Was a bit slow to begin with but got better. Full of twists and turns, lies and deceit! thanks for the early read

The Taken Child follows four female characters' POV over the course of a few days. There were multiple times throughout this story I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to re check what POV I was reading. I found the female characters quite samey. There isn't too much depth to them. All the female characters' lives are entwined in one way or another. All revolving around, a narcissistic male. Maybe check your triggers. Whilst it's not an indepth account of a narcissist, there are certain parts and sentences that can be triggering.
It held my attention enough to finish, I just found it predictable in places. Some of it just seemed a bit far-fetched.
The story has a few twists, full of lies, betrayal, and secrets. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy popcorn thrillers. Fast, easily bingable book to the right reader. This just didn't have enough depth both in its plot and characters for me.

Synopsis
A group of years 5 and 6 primary children are on a residential at an activity centre, when a horrible incident takes place and a teacher falls to her death. Everyone is in shock and being questioned by police to work out what happened to her. If all that wasn't enough, a child disappears, and the investigation takes another turn. Everyone is looking at each other, and they don't know who to trust.

I'm very thankful to have been chosen to receive an ARC copy of this book through netgalley, I requested this book based on the title, description, and book cover. ALTHOUGH, my PERSONAL views of this book are low in rating and some "negative" reviews, I still want to say that if this sounds like a good book to you, then PLEASE TRY it. Reading is very diverse. Unfortunately for me, this just wasn't what I was expecting. Maybe I took the title too literally because that didn't happen until 72% into the book. It was a slow burn for me, and I'm not a fan of slow burns. To me, the main premise of this book is about a love triangle/ lovers quarrel. I'd be fine with that if the title didn't make it sound like the whole book was about THE TAKEN CHILD.

This tells the story of a school trip that goes very wrong. Someone has an ulterior motive in going on this trip whilst another person is out for revenge. It ends up with an innocent women falling to her death . The police are called and they soon realise there is a lot going on with the teachers and a camp helper.
Great book this author and will look out for future ones.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I enjoyed the plot of this book. Although it started slowly, the opening chapters hooked me in, and the use of different narratives added new dimensions to the story. However, the second half was too rushed, making the revelations unclear, and too many plot points were just forgotten about.

I recently had the pleasure of reading an ARC of The Taken Child by Maria Frankland, courtesy of Netgalley, the author, and the publisher Bookoture. Having enjoyed Frankland's previous work, I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, although I found the title and cover somewhat misleading in relation to the main storyline.

The Taken Child delves into the tumultuous relationships and hidden secrets among colleagues at a local primary school, set against the backdrop of a school camp. While the title may suggest a focus on a child abduction, this event serves as a backdrop rather than the central plot.

Narrated from multiple perspectives, including those of teacher Leonie, teaching assistant Mia, head teacher Catherine, and parent helper Kirsty, the story unfolds with gripping intensity. As tensions rise and buried resentments surface, the characters' lives become increasingly entangled in a web of deceit and betrayal.

Amidst the drama, Frankland skillfully explores themes of workplace conflict, personal struggles, and the consequences of keeping secrets. The abduction subplot adds an additional layer of intrigue, though it is not the primary focus of the narrative.

Despite the title's divergence from the main storyline, The Taken Child is a compelling read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Frankland's adept storytelling and rich character development make for an engaging experience, earning this book a solid four stars. Many thanks to Netgalley, Maria Frankland, and Bookoture for the opportunity to delve into this captivating tale.

My, Worst. Nightmare. As a mom of four, this book just made me cringe, and crawl out of my skin. It was soooo intense! So good and well written! I loved the storyline, the characters and the realness of this situation. I stayed up way too late, and hugged all my babies the next day a little extra. Add this book to your TBR list.

Twists...OMG the twists. I was mind blown at this read! From the beginning I was like Oh...WOW...OMG! The absolute best pyschological thriller.

Great book by this author. Plenty of twists and turns with a great ending. Looking forward to more by this author.

Thanks to Maria and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed this book but it’s not my favorite of hers (I’ve read all her books) there were quite a lot of characters to keep track of and none of them were likeable.
The ending felt a bit rushed and I was left with questions. I did like Toby though felt he got a good ending!

