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thephdivabooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book is published now!!!
A fast-paced thriller that will have you turning the pages to find out what happened during those three days missing!!!
Kimberly Belle sure has a way with writing females in their relationships, as mothers, and as independent women. I first read Belle’s work in The Marriage Lie (which if you haven’t read, I highly recommend), and I was so excited that my second read by her delighted me so much! This one is a page-turner. Whether you’re a mother yourself, a woman, or even just a supporter of women and mothers, you’ll have a hard time not feeling the tension as a child goes missing. You’ll want to get to the end and hope that it turns out ok!
About the Book
Kat Jenkins is fresh out of a destructive marriage—one ending in a restraining order. Kat is grateful for the marriage nonetheless, because it gave her Ethan, her son. Ethan is a certified genius, but Kat worries about his difficulty making friends. Particularly at his very expensive, very exclusive private school, Cambridge Academy. The school was her ex Andrew’s idea. Status is important to Andrew, and Kat knows that Ethan will get many opportunities at a school like Cambridge Academy, even if she can barely cover her half of tuition.
Stef Huntington has it all—she’s the wife of the mayor of Atlanta, she has more money than she knows what to do with, she has an adorable son Sammy attending Cambridge Academy, and she has the adoration of the other mother’s at the school. But everything is not as perfect for Stef as it seems. Her husband is almost never home, she gave up her own career aspirations for his, and she is worried about Sammy’s behavior at school towards another boy.
When the students at Cambridge Academy go on a 3-day overnight trip to the mines, their parents get a moment to relax. Until the police come knocking on Kat’s door, that is. Ethan has gone missing, and the heavy rain is making tracking his movements difficult. And then Stef gets a call…
Two mothers with nothing in common face every parent’s worst nightmare, and may be the only ones who can help one another!
Reflection
I love the way Kimberly Belle writes about situations where the main character is thrust into a crisis with very little information. I could feel the emotion of both Kat and Stef. But neither were remotely weak characters. To the contrary, these are women that in a different life would be friends, if it weren’t for the status and social circles thrust upon Stef without her interest in them.
When I was reading about what they were going through, I felt tense and nervous along with them. I think many mothers know that moment when they realize their children don’t tell them everything. Kids may do this out of love, or out of fear, or out of shame. But as a mother, wondering what else your child may have kept from you that led to this situation would be terrifying! It would make you wonder if you were causing them to act this way through your own actions.
This book is a page-turner, and really had no slow or dull moments. Regardless of whether it was Kat’s or Stef’s experiences, we had the time marker to show how many hours since the disappearance we were. And the ending was so satisfying and twisty!!! The last 30% were hard to put down!
Thank you to Harlequin and to Kimberly Belle for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Blog
A fast-paced thriller that will have you turning the pages to find out what happened during those three days missing!!!
Kimberly Belle sure has a way with writing females in their relationships, as mothers, and as independent women. I first read Belle’s work in The Marriage Lie (which if you haven’t read, I highly recommend), and I was so excited that my second read by her delighted me so much! This one is a page-turner. Whether you’re a mother yourself, a woman, or even just a supporter of women and mothers, you’ll have a hard time not feeling the tension as a child goes missing. You’ll want to get to the end and hope that it turns out ok!
About the Book
Kat Jenkins is fresh out of a destructive marriage—one ending in a restraining order. Kat is grateful for the marriage nonetheless, because it gave her Ethan, her son. Ethan is a certified genius, but Kat worries about his difficulty making friends. Particularly at his very expensive, very exclusive private school, Cambridge Academy. The school was her ex Andrew’s idea. Status is important to Andrew, and Kat knows that Ethan will get many opportunities at a school like Cambridge Academy, even if she can barely cover her half of tuition.
Stef Huntington has it all—she’s the wife of the mayor of Atlanta, she has more money than she knows what to do with, she has an adorable son Sammy attending Cambridge Academy, and she has the adoration of the other mother’s at the school. But everything is not as perfect for Stef as it seems. Her husband is almost never home, she gave up her own career aspirations for his, and she is worried about Sammy’s behavior at school towards another boy.
When the students at Cambridge Academy go on a 3-day overnight trip to the mines, their parents get a moment to relax. Until the police come knocking on Kat’s door, that is. Ethan has gone missing, and the heavy rain is making tracking his movements difficult. And then Stef gets a call…
Two mothers with nothing in common face every parent’s worst nightmare, and may be the only ones who can help one another!
