"The NoWhere Child" by Christian White - (a Child Abducted)

The Nowhere Child by Christian White is about a child abduction that is never solved until the brother finally tracks down his missing sister who is all grown up and lives in Australia!  Stuart was 9, his younger sister, Sammy only two when she disappeared.  Kim Leamy grew up in Australia with her mother who died of cancer, her step-dad, Dean and her younger sister, Amy.   Kim is a photographer professor but one day finds out her life is a big lie and she's really Sammy Went who went missing from her home in Kentucky!  Kim decides to go to Manson, Kentucky, her supposed hometown, to see if she can find answers.  She can't believe her mom was a kidnapper!

This was pretty good mystery, but it kept jumping from past to present just about every chapter which I found annoying.  I liked Kim and felt bad for her.  The cult stuff in this book creeped me out. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  Were Jack and Molly Went still waiting for answers?  Did every phone call or knock at the door fill them with hope or dread or some bitter mixture of both?  Did they see Sammy's face in every woman they passed on the street, or had they found a way to move on?

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"Run Away" by Harlan Coben

Run Away by Harlan Coben is about Simon Greene in search of his missing, drug addict daughter, Paige. One day he sees her singing in the park and almost catches her, but her boyfriend shows up and while Simon scuffles with him, Paige gets away. This story is full of murder, family secrets, hit men, drug dealers, and a cult. It is pretty complicated how these things are woven together to make for quite a mystery! This is a wild story that made me want to keep reading with an interesting ending.
(Karen’s review 5/15/19, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:
This novel is about a father, Simon, who is looking for his daughter, Paige, who ran away and got into drugs.  He wants to put her in rehab.  He gets involved in the drug culture with some not so nice people as he looks for Paige.  This book had some good parts, but not enough of them to me.  The story line jumped around too so did not really keep my interest.  (3 stars)  

Teaser from page 27: Sam said, “The video’s gotten over a million hits.” His son seemed both startled and impressed. “I can’t believe you punched out Aaron.”


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"Always Watching" by Chevy Stevens

Always Watching by Chevy Stevens is about a Psychiatrist, Nadine, whose bad childhood memories are stirred up when she gets a patient who left the same commune she was in, although it has a new name and advertises as a spiritual retreat place. Nadine feels the need to report what happened to her in the commune and hope the cops will arrest the leaders and get “The River of Life Spiritual Center” shut down to keep others from being hurt. Nadine also has a teenage daughter who ran away, got into drugs, and lives on the streets. All Nadine wants is for her daughter, Lisa, to be happy and longs for her to come back home. Her biggest fear is that the cult-like commune will get her daughter comes true.

I liked this book okay, but not as much as I liked this author’s other books. It just moved a little slow for my taste and was pretty predictable. Mostly was sad with what I thought was an unrealistic ending. It has a lot of flashbacks showing the memories Nadine had buried from her past. Nadine’s relationship with her daughter was heartbreaking. The last quarter of the book has the most action and suspense which I liked the most.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

See my reviews of her other books:
That Night - great, both liked!
Those Girls - both liked
Never Knowing - great! (In both of our top favorites for 2011)
Still Missing - both liked! (One of Gerard's top favorites in 2011)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Ashley Bell" by Dean Koontz Lives up to the Hype!

In Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz, a young girl named Bibi Blair is having a good life. Then one day out of the blue, she is rushed into emergency ER. She is young and thinks that this is no big deal. She finds out that she has brain cancer and has one year to live! But her recovery is unbelievable and a woman tells her that her life was spared so she can save Ashley Bell. Save her from what, or whom? Who is Ashley Bell?

There has been a lot of book hype about this novel and the hype is the real deal! As usual, Koontz goes into stuff you would find hard to believe, but that is part of the fun! I LOVED IT!
Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Never List" by Koethi Zan is a Real Page Turner! (UPDATED)

I'll Never do that!

The Never List by Koethi Zan is about three college girls who were kept chained up in a college professor's basement and one in a box!  This book grabbed a hold of me from page one!  The plot is really good and I loved the interaction throughout the book among the three girls.  The last few chapters when all the twists take place were so good I did not want to stop reading.  Put this on your to read list--you will be glad you did! 
(Gerard's review posted 8/20/13, 5+ stars) 


The Never List by Koethi Zan got my attention right away with two girls making a list of things they would NEVER do to stay safe. It is told from Sarah's view point who was held captive in a basement of a psycho college professor along with her best friend, Jennifer, and two other girls, Tracy and Christine. The professor was arrested when Sarah escaped but ten years later is up for parole. When the girls meet years later to work together to make sure he is not released, they wind up in dangerous situations and realize the professor is even a bigger monster than they thought.


This psychological thriller is very creepy but at least not gory in spite of references to torture and a very dark world of human trafficking. It explores the extent people will go for self preservation and the depravity of humanity. Although the main character, Sarah, is likeable and I couldn't help but root for her in her quest to find her friend's dead body, it didn't seem very believable that she would do that. I enjoyed some of the dialogue which lightened things up some. There are some tense moments and I had to keep reading to see how she escaped and learn what happened. The ending was shocking! To me this is a cross between a thriller and a cozy mystery novel.
(Karen's review posted 8/17/13)

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"Amity and Sorrow" by Peggy Riley

Amity and Sorrow by Peggy Riley is the story of a mother who takes her two daughters and drives away from a cult compound.  The mother is sure the father is going to come after them.  The one daughter embraces the new life, even though she knows nothing about the outside world.  However, the other daughter wants to go back to the life she has always known in the compound. 

I enjoyed this book.  It went fast and for this author's first book, I think she did really well!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Gun Church" by Reed Farrel Coleman

Gun Church by Reed Farrel Coleman is about a writer down on his luck. When he moves into a new town and meets up with some new people, he starts to "live again." However, when his new book and his real life start to interact, trouble is brewing. Because of the good twist and the ending, I give it 5 stars. It's not a "must read" for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Chosen One" by Carol Lynch Williams

(picture from Goodreads)

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is not a “wow” book, but I enjoyed it a lot! Kyra lives in a compound. She is not allowed to read books or go to the outside world. The compound is ruled by the PROPHET. He decides Kyra must marry her father's uncle, a man in his 60s. She does not want to go along. I liked this book better than I thought I would. It kept me turning pages and moved along at a good clip.  Here's my teaser.

(Gerard's review)
 
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"Stolen Innocence" by Elissa Wall

A Remarkable Journey (10 Stars)


To give Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall 5 stars does this book an injustice! It's a 10 Plus!! It is the true story of Elissa Wall, who grew up in the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints ("FLDS") and was taught to believe all she was told. You will laugh and recoil in anger at what she goes through. Then she finds the courage to go to court and face the "Prophet." 

You are a remarkable woman, Elissa! Thanks for sharing your story. Everyone will enjoy this book. It reads like fiction, but you know it's not. I hated to see it end. It's just incredible!
(Gerard's Review 8/18/08)


A Fascinating and Shocking Story!


This was a long story of how Elissa grew up in the FLDS community, how her life was controlled by a man called "The Prophet" whom she was taught to believe spoke for God and how she eventually broke free. She was forced to marry at age 14 against her will, was raped and finally left the community and brought charges against "The Prophet." This book gives the reader an inside look into the workings of a polygamous cult and shows how difficult it is for people to leave. It is shocking that this really happened in America in recent times.
(Karen's review 8/18/08)