Member Reviews
An excellent book that carried me along with it from start to finish! Francine's search for her daughter was an emotional roller coaster that any parent could understand and identify with. The story was a great study of physical relisiance under the most extreme circumstances and I was rooting for a successful outcome while never being sure if Francine would ever be reunited with Autumn. I read this book in one day - always the sign of an excellent read!
I Know Where She Is by S.B. Caves is a hard-hitting, gritty novel about a mother, Francine, whose daughter, Autumn, was taken whilst out shopping.
Will, her ex husband, has become rich by talking and writing about what happened, how to deal with loss and moving on – just like him?
Francine has never given up hope of getting Autumn back but on the 10th Aniversary of her being taken she receives a note – I Know Where She Is.
The note motivates Francine and, when Lena tells her story, she goes off on what may seem an impossible, perhaps even foolish but certainly dangerous journey in search of her daughter.
The characters are believable. Francine has depths of strength and grit that makes it easy to relate to and empathise with. The storyline comes mainly from Francines angle but not solely and there are some very sinister implications along with the darkness.
We see how the loss, and guilt, has turned Francine into a hard-drinking, shadow of a person but as we find out what did happen to Autumn it becomes dark, heartbreaking and it is almost too much. A few readers who may find reading parts this story difficult but it is not sustained and Caves does supply sufficient hope, courage and determination in extremely abhorrent circumstances.
This is a very dark tale of kidnapping and abuse, of loss but is also one of courage and hope. Caves keeps it moving along at a really good pace and you will be hooked on this gripping read.
With thanks to Canelo via NetGalley for an eProof of I Know Where She Is.
Rating: 4*
Autumn has been missing for 10 years, but yet her mother has never stopped hoping she will return.
Then she receives a note saying "I know where she is".
That note set the whole tone of the book, full of mystery and deceit. Well written, and I can't wait to see the next book by a new novelist.
This book was gripping from start to finish. The story moved quickly, the writing was as taut as the atmosphere and the characters engaging. Recommended!
A well written, fast paced book. I think the character of Autumn is particularly well written and developed. A good read.
The book opens with Francine, whose daughter was abducted 10 years ago.
While everyone around her ( including her ex husband) seems to have moved on, she is positive that her daughter is still out there.
One day she receives a hand written note which only says : I know where she is. From then on it's a fast paced thriller as Francine embarks on a ( somewhat implausible) journey to retrieve her daughter.
The pacing is good, the plot is interesting ( this story line is a bit overused in my opinion). It seems a bit far fetched. in places.
All in all not a bad read especially for a debut novel.
My only real concern is that this book should come with a trigger warning as it contains a lot of graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual abuse and sexual violence.
Written with flair and a great view to creating a read in one sitting page-turning masterpiece.
I don’t want to spoil a thing for anyone who is looking to read this book. I can only hope this is just the first of many. Francine has you feeling slightly sorry for her then you find her slightly pathetic and then she really comes into her own ....
The daughter, Autumn, her friend Lena and the other taken children really have you feeling for them.
The other characters will have you curling you lip in disdain as you read their names let alone the heinous paths they follow
I do like a good crime novel, so was happy to read 'I Know Where She Is' By S.B. Caves. The book is about Autumn a girl who disappeared 10 years previously. Her mother Francine gets an anonymous note with just 5 words - I know where she is, on the 10th anniversary of Autumn's disappearance. This leads Francine on a desperate mission to try and find her daughter. Throughout the book we see the emotional trauma and the devastating impact that the disappearance has had on Francine and her now ex-husband Will. From the beginning of the book the pace just continued to increase until I just had to stay up to finish it. It is certainly an intense thriller packed with emotion and action. We see how dark, twisted and sinister people can be, how some people can hide a truly dark / sick side to them. We learn just how far a mother will go to find and save her daughter. I was gripped from the beginning. Quite simply for me this was fantastic, a stunningly good book. I hope there is a sequel.
A dark, disturbing read & a pretty good debut.
10 years after her daughter Autumn goes missing, Francine is contacted by a young woman who claims to know where Autumn is. What follows is a tense, thrilling mission to find the truth about what happened all those years ago. Some parts are a little gruesome and upsetting to read, especially if you have children but this doesn’t detract from the overall ‘enjoyment’. Personally I would have liked [to have read] a little more about retribution and consequences for the ‘unknown baddies’, especially as the media became involved but this was kind of skipped over. There were also some unanswered questions which I found a little annoying. All in all though, it held my attention and I was never bored!
A dark, twisted, gripping read, full of suspense
I genuinely enjoyed this book, so much so I read it in one day.
To say I was gripped is an understatement, and the story is told quiet well, at times I did feel I wanted more but at other times I felt like I was right there in the story as an awkward bystander when Will told Francine exactly what he thought of her.
