*****    Kindle reader

 5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting twists

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2024

This book got my attention from the start, as a young girl is snatched while she plays only a few feet from her parents. It’s every parents worst nightmare. But the story isn’t so much about what happens to Grace after she is taken, but more about the search operation to find her. Anna, an undercover journalist is firmly in the parent’s corner, while the nation seems to have turned against them. The police are of little help, and after months of searching, their budget is cut and Anna convinces Grace’s parents to hire a PI team. What they discover is a real twist, and just when you think you have everyone figured out, your ideas will be turned in your head.

******

****

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 March 2024

On the whole, I found this book to be undeserving of the harsh criticism of other reviewers. It certainly held my interest and was very readable. It reminded me of a similar true story involving another little girl who went missing many years ago. In that case though, the child has never been found. The child in this book, Grace, was also abducted when her family were on holiday. Despite several years of sightings, Grace’s whereabouts were only known to those who were involved in her disappearance. Her parents face the usual accusations of being responsible for her abduction, especially when it’s disclosed that the husband paid a large sum of money to clear his gambling debts. Eventually, they are persuaded by an ambitious journalist to hire a small team of private detectives to find her. They discover that mafia gangsters are involved, but all is not as it seems. I didn’t see the final twist coming and to be honest, I’m not altogether sure I understood it. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and I’ll certainly read more of Anthony Hulse’s work.

******

  *****     Unpredictable and Cracking Read 6 June by Suzanne Steele (Charlotte, NC)

  *****   Kindle reader

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting twists

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2024

This book got my attention from the start, as a young girl is snatched while she plays only a few feet from her parents. It’s every parents worst nightmare. But the story isn’t so much about what happens to Grace after she is taken, but more about the search operation to find her. Anna, an undercover journalist is firmly in the parent’s corner, while the nation seems to have turned against them. The police are of little help, and after months of searching, their budget is cut and Anna convinces Grace’s parents to hire a PI team. What they discover is a real twist, and just when you think you have everyone figured out, your ideas will be turned in your head.

******

Mary Bradford

 5.0 out of 5 stars A great read

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2016

******

mr j c newman

******

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, emotional and hard to put down.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 August 2023

This is the story about the alleged discovery of a mysterious marine creature, like a mermaid, that gets washed up on a shore in Scotland among a pod of beached whales. Somebody is determined to keep the identity of this creature a secret even though some witnesses have already seen it.

The cause of the fate of the whales is believed to be sonar instruments in deep sea drilling, threatening the welfare of the wildlife and possibly marine fauna that haven't been discovered yet. Characters Holly, the journalist, and Faye, a recent graduate in marine biology, are determined to expose the environmental exploitation. Did anyone really see an unidentified living creature that looked like a mermaid before it was quickly removed?

The characters in this book are about to learn that maybe some mysteries are better left unsolved as they try and uncover the brutal truth about deep sea drilling, the powerful business people that they're messing with and the ultimate consequences that may come with it.

I enjoyed this book, there were a lot of unexpected twists and I loved how realistic a lot of the characters were. It also takes place in a lot of different locations which suited the situations. I thoroughly recommend it.