Fairly mixed views on this one. When I first began reading, I was instantly riveted as Nora's backstory was progressively revealed. Nora is a very compelling protagonist despite her many flaws and traumatic background. Her search for the daughter she gave up 15 years prior throws up many distressing memories and ghosts from her past which she'd sooner keep locked away.
I thought that there was just the right amount of description in there to give a sense of place, but not so much that it drags and bogs you down with detail.
The book also touched on issues like race and homelessness which I felt were an important aspect.
The pace really picked up as the end of the book neared but then I felt a bit let down by the conclusion. I know that it's meant to leave room for more books, but I really prefer neat endings. I just felt like the plot lost its way a little at the end and that a lot of questions were left open which I think could've been wrapped up a bit more while still enabling a sequel.
Overall, I'd give this book 3.5/5. I did enjoy it, I thought it had a good pace and a feisty heroine but the ending let it down for me.

Over a miserable wet weekend, I sat in front of the fire and read and read and read. With a strong plot, and fascinating personalities, this dark novel is a thrilling page turner.
I loved the messed up character that is Nora Watts, and the way she told her story. Barely a moment to draw breath, and assess what has happened before she was on the move again, the suspense relentlessly kept high. I was exhausted just reading about her exploits, I could see this becoming a James Bond style action film,- so it is not surprising to read that Sheena has worked in the film and TV industry.
There have been comparisons with Lisbeth Salander, indeed Nora is also deeply flawed, but she is a character who stands strong and destinctive in her own right. There are several times we are permitted a glimpse of the woman inside, particularly in her interactions with Whisper, the dog, but I can’t be alone in shaking my head at her, as once again she refocuses on the job in hand.
I have a strong interest in homelessness myself, and thought issues raised were dealt with sensitively and knowledgeably, which is what I came to expect from Ms Kamal.
I also found it interesting to read a story set in Canada, with evocative descriptions of the countryside, particularly the unrelenting cold.
I suppose my main criticism would be, Nora doesn’t seem to be thrown by anything that happens , even people shooting at her, she just takes it her stride. This for me, stretched credibility a little.There are also a few loose ends, but I suspect they will be picked up in the sequel.
That apart- what a debut! I look forward to the next book from Seena Kamal.



Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of this book.

The phone rings late at night. The man on the other end of the line tells you is daughter is missing, your daughter, the one you gave up over 15 years ago. What would you do?

Nora Watts is not sure she wants to bet involved. With more than enough problems of her own. But then she sees a photograph of the teenage girl with her eyes. How can she turn her back on her?

This is another well written novel. The story is action packed from the start. We get taken into a corrupt world full of lies, betrayal and vengeance. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I would like to thank NetGalley, BonnIer Zaffre and the author Sheena Kamal for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the phone rings, Nora is expecting another work phone call; instead, she is surprised to hear a man on the other end stating his daughter is missing. Nora’s daughter: the baby she gave up fifteen years earlier cannot be found. Grappling with not wanting to get involved and wanting to be helpful, Nora struggles until she sees a picture of the girl. The girl with eyes just like her. Once she is on the case, Nora is thrown into the past; the past that she has worked hard to forget and danger that she has longed to escape.

Grappling with not wanting to get involved and wanting to be helpful, Nora struggles until she sees a picture of the girl.

A girl with eyes just like her. Once she is on the case, Nora is thrown into the past; the past that she has worked hard to forget and danger that she has longed to escape.

Once she is on the case, Nora is thrown into the past; the past that she has worked hard to forget and, in turn, finds herself in the type of danger that she has longed to escape.


Eyes Like Mine, releasing in other countries (including Canada!) in July as The Lost Ones, introduces a brand new anti-heroine with flawed, recovering addict, Nora Watts. Working as a PI and journalist, Nora finds herself caught up in the case of her missing daughter, a daughter she had given up years before. Along with the help of her ex-sponsor, her employers and her sister, Nora begins the hunt for her daughter and gets wrapped up a parallel crime when one of her co-workers is murdered. This upcoming mystery thriller by Sheena Kamal will have you glued to the pages and flipping rapidly to understand how all these moving pieces fit together.

