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The Child Finder
The Child Finder: A Novel | Rene Denfeld
229 posts | 234 read | 228 to read
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review
Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Wow, I was on the edge of my seat through this entire book.

Naomi is an investigator in missing children cases. She is looking for a little girl who disappeared in an Oregon forest when her parents took her to cut their own Christmas tree. She‘s been missing for 3 years.

Fast paced, gut wrenching, and emotional. I love this author. Looking forward to a second in this series.

JenReadsAlot I love her books! 1y
Bklover I loved this book!!! 1y
swishandflick The sequel is great too! I'm anxiously waiting for her to release more books 👏🏽 1y
See All 6 Comments
Andrew65 This looks a good series, I need to check it out. Well done 👏👏👏 1y
Soubhiville @Andrew65 there are only 2 so far, but this author is wonderful, I‘m so glad to have discovered her last year. 1y
87 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Suelizbeth
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Pickpick

This book grabbed me from the beginning. It‘s a bit of a slow build, but I loved the premise of it, right away. Who better to find missing children than Naomi Cottle, a former missing child? This latest, disturbing case feels familiar to her, somehow. Will she find this child and herself? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

44 likes1 stack add
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marleed
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Pickpick

I read this for my IRL bookclub discussion. It‘s not a book I would have nominated for us because I‘ve read so many discussion-worthy books. I liked the actual story here quite a bit but found I really wanted an epilogue. When tracking my completion on GRs, I noticed there‘s a sequel for the finder, Naomi - perhaps others gets a mention in book 2, as well.

TEArificbooks The sequel is better 2y
marleed @mdm139 oh thanks for commenting - now I will stack it. I thought the story was complete, I just wanted to know 5 years down the road! 2y
65 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Addison_Reads
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Pickpick

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I was not fully prepared for this ending. I saw it coming, but it still got to me. 😢

The base of this novel is the search for a missing child, but the search uncovers many other things that makes this a heartbreaking tale of people dealing with horrific events in their past and struggling to be better in the present.

candority You probably already know, but a sequel was released last year! 3y
Addison_Reads @candority I didn't know that, but I'll definitely check it out. Thank you for letting me know. 3y
candority Of course! I enjoyed it more than The Child Finder 😊 3y
See All 6 Comments
Reggie When you find out who the kidnapper really was just sad feelings all the way around. 3y
Crazeedi Now you've made me add another to my tbr!!! Sounds very good 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
55 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
NatalieR
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Pickpick

Naomi is a special woman who can find missing children. As she searches for Madison, who has been missing for 3 years, Naomi remembers significant details from her own past. She begins to understand why her constant searches are so purposeful to her life. The ending was suspenseful and quite emotional. #MountTBR

Reggie Yeah, I couldn‘t help but felt bad for the kidnapper once you find out who he is. 3y
NatalieR @Reggie Me too! It really broke my heart. 3y
82 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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LiteraryinLawrence
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Mehso-so

On the one hand, this was a well-written, atmospheric book about a woman who searches for missing children. But it was also a little too graphic for me and made my stomach turn. So I recommend it but with the caveat that you shouldn‘t read it if you have a weak stomach (like I do!). 😬 Now I need something happy and pleasant to counteract it, like a fun graphic novel.

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Cinfhen
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Pickpick

I went in with high expectations as I loved THE ENCHANTED. This one didn‘t come close but it was still an ok read. Naomi, a once missing child now dedicates her life to finding missing children. Here she‘s searching for Madison, who‘s gone missing in the same woods were Naomi was once found. Parts of the story worked well others not so much. Though, I‘m curious to see where the sequel takes us. Light pick.

Centique Oh those flowers! 😍😍😍 4y
95 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
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I think I‘m liking the book jacket wayyy more than the book so far #ReadingUSA2020 #Oregon And I had high expectations because I LOVED the book The Enchanted by the same author.

