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clairemm13's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
pause_theframe's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my! I absolutely LOVE everything about Carissa's writing style. I have adored every book I have read by her, and this was beyond exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed the detail and level of personality that was given to characters. It meant that I was kept on my toes, throughout the read, and really enjoyed trying to guess what might happen next.
The pace is fantastic. It really kept the book flowing well and is exactly what I expect and love in a thrilling read. It was written so well, that I often felt a part of the story and was fully submerged into the plot, wanting to know what had happened.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It is truly a must read!
The pace is fantastic. It really kept the book flowing well and is exactly what I expect and love in a thrilling read. It was written so well, that I often felt a part of the story and was fully submerged into the plot, wanting to know what had happened.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It is truly a must read!
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
"How c-come you're not af-fraid of the d-dark, d-daddy?"
"Because the dark's afraid of me!"
This was a very interesting read. There were so many twists and turns - some you could predict and some you would have never seen coming. Each chapter after the first few intro ones, were just full of secrets and reveals as you tried to understand - is there a missing little girl or not? And where is the mom / wife?
I liked the POV of the detective too. Her office politics and frustration made the lead into how things played out and all the twists so much more believably.
I did think the message was a little heavy handed. But the message was a good one so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. I liked this one!
I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for a chance to read for review.
"Because the dark's afraid of me!"
This was a very interesting read. There were so many twists and turns - some you could predict and some you would have never seen coming. Each chapter after the first few intro ones, were just full of secrets and reveals as you tried to understand - is there a missing little girl or not? And where is the mom / wife?
I liked the POV of the detective too. Her office politics and frustration made the lead into how things played out and all the twists so much more believably.
I did think the message was a little heavy handed. But the message was a good one so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. I liked this one!
I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for a chance to read for review.
caslater83's review against another edition
4.0
Intense.
This book was better-than-expected. It was interesting to see who had motives and opportunities. I don't think I will ever fully understand that drives a person to kill, but it's always interesting to see the lengths some will go to get rid of someone. Not really feeling the need to keep the book.
This book was better-than-expected. It was interesting to see who had motives and opportunities. I don't think I will ever fully understand that drives a person to kill, but it's always interesting to see the lengths some will go to get rid of someone. Not really feeling the need to keep the book.
sjmacwrites's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into it. It’s a pity because the premise is good.
wolfshine's review
5.0
Wow!
Once again I’m left breathless by one of Carissa Ann Lynch’s books. Every time I thought I could guess what was going to come next, the plot would sneak up and smack me with a curveball. I absolutely love how the author was able to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.
When the book begins, Nova is glad to have finally escaped from her abusive husband with her daughter, Lily. In the morning though, Lily is gone, and she has no choice but to go to the police. From there, secrets of Nova’s life begin to unravel. And with it comes questions. The most haunting of those, is Lily even real?
All the characters in this book are beautifully fleshed out, each of them with a solid understandable background, flaws, and strengths. It made the ending all the more satisfying. Every character has secrets and they’ll all come to light.
Narration was beautiful, bringing each character to life in a unique way.
Definitely a recommended read for lovers of psychological suspense.
Once again I’m left breathless by one of Carissa Ann Lynch’s books. Every time I thought I could guess what was going to come next, the plot would sneak up and smack me with a curveball. I absolutely love how the author was able to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.
When the book begins, Nova is glad to have finally escaped from her abusive husband with her daughter, Lily. In the morning though, Lily is gone, and she has no choice but to go to the police. From there, secrets of Nova’s life begin to unravel. And with it comes questions. The most haunting of those, is Lily even real?
All the characters in this book are beautifully fleshed out, each of them with a solid understandable background, flaws, and strengths. It made the ending all the more satisfying. Every character has secrets and they’ll all come to light.
Narration was beautiful, bringing each character to life in a unique way.
Definitely a recommended read for lovers of psychological suspense.
quietghost's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
jessthebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Nova leaves her abusive husband in the middle of night, taking 4 year old Lily with her.
