It’s funny how one innocent decision can ruin your life. For me it was letting my son pedal away on his bike that hot summer day. He’d been so excited to go out by himself—like a big boy. And though I was usually so protective, I let him…
When Carla returns to her father’s house to care for him in his final days, she feels lost and heartbroken. So she’s glad when she meets a kindly older woman named CeCe, and they develop a warm, natural friendship. CeCe understands loss too. Because nearly forty years before her only son disappeared without trace, from this same small town.
Then, sorting through her father’s house, Carla discovers a box of diaries and newspaper clippings from the year CeCe’s son went missing. Her father was barely more than a child himself at the time, but it’s clear the disappearance affected him strongly.
The whole town is haunted by the memory of that summer: of the boy who was never found. But as Carla delves further into her father’s past she realises he may actually have known more than he has ever said—and that perhaps the answers CeCe so desperately seeks have been hidden here in this house all along.
With her father now too ill to tell his story himself, will Carla be able to discover the truth about what happened to the child who vanished—and give CeCe the answers she’s been seeking for forty years?
A heart-wrenching and emotionally charged novel about small-town secrets and the price of facing up to the truth. Fans of Liane Moriarty, Nicole Trope and The Silent Daughter will be gripped from the very first page until the final, heart-stopping twist.
Readers love Jennifer Harvey:
“Wow, sooooo many emotions with this outstanding book… Awesome, Gripping… Heartbreaking!!!” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow. What a suspenseful read! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Such vivid, visual characters that I felt I knew personally. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“One of the best books I’ve read this year… The suspense was start to finish… I could not put this one down, I’ve carried my book around with my nose in it while cooking, cleaning and even taking a walk… This had my heart pounding… Absolutely a must read! Top of your list!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Thrilling. Suspenseful. Taut. Breathtakingly tense. Addictive. WOW, this was a book I couldn’t put down.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Gripping thriller!… This has so many emotions rolled into one!… I quickly became engrossed in this… You won’t be able to stop reading it once you’ve started! A true page-turner for sure!” Oh Happy Reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Fast paced, very emotional, totally heartbreaking… I was just blown away!… An unforgettable story!” Heidi Lynn Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wonderful from start to finish… Amazing. Stunning. Brilliant.” Renita D’Silva ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Engaging, twisty and page-turning… I could not put this book down.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Beyond amazing… The characters and storyline were fantastic… A must read.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“It’s hard to put this book down… Will stay with you for a long time.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Once I picked this one up, I was hooked and needed answers, and along with Carla that finds the box, we are on a journey to solve some horrible crimes.
Her father is dying and now she needs him to answer questions, and it seems everyone is against her, her mother, sister, and the entire town.
A page-turning read, that makes you want for a better outcome, but having to accept the facts.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.
This is an emotional, and at times, tough to read story that will pull at your heart and then put your stomach in knots!
Carla’s estranged father Rob, is now terminal and on hospice care.
She has not seen her Dad in years. He was not a pleasant man and his family left when he continued with his abusive behaviors so long ago.
However…. Carla feels she needs some closing with him and it is now time.
What she will quickly learn, is that there so many awful secrets that need answers and for the sake of other people involved, the journey to find these truths will now begin!
This novel is a quick read and it will have you waiting with anxiety to get to the end!
My favorite character was Cece, A strong, loving woman who has been hoping and waiting…. Just waiting….
This started out so real and difficult and morphed into the mystery I was expecting. There were twists and turns along the way, but a solid story which held my interest all the way through.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!
The Vanishing Child is the third suspenseful mystery book by Jennifer Harvey and another standalone story. Fifty years ago, two boys disappeared and their bodies found in the local forest. Nine years later another boy was taken, never to be found and the small town of Newcastle has never forgotten. Carla Allen is called to her estranged dying father’s bedside, only to find his diaries and questions why he was so focused on the three boys. As she investigates and causes further angst, Carla ponders who her father really was and whether the truth can finally be discovered. With well captured atmospherics of a small-town grieving the past and hints of underlying darkness, comes a three-star read rating tale. With thanks to Bookouture and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.
Good read with interesting characters.
I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning, but so glad I stayed with it. I thought the storyline was a bit predictable, but was intrigued of how it all happened and why.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Rob Allen is dying. His daughter abused and estranged from him many years ago is contacted by his hospice nurse. Reluctant to see him Carla returns to his hometown to open a Pandora’s box of mystery. Her father is in and out of reality. He desperately wants to see his family but is reluctant for them to know the secrets he harbors. Carla finds a beautiful and mysterious box full of clues. Her mother, sister, and finally her romantic interest becomes involved in solving the mystery. As the story unfolds it appears that Rob Allen has secrets he wants to be revealed, but where are they? Somehow, it seems he knew something about the murders of three boys in the 60s and 70s. How much did he know and when? It has been so long ago will it be solved? Can Johnny ever come home again? Thanks to #TheVanishingChild#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Carla has been estranged from her father Rob for years and she has been thinking about the terrible abuse she, her sister and her mother underwent at his hand. Now that he is in hospice care, will she be able to move into his home and start her life over again? especially since she recently split up from her boyfriend.
One day while rummaging around, Carla discovers a box that sends her into a whirlwind. Combine that with when Carla visits her father in his barely lucid state, he mentions a boy named Johnny. In fact, years previously three boys went mising and two of their bodies were found. Due to what Carla finds in the box and her brief visits with her father, Carla becomes bound and determined to find out what happened to those children, especially as the cases remained unsolved through the decades.
In this hair-raising book by Jennifer Harvey, Carla doggedly pursues whatever information she can glean to find out the truth – truth laden with secrets. In fact, Carla meets resistance at every turn. I felt like I was right beside Carla while she duggedly searched for answers, even sensing the sheer terror for what happened to those unfortunate boys. The Vanishing Child will grip you from the very first page and won’t let you go until the very last word.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.