Reflection
I love the way Kimberly Belle writes about situations where the main character is thrust into a crisis with very little information. I could feel the emotion of both Kat and Stef. But neither were remotely weak characters. To the contrary, these are women that in a different life would be friends, if it weren’t for the status and social circles thrust upon Stef without her interest in them.
When I was reading about what they were going through, I felt tense and nervous along with them. I think many mothers know that moment when they realize their children don’t tell them everything. Kids may do this out of love, or out of fear, or out of shame. But as a mother, wondering what else your child may have kept from you that led to this situation would be terrifying! It would make you wonder if you were causing them to act this way through your own actions.
This book is a page-turner, and really had no slow or dull moments. Regardless of whether it was Kat’s or Stef’s experiences, we had the time marker to show how many hours since the disappearance we were. And the ending was so satisfying and twisty!!! The last 30% were hard to put down!
Thank you to Harlequin and to Kimberly Belle for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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ohheychie's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
teresaalice's review against another edition
3.0
The person you think did it is the person who did it. Oh, and any guesses on how many days this kid was missing? :)
travel_in_pages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
ndbeyer's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this book- the ending recap by Ethan shocked me a bit- I can see this being a good bullying resource for teachers- it would be easy to say Ethan & Sammy just have a personality conflict and wave it off- should maybe pay a bit more attention if a child is on their own a lot.
jmj697mn's review against another edition
3.0
Predictable. I had the culprit pegged when they were introduced.
marvelouspyt's review against another edition
4.0
"It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: the call that comes in the middle of the night.
When Kat Jenkins awakens to the police on her doorstep, her greatest fear is realized. Her nine-year-old son, Ethan, is missing—vanished from the cabin where he’d been on an overnight field trip with his class. Shocked and distraught, Kat rushes to the campground where he was last seen. But she’s too late; the authorities have returned from their search empty-handed after losing Ethan’s trail in the mountain forest.
Another mother from the school, Stef Huntington, seems like she has it all: money, prominence in the community, a popular son and a loving husband. She hardly knows Kat, except for the vicious gossip that swirls around Kat’s traumatic past. But as the police investigation unfolds, Ethan’s disappearance will have earth-shattering consequences in Stef’s own life—and the paths of these two mothers are about to cross in ways no one could have anticipated.
Racing against the clock, their desperate search for answers begins—one where the greatest danger could lie behind the everyday smiles of those they trust the most."
I could barely put this book down! If it weren't for work and school, I would have been finished by the end of the day. In the beginning, Stef & Sam were the quintessential upper class snob. OF course Sam was the mayor; of course Stef was the pretty Barbie doll wife. Any scene with either character just irked my nerves. My opinion of politicians and their step-ford wives is low, so I just assumed I would hate the characters. For a while I did. I assumed he was a dirty politician who is probably having an affair and that she was a gossiping idiot. It was nice to see in the end that my view of them weren't correct. His actually had integrity and she wasn't some self centered twit. Kat was an easily understandable character. She is struggling with her finances and with herself after leaving an abusive marriage. Reading her pain felt so real and it was a bit devastating. Especially since we know many children who go missing aren't always found and when they are. they aren't usually alive. That's what made the story so suspenseful; it felt so real. I would definitely recommend to fans of suspenseful mysteries and/or psychological thrillers.
When Kat Jenkins awakens to the police on her doorstep, her greatest fear is realized. Her nine-year-old son, Ethan, is missing—vanished from the cabin where he’d been on an overnight field trip with his class. Shocked and distraught, Kat rushes to the campground where he was last seen. But she’s too late; the authorities have returned from their search empty-handed after losing Ethan’s trail in the mountain forest.
Another mother from the school, Stef Huntington, seems like she has it all: money, prominence in the community, a popular son and a loving husband. She hardly knows Kat, except for the vicious gossip that swirls around Kat’s traumatic past. But as the police investigation unfolds, Ethan’s disappearance will have earth-shattering consequences in Stef’s own life—and the paths of these two mothers are about to cross in ways no one could have anticipated.
Racing against the clock, their desperate search for answers begins—one where the greatest danger could lie behind the everyday smiles of those they trust the most."
