A haunting, richly atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl.“Where are you, Madison Culver? Flying with the angels, a silver speck on a wing? Are you dreaming, buried under snow? Or—is it possible—you are still alive?”Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her … Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as “the Child Finder,” Naomi is their last hope.
Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.
As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?
Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.
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I was very much impacted by this book and have pre-ordered her next book.
This was a good read and our bookclub enjoyed it! Easy reading, realistic in approach and interesting. No bad language or anything gratuitous, which I really appreciated. The main characters were well developed and empathetic.
It is unusual to come across a thriller that keeps you hovering on the very edge of your seat, and yet demand such emotional commitment from the reader. A stunning, heartbreaking, breathlessly beautiful novel. I can’t wait for the next!
As a parent, this book is a unique and horrific look at the lives of pedophiles and victims. It is indeed a page-turner, as you follow the path of the Child Finder who was a victim, trying to find children, but also seeking her own identity.
A powerful story of self discovery. Driven by her past the Child Finder comes to terms with who she is and the future she wants. I read this in a day, so captivating.
Not only a great read, but beautifully written.
Interesting perspective on abducted children. Haunting story that is difficult to put down.
Great story. Can we hope for a sequel?
I had read Rene Denfeld’s first fiction piece entitled Enchanted and I wondered how in the heck is she going to top this beautiful piece of fiction and then I read The Child Finder and received the answer. Once again she has written a story that haunts you with such driving intensity through character, dialogue and place. She is truly a skilled and effective writer of fiction and I look forward to where next she will be taking us.
This didn’t go where I thought it was going to go. Based on the tagline on the front cover, ‘She finds missing children, who will find her?’, I thought Naomi was going to get lost or abducted early on in the book while she was looking for Madison. When that’s not what happened I was vaguely disappointed because I had been looking forward to seeing Naomi outwit Madison’s abductor. Instead we only get a very short confrontation between them and it was actually Madison who did most of the outwitting of her abductor.
I feel slightly guilty because the ‘lyrical writing’ that a lot of the other reviewers talk about wasn’t really a plus for me. I’ve never been much of a fan of lyrical writing, I prefer books that lay the story out in a pretty straightforward way without dancing around what’s happening or prettying it up with poetic imagery. Whenever I put it down I didn’t feel the burning desire to pick it up of a five (or even four) star read, I did want to see what happened, but I didn’t have to know. Therefore I’m giving this 3.5 stars edging toward the 3 side of things rather than the four.
It’s been awhile since I read one this good!
I thought it was inspiring and very well written
Well put together with an interesting plot. The darker side of child abuse & abduction.
Couldn’t put this down. Haunting and about the haunted.
This was an interesting book and kept the story moving for the most part. Good character development…author is a good writer. My one criticism is that there was too much time spent constantly going back to the ‘child finder’s’ past. Do it once and hen keep the narrative on the present. The writing style of bouncing back and forth from present to past has been done to death in my opinion (originating with the TV show Lost…I believe)…and it’s time to move on to telling a story in another way.
A haunting story with believable, complex characters. Many twists and turns, keeping the reader wondering what’s ahead. Excellent read!
I can’t say enough about this wonderful story. This woman is a wonderful writer. Her character development was great. I highly recommend this book. It’s one that everyone should read.
An author on my favorites list. An excellent book!
Captivating, mesmerizing, great till the very end!! I could not put this book down. There are a few disturbing parts, but you kind of have to go through those parts to appreciate the story. There isn’t anything bad to say about this one!
This story deals with the disturbing subject matter of child capture and molestation, but instead of graphically describing the experiences, the author takes us into the mind of the child as they experience it. Great read thoughtfully expressed.