She gets to a new place to stay, tucks Lily into bed, wakes up in the morning and realises that Lily is gone, a creepy bunny in her cot.
When the police start investigating, things start to seem strange. There is no evidence that any little girl was ever there. And Nova is hiding secrets of her own, which makes her story a bit unreliable.
This story did have me intrigued throughout. It is a page turner, a quick crime thriller.
Nova leaves her abusive husband in the middle of night, taking 4 year old Lily with her.
She gets to a new place to stay, tucks Lily into bed, wakes up in the morning and realises that Lily is gone, a creepy bunny in her cot.
When the police start investigating, things start to seem strange. There is no evidence that any little girl was ever there. And Nova is hiding secrets of her own, which makes her story a bit unreliable.
This story did have me intrigued throughout. It is a page turner, a quick crime thriller.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
3.0
Nova Nesbitt and her four year old daughter, Lily, arrive in a small town in the middle of nowhere, desperate to escape Nora’s abusive husband. But when Nora checks on her daughter the next morning, the little girl has gone missing. Convinced her husband has already found her and has taken her daughter, Nora calls the police. Officer Ellie James attends the scene. She assumes this is a clear custody battle but after searching the log cabin and interviewing Nora, Ellie starts to wonder if Lily even exists.
This story is told through three women : Nora, the mother; Ellie, the rookie cop; and Clara, the neighbour and owner of the log cabin. Ellie seems pretty straight-forward, but both Nora and Clara come across as rather unreliable, though both for very different reasons. Clara quite obviously has something to hide, a secret she’s desperate to protect. Nora is a nervous wreck, which is understandable considering her daughter has gone missing. Yet, just like Ellie, I couldn’t help but feel there was something a tad off about her.
This well-paced and quickie read has some surprises in store. If at any point I thought this would turn out into something a bit predictable, I was quickly proven wrong. I couldn’t at all figure out if Lily was real or not. If she was, what had happened to her? If she wasn’t, what on earth was going on?
Apart from maybe one or two characters, the men in this story don’t exactly make a good impression. Ellie faces a daily struggle with her colleagues, especially after an incident involving a senior male officer. But more than that, this story deals with domestic abuse in all its ugly forms and the resilience, strength and determination of the women trying to make a change in their lives.
Without A Trace took me by surprise. It is a tense and gripping story, with quite the chilling undertone to it. It’s a story that will have you rooting for the women, while flipping the pages faster and faster to reach the conclusion. I had no idea where things would end up and the author kept me guessing until the end. Without A Trace is a twisty and suspenseful book that will keep you on your toes.
This story is told through three women : Nora, the mother; Ellie, the rookie cop; and Clara, the neighbour and owner of the log cabin. Ellie seems pretty straight-forward, but both Nora and Clara come across as rather unreliable, though both for very different reasons. Clara quite obviously has something to hide, a secret she’s desperate to protect. Nora is a nervous wreck, which is understandable considering her daughter has gone missing. Yet, just like Ellie, I couldn’t help but feel there was something a tad off about her.
This well-paced and quickie read has some surprises in store. If at any point I thought this would turn out into something a bit predictable, I was quickly proven wrong. I couldn’t at all figure out if Lily was real or not. If she was, what had happened to her? If she wasn’t, what on earth was going on?
Apart from maybe one or two characters, the men in this story don’t exactly make a good impression. Ellie faces a daily struggle with her colleagues, especially after an incident involving a senior male officer. But more than that, this story deals with domestic abuse in all its ugly forms and the resilience, strength and determination of the women trying to make a change in their lives.
Without A Trace took me by surprise. It is a tense and gripping story, with quite the chilling undertone to it. It’s a story that will have you rooting for the women, while flipping the pages faster and faster to reach the conclusion. I had no idea where things would end up and the author kept me guessing until the end. Without A Trace is a twisty and suspenseful book that will keep you on your toes.