THE CHILD FINDER, by Rene Denfeld
Audiobook
Harper Audio - 2017
Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan
My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Denfield delivers on two fronts with this book as a taut thriller with all the sensitivity and depth of literary fiction. The writing is quite powerful and delicate at the same time.
Naomi Cottle has a knack for finding lost children. She understands these children, she was once one of them. Her successes have earned her the name "Child Finder". With determination, a little luck, and incredible insight, she is able to take the tiniest clues and turn them into results. The endings aren't always happy ones, and sometimes all she can offer is closure. Her memories of her own "lost" time have remained locked just below her consciousness, but her latest case seems to be thinning the veil hiding her own past from her.
Maddison Culver went missing in Skookum National Park one day while on a family outing to collect a Christmas tree. Three years later, unwilling to give up hope, her parents find Naomi and ask for help. Naomi heads to the mountain area where Maddison went missing, scouring the harsh and unforgiving winter forest, determined to find out what happened to little Maddie despite the dangers both seen and unseen.
The setting is the perfect eerie backdrop for the story. It is cold and harsh, dangerous and unforgiving. The author is able to evoke a real sense of despair and hopelessness. In perfect juxtaposition to the setting is the cast of characters, - strong, loving, hopeful, with seemingly endless empathy and compassion. Denfeld seems to be very insightful about human nature, especially the innocence of children.
A sequel is in the works, but no reliable word on a release date yet. I have seen everything from October 2018 to November 2019. Unless something changes it will be called THE BUTTERFLY MUSEUM. I will be keeping a watch for this one.
Alyssa Bresnahan was the perfect choice of narrator for this story. She provided a performance that was very much on point with the mood of the story, with excellent emotional and character range. I hope that she returns for the sequel! I really cannot imagine anyone else reading it now.
It is unusual to come across a thriller that keeps you hovering on the very edge of your seat, and yet demand such emotional commitment from the reader. A stunning, heartbreaking, breathlessly beautiful novel. I can't wait for the next!
The setting is the perfect eerie backdrop for the story. It is cold and harsh, dangerous and unforgiving. The author is able to evoke a real sense of despair and hopelessness. In perfect juxtaposition to the setting is the cast of characters, - strong, loving, hopeful, with seemingly endless empathy and compassion. Denfeld seems to be very insightful about human nature, especially the innocence of children.
A sequel is in the works, but no reliable word on a release date yet. I have seen everything from October 2018 to November 2019. Unless something changes it will be called THE BUTTERFLY MUSEUM. I will be keeping a watch for this one.
Alyssa Bresnahan was the perfect choice of narrator for this story. She provided a performance that was very much on point with the mood of the story, with excellent emotional and character range. I hope that she returns for the sequel! I really cannot imagine anyone else reading it now.
It is unusual to come across a thriller that keeps you hovering on the very edge of your seat, and yet demand such emotional commitment from the reader. A stunning, heartbreaking, breathlessly beautiful novel. I can't wait for the next!
Happy Reading,
Christine
No comments:
Post a Comment