13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1) by Maureen Johnson Published by HarperCollins Publishers on December 21, 2010 Pages: 322 Goodreads
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke about town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous though utterly romantic results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.
Ages 12+"
Going into 2019 I told myself I want to try and read more of my own books because I have way to many that need to be read. As book lovers and book bloggers we all can relate to this right?
13 Little Blue Envelopes has been sitting on my TBR for quite some time now. I remember finding it at a library sale and being excited that I finally had a copy but I never read it until now. Not quite sure why i wanted so long because I really enjoyed reading this.
One day a mysterious package arrives for Ginny and its from her aunt Peg who is deceased. Inside the package is 13 numbered blue envelopes with instructions and she must complete each task before she can open the next envelope.
Her first task is she must fly to NYC and go to their favorite restaurant for the next clue. The purpose is to get Ginny out of her shell and to live for a short time like her aunt did. Doing things she wanted to do and don’t be held back because people think she should be doing what everyone wants her to do.
Ginny is quiet and shy in her own way but yet brave enough to follow her aunt’s instructions and fly across the world and country hope alone. I don’t think I would ever have the guts to do that. As Ginny embarks on this journey she meets a lot of people who loved her aunt and by then end she discovers someone very important in her aunt’s life that is now a part of her life.
Don’t we all wish we had a free spirited aunt like Peg? I am sure if I was much younger I would love to get a surprise package in the mail telling me to follow the instructions and fly around the world when the world was a safer place then it is now.
This was definitely a fun read quick read. I loved reading about Ginny’s journey and where she would go next along with the people she would meet. Although the only thing I was cringing at was the fact she wasn’t allowed to communicate with friends and family and basically dropped off the grid, I know I would probably freak out if my son did that and not communicated at all.
As I was reading this I discovered there is a sequel to the book that I will definitely have to look for because I would love to see how this ends because 13 Little Blue Envelopes did end with a few lingering questions I had.
ABOUT
New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s fun, romantic, and hilarious sequel to her breakout hit 13 Little Blue Envelopes gets a brand-new cover!
Ginny Blackstone spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny’s backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how the adventure was supposed to end.
Now a mysterious boy has contacted Ginny from London, saying he’s found her bag. Finally Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure, and Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time there are no instructions.
I am so excited that STOLEN by Marlena Frank is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Marlena Frank, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
Title: STOLEN (Stolen #1)
Author: Marlena Frank Pub. Date: January 22, 2019 Publisher: The Parliament House Formats: Paperback, eBook Pages: 342 Find it:Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo
It’s difficult taking care of a delusional father by yourself. Sixteen-year-old Shaleigh Mallet would rather explore and photograph dilapidated buildings than cater to her father’s dark episodes. But when she’s kidnapped by a creature who carries her atop a flying bicycle into another world, she realizes this wasn’t the escape she wanted.
In a kingdom known as the Garden, where minotaurs pull carriages and parties are held in hot air balloons, Madam Cloom and her faerie servant, Teagan, rule over the land with incredible but terrifying magic. Shaleigh must prove that she is the reincarnation of a long-dead ruler, not because she believes it, but because it’s her only chance to survive. With the help of a trespassing faerie, a stoatling, and a living statue, Shaleigh hopes to outwit everyone. She aims to break the bonds of servitude and finally make her way home. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that she’s playing right into the hands of a far worse enemy…
Book Trailer:
Excerpt:
PART
I
FREEFALL
AN EMBARRASSMENT
Shaleigh didn’t think about how much
concrete and steel stood over her head as she stepped carefully down the
decaying hallway of Ferris Factory. The building had been abandoned for so long
that the mildew and fungus ran rampant from the moisture that crept down the
crumbling walls, so a respirator was a requirement. Ferris Factory was only two
stories tall from the outside, but the floors underground felt endless. The
elevator shaft only went down three floors when it had been operational; the
rest of the floors could only be reached with the stairs. She doubted any of it
had been inspected by the fire marshal.