SamAnne Will be interest in your review. I‘ve been contemplating putting it in my TBR list. 4y
TEArificbooks I did like this book and the second one is even better. This was definitely a cover love book buy. 4y
BarbaraBB I loved The Enchanted too, I hope this one will turn out to be just as good! 4y
See All 9 Comments
ErikasMindfulShelf I liked The Child Finder more than The Enchanted. 4y
Cinfhen I finished the book @SamAnne @mdm139 @BarbaraBB @irre while it didn‘t live up to my ENCHANTED expectations it was still ok. I‘m curious to see how the story continues. I‘ve heard the next book is good @irre 4y
Reggie This one was sad because of the kidnapper and who he ended being. 4y
Cinfhen Yea, that was interesting and definitely added to the story @Reggie Have you read her follow up?? Have you read this one 👉🏾 4y
Reggie @Cinfhen no I haven‘t but I‘ve heard that‘s the better one right? 4y
ErikasMindfulShelf I liked The Butterfly Girl as well, but The Childfinder is my favorite of the three. 4y
86 likes9 comments
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Cinfhen
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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It‘s a beautiful 92 degrees outside at 7:30pm with a delightful breeze. Enjoying dusk and this book, although subject matter is sad😢

TheRiehlDeal Looks beautiful outside. Stay cool! 4y
Cathythoughts Weather sounds 👌🏻enjoy ❤️ 4y
Cinfhen Thanks friends, hoping you‘re having a wonderful day/evening too @Cathythoughts @TheRiehlDeal xx 4y
See All 9 Comments
TrishB Enjoy ♥️ 4y
LeahBergen Lucky you! 😘 4y
TheLudicReader Jealous of your heat. It was too cold to sit outside this afternoon, even with a blanket. 4y
Cinfhen It was a little cooler today...only a high of 102 @TheLudicReader yesterday was 108 🥵🥵we‘re in the midst of a heatwave ☄️☀️but I‘m keeping cool @LeahBergen @TrishB 😄 4y
Megabooks Too hot for me but your view is beautiful! Hope you‘re sleeping well now! 4y
87 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Sarahandhella
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Just starting this tonight, and all I can think about is Serenity Dennard. Ran off from a Children‘s home and vanished and has not been found since February 2019 in South Dakota.

CBee I devoured this book, and just finished the 2nd one a week or so ago. Both powerful reads. 4y
Sarahandhella @CBee I am already hooked. I already put a hold on and picked up The Butterfly Girl from the library today. 4y
CBee @Sarahandhella that‘s great to read them back to back 🙂 4y
3 likes3 comments
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janeycanuck
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Panpan

I really liked the plot of this but something about the writing style didn‘t work for me. It felt too... ethereal? I prefer a bit more grit in my thrillers. And Denfeld left a fair bit unsaid, which I don‘t necessarily mind but in this case, what she didn‘t say felt like a cop out. Will put more in a spoiler-tagged comment below.

janeycanuck Denfeld seemed to elude to quite a bit of child abuse - of a both sexual and on-sexual nature. I‘m not really one for a book with violence against children but I‘m extra against one where the author won‘t even say what happens. I‘m not suggesting she should write graphic or vivid scenes but this was just too vague. 4y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LibrarianBecky
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Pickpick

Great book well written .. but you may want to look up the summary before adding this to your list. Hard topic .. looking for missing children 😭 had me till the last page and not gonna lie, left me wanting more!

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Reggie
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Pickpick

We follow Naomi, who once was a girl held captive, but cannot remember anything before she was free. Grown up now, she finds children. She‘s looking for Madison, a girl who has been missing for 3 years but whose mind has projected a fairy tale to keep her alive. This was a hard emotional read about all those who go missing, who want to be found, who have been found but who are now lost. The writing is beautiful. Pick!

Chrissyreadit It sounds heartbreaking. 4y
readordierachel Have you read her first book, The Enchanted? 4y
Reggie @Chrissyreadit it is. At first I didn‘t think it would be my style but the further I went, the deeper it snuck in. 4y
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Reggie @readordierachel I haven‘t. Was it good? Cause the reason I got this one at the store was because I couldn‘t find The Enchanted. It‘s actually on some people‘s best horror list. 4y
readordierachel It was really, really good. I still think about it. I think you'd like it. 4y
Reggie @readordierachel thanks! I‘ll read it then. 4y
Reagan I agree with @readordierachel I loved The Enchanted and it has stayed with me for years. The follow up to this one is also a good read. 4y
Reggie @Reagan thanks, I‘ll check out the sequel. Hope the sister is still alive! 4y
83 likes5 stack adds8 comments
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Bookish_B
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Mehso-so

This was not exactly what I expected. I thought it would be more mystery, less literary, but I enjoyed it. I do think it felt as though the author barely skimmed the surface of what was possible here but again, still enjoyable overall.

