Having previously read and enjoyed "Stalker" by Lisa Stone, I certainly wasn't going to pass the opportunity to read this one and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have in "Taken" is a complex and gripping story of the abduction of 8 year Leila whose life is far from perfect being the daughter of a mother (Kelsey) prostituting herself and fighting addiction who has already had her older children taken from her.

Told from multiple points of view, we get a real insight into all the main characters which is not as confusing as it sounds believe me ... it works really well and, I believe, it makes the characters more believable and memorable.

The pace is perfect, the plot is absorbing, despite it being a little unrealistic in parts, and I did get the twist fairly early on but it was such that I continued to question myself until it was revealed.

Overall, a thought-provoking and enjoyable read which deals with some difficult subjects that, sadly, are prevalent within today's society but without the usual gratuitous violence which made a refreshing change.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

An extremely well written book with a great storyline. Very fast paced and grips you from page one!

There’s a few twists and I didn’t get the main one so that’s a bonus. Really felt for Leila and it was sad to see what kind of life she had growing up like that; left to fend for herself as her mums a prostitute and she even uses her daughter to get rid of punters who outstay their welcome! But then her daughter goes missing and the story begins!

It’s quite sad to see how some kids live and I thought the book highlighted some important issues, it was an interesting read, and I enjoyed it.

This book is fast paced.superbly written and edge of your seat tense.leila and kelsey share a bond that cant be broken.not even by kelseys wealthy sister.a lonely man caught up after falling in love takes the soul blame for abducting leila but soon realises that the love isnt resipricated .the truth takes a while to emerge and it doesnt end how you think.well done lisa .another thrilling read

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

This was a bit of a disappointment for me. Slow to get going - half way through I was wondering what else could happen. We knew straight away who was the “taker”, the storyline from the Police POV was weak. There is a big twist just after the half way point but I had already worked this out.

Unfortunately not for me this one.

Really enjoyed reading this book, couldn't put it down, must admit its one that I would happily pick up again and read,
Overall I would recommend to anyone to read it, can't wait to get it on my page and let my followers know what I think about it!

I really enjoyed this novel. A child of a prostitute goes missing and it is a real wake up call to how the sex workers are approached when it comes to things like this. I definitely felt like I was glued to the pages the entire time. I felt the end was a bit anticlimactic and very 'nice' which considering everything that happened in the story was a bit too fictitious. What was terrifying was (SPOILER ALERT) a rape scene where Leila heard everything and couldn't help. That was very traumatizing in the first place and to have an addition of this sort of helplessness felt simply cruel. Overall, it was a very good read and I will be recommending it for fans of this genre.

I have read quite a few books from this author and never been disappointed and this one got me interested from the very first page.

It was an extremely well written book and soon turned into a fast paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed and I can recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Ive read this authors previous thrillers so was looking forward to this.
This is a fast paced,heart racing thriller with a very unpredictable storyline.

Written in various narratives that make the reader feel like they are really knowing whats going on then boom…

Exciting and gripping.

Highly recommend.

Published 23rd July

Leila is 8 years old and lives with her mother Kelsey who is dependent on drugs and alcohol and is a prostitute. Leila is often left on her own and has to fend for herself.

Whilst her mother is high on drugs Leila is taken from the play area and no one seems to know where she has vanished to.

The story is told from several peoples points of view as we find out what happened the night Leila went missing.

I was completely hooked with this story and really did not see the ending coming, there are twists galore.

A must read author!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first Lisa Stone book and wont be my last. This story follows the life of 8 year old Leila Smith. Leila has had a life that no kid should have. She has heard, seen and had to do things no kid should have to do. One day she is Taken by the man in the apartment under her. Leila's mam Kelsey has a drug and alcohol addiction and has regular men visiting the house. Leila is often left for hours alone to look after herself. Due to her lifestyle choices its hours before Kelsey notices Leila is missing!

This book was a different read for me as from the beginning we know who took Leila. I really felt for Kelsey and her struggles with addiction and was really rooting for her to get clean. Can she get clean and find her daughter? This book had lots of twists and turns in it. Was the crazy neighbor below alone in this abduction? What was his reasons for taken Leila? Will she be found? I found the story line really believable and was kept engaged throughout wanting to know the outcome and would there be a mother daughter reunion. This book shows you, you cant always trust those who are close to you!! An enjoyable read from me.