Her best friend, Kaeja, walked so close
behind that she could feel her warm breath on the back of her neck. The only
sound that echoed up and down the hallway, besides their footsteps, was the
snap of Shaleigh’s camera. The photos were why they risked their lives to explore
dangerous places: to document the decrepit. It was thrilling to explore a place
that nobody else would see. Eventually all the walls would fall, and Ferris
Factory would decay into memory. Shaleigh and Kaeja would have the only
remaining proof it even existed, especially since it was clear that nobody was
supposed to know about this section of the factory.
A rat skittered out of a heap of moldy
paperwork and Kaeja took a deep breath until it passed. “This is the worst one
yet. By far.” Shaleigh grinned, though her respirator concealed it. “Come on,
we had to come back and take the stairs down. We couldn’t just end it at the
base of the elevator.”
“Do you see that?” She swung the
flashlight to the side. “I couldn’t even hang a picture on that wall. Four
floors down was enough, five floors is just begging to get hurt.”
Kaeja was right, the walls of the
hallway curved inward like a bow string. Shaleigh hadn’t noticed how bad it was
until she mentioned it. “We’ll be quick.”
She snapped as many photos as she could
while Kaeja held the flashlight. It illuminated a good portion of the hall, but
the beam had little effect against the thick, sick air. The light ought to have
made the place more inviting, but it only made the shadows darker. It was hard
for Shaleigh to keep her hands steady for the photos; fear and exhilaration
kept combating within her. Sure, this place was terrifying and could collapse
at any moment, but the thought of capturing a world that would never been seen
again, of documenting the forgotten before it disappeared, made her tap the
shutter button of her camera faster. “I wish we had more time. I’d love to
look inside some of these rooms.”
“Not me,” Kaeja said, her eyes
shadowed by the reflections of the flashlight on her mask. “These halls
are creepy enough, thanks.” The light flashed across some metal scraps
against the bowed wooden wall. It was hard to tell if it had been left behind
by the workers, or if it had fallen from the ceiling. “Didn’t they used to
make cars here?”
“Sure, that’s it.” Shaleigh
snorted as she tapped on a dirt-encrusted sign that warned visitors that the
hallway was a high security corridor. “Whatever helps you sleep at
night.”
“It’s an old building, but that
doesn’t mean they were hiding anything down here.”
“Then what’s with the high
security? They had to be doing something illegal down here. The maps we found
don’t even show these floors. I heard it used to be a hospital,”
Shaleigh glanced back to her with a
smile. “Dad heard it from a colleague at work. They used to keep dangerous
people here.” Kaeja stared at her, the beam from the flashlight in her hands
trembling.
A high-pitched squeal of metal echoed
down through the insides of the building, as though the entire structure was
shifting under its own weight. The squeal turned into a groan that shook the
very floor beneath their feet. Both teens froze, barely daring to breathe as
debris fell from the ceiling. Seven levels of exhausted steel, wood, and
plaster shifted over their heads. They stood in silence waiting for the walls
to give way, waiting to be buried beneath the rusty metal beams, discolored
linoleum floors, and rat-infested insulation; but the building remained steady.
The noise stopped. Particles drifted in
the air.
“It doesn’t sound very good, does
it?” Shaleigh whispered.
“I don’t like it. I don’t care what
you say, this is the lowest I’m going. Five levels below ground is far
enough.”
Shaleigh stifled a laugh, “That’s
what you said when we found the stairs.”
A high-pitched noise erupted down the
hall causing both teens to jump. It didn’t sound metallic…it didn’t sound
like the building at all.
Kaeja stared down the hallway with wide
eyes. The noise broke into a whimper, and then there was silence. It only
lasted maybe a few seconds, but they both knew what they had heard. Someone was
down there with them.
Shaleigh turned to look behind them, but
without the flashlight beam it was too dark to see anything. “Was that—was
that behind us?”
Kaeja spun around, temporarily blinding
Shaleigh in the process. “I don’t know. I thought it came from in front of
us.”