The title grabbed my attention so had high hopes for this book but it left me a bit disappointed. There are so many characters, with preppy names that I couldn’t keep everyone straight. Every character had conflicting issues and hidden agendas. The first half of the book is spent with these young mommas and daddies all griping about their problems with each other, as they are chaperoning a three day school field trip together. Also, no-one was particularly likeable. For these reasons, I struggled to engage with the story.. but I persevered…

Toby’s dad has full custody of his son so the only way mom can spend some time with him is by helping out on his school trip. All the while ex husband, David, glares at her, making everyone uncomfortable. The field trip is marching along like clockwork as planned by the highly organized and overbearing teacher. But the next day the peace is shattered when a body is found. There’s a killer in the camp, and you’ll understand that no one can trust anyone, that is if they ever did. And the kicker is… young Toby has now disappeared.

As the investigation unfolds, old secrets are surfaced, and the truth of what happened and Toby’s whereabouts, becomes seeming out of reach.

Good book for psychological thriller fans. Word to readers… read intentionally in the beginning to keep straight in your head who is who or you will become lost as this reader found herself.

A solid book that delivered on its promises of being a thriller. I really enjoyed it but did predict the ending quite early on, and as others have said, most of the characters were really unlikeable. An all round decent book.

Wow! What a book! I couldn't read it fast enough. The tension and pace were absolute magic! Brilliantly unsettling, with characters so deftly woven that you never quite know who – if anyone – you can trust. Another riveting and powerful psychological thriller from this talented author. Maria frankland is a fantastic author and I’ve read all her books.

This book weaves a complex web of lies and deceit, with a central figure causing chaos and manipulating many. It's a tale of grudges, vengeance, and unexpected twists. When arrogance meets downfall, the dynamics shift, leading to surprising outcomes. The cat-and-mouse game takes unexpected turns, showing that even the best-laid plans can unravel. With a captivating plot and intriguing twists, this story keeps readers engaged and eager for more. A top-notch narrative from a consistently talented author, deserving of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

This author is one of my favourites and I know when I read it I am going to be in for a ride and it is not what it is seems. This was the case again and all the strands. At the beginning I was confused re the number of characters but it all worked. She completely captured the vibe of the early years parent/teacher setting - I remembered the different mums (not to the extreme of course)
This was a definite one setting read for me.

WOW - what a brilliant story. It's so well plotted and unputdownable. I read it in one day. A three day school outing goes haywire. There's an event that derails the entire event. There is deceit and lies and pulse pounding action from start to finish. There are diary inserts - but who wrote them? Two exes battle over their child. A past misdeed and a race to save a life and find a missing child. All put together in a winderful story by Maria Frankland. Highly recommended. Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutire for the ARC of this great book.

I had high hopes for this book but it left me a bit disappointed. So many characters, all with conflicting issues and hidden agendas. The first half of the book was spent with them all griping about their problems with the other characters, who were all conveniently chaperoning a school camp together. Most of them were not particularly likeable either. The entire premise, and its sub plots, seemed highly unlikely to me, so I struggled to engage with the story.

This book was immense
It was about a boy called Toby
He had full custody from his father David
Then he disappears and the mother would do anything to get Toby back
I had an ARC

Certainly!

Maria Frankland's 'The Taken Child' is a riveting tale of suspense and intrigue that follows the journey of a family torn apart by a devastating event. When a child goes missing under mysterious circumstances, the lives of those left behind are forever changed. As the investigation unfolds, secrets are revealed, and the truth becomes increasingly elusive. Frankland masterfully crafts a narrative filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers engaged until the final page. With its compelling characters and atmospheric setting, 'The Taken Child' is a must-read for fans of gripping psychological thrillers.

I really enjoyed this! The plot was original but it did feel a bit weird that the entire cast of characters seemed to focus around this one main character and their relationships towards him defined them and how they acted. If anything the child should have been central but this felt to be all about David.... which was odd. Anyways, it had some really good twists and turns. The characters were a bit annoying since all women apparently love the same man but other than that, it was a decent enough wee thriller. A bit of a different setting than anything else I've read and some really well plotted out twists