The Chilling Chart-topping Psychological ThrillerIt’s a blindingly hot summer. International visitors surge into Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Two-year-old Tommy is sailing his toy boat in the park when he vanishes. Six months later, taunting notes written as nursery rhymes begin arriving at his parents’ home. Little Boy Blue, where did you go? Who led you away? Only I know . . . . The police believe … Only I know . . . .
The police believe the messages are just a cruel prank. But Tommy’s mother Phoebe becomes obsessed with tracking down the writer of the rhymes. Her marriage shatters and her husband moves out.
When the shocking identity of the message-writer is discovered, Phoebe’s desperate race for the truth has only just begun.
“I love love love this author! This is the sort of book I love but never find very often!” – Goodreads reviewer
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I’ve always loved a good mystery, but it’s been a long time since I’ve finished a book by an author and immediately purchased another book by the same author. As soon as I closed the final page of Stranger in the Woods, I quickly went back to Amazon and bought The Game You Played.
Anni Taylor is a brilliant young author who creates characters who pull on your heartstrings, make you want to slap them, terrify you when the lights go dim, and entertain you for hours without interruption.
This book grabbed at my heartstrings like nothing I’ve ever read before. I understand what it feels like to have a son go missing. I’ve been on the inside when someone with a mental illness threatened my children and me. Phoebe is a character you’ll pity as she struggles with the guilt of being the one in charge when Tommy went missing.
Friends surround Phoebe as she desperately tries to solve the mystery. Sass is a home renovation specialist. Kate is a model with three-year-old twins who understands the agony of not knowing where your child is. Pria is a single mom who is also a psychologist, trying to help Phoebe. But then, there’s Berneice. She terrifies Phoebe, who can’t forget the tragedy that involved all six of them as teens.
Six months after her son’s disappearance, Phoebe and Luke begin to receive notes written on blue paper. The rhymes are chilling, and Phoebe knows the rhymes directly target her. As more characters enter the picture, the mystery deepens to a point your heart nearly stops. The story is both intense and heart-wrenching. The disturbing truth will follow you for days after you finish the book.
It took me a bit to get into the book. Once there I couldn’t put it down. It’s unexpected ending really was over the top.
Great book. Couldn’t put it down! Some aspects reminded me of Girl on a Train and Gone Girl. It was intense and mysterious. Kept me guessing. Very enjoyable read. Interesting characters. Suspenseful.
Plenty of twists and turns. You root for everything to turn out right. I love a happy ending!
Good me hooked. Was shocked by the end. A classic piece of work.
Started a little slow for me, but I was glad I slogged through the emotionally weird beginning. Somewhat fantastical at the end in terms of how the evil-doer tried to escape, but entertaining.
All along something just kept lingering in the back of your mind, ‘did she do this, could she have done this, why would she have done this?’ And the doubts just hung over each word until the end. The characters were human, tragically so. Very few books keep me up late. This one proved to be the exception.
This book had you questioning whether you believed or even liked the main character but still couldn’t help feeling empathy for her. Great read.
It kept you guessing until the end.
If you love a book that keeps you guessing right to the end then this book will not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down definitely a real page turner.
enjoyed
This was the kind of book that I hated to put down. Some interesting twists..
Great book!
The book by this name, had a child on the front. This one did not. So I am not sure it is the same book, but I loved the book, although it was scary and you couldn’t wait to see what happened next, I really enjoyed it.
The book kept me coming back, changing my mind about who I thought the villain was until close to the end.
Great who dunit, lots of twists and turns in the plot to keep you turning the pages!
wow. didn’t think it would end the way it did.
This was a very good book. I would definitely recommend it.
Excellently written with twists and turns you won’t expect but are believable. The inner dialogues of the main characters are what keep the action going. Try to put this one down. You just have to pick it back up to see what happens.
Excellent page turner