Francine and Will are parents to Autumn, who went missing at a young age, I need to go back and revisit because either we aren't told what age she went missing or I don't remember, this is what I mean about wanting more, there was some details I would have liked. The book is set when it is coming close to the 10th anniversary of Autumn's disappearance. Francine and Will have separated with Will re-married and moving on and Francine fighting the darkness and alcohol abuse in a desperate attempt to just feel normal again, to all others, she has well and truly lost it!
A note arrives in Francine's door one day in a unstamped envelope with a note inside that simply says "I KNOW WHERE SHE IS" Francine is sure this is a clue to her daughters whereabouts, but Will is not interested, putting it down to someone playing a prank and is more annoyed by his new life being interrupted by the past, his new life funded by the book he wrote on his experience of losing his daughter, cashing in on the tragedy.
The following day Francine finds a teenage girl peeking into her car while she is at work, the girl looks a bit worse for wear and in desperate need of a wash, when approached the girl confesses she is the author of the note and does in fact know where her daughter is, and knows this that only Autumn would know. Francine takes the girl in and thus follows a heroic battle to get her daughter back proving a mothers love knows no bounds and fly's in the face of danger.
I could say so much more, but I feel like it would ruin some good plot twists in the book so I won't spoil it. Definitely worth the read. S.B. Caves in a fantastic author and builds the story quiet well. 4 stars because like I said I did feel like I wanted more at times.
Too much pedophilia, child rape, kidnapping, conspiracy etc. for me. DNF at 16%. Might try again at some point but life may be too short for me to feel terrible from a book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
If you are hooked on Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay's books - this is not one to miss. On the tenth anniversary of her daughter, Autumn's, abduction, Francine received an anonymous note containing just five words: I KNOW WHERE SHE IS.
This first book by an extremely talented author will not disappoint and hopefully S.B Caves has more up his sleeve… fast paced, addictive, a thriller that will not let you stop until you've finished the final page - and will even then leave you wanting more. From the strength in the main characters, Francine and…well… spoilers…, to the twists and turns that keep you guessing, this is edge of the seat stuff!
However there are a few scenes and descriptive paragraphs that may leave some readers upset or can cause some triggers particularly related to child abuse, if you're keen to give this book a go take a closer in-depth look at the some of the more comprehensive reviews if you are uncertain whether this will upset you.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat (or in my case bed). While some of the content is a little disturbing; it does not take away from the writing or overall novel. I've never lost a child; so I am not sure how would effect me; but the ex husband is annoying. That he could and would just give up all hope when presented with the information that his daughter may still be alive. The main character is likeable and determined to not give up on her daughter; since she still feels responsible for her disappearance in the first place.
Overall the books is well written and fast paced, easy read and would recommend to other readers.
**I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Basically what it boils down to is how far would you go to find your missing child & what would you do to save her? As dark as this book was I really enjoyed it. Great book ! A kidnapped child and how it affect the lives of everyone involved. How much strength the mother had to over come her demons and have faith . As they say, never give up !
I really wanted to give this book more stars but 3/4 of the way through the book, things became a little... I would have said predictable, but strangely the events that unfolded, I really don't think could have possibly happened! It is so far fetched as to be a little embarrassing. The drive of a mother searching for their child but single-handedly taking on and beating skilled combat veterans!! Ah such a shame, why did you take that turn in an otherwise good book, it had so much potential.
Absolutely amazing. One of those thrillers that keeps you looking one way and then bam you go somewhere else. Very suspenseful, and truly hard to put down. Really look forward to more by this author.
This was a rather fast paced story, read it in just a few hours. Subject t matter is not easy to read but makes the reader want to see what happens to the girls. I enjoyed this mystery and would read more from this author. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this.
10 heart pounding stars ⭐️ x 10!
I loved everything about this book. The main character Francine because she never quit even when the odds were against her; Autumn because she took the worst possible situation ever and drew strength from it and came out as quite the badass heroine!
There wasn’t a slow or boring part in the book. I am so beyond glad I got to read this. It was so good I finished it in one day. Yes, the subject matter is dark and depressing and hits a few nerves, but you will root for these women like they are your own best friends!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My honest review: AWESOME TWISTY edge of your seat thriller!!!!
Fantastic thriller, hooked from start to finish and read in two sittings. Any mother would hold out hope that her daughter is still alive. Disturbing what her daughter had lived and been through but the ending had me in tears. New to this author but wouldn’t fault. Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book, highly recommended.
A great thriller! S.B. Caves does a wonderful job crafting a story that draws the reader in. 'I Know Where She Is' is broken into 3 parts - that move the story along nicely. I loved the first two parts, but had to take off one star because the ending felt a bit rush to me. Overall, a great read that I recommend to anyone who has made it this far into my review :)
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.