Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Thanks everyone for giving me the chance to review this book. I am not sure what I can say about this, I enjoyed it but it was not brilliant, not like the other books Kerry has written. Sorry

This is the fifth Kerry Wilkinson book that I have read in the last four months. He has therefore obviously become one of my go to authors. I consider his novels comfort reads, perhaps because he is a terrific storyteller with a writing style that is extremely fluent. He is a versatile author capable of penning stories in several different genres. This book, a standalone, is a psychological thriller.

The novel runs with two major threads. The main arc belongs to Olivia. Olivia disappeared from her back yard 13 years ago at the age of 5. Olivia turns out to be alive and well and has reappeared in her hometown, causing a lot of…well, let’s say interest, amongst the townfolk. Then we have Lily’s story. Lily lost her mom at an early age and is living with her broken dad. Life is not easy for Lily. How are these threads related?

This is an intriguing tale. There are a fair number of characters and not too many are straightforward, including our two narrators. If you like unreliable narrators, this one is definitely for you. It’s tough sorting out who is trustable and who isn’t. There are shocking events that take place and decisions made that make you wonder how well you can really know anyone. In addition, a number of ethical questions are raised that made me wonder what I would really think, say, and do if I were in these particular circumstances. There is a lot to chew on.

I must admit some of the plot stretched the believability factor for me. Sometimes that bothers me, but not so much with this book. I will cut Kerry some slack as when it’s all said and done he entertains me.

I’m not totally sure why I love Kerry Wilkinson’s stuff; I just do. And that’s good enough for me. I highly recommend The Girl Who Came Back to anyone looking for a good piece of intrigue that will make you think.

I like the way this book is narrated and it started off really well.It is an easy read as far as thrillers go and I did enjoy it. Unfortunately I felt that we were given too much information early on and I guessed the mystery about half way through which left me feeling a bit deflated when I finally got to the reveal.
3 stars

After reading Kerry Wilkinson's Two Sisters, I knew I'd be reading more books by this author. When NetGalley offered The Girl Who Came Back, I quickly made my request.

If anything, I liked this one even better than Two Sisters.

Thirteen years earlier, Olivia Adams disappeared from her back garden. Now, Olivia sits in a coffee shop observing her mother and unsure of whether or not she will approach her.

Olivia does reach out to her mother who has never given up hope. But whether the young woman is Olivia or an impostor, whoever she is--she is not universally welcomed.

This one hooked me at the beginning and held my interest until the end. Even when some of the puzzle works itself out, there are a few surprises to come.

Oh, yes, I will be seeking more of this young author's books!

Read in July.

NetGalley/Bookoture

Psychological/Suspense. Sept. 8, 2017. Print length: 303 pages.

I had just come off a great streak of form with my reading choices; a "hat-trick" of wonderful debut crime novels by new British writers whose work left me eager to turn the pages and delve deeper into the world they have created. Buoyed by my recent successful reads, I plunged into this novel and was, initially, excited by the writing and the plot line. However, part way through, around 30%-50% (I read it on my Kindle), I found the story to be a little of a chore to read.

I can't say quite why but I found this book to be one of those that, at certain points, you consider casting to one side. I think I became a tad bored with the plot and annoyed with the male characters; they all seemed to be weak and/or unpleasant, without any redeeming traits. I accept that the storyline required this to be the case but it still jarred a little with me. The lead female characters are quite feisty, strong and well shaped and ,for me. this helped to steer the tale on.

But, having said this, flush from my earlier trio of successful reads, I was determined to finish this read and I carried on to the end. I am very pleased that I did as I found the plot suddenly kicked on apace and the story began to grab me again as the early part did. I became very intrigued by the dual plot line and in trying to decide exactly how the two girls stories intersected.

Despite my reservations part way through, I think that Kerry Wilkinson has crafted a fine tale that lays enough false trails and red herrings to make the ending sufficiently "twisty" without being too outlandish. The plot was deftly handled and intersected very nicely at the end with a terrific, atmospheric climax that was, indeed, a "page turner".

For me, this was, eventually, an enjoyable and interesting read. My three star review is based on my feeling that the male characters were a little one dimensional and lacking any good qualities and with my loss of interest part way through. Perhaps I am overly critical but, without those distractions, I would have no hesitation in giving this a four star review.

Would I try another book by Kerry Wilkinson? Very possibly!

This psychological thriller has a slow pace, building as more details are added to the plot. Subtle clues in the beginning might make you suspicious of Olivia when she first comes back. Of course her mother believes in her heart that the girl before her is her daughter, returned after being missing for the past thirteen years.

We are introduced to an alternate storyline early on that really makes you wonder what is going on and how both stories will tie together and conclude. This alternate storyline gives snapshots of key moments and circumstances in a young girl's life.
There is a huge twist near the end of the book that will have you reviewing everything up until that point for clarification. Very nicely done!