The darkness felt like a cage all around
them. The beam of the flashlight, darting forwards and backwards down the hall,
seemed so small and insignificant now. Someone was in the darkness. Someone was
watching them. Shaleigh stepped around Kaeja and started back toward the
stairwell. “We should go.”
Kaeja grabbed her arm and Shaleigh could
feel her clammy fingers through the sleeve of her jacket. “Are you crazy?
You said that’s where it came from.”
“How else are we going to get out
of here?”
Kaeja could give no argument and shook
her head. “Shaleigh…” she whimpered.
“It’s okay, we’ll do it
together.” She put her camera around her neck and took Kaeja’s hand. They
walked slowly towards the door of the stairwell, side by side, fingers clasped
in a death grip.
For a moment, Shaleigh thought she saw
movement ahead of them and stopped. Kaeja must have seen it too because she
swept her flashlight left and right, searching for whatever it was. Just before
the beam of light reached one of the doors, Shaleigh was certain she spotted a
shadow move into one of the rooms.
“Ow…” Kaeja whispered giving
their joined hands a tug. Shaleigh realized she had been gripping too hard and
loosened her hold but didn’t say a word. Her eyes were fixed on where the
shadow had been. As they drew closer, an arm stretched out, hairy with long,
black fingernails, and pulled the door closed. There was a splash as though
something heavy had fallen into a pool of water from behind the door.
Kaeja screamed. A bolt of adrenaline hit
Shaleigh and she grabbed Kaeja’s arm. Together they ran. As they passed the
door, the knob began to turn with a creak. She wasn’t sure if Kaeja had seen it
or not. “Keep going!” she yelled, all pretense of caution forgotten.
Once the stairwell came into view, they
sped up. Shaleigh slipped on a wet spot and her foot skidded. She would have
sprained her ankle if she hadn’t grabbed for the wall. What a stupid way to
die, she thought as she regained her footing. She had to keep her head
straight, because panicking in an old, decrepit building was a sure way to get
hurt or killed by whatever was after them. She forced them to slow down to
climb over a pile of broken boards and nails. Shaleigh had thought it odd to
have it so close to the stairwell when they’d first come down, but now she saw
it as a marker, a warning perhaps, to keep trespassers out. As she helped Kaeja
down the opposite side of the rubble, she heard limping footsteps approaching
them.
“It’s coming!” Shaleigh cried
and together they sprinted for the stairwell. The flashlight bounced beams off
the walls.
They hit the metal door like a battering
ram, shoving it into the rusted railings of the stairs, causing it to
reverberate like a gong up and down the concrete shaft. Shaleigh gripped the
metal rail, feeling the flecks of paint come off on her hands, and the raw rust
beneath. She exchanged a glance with Kaeja, both trying to catch their breath.
The respirator was humid with her breathing and she couldn’t wait to rip it off
when they got outside. She looked up the dark stairwell above them and
grimaced. There were too many floors between them and safety.
Kaeja gasped and reached out to grab
Shaleigh’s arm. Shaleigh stared at her. She thought she could make out
footsteps from the hall they just left, but it was so faint it was hard to make
out. It could have just been the sounds of the building, but she didn’t want to
take any chances. Taking a deep breath, Shaleigh led the way as they started up
the stairs.
One floor, two floors, three floors.
Was that the sound of the doorknob
beneath them being turned? Kaeja hurried to her side as they continued to
climb. Both were audibly gasping now. It wouldn’t take much for their pursuer
to know where they went. Shaleigh’s thighs were burning. She could sprint up a
flight or two of stairs, but this was tough. It didn’t help that she was
already out of breath before they even started climbing.
“What if it’s locked us in?”
Kaeja asked between sucking in gulps of air.
Shaleigh didn’t respond. She didn’t want
to even consider that option.
They climbed two more flights of stairs.