An enjoyable read with a great twist. I thought I knew which way the plot was going to go but then it did a complete u-turn ! Even though I enjoyed this book , I did find in places it was extremely unbelievable, which ruined it a bit for me as the plot was very original. I will definitely read more by this author

This was a very interesting read! You are rooting for the child, and then for the mom, and then you don't know anymore.... The child is taken, and the police is investigating her kidnapping. But absolutely nothing is as it seems, believe me, and as soon as you think you have it figured out, you are knocked with another plot twist! I enjoyed the book thoroughly and can't wait for the next one! Highly recommended.
TB

I enjoyed this book but I felt that there wasn’t enough tension surrounding Leila in that she wasn’t in enough danger. That may sound morbid but I feel that the reader needed to feel on the edge of their seat as to whether she would be ok or not. A few twists and turns that took me by surprise and others that didn’t. An enjoyable thriller.

Another great book from Lisa Stone. She never disappoints. Lots of twists and although I did guess one of them, it didn't spoil the story at all . Highly recommended

This was definitely a weird one for me... I neither liked or disliked it to be honest.

I found the story interesting and thought provoking and I did like the way it explored the depth of poverty within the UK, I could clearly picture the setting as like most other readers i live in a town/city with blocks of flats and tower blocks in less affluent areas.

Its definitely not your usual abduction thriller (no spoilers) but elements of the 'thriller' genre did feel quite flat at times, I never felt any tension which was a shame. I'd have classed it more Domestic Fiction/Drama.

For some reason the characters didn't feel developed enough.

On a positive there were quite a few surprising twists throughout but also alot of predictability and the ending felt rather sudden.

I've enjoyed previous Lisa Stone/Cathy Glass novels but unfortunately this one didn't win me over.

2*

Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

I have enjoyed a few of Lisa Stone's books but unfortunately, this one just fell a bit flat for me, It was all a bit predictable, but still an easy read..

Although I've read all of Cathy Glass' memoirs, this is the first time I've read a fiction book as Lisa Stone. Oh my goodness, how exciting! I loved the twists and turns.

Eight year old Leila has a difficult relationship with her addict mother, Kelsey Smith. Leila spends a great deal of her time hanging around on the Hawthorn Estate where she lives to avoid having to return home. But one day she vanishes into thin air...

In Taken, the reader gets to meet Kelsey who managed to elicit feelings of empathy and immense frustration from me in equal measures. For her part, Leila witnessed so much but her winning personality still shone through. Lisa Stone's characterisation was exceptionally well done, both in the creation and development of the characters, and they were believable and credible in their roles.

This story held me captive from the very first chapter with its intensity and fabulous plotline. The succinct and concise chapters helped to ensure that my attention never wavered. With plenty of surprising moments, Taken was certainly a compelling read. Although this novel was jammed full with many hard-hitting themes, such as addiction, poverty and neglect, it was, nevertheless, thoroughly engrossing and a terrific read. I fervently hoped for a happy ending for both Kelsey and Leila.

A really good contemporary urban crime thriller with a neat ending. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HarperCollins via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Leila is an 8 years old girl who's being neglected by her alcoholic and drug addict mother Kelsey. Her 4 siblings live with foster families, yet mother doesn't bother to take proper care of her remaining child.
The only thing she cares about is her addiction. To fuel her habits she works as a prostitute and entertain her clients at home while her daughter Leila is in the next room or in the playground.
One evening while Kelsey is busy working her daughter disappears from the children playing area.
After a difficult client the only thing she needs is cocaine and vodka. When she wakes up from her drug and alcohol induced sleep she notices that her daughter didn't come back home. Yet, she's not too worried and delay calling the police.
The story unfold slowly. Almost from the start the reader know who the kidnapper is. We also know what is his motive. There is few surprising moments along the way but the whole thing is very predictable. I feel like I was few pages ahead, I just knew what is going to happen next.
The kidnapping is obviously very distressing especially for a young child but I didn't feel her emotions, anxiety and suffering.
I think like the story of Leila after she leaves the cottage could be more detailed as it feels very unrealistic to me.
I've read some other book of Lisa Stone/Cathy Glass and I really liked them but 'Taken' didn't win my heart.

Leila is 8 years old she has to fend for herself a lot but she loves her mother. She lives on the Hawthorn Estate with her mother who is a prostitute and also likes drugs and alcohol, She has also had all her other children taken off her and it looks like Leila will be taken too.
One evening Leila disappears but her mother doesn’t notice for quite a few hours and eventually thinks the social worker has taken her so she doesn’t get to worried till she phones up in the morning and they haven’t got her.
The police are then called in . The old lady who looks out for the kids on the estate says she saw Leila with a man.
Not everything is as it seems with this story.
Great Read
Thanks NetGalley