What a thrilling read this was! I raced through it, wanting to get to the end, but also not wanting it to finish for I was enjoying it so much. Addictive. Full of twists. A great read.

Four girls are kidnapped and two fathers, from different  walks of life, come together to try to find their daughters. Frustrated and desperate, they push themselves to the brink of lawlessness. A tense read from start to finish. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily .

I liked the plot and how the story was developing. It kept me turning pages to see how the fathers would help each other in finding their missing daughters.
As a trigger warning, I should say that there are topics such as Pedophilia, Racial Issues, Sexual Assault mentioned in the book.

A very difficult subject matter to make entertaining and a lot of readers would find elements too hard to read. The early part of the book was the best but when all the girls fell into such stereotypical roles I lost my interest. The plot was ok but repetitive and I was more relieved than anything to get to the ending.

An easy enough read but I found it a little too predictable. I also felt that it played into racial stereotyping - rich white/ poor black / strict Asian parents. The ending felt a bit rushed though it did pick up the pace.

This ended up being so much more than I expected! It was gripping from the beginning. The characters are complex and intriguing. The mystery is intense and keeps you guessing. Todd and Ron were a dynamic duo and I wasn't ready for the book to end.

Gripping and emotional does not begin to explain how I felt during this book.

*****Spoilers ahead proceed with caution****

When Ron and Todd (Liz) meet in an untraditional way when both of their daughters go missing. They will stop at nothing to bring them home including confronting every pedophile in the state of California! This was an intriguing read could be triggering to some maybe even most. But I certainly enjoyed reading The Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 2/9/24!

Going to start this review with a disclaimer that I may not have been the ideal reader for this book. Although in the genre I typically gravitate towards, to me the book had more action and crime drama elements than that of a mystery/thriller. The book also featured significant description throughout, which is not typically my cup of tea in books. That being said, the ending reached a logical conclusion from the buildup of the plot and ended in a way that was satisfying to the reader. If you enjoy descriptive books or gravitate more toward the action/crime drama genre, this book would be for you!

I liked the premise of the story but I think the plot focused too much on racial inequality and the characters were a little unrealistic. The abducted girls were very young but their thoughts and conversations seemed much more mature than their young age.

“My wife used to tell me we’re one big, interconnected piece of humanity. What happens to one happens to all. And until we care about the least of us, nobody’s safe.”
“I think a lot of people find Jesus in prison,” … “The rest of us care about humanity when we’re close to losing our own.”

This book was good. It felt like your typical mystery/thriller. Repetitive in parts and at times confusing with the timelines as it seemed at times they would start talking about something not necessarily connected with the present.

It wasn’t until about 70% of the way through where the plot twist comes in and the author really gets you thinking and saying “ohhhh….”.

I appreciated how the book was wrapped up and the character development throughout.

˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you Jeff Stetson and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

˗ˋˏ୨୧Introduction୨୧ ˎˊ˗
Note:There are topics that should be put as trigger warning such as Slurs, Pedophila, Racial Issues, Sexual Assault etc. If any of these topics trigger you, please do not read this book.

This is “The Stolen Girls” by Jaff Stetson. The main genre for this is thriller. In this book we have two little girls who are taken without a trace. Their fathers are devastated and we have to wait to see if these girls will ever see their families again. This is a 4.25 Stars

˗ˋˏ୨୧Plot Summary୨୧ ˎˊ˗
We meet two fathers and their families, firstly we meet Ron and his daughter Jennfier/Jenny, and then we meet Todd, his wife Elizabeth/Liz and their daughter Rebecca/Becky. Sadly Ron’s daughter goes missing, this sparks devastation in him, because his daughter is missing and she is all he has left, his wife died a few hours after childbirth. After around 1 week Todd’s daughter goes missing and this causes major problems for his mental state as well as his marriage. These two fathers find each other and gain a sort of friendship as they bond over their similar circumstances. However, there is an imbalance between them, Todd is privileged and rich while Ron is an African-American who is having a harder time. They find ways to connect through this and gain trust and want to help each other out. Throughout the book we get multiple POVs, however it is done in a very good way. You gain insights into the fathers minds, the girls minds, and the sick person who kidnapped the girls mind. Throughout the book you can see how emotional and desparted the fathers are. Usually when I hear of thrillers you get the POV of the one going through the horror. It was heartbreaking to see the pain both sides were gaining and how such trauma evokes deep emotions in you.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Writing style୨୧ ˎˊ˗
The writing style is detailed and descriptive, but in a good way. It does not describe highly irrelevant things. It also makes you engrossed in the story style. Descriptive and detailed writing can very much make or break my reading experience and this surely made it better. The pacing is fast to medium.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Characters୨୧ ˎˊ˗
As this is a thriller book the individual characters and their traits are not something I overall look for and analyse. Overall the characters were amazing.

The fathers: They have their own separate identities and trauma, they have made mistakes, but you get to see them grow. You get to see how desperate a parent will become at the face of their child being in danger. You see how they do not think properly, how they cope with each other. The measures they go to for their daughters is heartwarming and heartbreaking that they must do this. ‘

The girls: The pain that they went through is heartbreaking. But the way they never gave up no matter what is truly inspiring, if I was ever in this type of situation I do not know what I would do.