Kaeja reached the door first. They both let out a sigh of relief when the door
opened. Panting, they jogged to the main exit, a pair of massive iron doors
that looked like they belonged in a mausoleum. Neither of them said a word as
they descended the short flight of broken steps to the grass. Shaleigh ripped
off her respirator, Kaeja did the same, and they both exchanged grins as they
crossed the grass-pocked concrete walkway. It felt good to feel the heat of the
day on her skin too. The sun was sinking in the west, but the air was sweet
with wild honeysuckle and a light breeze rustled the old oaks. Shaleigh relaxed
a bit but could tell by Kaeja’s expression that she wouldn’t be able to relax
until they had left the property completely.
The concrete walkway fell away to tall
grass that came up to their hips, as they sidestepped small pine trees that
were beginning to take over the lot and moved further away from the building.
The chain link fence that surrounded the property sported multiple warning
signs for trespassers, though they were faded from exposure. Kaeja pulled back
the corner of fencing they had used to get in, and they both climbed through
without saying a word. Kaeja paused, took a deep breath, and relaxed her
shoulders.
“I know you’ll hate to hear this,
Kaeja,” Shaleigh started. “But I think I’m done with Ferris Factory
for a while.”
Kaeja laughed. “No complaints here.
I’m going to add that we never go underground again either. I am not running up
that many stairs again, no matter how great you say the pictures will be.”
Shaleigh couldn’t help but laugh. The downtrodden path through the woods made
it a short walk to reach the bus stop. Shaleigh unwrapped the scarf from around
her head and shook out her twists. The breeze felt wonderful on her scalp. They
dropped everything into Shaleigh’s backpack as they walked. The main road was
surprisingly empty for a Sunday afternoon. After exploring inside of
decomposing buildings for a while, she had new respect for even the simplest
things. The bench for the bus stop, covered in graffiti and bearing a single
broken board, looked like a luxury.
Kaeja sprawled across the broken wooden
bench and covered her eyes with her arms.
“Wow, what a rush!”
“I know!” Despite her smile,
Shaleigh still glanced over her shoulder, as though expecting the person from
the building to be slinking toward them through the woods.
“What do you think it was?”
Kaeja stared up into the sky.
“Someone crazy, I’m sure. It’s a good thing they made some noise. I don’t
like the thought of them sneaking up on us like that.” She sat up and
patted the bench beside her.
Shaleigh obliged, her legs were still
shaky. “Did you see that hand?”
Kaeja shuddered, “Looked like he
hadn’t seen the light of day in forever.” She stretched her arms over the
back of the bench. “This is exactly why I don’t like the big ones. There
are too many hiding places.”
“The small ones aren’t much
better,” Shaleigh added. “Sometimes it feels like a shot right out of
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you know?”
Kaeja nodded and the two grew silent
from their own nerves. Kaeja’s leg jumped up and down, as though at any moment
she would jump up into a sprint. Shaleigh kept resisting the urge to look over
her shoulder once more. The bus couldn’t come fast enough.
“Ugh, I need to think about something else.” Kaeja said with a tense
smile. “You’ve got a party coming up tonight, don’t you? You get to get
all dolled up. I know you don’t like the people much, but I do envy you getting
to go.”
Shaleigh sighed. “I had almost
forgotten about it.” She checked her watch. It was a good thing they had left
when they did because she still needed to get home and clean up. “If you like
it so much, you can totally go for me.”
“Your dad would never let me. He
needs you there.”
“Unfortunately.”
Kaeja scooted closer and put an arm
around her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I guess that is pretty hard on you. Do
they ask you a lot of questions about him?”
Shaleigh nodded. She hated the tight
feeling she got in her chest whenever she thought of those stupid parties. She
hated the fact that she had to go. Why in the world did Roseworth College have
so many of them anyway? It was like they wanted to torture her.
Deciding to change the subject, she
picked up her camera from around her neck. After checking to make sure nothing
had been damaged in their mad dash, she asked, “Want to see the
pictures?”
Kaeja nodded but looked concerned.
Shaleigh ignored it.
The brilliant light of the flash somehow
made the dark halls of Ferris Factory less frightening, less dangerous. If only
people were so easy to strip of fear.
About Marlena:
I write about strange creatures.