I could barely put this book down! If it weren't for work and school, I would have been finished by the end of the day. In the beginning, Stef & Sam were the quintessential upper class snob. OF course Sam was the mayor; of course Stef was the pretty Barbie doll wife. Any scene with either character just irked my nerves. My opinion of politicians and their step-ford wives is low, so I just assumed I would hate the characters. For a while I did. I assumed he was a dirty politician who is probably having an affair and that she was a gossiping idiot. It was nice to see in the end that my view of them weren't correct. His actually had integrity and she wasn't some self centered twit. Kat was an easily understandable character. She is struggling with her finances and with herself after leaving an abusive marriage. Reading her pain felt so real and it was a bit devastating. Especially since we know many children who go missing aren't always found and when they are. they aren't usually alive. That's what made the story so suspenseful; it felt so real. I would definitely recommend to fans of suspenseful mysteries and/or psychological thrillers.
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
This book had a lot of suspense in the way it kept counting the hours of the time the young boy went missing, and told the story through the eyes of two mothers. It is every parent's nightmare to think about their child going missing, and it is terrifying to consider how you would survive knowing your child is gone.
In this novel, Ethan and his classmates are going on a camping trip. Kat, Ethan's mom, is hesitant for him to go, since she knows that Ethan is bullied at school by Sammy. Ethan is a precocious child, with an extremely high IQ. Sammy happens to be the child of Sam, the mayor of Atlanta, and his wife, Stef.
After Ethan is taken, Stef receives a call from the kidnapper, and things start to get strange. The police question Stef and Sam, and also Kat and her soon to be ex-husband, Andrew. It seems that there is more than meets the eye with the mayor and his staff, and a building project that is underway.
Meanwhile, Sammy, a spoiled bully, is hiding some secrets. Stef's mother insists that Sammy knows more than he is telling, but Stef is so preoccupied with other things, she fails to listen carefully to her mother. When she finally does listen, things start to loosen on the case.
The ending is an interesting examination of apologies, how they are given, how they are / are not accepted, and what they are really saying. The last chapter is a real eye opener!
I really enjoyed this book, but I did think a little of the story could have been edited out to make it a tighter thriller. Still, I did stay up to finish it, because I was so invested in the mom and Ethan.
#ThreeDaysMissing #KimberlyBelle
In this novel, Ethan and his classmates are going on a camping trip. Kat, Ethan's mom, is hesitant for him to go, since she knows that Ethan is bullied at school by Sammy. Ethan is a precocious child, with an extremely high IQ. Sammy happens to be the child of Sam, the mayor of Atlanta, and his wife, Stef.
After Ethan is taken, Stef receives a call from the kidnapper, and things start to get strange. The police question Stef and Sam, and also Kat and her soon to be ex-husband, Andrew. It seems that there is more than meets the eye with the mayor and his staff, and a building project that is underway.
Meanwhile, Sammy, a spoiled bully, is hiding some secrets. Stef's mother insists that Sammy knows more than he is telling, but Stef is so preoccupied with other things, she fails to listen carefully to her mother. When she finally does listen, things start to loosen on the case.
The ending is an interesting examination of apologies, how they are given, how they are / are not accepted, and what they are really saying. The last chapter is a real eye opener!
I really enjoyed this book, but I did think a little of the story could have been edited out to make it a tighter thriller. Still, I did stay up to finish it, because I was so invested in the mom and Ethan.
#ThreeDaysMissing #KimberlyBelle
judithdcollins's review against another edition
5.0
Taut. Twisty. Riveting!
Talented author (and a favorite of mine), Kimberly Belle returns following The Marriage Lie, with yet another gripping, heart-pounding domestic thriller —THREE DAYS MISSING a child abduction case and a race against time in search of the truth.
Not everything is as it seems.
Kat Jenkins is getting a divorce from her emotionally and physically abusive husband, Andrew.
She is trying to raise her son and desperately trying to put her traumatic past behind her. East Atlanta neighborhood, of course, is not the best part of town, but all she can afford since she left her former life behind. The innocent child, Ethan, is stuck in the middle.
Kat's worst nightmare comes when the police knock on her door, and she discovers her eight-year-old son is missing. Every mother's secret terror.
Ethan went on an overnight camping trip to Dahlonega, GA (north of Atlanta) for an overnight class trip. Ethan is very smart with a high IQ (little Einstein) which also comes with a particular set of challenges - socially awkward. An analytical thinker who needs constant stimulation and has no friends. Kat worries about him.
