genre to another.

 

In the first part, Before the War, we get a hint of magical realism. This part of the novel is more than a little bulky. While the boys are away, and Olivia is basically entertaining herself, these scenes and chapters were boring and ordinary. Nothing of any significance happens during this period.

 

In Part II, During the War, we get historical fiction, and even war fiction, of sorts. This was the part I liked the most. The author brings out well the sense of bravado and adventure with which young men went out to the battlefront, unaware of the horrors that awaited them. The victorious nations found themselves just as broken as those they had defeated.

Through Clarence, the author gives us her views on the utter futility of war. Clarence says, “As a species, why are we so destructive?”

His mother tells him, “Poetry won’t sustain you in the trenches,” when poetry is sometimes the only thing that has the power to get us through the dark times.

 

In Part III, After the War, the brief hint of magical realism returns, then gives way to romance and a bit of a mystery, when Olivia tries to uncover why Seth’s old love suddenly disappeared.

 

This is where the problem arises, with the book trying to be several books at once. The back-of-the-book synopsis gives us a sense of this being a time-slip, parallel world issue, but in time, the romance between Olivia and two other characters takes precedence. I was disappointed by this turn.

 

Also, the parallel world bit doesn’t show up until quite deep into the book, when we have almost despaired of even seeing it. The explanation of how the parallel world came into being was interesting, but then it was sidelined and the story ended up being just another historical romance.

 

The idea of another world being created out of nothing, a world in which the Titanic did not crash, unleashing a whole different set of possibilities and history, was interesting, but wasn’t explored on a larger scale. All we are left with is a world in which Olivia’s parents did not die, but the World War still took place.

 

It would have been better if the author had found some way of getting Olivia to the other world where her parents lived. Instead, we get a muffling of the parallel world in favour of making do with the current one.

 

I also disagree with the notion that Olivia and Seth are the same in both worlds. A person’s nature and character are heavily influenced by their experiences. An Olivia that had not known grief and sorrow would grow up to be very different from one that had. It would have been better if the book had ended without the forced and rushed happy ending.

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.) 

Book Review: THE ABANDONMENT OF HANNAH ARMSTRONG (BOOK ONE: SARATOGA WOODS)

Title: The Abandonment of Hannah Armstrong (Book One: Saratoga Woods)

Author: Elizabeth George

Publisher: Elizabeth George

Pages: 407

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

I signed up to read Saratoga Woods because I’m a big fan of Elizabeth George and enjoy reading her Inspector Lynley series. But I couldn’t quite get into this one at the beginning. It was a slow start.

 

When 14-year-old Hannah Armstrong’s stepfather, Jeff Corrie, turns out to be a criminal, a fact she learns about because she has the power to hear people’s thoughts, her mother, Laurel Armstrong, uproots them from California to Whidbey Island, near Seattle. With a new name, the young girl, now Becca King, is sent to live with her mom’s old friend, Carol Quinn, who has promised to shelter her.

When Becca reaches Whidbey Island, she learns that Carol has died of a heart attack. With Laurel unavailable on the burner phone, Becca has nowhere to go in a strange town.

When Derric, a new friend, has a nasty fall on a bike trail, he goes into a coma. The town sheriff, Dave Mathieson, who is also Derric’s adoptive father, is sure that the young girl who called 911, the owner of the burner phone, has something to do with the accident. Will Becca be able to stay out of trouble, or will it come looking for her?

It is up to Becca to sort through the confusion in her own mind, and stay afloat and out of trouble until her mom returns for her, while solving the mystery of who might have wanted to hurt Derric.

 

This is a coming-of-age story with fantasy elements. Besides Becca, there is another character who might have a supernatural power. But where the other person has the gift under control, Becca is still figuring out her way around it.

The story is written in the 3^rd person omniscient PoV. The writing is more tell than show, which is the author’s style, but I still enjoyed it.

Here’s a sample of her metaphors:

The idea of missing someone was like the swooping of a bird too close to her face.

She came into the room like a tractor rolling over a field.

Debbie gave him the kind of look a teacher gives to a kid when she suspects there are lice crawling in his hair.

 

Elizabeth does a great job recreating Whidbey Island in our minds, a place where everyone knows everyone else.

 

In her most vulnerable state, Becca encounters a slew of characters. There’s Debbie Grieder, who offers her shelter in her motel, Diana Kinsale who is sympathetic towards her, Seth Darrow, a school dropout and musician who helps her, and Derric Mathieson, a boy from Uganda who she finds fascinating. Then there’s Jenn McDaniels who can’t stand Becca, Hayley Cartwright, Seth’s former girlfriend who he suspects broke up with him on account of Derric, Debbie’s grandchildren, Josh and Chloe, Seth’s grandfather, Ralph, and his dog, Gus, and Derric’s parents.