Typically they shouldn’t exist, or they have bled through from a different
reality, or they’re pretending to be a crying baby in a crib. Sometimes that
lands my stories in horror and other times in fantasy, but there’s always an
air of strangeness to my tales. If you want to get a better feel for what I’m
talking about, check
out a few clips or read a few drabbles.
My work has appeared in a spattering of
short story collections, but I do have a few novellas and novels in the
pipeline. Other than talking about writing, I also talk about cryptozoology, werewolves, wildlife
conservation, and of course kitties.
I’ve also been known to nerd out about Batman and The
Hobbit, and have recently discovered the cracktastic fun of Black
Butler cosplay, so there will likely be more
of these incidents.
By day I work as a web developer, so
I’ll occasionally talk about web issues like finding
the right theme.
The Exes' Revenge by Jo Jakeman Published by Berkley Books on September 11, 2018 Pages: 342 Goodreads
Originally titled Sticks and Stones
A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women who've all been involved with the same man and realize the one thing they have in common is that they all want revenge against him...
Divorces are often messy, and Imogen's is no exception. Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and determined to make things as difficult as possible. When he shows up without warning demanding that Imogen move out of their house by the end of the month or he'll sue for sole custody of their young son, Imogen is ready to snap.
In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable--something that puts her in control for the first time in years. She's desperate to protect her son and to claim authority over her own life.
But she wasn't expecting both Phillip's ex-wife and new girlfriend to get tangled up in her plans. These three very different women--and unlikely allies--reluctantly team up to take revenge against a man who has wronged them all.
One of the best things about being able to book blog is being able to get an advance copy of a book especially when its a debut author. I was thrilled when I got The Exes’ Revenge because I was intrigued about the story line.
I have to say that I devoured this in practically one sitting because it was that good. I just could not put it down. Its been awhile since I have read a book like this. I need more books like this in my life.
This book was full of twist and turns that had me on the edge of my seat.
There is four main characters of the book, Imogen (the current wife), Naomi (the girlfriend), Ruby (the ex wife) and Philip the man making all three of their lives a living hell. The time line of the book spans from the present to the past with all three women.
Philip works in law enforcement so he knows how to get away with abuse etc. He has tormented each of these women with blackmail and threats that if they were to run to the police with their claims that no one would believe them because there just is no prove of the abuse. So each of them suffers in silence until Imogen sees Naomi on her way to the emergency room with her head split open. Imogen starts the ball rolling and soon gets the other two women to help her. She will do anything including breaking the law to stop Philip.
All three women realize that in order to stop him they have to work together but when things start happening they soon realize that not everyone is in it like they say they are and will do anything to help and protect Philip even though he is getting more and more violent as the story line progresses. Can they all over come their mistrust for each other and work together to get out of this alive?
I am still thinking about the book and super excited to read more of Jo Jakeman’s work. I have checked the author’s website and don’t see any future books but I really hope that’s not the case and a new book will be out soon. I would definitely read it.
This is being hosted by two of the sweetest people I have the privilege of knowing in real life, Kate and Kim. Sadly we don’t talk like we use to because you know real life happens but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them both.
Its going to be a busy week this upcoming week because Michael has exam’s this week at school, plus he has a hockey game and I finally have my first appointment with the MS dr. I am excited and nervous for this appointment. Will keep you all posted.
Anyways onto the books shall we.
Read this past week:
Both were really good books that I managed to breeze through this week.
Currently reading:
I am still currently making my way slowly through Slayer. Since its an ebook I am only reading this in small increments. My physical book is one that was sitting in a basket by my desk since the last time I posted a book TBR so I am going to read that this week as well.
Up next will be these graphic novels:
Since they were in the same basket I may as well squeeze these in between my ebook reading.