27 likes1 stack add
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Lizpixie
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#Movember #day3 #RescueMe This book was on my #TopReadsOf2017 list, it‘s a great thriller about a young girl that was abducted 3yrs ago, but it‘s also about the investigator the family turns to when all hope is near lost. Naomi is known as the Child Finder, she has a talent for locating & rescuing missing children, because she once was one herself. It has a lot of deep & dark emotion in the story, and does it very well.

Cinfhen I bought this book over the summer and I‘m looking forward to reading it 4y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen I hope you enjoy it as much as I did lovely💚👀🧚🏻 4y
Cinfhen I think there is a sequel 4y
Lizpixie @Cinfhen I didn‘t know that! Thanks, I‘ll have to track it down. I‘m kinda on a library only streak at the moment, money has refused to grow on my trees🌳 #moneystootighttomention (edited) 4y
58 likes1 stack add4 comments
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rachelk
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Up next! (With my reading buddy Winston) 🐶❤️ #Deweys24HourReadathon #deweysoct #readathon

Sace Winston is darling! 4y
xicanti Hi, Winston! 4y
rachelk @Sace Thank you 😊 4y
See All 6 Comments
rachelk @xicanti woof woof! 🐾 4y
AmyRebecca Winston is a cutie 🧡 4y
rachelk @AmyRebecca I think so too! He‘s a good boy. Usually. 😉 4y
35 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Cinfhen
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#SeptemberSins After reading The Enchanted earlier this year I became obsessed with reading more from author Rene Denfeld. Tagged book is first in a series about an investigator who specializes in finding missing children. And before Rene Denfeld became an author, she was indeed an investigator working with missing children. Her writing is mystical & lyrical.
#BackForGood

Ruthiella I read The Enchanted and kind of hated it. But I‘m always a bit wary about books where the subject matter is disturbing...am I reacting to the content or the writing style? In any case, I don‘t know if I could handle more books by her. They have fantasy elements but the undergrowth is dark and grim. 😨 5y
BarbaraBB I haven‘t read The Enchanted yet (that you have send me) but I am looking forward to it! 💜 5y
Cinfhen Interesting @Ruthiella I agree the content of The Enchanted was deeply dark but I found the writing so subtle and gorgeous. And even though I‘m not a fan of magical realism in this case I thought it was a beautiful addition. I‘m pretty sure you‘re going to love this book @BarbaraBB 5y
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB Me too! 5y
Mirandareads I LOVE her writing! You should definitely read The Butterfly Girl (sequel to Child Finder). I thought it was just as good if not better. 5y
MargaretPinardAuthor I have just listened to Butterfly Girl—so good! 5y
andrew61 I really liked The Enchanted so this looks really intriguing. 5y
gradcat Stacking this one & looking equally forward to 4y
87 likes4 stack adds8 comments
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TheDaysGoBy
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43 likes1 stack add
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JadeBethJ
Pickpick

This was one of my favorite reads of 2018 and I recommend it to almost everyone.
The writer spins words so beautifully. It wasn‘t my first choice in topics and I went in thinking it would be different but the symbolism of the the woods just blew me away. I actually put this BACK on my TBR pile so I could read it again.

2 likes1 stack add
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Rissa1
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Pickpick

A bit of a slow start, but in the end it was what I was looking for. 4⭐

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Rissa1
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Lunch and a book.

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Rissa1
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It was a late night last night, with some great friends. I always go back home for the Petunia Fest and that means a lot of walking. #BFCr2 @wanderinglynn

wanderinglynn Great job! 🙌🏻 5y
julesG Awesome! 5y
18 likes2 comments
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Deborah42
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Pickpick

Madison has been missing for three years. Naomi is an investigator who specializes in finding missing children, as she was once a lost girl herself. Her search for Madison leads her closer to her own awful truth. There is a side story about a missing infant that also got me right in the feels.

The writing is gorgeous and the abuse is mostly seen through a child‘s eyes (more emotional than graphic), but trigger warnings for harm to children.

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dxmy
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Pickpick

4/5⭐

I liked this book! It's so suspenseful and intriguing, reading about Naomi and her search for the lost girl Madison. The writing is quite simple but it does te trick! The ending was amazing as well, I really loved that. I know that's all really generic stuff, but I don't want to say too much about it, because I went in blank and I want you (if you decide to pick it up yourself, which I would recommend!) to have that same experience.

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dxmy
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Next up: The Child Finder.

