Kimberly and Jason are enjoying a family holiday on a cruise ship with their two children, baby Lily and two year old Robert. One morning Kimberly wakes to discover that Robert has disappeared from their cabin. The cruise ship is locked down while an intensive search for Robert takes place. However the child is not found and he's believed to have fallen overboard.. Jason, Robert's stepfather is under suspicion of harming Robert and spends the next 40 years frantically searching for the boy. Fast forward 40 years, and Lily is now a successful psychotherapist when a new client Zach comes to see her explaining that he's seen one of her father's interviews about her missing brother and sees a resemblance to himself in the photos of Robert.
Interspersed with the story of Robert's disappearance we hear from two young girls who are both living in an orphanage in Ireland in the 1960's. Five year old Sally is taken under the wing of Elsie who is a few years older and they remain the best of friends until Elsie leaves the orphanage when she turns 18. Once Sally also leaves they get back in touch and resume their friendship.
Told from three POV and three timelines, this is an enjoyable story although a little implausible at times. I did have an inkling what the twist at the end was going to be but wasn't completely right!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading an ARC of this book.

THE PHRASE ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’ does a lot of heavy lifting – once you start thinking about the worst thing that can happen to your child, you come to realise that the list is unbearably long. Yet, having your son or daughter go missing never to be found again must be pretty close to the top.
It’s summer 1984 and the Murphy family is on a European cruise. A delayed honeymoon for the parents, they have their six-month-old daughter Lily also in tow, as well as Kimberley’s son Robert, her two-year-old from a previous relationship.
While life on board the ship isn’t perfect, it’s typical of a family holiday with two young children. Robert plays a little too roughly around his little sister, and so earns a telling off from his stepfather, Jason. Kimberly feels a headache coming on, spoiling her and her husband’s plans to have a night at the cabaret while the kids are looked after by the on-board babysitters.
While she sits out the evening and takes a pill to sleep off the migraine, she encourages Jason to enjoy himself with a few drinks at the bar. The children are put to bed, Kimberley conks out, after a few hours Jason slips in to the room with only a hint of a stumble.
In the morning, they are ready to begin again – until they discover that Robert is not in their cabin. A frantic search ensues, the exits are blocked now that they have docked overnight in Barcelona, the local police are called in to help. It becomes clear that Robert is no longer on board the ship.
The story continues almost forty years later, in a now grown-up Lily’s office in Phibsborough. She is a psychotherapist with a young son of her own, happily married and supportive of her now separated mother and father, whose lives have been devoted to growing their business and keeping up the long search for Robert, respectively.
When a new patient walks through her doors their lives are upended, and the intersecting 1980s and 2020s storylines come together to flesh out the devastation of the actions of the past have inflicted upon them all over the decades.
Meanwhile, a third, earlier and seemingly unrelated storyline is also in play. It follows little Sally Fox as she finds her way from orphanage to the big wide world, in 1960s and 70s London. It is like an entirely different story, even down to tone, and a trust in the storytelling process is required not to skim these passages, which have the melodramatic quality of a second-hand paperback.
When all the strands converge, it is revealed what connects Sally to the Murphy family. It’s not the most groundbreaking twist of all time, nor one that most readers will not have seen coming towards the build up to the climax, but it is clever, and a solidly plotted and executed denouement.
The Stolen Child asks how much the past influences our present, and does it well. The characters of Kimberley and Jason each have very different responses to their child’s abduction, with Kimberley choosing to get on with her life as best she can and Jason abandoning everything else in the pursuit of the truth of what happened to his son.
Lily, then, has survivor’s guilt thrust upon her from an early age, and has always served as her parents’ mediator. Her early and continued experience of loss and grief has influenced her decision to enter the therapy profession, and as her own son approaches Robert’s age when he was taken, empathy with her parents’ anguish increases.
Sally’s story too investigates childhood trauma and inherited stigma, as well as the desperate acts of those in terrible poverty, and domestic abuse. Again, these themes are laid on a lot thicker than the more subtle subject treatment in the main storyline, and once the stories align the over-the-top drama seeps in to the otherwise restrained main narrative.
Overall, The Stolen Child is a well-paced story that deals with worst case scenarios and their impact on people and their descendants. The characters are generally well drawn and their growth believable, the three storyline threads well-woven. A good read, but probably best not reserved for this summer’s family ferry trip.

#netgalley

It’s 1983, and aboard The Carousel cruise ship, just off the vibrant shores of Barcelona, Kimberly awakens to a nightmare: her two-year-old son, Robert, has disappeared without a trace. While his sister, Lily, sleeps peacefully in her crib, darkness looms over Kimberly as the shocking reality sets in.

Enter a gripping tale billed as “a tense and emotional family drama brimming with secrets, an abducted child, and a mother’s desperate quest for the truth.” And oh my days, the web of lies is thick—who can really be trusted in this harrowing journey?