Beware That Girl by Teresa Toten Published by Penguin Teen on May 15, 2018 Pages: 336 Goodreads
Perfect for summer reading, this powerful and twisted psychological thriller will draw comparisons to We Were Liars and Gone Girl, and rightly so. As Quill & Quire states, "smart, dark, entertaining, and unpredictable," Beware That Girl will keep readers guessing until the very last line. The Haves. The Have-Nots. Kate O'Brien appears to be a Have-Not. Her whole life has been a series of setbacks she's had to snake her way out of--some more sinister than others. But she's determined to change that. She's book smart. She's street-smart. Oh, and she's also a masterful liar.
As the scholarship student at the elite Waverly School in NYC, Kate has her work cut out for her: her plan is to climb the social ladder and land a spot at Yale. She's already found her "people" among the senior class "it" girls--specifically in the cosseted, mega-wealthy yet deeply damaged Olivia Sumner. As for Olivia, she considers Kate the best friend she's always needed, the sister she never had.
When the handsome and whip-smart Mark Redkin joins the Waverly administration, he immediately charms his way into the faculty and students' lives, becoming especially close to Olivia, a fact she's intent on keeping to herself. It becomes increasingly obvious that Redkin poses a threat to Kate, too, in a way she can't reveal--and can't afford to ignore. How close can Kate and Olivia get to Mark without having to share their dark pasts?
Beware that girl has been on my wishlist since I first heard about it but never picked it up until I heard that Teresa Toten was going to be at the Montreal YA fest that was held this past May (2018) and I knew I had to get it then and sadly I didn’t pick it up to read until this past week.
Even though I didn’t read it back when I got it I am happy that I finally decided to read it now. In case you didn’t know it Teresa is a Canadian author and has written several books all of which I have not read but hoping that 2019 will be the year that I do read them along with more Canadian authors.
One nice thing about reading a new author is you have no idea what to expect and wow I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to read. This ended up turning into a page turner and something I had a hard time to put down which is all good because we need more books like that in our lives.
The book is told in two points of view that of Kate and Olivia (sometimes together). Its also told almost in a daily entry that begins September 22nd and ends March 22nd, The entries are super short so you can pretty much read this in one sitting.
As I mentioned this is told in Kate and Olivia’s points of view although Kate’s is more in first person where as Olivia’s is more third person, Both girls attend a private school in NYC. When it comes to Kate she comes off really secretive and I felt that the whole time she was up to something. Kate has no family and there is more to her then meets the eye and as the story progresses we get to learn a lot more about Kate and her growing up. Her life was the complete opposite of Olivia. She had to work hard to get where she is today and basically keep her private life private from everyone. I have to say that there was so many times that I was questioning her motivates. She seemed to be her own person but at the same time was trying to be someone else. Plus not a single adult was questioning anything about her. Such as Kate moving in with Olivia and her dad. I mean if my son wanted to move a friend in I would be questioning him why? Where is his family etc but none of these things came up during the book.
Now Olivia is the exact opposite of Kate. She grew up with everything she could have ever wanted. When you look at Olivia you think she has got it all but gradually you soon realize that there is more to her then meets the eye. She has secrets you wouldn’t think she would have. As the story progresses you begun to uncover her secrets. All of which I have to say was a shock but not overly shocking considering the times we are living in now.
Now you know there has to be a love interest in the book and there was and that was in the form of Mark. He was involved in the school system and Mark also had some deep dark secrets he was carrying around with him. Mark was that kind of “teacher” who would make the young and old do whatever he wanted and he got away with it. They would literally throw themselves at him and flirt. Good looks alone didn’t get him what he wanted or where he wanted, he was a master manipulator.
He would search to get the goods on his victims and then black mail them. He got away with it each and every time but not this time.
This time he has met his match. Can Olivia and Kate stop him before he ruins the girls?
This was definitely one of those books where every character has flows and clearly no one was thinking straight. It basically was every man for himself to get what they wanted and they didn’t care how they got it or who they hurt along the way.
This is being hosted by two of the sweetest people I have the privilege of knowing in real life, Kate and Kim. Sadly we don’t talk like we use to because you know real life happens but there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them both.
As you can see I am late in sharing this but I woke up this morning not feeling well so I basically stayed on the couch curled up in a warm blanket reading. Hoping I am not catching something.