 

As befitting a series, Becca has individual subplots with Seth, Debbie, Diana, Derrick, Josh, Chloe and Jenn. Seth has subplots with Hayley, her parents, grandfather Ralph, dog Gus and Derric.

 

The stories of these characters converge in multiple ways. For the greater part, it all seems like delicate wisps of unconnected threads. It’s only at the end that they come together.

The first description we get for Becca comes from the most minor of minor characters and it’s not flattering, but by then, we’ve bonded so well with her, we don’t care. We feel sorry for Becca, stranded in a strange place with no safety net.

 

While I loved the book, there were some things that rankled. There are multiple characters whose names begin with the letter D. There’s Debbie Grieder, Diana Kinsale, Seth Darrow and Derric Mathieson. Why did the author flout the fundamental rule of not naming characters after the same letter?

I couldn’t understand the significance of the Paul Revere poem that Laurel keeps repeating, when she doesn’t want her daughter to listen to her thoughts. Perhaps its meaning will be clearer in the subsequent books.

The mystery of who pushed Derric hinges on a footprint but it’s odd that the police don’t ever latch on to that clue. The mystery itself is a slow burn; who hurt Derric takes a backseat to who was the girl who made the call to the police station.

 

While the main plot of this book ends on a successful note, the overarching story in the series shows up on the very last page, making the way for Book 2. I look forward to the next one in the series.

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.) 

Book Review: A MYSTERY AT LILI VILLA

Title: A Mystery at Lili Villa

Author: Arathi Menon

Publisher: Yali Books

Pages: 172

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Ten-year-old Tam from Bengaluru is spending her summer vacation with her cousins, 11-year-old Arj and 9-year-old Mira, in Elathoor, Kerala. Her aunt and uncle, Sheila Ammayi and Damodar Ammavan, are both doctors and away at their clinic throughout the day, giving the kids the opportunity to do their own thing.

One night, Tam sees mysterious footprints in the mud outside the window. The next morning, the family gets to know that Sheila’s Ammayi’s jewellery was stolen during the night. The police are called, and the size of the massive footprint measured. But the big clue is more hindrance than help. There are so many people with that shoe size. There’s the creepy driver Kodavis, the cook, Pitamma, Fan-fixer Faekku, Dumdum chechi, even Damodar Ammavan and sub-inspector, Thombu.

When it appears that the police investigation is going too slow, the kids decide to conduct their own investigation to find the culprit. They follow everyone on the suspect list to find out who might be the thief. As they get closer to the thief, they are faced with real danger, but they are unafraid. Will they successfully intercept the thief and recover the jewellery? Or will the thief get away?

 

As a child, I used to devour books by Enid Blyton. I loved the names and descriptions of the books, even though I couldn’t relate to any of them. There was no Internet then, no way to see what those interesting names meant. Here we have the family cook, Pitamma, treating the family, especially the kids, to the best of Kerala’s cuisine. It was nice to read a book where the food was familiar and comforting.

I liked the relationship between the cousins, the friendly banter and the raucous fun times they had. It reminded me of my own summer vacations.

The author has also thoughtfully provided an extensive glossary for the dishes mentioned in the book as also the Malayalam words and expressions strewn through.

The only error was that the kids fail to investigate one person, Veer Sagar. While Mira acknowledges the fact that they missed looking into that person’s alibi, it still feels like a mistake. Why not omit all references to that person, instead of saying, Oops, we forgot one suspect? Or else give him a sound alibi too.

 

The writing was sweet. Kids are sure to find it charming. 

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.) 

Book Review: THE DAY I DISAPPEARED

Title: The Day I Disappeared

Author: Brandi Reeds

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 319

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Holly Gebhardt was abducted at age four from the park, even as best friend Katherine (Kitten) Hershey watched, and their mothers chatted nearby. Three months later, she was found at the same park, with no memory of her ordeal.

On the statement of Kitten, local handyman Alan Kohlbrook was arrested and sentenced to jail, while Holly’s mother, Cecily, struggled to live down the allegation that she was somehow involved. The drinking habit, fast turning into an addiction, didn’t help matters.

Twenty years later, she’s trying to lead a normal life. On-off boyfriend Derrion Sterling won’t let her have any peace of mind, and Kitten is engaged to her boyfriend, Eliot.

When police officer Jason Guidry wants to pick Holly’s brain about her abduction 20 years ago, she doesn’t want to be reminded about the past. But it seems that a child named Skylar Jane Kipniss has been abducted, and Holly’s memories might help the police to find her. Cecily is in a coma after meeting with an accident.

 

The book is written in the first person past tense PoVs of Holly and Cecily, the latter’s thoughts awhirl while in a coma. It is both a mystery and women’s fiction, with a very slight paranormal element. The mystery lies not just in the identity of Holly’s kidnapper. It also has to do with her mother’s secrets.

