A wonderful, extraordinary book. The author speaks from her heart on every page.

I recommend you read the essay <a href="http://themanifeststation.net/2015/01/21/the-other-side-of-loss/">The Other Side of Loss, by Rene Denfeld</a>, about the terrible losses in her own life, and how they inform her writing. (Thank you, Will Byrnes, for this reference)

<B>You may wish to skim the early chapters of Madison and her captor. <Spoiler>In Madison's chapters, there is often an innocent and horrific kind of paedophilia, but it is so incredibly damaging to Madison’s future psyche. I feel ill just considering the lifetime of guilt and pain for her. These chapters are illuminating, but at a terrible cost if you know the survivors of these kinds of events</spoiler> </b>

What an extraordinary book. What a difficult and painful journey Naomi takes, and has apparently been taking for many, many years now. She was truly blessed to have such a wonderful foster mother, and charming and loving foster brother. Indeed, they are two of the shining rays of light in this book.

Knowing Ms Denfeld's personal tragedies, I live in this book with her special insights. Naomi's past is hidden from her, and she searches endlessly for herself, as she searches for the lost children. I am reminded of Pirsig's search for the missing parts of himself in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1984715004"><b>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</b></a>

Here too we live both journeys through Denfeld's splendid prose. Truly wonderful, magical, poignant.



22% ...
<i>Come see the stones, Jerome had called to her, and they ran, dusting the fields with their laughter, even as they grew up, and hair shadowed his cheek, and her very scalp lengthened. Each time they found themselves in this throne of God, high above all else in the fertile valley, Jerome would tenderly pluck a jewel for her: a piece of opal, quartz, a shiny agate. More beautiful than the stones, Jerome’s eyes said, and the very sky clapped blue in agreement. "God’s gracious gift."</i>

36% ... This is a truly beautiful, magical story, with a warm beating heart.

41% ... Ranger Danvers -
<i>“She didn’t want to die in the hospital. So we went back to the station, and fixed the apartment up for her. She went downhill fast. But she didn’t wait until she lost all her strength. One day I came back from checking the roads, right before a major storm, and the bed was empty. There was a note. She would not say where she was going and she said not to follow. She said she wanted to die lying on God’s cheek. I never found her.”</i>

72% ...
<i>But it became clear the moment she began wearing the gun. The dealer had helped her choose a Smith & Wesson because it fit her hand, and because it was small enough to easily be hidden under her jacket, wearing a shoulder holster. But she knew it was there. And somehow—she could not say exactly why—other people did, too. The leads she had on cases dried up. The once friendly, open witnesses, framed in doors speckled with gunshots themselves or advancing down prison corridors, would no longer talk. The helpers she had found over the years, the neighbors and teenage witnesses on street corners, froze solid in her presence. The gun seemed to create an invisible barrier between her and the world she sought. The ball of yarn vanished, and all she was left with was a stupid holster on her rib cage and a whole lot of nothing. The day she put the gun down was the day her work resumed.</i>

73% ... this book keeps teaching me, and surprising me...
<i>It was that gnarled and cauliflower-eared boxer in Chihuahua, Mexico, who taught her the most important lessons.</i>

And at the very end, Madison -
<i>This is something I know: no matter how far you have run, no matter how long you have been lost, it is never too late to be found.</i>

In the acknowledgements -
<i>Remember, those who are loved are never lost.</i>

The child Finder is for sure one of the most beautiful novels I've ever read. It's magically well written, with such a care to the words, to the ambiance, to the sentences, each one of them, that it sounds like a poetic fairy tale. And yet, it is one of the most horrifying stories you'll ever read. A true one it could be, most unfortunately, and it in fact is, has been, and will keep being, because humans can be both delicately illuminated and the darkest of creatures.

The way Rene Denfeld weaves the stories and POVs that compound this magical tale is breathtakingly inspired. It's a journey that will certainly break your heart, but in a way so endearing and beautiful you will be also healing and will find it in you to understand (not excuse, never pardon, but comprehend) the most horrific acts. You will go through sorrows unimaginable and through redemption of the most amazing kind. Each character will touch you deeply and remain with you after the last word is read, I am sure. And oh my, how I wish and hope for a sequel. Please, let there be a sequel.