I recently watched the Netflix documentary series about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and then found this book... It seemed weird, but the topic of children just disappearing intrigues me so I decided to pick this up

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Sweetdgabe87
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Pickpick

Just finished this! I would give it 4/5 stars and that‘s only because I figured out the ending earlier in the book. Still an enjoyable read!!!

2 likes1 stack add
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Sweetdgabe87
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Trust the ones you know and love ❤️

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alisonrose
Panpan

What a bunch of empty garbage. Supposedly a mystery but the only mystery is how an editor read this & was like, “Yes, this is something I want to publish.” The writing was aiming for deep & poignant but landed on “rejected by Lifetime writers as too corny and try-hard.” Naomi is a blank slate who for some reason attracts the horniness of every man she meets. The child molestation was salacious IMO. Setting was good altho OK SNOW WE GET IT. 1/5 ⭐️

JadeBethJ So you didn‘t get it? 5y
27 likes1 comment
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alisonrose
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I just sprained something from rolling my eyes too hard. What kind of sappy Hallmark movie garbage is this?

RamsFan1963 Ugh that's horrible!!! I'd be tempted to fling that book across the room just to get it away from me!! 5y
29 likes1 comment
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alisonrose
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Ummmm I work in the Montessori field (not as an educator or anything) and it‘s not about “playing” with toys all day. Far from it, in fact. It‘s hands-on practical life education, with a focus on grace and courtesy and applicable skills. So what they‘re saying is their kid was a lazy git who probably wanted to do nothing BUT play around and not actually learn. Also the author doesn‘t know what she‘s talking about so maybe she should stop, LOL

ravenlee I‘m sure even in Montessori there are teachers who would have a problem like this, but this author really just seems to be making sh*t up. 5y
alisonrose @ravenlee a lot of people think Montessori is about letting kids do whatever they want because the class structure is different than mainstream schools, but it‘s a real misconception 5y
ravenlee I hate that people misunderstand Montessori so badly. Learning through play is so important! We considered Montessori for our daughter, but never committed (homeschool). I have heard of a few bad “Montessori” schools that fit the misconception, but they‘re never officially sanctioned programs. 5y
28 likes3 comments
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alisonrose

Am I a sociopath if I kind of don‘t give a single fuck what happened to Naomi or Madison? I don‘t know, something about the writing style is just so cold and empty and distant. I don‘t feel like I‘ve been given any reason to care, and I definitely feel like whatever reveals we get are going to be just 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

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alisonrose
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Pretty sure about 90% of mystery/thrillers have a fucking forest on the cover. If I were an alien and I came to Earth and was hanging out in a bookstore (because even as an alien, I still gotta be me), I‘d be like, damn I am never going to these tree places because they are filled with death. 🌲👻

xxjenadanxx Lol that‘s hilarious 😂 5y
36 likes2 comments
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LeafingThroughLife
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It‘s finally beautiful outside and I‘m spending all my time with a book filled with snow. 🤷🏻‍♀️

marleed We had so much snow this winter. I‘d be happy if I only experienced snow from a book for several winters to come. 5y
LeafingThroughLife @marleed Agreed! I much prefer fictional snow! 5y
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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tiffanyreadsbooks
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The story of a list girl and the woman who finds her.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2 likes2 stack adds
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BookNAround
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Pickpick

A kidnapped girl, the woman searching for her, and a fairytale of sorts, this book isn‘t really the thriller it‘s billed as. Instead it‘s a layered and beautifully written story about trauma and hope. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2019/01/review-child-finder-by-rene-denfeld.htm...

CBee I enjoyed this one! 5y
69 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheDaysGoBy
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Pickpick

Finished this up during my lunch hour. It was darker than I‘d expected, but it was done in such a tasteful, sensitive way. There was a lot of intrigue with not only the case but the MC herself. Enjoyable read!

#booked2019 #newtoyouauthor

@Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft

Cinfhen I‘ve already stacked this book, but now I‘m curious to actually read it 5y
58 likes1 comment
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TheDaysGoBy
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I‘m not the kind of person that‘s up early on Sundays, but I went to bed super early last night because of a headache. And I have to say to all you morning people, there is something peaceful about reading on a Sunday morning.