I would recommend this book to fans of psychological suspense and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Bookotoure on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson is an excellent psychological thriller that is hard to put down.Olivia is back in the village Stoneridge after disappearing as a six year old thirteen years ago,but does everyone believe who she says she is ?? Her mum Sarah certainly does but alot of others do not including her own husband and brother in law. but as her life back in Stoneridge unravels and as the book develops you start to wonder just who is telling the truth ? is it Olivia or is she just spinning a lie ? A brilliant page turner of a book with an ending which i never saw coming and without doubt a 5 star read once again from Kerry Wilkinson.

Interesting, easy writing that draws you in. Intriguing story - with a clearly unreliable narrator that you're desperate to understand the back story.... didn't expect it to evolve in the way it did -- but then was wrapped up a little too neatly...

A good read, very absorbing 4*

There are certain things I look for in a gripping psychological thriller.  Great characters, engaging storyline, plausibility, a nice little twist or two...if these things are present then I'm likely to enjoy and recommend it to others.  This newest release from Kerry Wilkinson fits the bill.

Olivia is the girl who disappeared 13 years ago, and now she's back.  Her mom and dad couldn't be happier, although there are other people in their small village who have their doubts.  Where has she been all this time?  What exactly happened that day she disappeared from their backyard?  And why has she suddenly reappeared?  Questions abound as the mystery deepens.  If she's an imposter, what does she want?

This was a great little story, full of suspense.  It kept me guessing until almost the very end which is no small feat.  Grab it and settle in for an enjoyable ride!

A stand alone book from the author of the Jessica Daniels series (which I recommend), this is an intriguing book about a kidnapped child who returns home 13 years later. I couldn't put it down and was totally entranced by the story. Recommended

This is my first Kerry Wilkinson read, and this book is quite the page turner.

Olivia Adams goes missing from her back garden. We learn Olivia's parent's marriage crumbled after her disappearance. Some 13 years later Olivia returns... or does she?

As the story unfolds, we watch characters trying to make sense of things and see how lives are intertwined. All the while, we follow this suspenseful read, with many twists.

I very much enjoyed reading this novel. I liked the premise of a missing child showing up thirteen years later and the challenges this presented for the family. While I did guess some of the plot, I didn't see the ending coming which makes for a great read in my opinion. There wasn't a whole lot of suspense, but I definitely wanted to continue reading and find out how everything tied together. All in all, a good read and I'd definitely read more from this author.

A good, twisty, turny story. Olivia Adams has been missing for thirteen years. She disappeared at 5 years old. She mysteriously appears at her mothers cafe one day. Is it really her? Her mother certainly thinks so and of course recognises her own child. Her father is also delighted to have her back. However, some doubt this young girl. We also hear about another girl Lily who has a dark story to tell. I did guess the outcome of this before the ending but not the how or why. A good read with secrets and twists along the way.

Another dark thriller from the very talented Kerry Wilkinson. A compelling story of murder, lies, deceit, family secrets and manipulation..
Although complex and cleverly written for me the only unexpected twist was Max. A touch more mystery and this would be a 5* read for me.

Initially I thought this was a follow on from Two Sisters but it isn't - it's a completely stand-alone book. A pretty good one at that!<br>Olivia is a little girl that goes missing without a trace: taken out of her garden - every parents' worse nightmare. Then, one day, she comes back.<br>This story goes through the lengths families will go through to protect their young and how we all, ultimately, end up like our parents in one way or another.<br>A hugely enjoyable page-turner from Kerry Wilkinson: if he's not someone you've read ypu really are missing out! However, you're also pretty lucky as you now have a load of great books to read through!<br>This one is a good 8 out of 10 from me: I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and nothing was hugely predictable. If there were one thing I'd change it would be the little boy's age...it detailed someone much younger than indicated!

A novel with a catchy premise which dives right in from the first page.

The first person narrative is an ideal device to experience the inner thoughts and perspectives of our protagonist. This in turn leads to the quandary of the unreliable narrator which is fertile ground for misdirection and red herrings.

Unfortunately, I surmised the underlying mystery of our protagonist very earlier in the book and this rather diminished my enjoyment for the large remainder of the novel. The clues are too well telegraphed far too early and instead of red herrings, we are left with damp squid.

Nevertheless, Mr Wilkinson does capture the voice of his young female main character in a convincing way and I really felt her pain and confusion, particularly in the darker parts of the novel.

A light breezy read, but not enough substance to sustain the intrigue.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Chilling book. Couldn't stop reading. Highly recommend.

The Girl Who Came Back . Kerry Wilkinson

A young woman sits in a coffee shop watching the woman that owns it working on a laptop. When she introduces herself as the woman’s daughter, the daughter that disappeared 13 years earlier aged 6, she changes everything.

This gentle story moves along at a slow pace and the thread is pretty easy to anticipate from the beginning.

There is an element of old crimes unsolved, and a bit of who’s who but there is little realism. The police take next to no interest in the return of a girl who’s been missing since she was 6. The families response is a bit understated and for me unrealistic.

I’m usually a huge fan of Kerry Wilkinson but this story was not for me.

Thanks to netgalley, bookouture and the publisher for letting me read this book. I found it really slow and boring in the beginning. I have to say it was obvious shortly into the book what the ending was going to be. I'm sorry but I honestly didn't enjoy it. And I normally love Kerry Wilkinson .