The book highlights the situation of those mothers to whom mothering doesn’t come easy. It doesn’t come naturally to all of us. We’re not all meant to spend our lives performing puppet shows and building with blocks and coloring in books and singing nonsensical songs to entertain our offspring. We see how judgemental society, and even the other mothers, can be when a woman doesn’t fit the accepted mould of a doting mother. Cecily was right to call them mommy-vultures.

Right off, you know which way the romance with Derrion will go.

I found both Holly and Cecily very likeable. I didn’t like Kitten. She was selfish and self-centred, always wanting to be the focus of everyone’s attention, and over-dramatising her own situation.

The men in this story, Matt Hershey, Kitten’s much older brother; Derrion and Eliot, are all much older than the women. And you’ll figure out why that is so.

I found this book very well written and engaging. 

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.) 

Book Review: BRONSWOOD

 

Title: Bronswood

Author: Marissa Vanskike

Publisher: Marissa Vanskike

Pages: 316

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

 

 

Heather Hartford is happily married to Nick, a handsome and wealthy man who cares deeply for her and her two children, Charlie and Theodora. Her ex-husband, Paul Lauer, an abusive and violent man, is seeking shared custody of the kids. Heather’s best friend, Zola, thinks Nick is too controlling but Heather dismisses her concerns. She knows what an abuser looks like.

 

Meanwhile, Heather is being welcomed by Liv Osborne, Harriet Porter and Shay Stafford, the high-profile PTA moms at the prestigious Bronswood elementary school where her son has been accepted.

Heather is nervous, wanting to be accepted by them, yet uneasy about the unsigned notes she has been receiving of late, notes that warn her that something foul is going on, notes that keep coming. She wants to believe that her life is perfect, but her sense of unease persists.

 

Then one day Charlie disappears from school. The camera footage shows that Heather picked him up, but she knows she hasn’t. With Nick and the school blaming her, Heather begins her own investigation into Charlie’s disappearance, only to find that he is not the first schoolboy to have disappeared from Bronswood.

 

Will Heather ever find her son back? Or will he be lost to her forever?

 

The story is written in the third person present tense PoV of Heather. The book raises the issues of abuse, physical and violent, in the domestic space.

 

The story should have started with something more immediate than a catchup session at a coffee shop between Heather and Zola. It was the most boring way of bringing us up to speed. It was only after Charlie’s disappearance that the story took off.

 

The chapters weren’t too long, but the action was well paced, and the characterization was good for the most part. Headmistress Rosler was a minor character I never want to meet.

 

Nick was rather creepy. He selected, on a daily basis, the clothing that Heather and the kids would wear. Heather was also forced to note down all that she ate and drank in a food journal, which Nick regularly inspected.

 

He [Nick] was the picture of a concerned father, while Heather played the part of a raving lunatic tells us all we need to know about anyone would perceive the couple.

 

I liked Heather, particularly her diligent efforts to find her son. That she has the responsibility of looking after toddler Theodora, while she goes about her investigation, adds to her difficulties.

 

There’s a hint of the supernatural around the conclusion, which isn’t out of place.

 

While I liked the book, there were some things I didn’t like. The amount of food that gets thrown down the disposal chute is utterly distasteful. I cringed every time Heather cooked some dish or the other and then tossed it away without a thought.

 

There were other issues about the book that got in the way of a satisfying read.

 

There was no tangible explanation for why the antagonists did what they did. How their back story justified their actions in their minds. Why were second graders being kidnapped? Why only boys?

 

The mystery of why Charlie’s teacher was known to Heather as Miss Kilgore when she was apparently Miss Crawford wasn’t addressed.

 

Smaller points that rankled:

Why does Heather have golden orbs, cracked gold lanterns and oversized ribbons in her basement? Things that are used as part of gala décor are in her basement?

 

The names of the husbands and children of Liv and Shay were mentioned, but Harriet is also a PTA mom, but we get no mention of her husband or child.

 

I wish writers didn’t repeat names or have two characters with names beginning with the same letters, particularly if they are interacting together in scenes. Heather and Harrier together were confusing. Also, there was a parent called Caleb Landers and a child called Caleb Norton. The surname of the journalist who writes about the disappearance changes from Cannon to Colins.

 

It’s strange that Theo never once asks about her brother, even though, at nearly three, she’s old enough to ask. Heather tells us that the two used to play together, but Theo doesn’t seem to register that her brother isn’t home. That was odd.

 

Stephen was a character who was built up and made much of, but he didn’t serve any purpose in the story.

 

Had these issues been resolved, I have no doubt Bronswood would have been an even better read.

 

(I read this book on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley.)