Read this past week:
Currently reading:
I am currently reading two books at a time and that is because Slayer is a eArc and 13 Little Blue Envelopes is a physical book. I no longer bring my kindle to bed with me because it was affecting my sleeping since the MS diagnoses.
The Child by Fiona Barton Published by Penguin Books Canada on March 6, 2018 Pages: 400 Goodreads
The author of the riveting New York Times and Globe and Mail #1 bestseller The Widow returns with a novel of twisting psychological suspense that will have you hooked from the first page to the last.
A tiny skeleton, unearthed from the remains of a demolished house in a gentrifying neighbourhood, sets into motion an investigation that will dig into a decades-old crime that rocked a city. Journalist Kate Waters sees an important story, and cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby? What Kate finds is a cold case involving a newborn baby stolen from the maternity ward of the local hospital, never to be found, to the distress of her parents. In the crumbling neighbourhood with secrets deep and dark, Kate finds herself venturing from house to house and into the pasts of the people who once lived there. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women--and torn between what she can and cannot tell....
When I picked up The Child by Fiona Barton I thought it was just a stand alone book and didn’t realize that this is actually the second book in the series. The first one is The Widow. In all honesty it didn’t bother me since I had read the first one.
So going into The Child I was expecting to read more about the previous characters and soon realized that this was not the case and then I begun to wonder how this could be the second book in the series. Was I missing something because the only character being mentioned was Kate the journalist?
Anyways in all honesty you don’t need to read The Widow to read this one. They can be read as stand a lones in my opinion. You will not feel like you are missing something. Not once did I feel this way as I was reading it.
Just like The Widow, The Child will have you reading the book from start to finish in almost one sitting. There is so many twist and turns that leave you thinking so many things and your heart breaks for everyone in this book and you want nothing more then for them to have a happening ending but as you read you wonder if that will even happen.
The story line follows our four main characters (Emma, Kate, Angela and Jude) from March 20th, 2012 until April 1st, 2013. The later chapters are more of a follow up.
Emma suffers from anxiety and she struggles to make it through the day and as the story progresses you begin to realize the cause of her anxiety. You know that it’s something when the book begins with the news saying the body of a baby has been found at a building site that is currently being demolished. How is this related to Emma? Is there more to Emma’s story then she is letting on?
Kate is a reporter and she sees that the finding of this baby really isn’t news worthy for her paper to cover but as Kate begins to dig into this she knows there is more to the story and wants nothing but to get to the bottom of it and follow it through. Before long she begins her own investigation into the case.
Angela hasn’t had the easiest life and still struggles with it. When Angela had her first baby within 24 hours the baby was taken from the hospital room. It appears as though no one believed her story about what happened and they could never prove anything because the baby basically vanished into thin air. So when she reads the news about the baby being found she begins to hope that she will finally get the answers to all those burning questions she had but is she ready for what she will soon find out?
The final woman is Jude, she is Emma’s mother and I have to say she had to be my least favorite character in the book. She was always a selfish mother who would put her boyfriends before her daughter and would listen to them over her own daughter.
I was curious to find out how Angela, Emma and Jude would be connected. As the story progressed I began to put things together and a few times I was changing my mind and would flop back and forth. It did happen like I thought it would but still I admit I wasn’t so sure. This is one of the reason I love reading Fiona’s books because at times you think you have it figured out and before you know it turns into a whole new direction.
I definitely can’t wait to read the next book by Fiona. I am so happy to discover a new and exciting author and to continue reading her future books. If her future books are anything like the two I have read then I know I will be enjoying them.
Also coming out is the third book in the series called The Suspect.
The New York Times bestselling author of The Widow returns with a brand new novel of twisting psychological suspense about every parent’s worst nightmare…
When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight–desperate, bereft and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?
Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth–and this time is no exception. But she can’t help thinking of her own son, whom she hasn’t seen in two years, when he left home to travel.
As the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even when it seems far away, danger can lie closer to home than one might think…
13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1) by Maureen Johnson 