He is unhappy about this trip but likes his great-grandpa's compass that his mom has let him borrow. NOW ETHAN IS MISSING. When the police arrive, he has been missing for three hours. Did someone kidnap him, or did he get lost? Or could it be her soon-to-be ex-husband?
We meet another mother from the school, Stef, who seems to have it all. Stef and Kat come from different walks of life, but they may have more in common than they know.
The two women and their sons interconnect for a desperate race against time, and what goes on behind closed doors comes to the surface. Could Stef's son be the key to the disappearance, and does he know more than he is saying?
Ethan's disappearance has earth-shattering consequences for Stef, as her path crosses with Kat.
Vividly told from two different voices, Kat and Stef —two mothers who may have more in common than they realize. We get to hear from Ethan in the final wrap-up with a twist you do not see coming.
Superb characterization!
As always, Belle knows how to build riveting suspense and keep you guessing. This one has it all from past to present: bullying, Xbox gaming, politics, revenge, and a cautionary tale. You can never go wrong with Kimberly Belle. I have read every book, and she continually lands on my top books each year.
Compass: "This thing can help you find your way, but first, you have to know where you are. Don't ever forget where you are, sweetness. Don't ever lose sight of your true north."
PS I love any books set in Atlanta since I spent most of my adult career there, plus I love the Dahlonega area. My ex-boyfriend resided there on the lake and spent much time in this quaint town, hiking and more.
I read this when it came out but realized today, did not follow up to post a review. Thanks to the author and the publisher for an advanced reading copy. Film Rights Sold (YAY!) MOVIE NEWS!
#JDCMustReadBooks Blog
Talented author (and a favorite of mine), Kimberly Belle returns following The Marriage Lie, with yet another gripping, heart-pounding domestic thriller —THREE DAYS MISSING a child abduction case and a race against time in search of the truth.
Not everything is as it seems.
Kat Jenkins is getting a divorce from her emotionally and physically abusive husband, Andrew.
She is trying to raise her son and desperately trying to put her traumatic past behind her. East Atlanta neighborhood, of course, is not the best part of town, but all she can afford since she left her former life behind. The innocent child, Ethan, is stuck in the middle.
Kat's worst nightmare comes when the police knock on her door, and she discovers her eight-year-old son is missing. Every mother's secret terror.
Ethan went on an overnight camping trip to Dahlonega, GA (north of Atlanta) for an overnight class trip. Ethan is very smart with a high IQ (little Einstein) which also comes with a particular set of challenges - socially awkward. An analytical thinker who needs constant stimulation and has no friends. Kat worries about him.
He is unhappy about this trip but likes his great-grandpa's compass that his mom has let him borrow. NOW ETHAN IS MISSING. When the police arrive, he has been missing for three hours. Did someone kidnap him, or did he get lost? Or could it be her soon-to-be ex-husband?
We meet another mother from the school, Stef, who seems to have it all. Stef and Kat come from different walks of life, but they may have more in common than they know.
The two women and their sons interconnect for a desperate race against time, and what goes on behind closed doors comes to the surface. Could Stef's son be the key to the disappearance, and does he know more than he is saying?
Ethan's disappearance has earth-shattering consequences for Stef, as her path crosses with Kat.
Vividly told from two different voices, Kat and Stef —two mothers who may have more in common than they realize. We get to hear from Ethan in the final wrap-up with a twist you do not see coming.
Superb characterization!
As always, Belle knows how to build riveting suspense and keep you guessing. This one has it all from past to present: bullying, Xbox gaming, politics, revenge, and a cautionary tale. You can never go wrong with Kimberly Belle. I have read every book, and she continually lands on my top books each year.
Compass: "This thing can help you find your way, but first, you have to know where you are. Don't ever forget where you are, sweetness. Don't ever lose sight of your true north."
PS I love any books set in Atlanta since I spent most of my adult career there, plus I love the Dahlonega area. My ex-boyfriend resided there on the lake and spent much time in this quaint town, hiking and more.
I read this when it came out but realized today, did not follow up to post a review. Thanks to the author and the publisher for an advanced reading copy. Film Rights Sold (YAY!) MOVIE NEWS!
#JDCMustReadBooks Blog