A little boy has seen a horrific murder but is too traumatized to speak. Detective Kerri Blasco struggles to connect with him…Charlie Sparkes peeks out to see his mother and another young woman brutally shot. Hysterical, the brave child bolts into the cold November night for help. He screams and cries, only to fall into more trauma.Homicide Detective Kerri Blasco is called to the murder scene. … Blasco is called to the murder scene. One woman lies dead next to the blood soaked rug where Rachel Sparkes was seriously wounded. With little memory of the attack, she has been taken to the hospital – but where is her child? He too, Kerri discovers, now lies in a hospital bed, mute and traumatized in a fetal position, refusing even food and water.
Charlie must have seen what happened. Kerri’s heart aches for this piteous little boy and she struggles to help him; struggles, too to find the monster who did this horrible crime. “It’s your kind of case,” Sergeant Alex Brand, Kerri’s boss and partner tells her, stepping up police urgency when another innocent is shot, and then another…
Kerri Blasco finds herself more emotionally obsessed with this case than with any other, despite clear and onrushing danger to herself…
Advance praise for Shoeless Child:
“I absolutely adored this amazing book. Thrilling, absolutely gripping, it was a rollercoaster of a read that I just could not put down. One of the best novels I have read this year. It has everything – tension, a fast and original plot, characters so real you feel they are in the room with you and a story you cannot stop thinking about. Warning: you will not be able to do anything else while reading this book, it will take you over, which is exactly what a great book should do. Five stars!” Renita D’Silva
“I loved Shoeless Child! The action is non-stop fast and the plot is original – but it’s Charlie’s character and story that make the book so much more. Kerri’s interactions with Charlie are filled with compassion, emotion and empathy – her determination to solve the case, whatever the danger to herself, is a characteristic she’s shown in the past; she outdid herself this time. A gritty, intense psychological thriller, Shoeless Child is one I highly recommend.” Brenda Telford
“A brutal murder and a broken child combust into a story so ingenious and utterly unexpected, it will have you re-reading parts to see if you missed any subtle clues. Shoeless Child is a psychological thriller that will have you rushing to the end, only to be blown away once you get there. This is a definite Read and Read Again!” Jennifer Tooker
“Grips you by the throat and starts throttling your imagination on page one. Then, just pages later, your eyes will well up with tears. Terror and pathos are the very signature of the Kerri Blasco books. SHOELESS CHILD is meant to be read in one sitting because there’s just no good place to set it aside!” Madelon Wilson
“Fantastic! I love, love, love the Kerri Blasco books! This thriller had me frantically turning pages. It’s fast and never drags the way some thrillers do. I love the relationship between Kerri and her fellow detectives, especially with Alex Brand, her police partner/secret lover. Their romance in the Kerri Blasco books is warm and doesn’t overwhelm the stories. Plus the humor is funny and genuine, never snide and doesn’t feel forced like in other books. As for whodunnit and why – it definitely took me by surprise!” Alice Liddell
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I could say a lot but will only tell you that the ending was terrific and unexpected. Will I read more of J A Schneider…… already have and will continue.
I absolutely adored this amazing book. Thrilling, absolutely gripping, it was a rollercoaster of a read that I just could not put down. One of the best novels I have read this year. It has everything – tension, a fast and original plot, characters so real you feel they are in the room with you and a story you cannot stop thinking about. Warning: you will not be able to do anything else while reading this book, it will take you over, which is exactly what a great book should do. Five stars!
I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this author!
This is the fourth book in the Kerri Blasco series I believe but I had no problem reading it as a standalone thriller.
It starts off with a vicious attack witnessed by five-year-old Charlie. He’s a trooper, although obviously traumatised by the events, it takes a while for him to recover from his terrible experience. Kerri has her work cut out for her with no true motive to work on and several suspects becoming victims throughout the book.
A wonderful story with a truly gripping conclusion. I read this book in a day, eager to find out where it was going to lead me next. And that twist at the end….what it was, well you’ll just have to read the book yourself to find out more.
Highly recommended psychological thriller, that is fast-paced and a pleasure to read from start to finish.
‘Shoeless Child’ by J. A. Schneider is a taut, fast-paced crime thriller, the fourth book in the author’s Detective Kerri Blasco series. Whilst not being the seminal novel in the series, there is enough information included to facilitate reading this as a standalone tale. Although, initially, a prospective reader might think this was just another play on the child-witness-to-a-murder type of crime novels made popular by the 1985 Harrison Ford movie ‘Witness’, they would be very wrong. The author has grounded this novel in the present day and features a very realistic post-traumatic stress situation in the five-year-old protagonist, Charlie. Despite his young age, Charlie is the, for me, the lynch pin around which the rest of the tale develops. The superb description of his character, how it evolves over the course of events, even a few crucial first person point-of-view episodes, bring real depth to this story. Readers will quickly find themselves emotionally engaged with Charlie and thus the resolution of the mystery.
Another aspect to underline is the clever opening, a hook which drops the reader into the events without preamble and serves as a launch pad for the very fast pace maintained throughout. I read over half of the book in one sitting, and only put it aside due to other demands on my time. Pages just flipped by on my Kindle as my mind constantly wanted to know what happens next.
Without a doubt, this is the best crime thriller I have read this year and well worth the five stars I award it (I’d give more if I could). Very highly recommended; an exceptionally satisfying read!
Great ending!!
Never put it down from start to finish. Should be on the best seller list. What a book! What characters! And what a message!
I really enjoyed this book. Of course I thought the villain was everyone except the right one. I love books like that!
