An English woman is going for a morning jog when she notices a lost little girl in the park by her house. As the mother rushes up to claim her daughter, Fran notices that both mother and daughter dress and act differently. As the town treats these people poorly by cruelly gossiping and leaving graffiti on their house, Fran becomes worried as the mother has left her the cryptic message "Things are not what they seem". She has seen the bruises on both girls at this point and fears their lives are in danger and she is right as she comes back to the United States to try to save them from one of the scariest things of all, a cult. One who will stop at nothing to carry out their cruel plans. I found this book to be very slow at first, but it picked up very quickly. I was surprised by a twist that was thrown in and was like "Wow, did that just happen"? So if you find yourself thinking you cannot get into this book, just wait a little bit longer as you won't be disappointed. Thank you NetGalley, this was quite the breathtaking read! ( )

Review of eBook

Fran Cole, out for her regular early morning jog, finds a little girl standing near the swings. Her name is Esther; she tells Fran Father is coming. But, Esther informs her, Father lives in Arizona. Before Fran can respond to this, Esther’s mother arrives, breathless and worried and in search of the child.

Fran can’t keep from wondering [and worrying] about the child and her young mother. It isn’t long before Fran has invited Mary to come to choir, she’s friended Mary on Facebook, and she jogs past the Whitaker home.

Fran’s husband, Adrian, warns her about becoming so involved with the family, but Fran fails to heed his advice. And then, one day . . . without warning . . . they’re gone.

Fran is certain something terrible will happen to Esther and she vows to do everything possible to save her. But first, she’ll have to solve the mystery of the family’s disappearance.

The story has a continual undercurrent of tension, which keeps the reader on edge [and keeps the pages turning]. Readers are certain to agree with Fran’s assessment that there is something wrong in the family, but the unfolding story holds its secrets close, jealously guarding them, and revealing only bits and pieces to keep readers guessing.

Esther’s mother, Mary, seems quite vulnerable but completely devoted to her daughter. Esther is not a very likable child; readers are likely to find it difficult to relate to the little girl. And when the story focuses on her viewpoint, she certainly seems far older and wiser than the mere seven years she’s supposed to be . . . it’s a bit of a disconnect for the reader since the character’s thoughts and actions seldom typify those of a typical seven-year-old child.

Fran’s almost-immediate obsession with the Whitaker family is difficult to understand; dropping everything to travel to Arizona in search of the family is simply incomprehensible.

There’s a huge plot twist as the unfolding story approaches a particularly compelling situation . . . and the revelation is staggering. Totally out of left field, totally unpredicted; a massive surprise.

It also stretches the willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, leaving readers rolling their eyes in incredulity. After the obsession, the incomprehensible actions, and the cringe-worthy cult revelations, it’s just a bit too much to ask the reader to accept.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
#LittleOne #NetGalley ( )