#catsoflitsy #morningread

Zelma Something about early morning is really peaceful. 5y
TheLibrarian I love how much you can accomplish on early mornings, but I also hate getting up super early. 5y
TheDaysGoBy @TheLibrarian It is crazy how much you can get done. I already feel more accomplished and I‘ve only been up a couple hours 😂 5y
TheDaysGoBy @Zelma For sure. It‘s not something I can appreciate when I get up for work, but weekends it‘s nice that when it happens I am able to enjoy it - even if I hate getting up early lol 5y
Bookladylinda I know! I love it!!!! 5y
37 likes5 comments
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throwmeabook
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❤️ The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld
❤️ No plans
❤️ Orange
❤️ Christopher
❤️ #friyayintro @howjessreads

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candority
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Mehso-so

With a lovely writing style and subtle insights about human behaviour, The Child Finder presents a “thriller” that is less thrilling than it is introspective. I was let down by the fact that it was marketed as a thriller/mystery/suspense novel, but I was able to figure out who the captor was by page 19 of the book, with the rest of the puzzle pieces falling into place shortly after. Overall, it was just a 3-star read for me. #LitsyAtoZ #LetterC

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Quellek
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Mehso-so

I'm not sure why this book didn't really click with me, because I've seen lots of rave reviews. The setting was beautifully described (it was perfect for some cold wintry #audiowalking), but the story itself felt a little thin and un-mysterious to me. I was a bit underwhelmed by the investigation and was not expecting the romance at all. Still, it was a nice and short palate-cleanser to listen to between longer books. I'm going with a 3.3/5 :)

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samjmitchell
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
Panpan

I‘m not sure what didn‘t do it for me, but I didn‘t feel a connection to the characters or the plot. Not a thriller - you can guess who did what as the story goes on - but well written. However, I don‘t think I want my murder mysteries to be well written. 1/5.

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Tralfamadorian
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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“Stop thinking that you have to know everything to understand it.”

Y‘all like this book? I‘m not getting into it.😔

15 likes1 stack add
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Tralfamadorian
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Book #2 of 2019.

BookwormAHN Welcome to Litsy 😺 5y
18 likes1 comment
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azulaco
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Pickpick

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was offered as a discounted Kindle book, but I found it on Scribd instead, and it promptly knocked all my current library books off the rotation. Great suspense, and I love the point of view switching that tells the tragic stories of three intersecting characters. Much better than I expected it to be. I‘d love to read a sequel.

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Bookartbookmarks
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Pickpick

❄️What type of books do you stay away from?❄️
This was the perfect read while it was snowing. Takes place in the mountains of Oregon. I‘ve been reading a ton of fantasy lately so it was nice to devour a small paperback fiction. This book deals with child abduction and sexual assault do don‘t pick it up lightly. I often stay away from books that deal with these issues since I have small children. I did enjoy this read. Overall recommended.

8little_paws Have you read her other novel? It's fantastic, but also very dark. 5y
Bookartbookmarks @8little_paws no I haven‘t! I really like her writing style so I‘m adding it to my tbr. Thank you! 5y
8little_paws @Bookartbookmarks this book has been on my own tbr, I've got to get to it! Also I heard this author wrote non fiction that sounds fascinating but I know very little about it 5y
8little_paws This book you tagged I mean. 5y
68 likes4 comments
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Kelican17
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Pickpick

Litsy photo dump Post #3. This book was between a Pick and and So-so. Not sure why. It kept my attention, it was a quick read, and i liked that the author spent some time focusing on the techniques that the main character used to find the abducted children.

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CBee
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Pickpick

HO LEE cheese, this was good. Super dark, super heavy - just the way I like em 😂😂
Definite trigger warning for a few things, so readers beware if you are sensitive to certain things.
Onward to “Wonder!” 🧡🧡

Trashcanman Pfffftt what's for breakfast 5y
Bklover I LOVED this one! 5y
CBee @Trashcanman pop tarts 🤓 5y
See All 6 Comments
CBee @Bklover it was SO GOOD 5y
Elma Now I'm really excited to read this. It's on my #newyearwhodis list. 5y
CBee @Elma 🧡🧡🧡 5y
31 likes6 comments
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ReadingSusan
Child Finder | Rene Denfeld
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Pickpick

This book. Difficult,difficult subject. But so well written and moving. Cried buckets. #thankfullyreading

MayJasper 😢 5y
JenReadsAlot I loved this. 5y
Jem1354 I wanted to read this but I‘m not ready to cry buckets 5y
96 likes5 stack adds3 comments