Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Belinda Bauer May be one of my new favorite authors. I have read three of her books - The Exmoor Trilogy - of which Finders Keepers is the third. I find her writing to be engaging and the mysteries compelling - there is a bit of gruesomeness which some folks may not care for but it is certainly not gratuitous or over the top. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Baiter’s work.
This is a thoroughly gripping story set in the semi wilds of Exmoor with children going missing a year after the area was terrorized by another killer that left 8 dead and one police officer in a well of disappear. The story is told through multiple views and weaves together superbly. Even when the culprit is known, the story is just as gripping and engrossing. Bauer definitely has a way of story telling and although this turns out to be the third book in a trilogy I didn't find this detract from the reading as the necessary information was given and woven into the story. If it is true that this is the weakest of the three then I cannot wait until I read the other two!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A not unexpected ending to the loosely related trilogy, but very sad nonetheless. Of course, all the books have a similar tragic feel.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dark and disturbing with a narrative pace that made the book hard to put down, this was a quite good conclusion to the fairly loose trilogy of thrillers set in Exmoor.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I haven't read the previous books by Belinda Bauer, and at times I felt I should have to understand some references to previous books. It was however perfectly fine as a standalone, but after reading Finders Keepers I don't feel a sense of urgency to read the other 2 books Bauer has written.
The story begins when a teenager is terrifyingly snatched from her father's car, with only a post it note left behind on the steering wheel. 'You don't love her.'
However young Jess Took is the first of many children who begin to disappear, with only a note left behind telling worried parents they don't love their children. The press begin to call whoever is behind the kidnappings the Pier Piper, and the police have no straws to clutch at.
I had high hopes for this book, and I must admit I have high standards when it comes to the crime thriller genre these days, but this book failed to excite me for the most part. It did have its moments, but I found a lot of parts quite boring and it made the book as a whole distinctly average. I suppose it doesn't help for me that Bauer "hints" relatively early on as to who is behind the kidnappings and I then spent the rest of the time waiting for it to cut to this person for the inevitable close-knit ending.
Overall I found it quite average, though certain parts were quite gruesome which kept me interested.
The story begins when a teenager is terrifyingly snatched from her father's car, with only a post it note left behind on the steering wheel. 'You don't love her.'
However young Jess Took is the first of many children who begin to disappear, with only a note left behind telling worried parents they don't love their children. The press begin to call whoever is behind the kidnappings the Pier Piper, and the police have no straws to clutch at.
I had high hopes for this book, and I must admit I have high standards when it comes to the crime thriller genre these days, but this book failed to excite me for the most part. It did have its moments, but I found a lot of parts quite boring and it made the book as a whole distinctly average. I suppose it doesn't help for me that Bauer "hints" relatively early on as to who is behind the kidnappings and I then spent the rest of the time waiting for it to cut to this person for the inevitable close-knit ending.
Overall I found it quite average, though certain parts were quite gruesome which kept me interested.