Great book with twist at end. Well-defined characters and smooth writing. I especially liked the progression of the child from traumatized to functional. Can’t wait for next book.
Shoeless Child is a thriller that packs a punch, from the first page where Charlie, the shoeless child, runs frantic ally away from the killer who attacked his mom and killed another woman. Your heart goes out to the little one: “Breath wouldn’t come, just a high, mewling sound like a terrified kitten fleeing a mad dog.” His mother hasn’t seen her attacker because of his ski mask. Charlie may have pulled it away. He is the only witness who may identify the killer.
After the required six shrink visits, this crime happens on Kerri Blasco first night back in the field, Her partner, Alex. is also the love interest, but both of them know that their relationship would be frowned upon:“Can’t have romance between detective pairs!… Emotional involvement clouds judgment.”
Informed by classic literature, J.A. Schneider is a skilled writer and she knows how to keep suspense going, all the while putting you inside the mind of her characters. Want to delve into the murderer’s mind, describing the kid as “slippery as an eel,” and the kill as ‘A daring achievement,” a way to “feel manly. Lose the fear.”
Will Charlie find a way to talk again? Will he point the killer out in time, before another crime is committed?
Five stars.
Hit all the boxes for a enjoyable read. Interesting characters, good story line, great word flow and readable pace. Enough, but not too much, murder and thrill. Would recommend and plan to read more by this author.
Kerri Blasco and her partner Alex Brand return in a emotionally charged story of murder,lies,secrets and manipulation that had me hooked in from the very first sentence.
Five year old Charlie Sparkes witnesses his mum and her best friend being shot by a masked intruder.Hysterical the young boy bolts into the cold November night to try and get help,only to fall into more trauma.
Miraculously Charlie’s mum is still alive and both she and Charlie are taken to the hospital.Unfortunately the shocking events of that night have left Charlie traumatized,mute and refusing to eat or drink.
The only person he seems to connect with is Kerri but will she be able to break through the barriers that he had put up to protect himself and get him to reveal who the killer is before it is too late.The killer has shot two more innocent people,Kerri and the team keep hitting one brick wall after another.Meanwhile somewhere in the city,the killer is planning to silence the one living eye witness…..permanently.
This is a fast paced,realistically plotted,gripping thriller,packed full of twists,red herrings,numerous suspects and loads of suspense.Charlie was a adorable character and I spent the whole book with a heightened sense of anxiety and worry about his safety.Fortunately the author didn’t go down the predictable route when it came to the final shocking reveal and confrontation.The motive behind the murders was unpredictable and totally unexpected although now I think about it there was a few tiny clues scattered througout the book that should have made me stop and think.I was pleased that Kerri was more like the character from the first two books in the series.I found her constant whinging and moaning in Watching You very frustrating and uncharacteristic.
Although this is the forth book in the series,it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone although as with all book series it is best to read them in order.
Detective Kerri will win you over just as she charms a small child who has been traumatized after witnessing a murder. I didn’t see the plot twist of the killer’s identity in this one which made for a fun read. This book has great characters and you’ll develop empathy for the plight of the small boy, Charlie, who witnesses tragedy and courageously rises above the trauma to aid police in a killer’s capture.
Highly recommended.
This is my first book in this series so I have some catching up to do. Having said that–it works extremely well as a standalone. Opens with a bang and closes with a twist. What a page-turner!
A heart-wrenching tale of a young boy’s traumatic recovery from watching his mother and her best friend shot. The killer grabs him, and young Charlie fights for his life. The only witness to this horrible crime. The killer’s identity is locked inside and no one seems to be able to reach him. Kelli is drawn to the case, her heart breaking each time she looks at Charlie. Can she reach him before it’s too late? The suspect list is long and complicated. Could it be Rachel’s boss who had an inappropriate interest in her? The men she was dating? Her landlord? Or is there someone else hiding in the shadows?
Alex and Kelli are pressed hard to find the answers as one-by-one suspects fall prey to the vicious killer. Only Charlie knows the truth and he isn’t talking.
A truly emotional, fast-paced thriller that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
This book was pretty good. The writing was a bit matter-of-fact & choppy, tho. The characters were interesting.
An intricate crime thriller. You think you know who did it but it takes another turn and then another. Keeps you challenged right up to the ending.
An entertaining and, in the best sense of the word, schmaltzy story of emotionally involved police detectives embracing and supporting a woman and her 5-year old son who were attacked and then stalked by a serial killer. Kerri and her boss & amour, Alex lead a team of officers pursuing every lead, surveil every suspect, etc. in an effort to identify the killer. They never identify the killer; instead, the killer identifies him/herself when he/she tries to kill Kerri in a secret room in the basement of the apartment building where the first murder occurred and where the victims live.
5* Amazingly heart binding story of a child that needed help and a police officer that did everything she could to help and find the answer to the murder
I enjoyed this book. Good detective story. Good dialogue. Interesting plot. Although I had a suspicion who the villain would be about halfway through, it was never so obvious until the end. Wrapped up well without loose ends. Good book. I recommend it.
Another hard to put down book. Totally fell in love with the characters!!
Great read! Two women shot, one is dead. A single eyewitness who is only five. This book follows detectives Kerri and Alex as they try to solve the case of who shot Charlie’s mom, killed her friend, and is still at large.
This book grabbed me from the first few pages, and I couldn’t put it down. The author did an amazing job of keeping the reader guessing as the story progresses. A thrilling whodunit that is a must read for anyone looking for an action packed story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.