Much of the novel is spent discussing and rolling out Nora’s backstory. In fact, the search for the missing daughter, Bonnie, almost becomes secondary to rolling out Nora’s character. I, for one, loved this. Between learning about her seedy upbringing and her tempestuous past (her rehab stints and her addictions), Kamal lays out a complex character that takes the entire novel to unfold. The author’s notes at the end make it seem like this will not be the last novel for this character and I am pleased. Nora was very likable; her vulnerability, wit and scarred personality made her incredibly relatable and appealing.

I also loved the setting of this story. Call me biased, but this one is set in Canada. As a Canadian blogger, it is so nice to be able to see a novel set in your country! The plot points discuss certain issues that are very prevalent in Canadian society. Specifically focusing on Aboriginal issues as Nora comes from mixed race heritage. There is discussion surrounding the of assimilation of Native cultures and the missing Aboriginal women. I loved seeing this develop throughout the pages.

My only complaint with this title was that I found that it dragged at times, especially in the middle of the story; this one hit the ground running and I wanted the novel to keep its momentum and be a little faster paced.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a twist with their protagonists and an anti-heroine to root for.

I really don't know where to start reviewing this book. At face value, it's the story of a missing teenager but it's not just that. It is so much more. To me anyway, it's predominantly the story of Nora. A rather colourful character with a very chequered past. The missing girl is her daughter, I say "her" daughter because that is fact. The truth is that she gave her up at birth. Long story which is integral to the overall, rather convoluted plot, so really not for here but definitely has a rather big impact on how Nora's life has turned out.
So, Nora gets this phone call one morning. He daughter, Bonnie, is missing and the adopted parents want to know if she had been in touch with her as they know she had been looking for her birth mother. This news really gets to Nora as it belongs in her past. A past that she has battled to leave behind, mostly through the abuse of various substances, although she has been clean for a while. She now has a job and sort of a place to live, and a dog and, as we first meet her, she is ticking along, on the whole, nicely. This phone call puts all that in jeopardy and sets Nora off on a dangerous path. Makes her revisit things she'd rather not think about, let alone experience. Takes her back to a past that she thought she had left behind her. Makes her face up to the things that had happened to her that she'd rather just ignore. Cos ignoring them, yep, that had been working out so well for her! Is she strong enough to battle all her demons and find her daughter?
Yes, the book is rather dark in tone but it never felt too heavy. Even though Nora has been through the wringer, she has strength, born of necessity, and she has learned to cope. Even though on the whole, her world is dark, you can just about see that tiny glimmer of light, that small feeling of hope and it is that that both Nora and me as a reader clung onto throughout the book. As she says herself, she's a survivor not a victim and they are wise words indeed.
I think one of the reasons it didn't get me down whilst reading, despite it's darkness, was that it went along at a fair lick. With some great action scenes and twists and turns aplenty, I really didn't have time to wallow in misery. Description was enough to set the scene and complement the narrative but never too much so that it overshadowed. Pacing was also good throughout, it hit the ground running and didn't really let up until the end. There were some quieter moments which allowed me to refresh and regroup. These were few and far between but very welcome indeed.
Characterisation was also excellent. Especially Nora. Yes she will be compared to Lisbeth Salander due to their similar pasts and flawed natures but I think that comparison undervalues Nora a little as I believe she is well drawn and totally strong enough to stand up in her own right. In fact, after finishing the book, I really started wondering what she would be doing next. I think I got a bit emotionally involved with her if truth be told.
All in all, another brilliant debut. I wonder if it is also the start of a series featuring Nora? I for one would definitely be up for that.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book is written in a different style from the books I normally read. It suits the subject matter. It suits Nora's style. Nora is a really interesting character. Her determination to find her daughter and her outlook on life make this book a brilliant read. I would definitely read another book about Nora.

Wow! What a fantastic debut novel! The main character, Nora Watts is being compared to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's protagonist. I see the connections. Nora's character is beautifully developed. The plot involves many aspects with some twists and turns that you don;t see coming. I cannot wait for the sequel!

The main character of this novel, Nora, is an unlikely anti-heroine - a self-destructive loner who has remarkable survival skills, a very small number of loyal friends including a stray dog and a difficult past. The first few (short) chapters irritated me a bit as they read like the voice over of 1940s private investigator films, probably intentionally. However I'm very glad I got over this irritation and stuck with the story. I was rooting for Nora throughout and keen to know what was going on. I try not to write spoilers in reviews so won't write too much here but I did think that characterisation and settings were very well written. The landscapes of western and northern Canada were perfect for the plot. Apparently minor characters were well crafted and important for the flow of the narrative. I am glad to read there are to be further stories about Nora and look forward to reading them and finding out more of her back story.