The one thing that put me off a bit was all the God references. It felt too much, too heavy handed, almost as if it were a Christian book which, if it is, is not advertised. I do not like reading Christian fiction exactly because of the way God is shoved down the reader's throat as if the answer to everything (what is great if you believe it but I don't, hence my dislike of Christian fiction).

I'd like to profoundly thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is the kind of crime novel that the Grimm Brothers would write if they were into modern crime fiction and had a collection of Stephen Kings on the shelf.

A girl going missing on what should be a happy time for her and her family – getting your Christmas tree is quite an occasion in the states and this one ends in the worst way possible.

I liked Naomi and her story – really adds to her overall character and reason for fighting so hard. Madison’s story was hard to read at times but the tension stayed strong throughout and I felt cold and damp so atmospheric was the story and setting.

When I first started reading this I thought Naomi might be one of those psychics but she has to work really hard and go through some personal pain to find her answers. This is dark and disturbing, damp and wet and what comes out of the mist, deep in the Oregon forests, is something chilling, uncomfortable but the writing is quite sublime

A sixth sense and a highly tuned instinct are the qualities that Naomi Cottle is blessed with that allow her to find the missing children. Madison Culver has disappeared in the snowy forests of Northern Oregon when accompanying her parents in the search for the perfect Christmas tree. Naomi is determined to find Madison and in the process will encounter some painful memories from her distant pass. The snow girl is protected by Mr B and as this relationship unfolds the intention of the guardian gives the reader real cause for concern....."The day after the girl had slept in his bed for the first time, B had come back from trapping and sat on the edge of the bed...."

There is a strange, almost dreamlike quality to the storytelling. The author in this detached form of communication with the reader creates a very uneasy and unsettling image of neglected and disturbed children..."it is better for a child to attach to an abuser than to experience the blind hole of neglect."... Naomi travels to the endearingly named Stubbed Toe Creek and with the help of Ranger Dave hopes to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the young Madison Culver. Is there a connection with the snow girl? Will recently realized childhood memories help Naomi in her painful search for the missing child?...."What were you running from, then? she had asked. Monsters, was all that Naomi could remember. And to this day, outside the hints in her dreams, it was all she could remember still." Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for sending me a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

One of the most heartbreaking, enchanting and beautiful books I have ever read.

Naomi Cottle, known as The Child Finder, is a PI who, when the police give up, specialises in searching for missing children. She is called in to help by the parents of little 5 year-old Madison Culver who disappeared when on a family outing 3 years ago to choose a Christmas tree in the Skookum National Forest in Oregon. What follows is a story from both the perspective of Naomi and Madison, who's imagination and love of fairy tales, is the key to her survival by the hands of her kidnapper. Naomi's relentless pursuit of finding Madison ultimately leads her to answering questions about her own past, which she has no knowledge of from before the age of 9, when she herself was found naked running for her life. The narrative from Madison is heartbreaking and just gorgeous and horrifying in equal measures to read.

I couldn't put the book down and really need to go and read The Enchanted, Rene's first novel. I think I've just found my new favourite author.........please write Naomi's story soon!

Naomi is known as 'The Child Finder.' She's an independent investigator who has supernatural abilities and specialises in locating missing children. Assigned to the case of a missing little girl, Madison, we follow Naomi as she searches in the local snow covered woodlands for the lost child.

I really, really liked this book. I feel like I've been a bit spoilt with the books I've been sent for review recently, as I've enjoyed all of them - but this one stuck out in particular. It is again, a story with a dark topic, but I found that the author did a fantastic job of filling you with hope throughout the entire story. It's pretty amazing how she manages to cover such a horrible, horrible subject in such a delicate manner.

The plot moves quickly - I finished this book the same day I started it - again I found myself not able to put it down. The characters I found to be extremely likeable - I even found myself able to empathise with the bad characters. It seems the author has this incredible style of writing which allowed me to do so. I'd definitely be interested in reading more from Denfield!

Great read. Gets you hooked from the start. Would highly recommend!!