Sick bastard: Disgusting, and seeing what goes through his thoughts makes him even worse.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Originality୨୧ ˎˊ˗
This concept is probably not as original as I would imagine it to be, I am still new to the whole mystery of thriller genre, so to someone new in these genres it would be something original, however to someone more experienced in this genre maybe not.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Enjoyment and impact୨୧ ˎˊ˗
I enjoyed this book, it kept me on my toes and even managed to pull tears out of me. It was heartbreaking. I liked how it also explored smaller sup-topics through the book, it made it ever more realistic and that is the scary part, the fact that things like this happen today.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Target audience୨୧ ˎˊ˗
People who want a fast.medium, emotional, thriller, heartbreaking, detailed and descriptive read.

˗ˋˏ୨୧Overall assessment୨୧ ˎˊ˗
Overall I enjoyed this book, as well as the writing style. I would recommend this book, however please look at the trigger warnings I put. This book should have them stated for people who possibly might get triggered from such topics. It might have been better to put the name of the character when it came to the switching of POV’s, but it might have been a part of the style.

The Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson is a Thriller about what it means to be a family, unspeakable grief from children being snatched from their families and the ensuing desperate search. It is also about unlikely ties which bring people together in spite of pasts and differences.

Four young girls are studied and stolen by a creep to be tucked away as his family. The girls are chained and grow close in their peculiar proximity and shared experience. The focus is on two of the girls and their fathers, different races and socioeconomic situations but bonded by sorrow and anger. Jennifer is openly adored by her demonstrative father and Rebecca is loved at arm's length as her father is too busy. Nonetheless, the fathers find their way to each other and relentlessly search for their girls. But kidnapping isn't the only crime on the agenda.

Though a thriller, it is not as suspenseful or thrillery as I had hoped. Race is a big part of the story but a bit overdone in my view. The snappy pace is excellent, as is catching glimpses into the disturbed mind of a criminal. Some domestic scenes are taut and drip with angst; others are laced with grief and love. Well done!

My sincere thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.

The book had an exciting premise but fell short of expectations due to some flaws. It was slow-paced with a lack of plot twists, and many chapters seemed repetitive and didn't contribute to the story. The characters and plot were clichéd and predictable, relying on stereotypes. However, the book did have some strengths, such as descriptive writing and engaging scenes. It ended on a satisfying note and depicted diverse races, albeit in a clichéd manner. Overall, it's a mediocre thriller that may appeal to readers who enjoy action, but it lacks depth and originality.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC of The Stolen Girls by Jeff Stetson in exchange for a honest review.

In a world full of monsters unlikely friendships are formed. Socio-economic barriers don’t exist, race bias falls away, and the goal of saving missing children takes priority.

Ron and Todd’s daughters both go missing days apart. These are not children who just wouldn’t come home or wander off. Todd is affluent and the police are doing everything possible to bring his daughter home. Meanwhile, police are looking at Ron as a suspect in his own daughter’s disappearance.

The book follows the story line of the families and a serial kidnapper who has 4 young girls captive in hopes of building a “family.” Overall the book was captivating and a page turner but for me the end fell flat. There were no real answers in the end. The books just ended happily with no closure. I wish Stetson had written a few more chapters proving closure to the aftermath. Overall it’s a good thriller read but may not be for you if you need the whole story in a book.

Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2024
🌟🌟🌟.5

This is a hard read in many ways : the suffering of the families, the experiences of the girls, the inequality in police attitudes, the difference between rich and poor. Ultimately though, despite all of this, the importance of friendship and reaching out to others makes this an unmissable read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this one at all. The conversations between characters felt unrealistic. The characters weren't developed enough and I just didn't get the whole kidnapping plot, or why they were abducted. It sounded like a book that I would like but it unfortunately missed the mark for me!

The Stolen Girls
by Jeff Stetson
Pub Date: 09 Feb 2024

The Stolen Girls is well written and fast-paced. It's a novel not only focused on finding the girls but it also draws you into the survival of these girls. Also the fathers, one white, one black, one rich, one poor - brought together by fate to find their daughters. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough.

Although it was a long read, I enjoyed this story with the twists and turns.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #TheStolenGirls and #StormPublishing for an E-ARC of this 5 Star book!

A black, hardworking, single Dad goes to pick up his daughter after school to discover her not there. The police don't take him seriously and send him home to wait for her pre-teen attitude to set her straight and send her home. A few days later, Jenny still has not returned home, Ron is watching the news, and sees a white, rich couple beg the public to search for their kidnapped daughter. Ron crashes the public plea asking for help to also find his daughter. This begins the unlikely duo of fathers who band together to search for their daughters.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I liked that it showed how today's society looks at wealth and skin color as priority and importance. The main storyline of kidnapping is every parents worse nightmare, and I appreciated how the author showed the parents pain and reaction to situations.

There are definitely some trigger warnings ⚠️ throughout this book... kidnapping, child sexual abuse, death, murder, and captivity. I found that this book didn't go into gory or too much detail.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jeff Stetson, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC.

This is the first novel I've ready by Jeff Stetson. I really can get into a book with short chapters. This book definitely picks up in the second half. I would not say it is my favorite thriller I've ever ready, but still was an okay read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this E-ARC. This book can totally be a tv show one that I love watching a ripped from the headlines story. This book was so raw and I really connected with the fathers in the story who as you can tell their daughters have been stolen. This book had me on the edge of my bed and or seat and I find myself screaming at my phone/tablet more than once and or crying. I really enjoyed this book.