I struggled to get into this book and skim read quite a bit. Not sure why as the concept of the book was good. I was hoping Nora got to know her daughter and we'd see her become happy. I think it was as non of characters came across as happy or positive I got dragged down with the characters

Wow, all cylinders firing in this book, fantastically fast paced and action packed, barely time to breathe great read.

Brilliant gutsy heroine, but who can she trust? This book peels back each layer of the story, keeping you reading to find out more. A bit over long in places, which slowed down the action, but I'm not a big fan of descriptive passages about the scenery. Do I want to read the sequel? You bet I do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of this book.

What can I say about this book that a 5 star rating doesn't? This book was extremely well executed. Billed as a book for fans of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" I don't disagree with that assessment but this book was slightly less graphic. Kamal does a fantastic job of hooking you into the story from the first sentence and she does very well keeping the pace. In fact, a lot of thrillers get bogged down with too many plot twists that try to throw you off but in this book they actually work. I must've "figured out" this book at least 5 times only to be so wrong in the end.

Kamal's writing style is very raw as well. She doesn't try to make the book sound overly wordy or fancy because the main character isn't those things. She really delivers a book that is as raw and real as the main character. Also, she does such an amazing job of describing Canada's geography that I'm booking my next vacation there right away and mind you this isn't a "happy ending" kind of story.

Overall, a spectacular read but definitely one you're going to want to clear some time to read because once you start the book it's difficult to put down!!!

Eyes like mine by Sheena Kamal is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
It's late. The phone rings.

The man on the other end says his daughter is missing.

Your daughter.

The baby you gave away over fifteen years ago.

What do you do?

Nora Watts isn't sure that she wants to get involved. Troubled, messed up, and with more than enough problems of her own, Nora doesn't want to revisit the past. But then she sees the photograph. A girl, a teenager, with her eyes. How can she turn her back on her? But going in search of her daughter brings Nora into contact with a past that she would rather forget, a past that she has worked hard to put behind her, but which is always there, waiting for her . . .
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story and the characters. Nora was my favourite character. I have never read this author before. For my first book of hers this was a wow read. I will definitely be checking out other books from her. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Another stunning debut novel! I raced through this one as I couldn't get enough of protagonist, Nora--survivor, ex-alcoholic, acerbic-tongued investigator! When faced with the disappearance of the daughter she gave up for adoption at birth, she finds herself embroiled in world of corruption, lies, vengeance, and betrayal. Set in Canada, the novel is rich in vivid descriptions and prose. And I, for one, do love a flawed character who manages to be lovable and empathetic for all her stand-offishness! I was delighted to learn that there will be a sequel and a third book featuring this hard-nosed Nora. Can't wait!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a preview copy in return for an honest review.

Nora Watts gets an early morning phone call to tell her that her daughter is missing. The daughter she gave away 15 years ago. Nora tries to ignore the fact that she cares but she can’t. Soon she finds herself in race to save her daughters and her own life, and she has no idea who or what she is up against.

This is a fast paced novel that gains momentum quickly. Nora is not always a likeable person and some of the choices she makes left me with a bad taste in my mouth but it didn’t stop me reading.

There were a couple of: ‘Please? Really?’ unlikely plot twists were the author takes the bounds of believability to the limits but overall this didn’t stop me enjoying the story and wondering all the way through how it was going to end.

It can be very dark at times, and the plot about looking for her daughter at times seems secondary, but that does not detract from the plot.

Highly recommended, given 4 stars only because of the annoying bits that for me stretched the credibility to much.

Nora Watts is one of the most interesting protagonists to come along in years. She is an alcoholic living one step away from homelessness in her employer's basement with the stray mutt she adopted. Nora's talent is her ability to tell when someone is lying, which serves her well in her job as a researcher for a private investigator. Emotionally numb, Nora just tries to survive each day without drinking or drugging. But her emotions get involved when the parents of the child she gave up for adoption turn to her in desperation. The child, now a teenager, has gone missing. As Nora begins to investigate, she learns that the daughter she gave away was not enjoying the carefree life she wished upon her and has become the target of some very dangerous people. While I didn't particularly like Nora, I did feel great compassion for her which enriched this well written and executed thriller.