As frantic searches unfold with the crew and Spanish police scouring every corner of the ship, hope begins to dwindle. Robert’s family, haunted by his absence, fights to stay afloat emotionally.

Despite his family disembarking the ship in Barcelona and waiting for any news, none comes, and the family has to eventually return home to Dublin.

Understandably, this event leaves a palpable trauma hanging over the family unit, torn between focusing all hope on getting Robert to return to them and simply surviving everyday life.

Years later, a stranger appears, claiming to be Robert. The past resurfaces in a whirlwind of emotions, unravelling bonds and testing the very fabric of their relationships.

With the narrative skillfully woven across three key timelines and told from multiple captivating perspectives, each short and snappy chapter pulls you deeper into the mystery of Robert’s disappearance, the backstory and of course, the turmoil that follows.

Although I figured out the big plot twist fairly early on, I still found The Stolen Child to be a tense, twisty read. It’ll be a perfect companion for those lazy days lounging by the pool—you won’t want to put it down!

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy via NetGalley. As always, this is an honest review. The Stolen Child is available now.

OMG this book was phenomenally good!! All I thought was going on, rapidly proved wrong. What a great twist and what a book!

When Kimberley's son Robert goes missing her whole world falls apart. WIth her husband being a prime suspect we are taken on a roller coaster ride to find the truth about what happened to him. The story flits back and forth from childhood to the present day. A story of friendship and loss with a good reveal towards the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would highly recommend.

I enjoyed the story. I thought the twist was interesting and I enjoyed reading it unfold. My only "gripe" was that I found the dialogue a bit cheesy and unrealistic, particularly towards the end of the book during the revelations. Overall though it was a lovely read with an unexpected twist.

It's every parent's worst nightmare. But there's no waking up from this...
On board a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, Kimberly wakes to discover that her two-year-old son Robert has vanished from the cabin overnight. She and her husband Jason vow to do whatever it takes to bring Robert home.
But he is never found
Forty years later, their therapist daughter Lily welcomes a new client into her home. Zach has a shocking theory about what happened to her brother Robert years before.
If Lach is to be believed, someone out there knows what
happened on that ship. And they would do anything to stop the truth getting out.
X Have you read this book?! X If not, I would recommend that you do ASAP. I've read a few books by this author and love her way of writing. That twist though ... absolute genius !!
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#carmelharrington #thestolenchild
#reviews #new #author #followback #followers

Elsie and Sally meet when they are both growing up in care and become best friends. When Elsie comes of age and has to leave, Sally yearns for the day when they can meet again. Set predominantly in then and now the story alternates between the past when Sally has a traumatic, abusive marriage, eventually having a son and now back in touch with Elsie who does her best to protect her friend.
Then we are shown a family on a cruise ship with 2 young children and the eldest child disappears leaving his mother, Kimberly distraught. What is the connection? and now in the present time who is Zach who believes he may be that boy? Will this jigsaw puzzle off the past all fit together? A very easy to read thrilling rollercoaster of a story that was totally gripping

Although The Stolen Child has three different timelines and multiple characters, it is so brilliantly written with well defined characters, I found it easy to follow and totally enthralling. I thought I knew what was happening… until I didn’t!! And even when I was convinced about one twist I still couldn’t work out in my head how it was going to work - very clever storytelling.

Highly recommended for a great holiday read this summer… just maybe not on a cruise ship!

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an eARC of this book.

This isn’t a difficult book to review as I loved it. However to review it without spoilers is difficult. A mum called Kimberly is on a cruise with her son, daughter and husband. Her son, Robert, goes missing and all the time her husband Jason is a suspect. He then goes on to dedicate his life to finding Robert and also clearing his name.

The story jumps to two kids who end up in an orphanage, Sally and Elsie and their lives over the next 10 years or so.

As I said above, without spoilers this is hard to review. The characters are believable and larger than life and you can imagine that they could be any one of your friends. The backstory to each of the characters is great

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a captivating read

The Stolen Child kept me enthralled throughout. I knew there was a twist and I was on the right track, but I didn't quite nail it and for that I'm thrilled as I love it when books manage to surprise me.

I can't really talk about the plot too much without spoiling it for other readers, but the story begins with a young boy who mysteriously disappears from a cruise ship.

We travel back and forward in time throughout the rest of the book and gain a deep understanding of the characters. There is a lot of emotion to the writing and I felt deep compassion for Elsie and Sally, two girls who form a bond in an orphanage.

I galloped through this brilliant book but I have to admit I felt deeply sorry for Elsie in the end. Which won't make sense unless you read the book obviously but again, no spoilers.

A story that you feel connected to and that feels effortless to read is a win for me and The Stolen Child ticks both those boxes and then some.

A great story, told in a sympathetic way.

As parent it would be your worst nightmare.

Lots of twists and turns which keep you guessing.

A nice writing style which is easy to read.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Really liked the way it swung back and forwards in time. Loved both Elsie and Sally's characters and my heart ached for both of them for the start they had in life.

Every parent's nightmare when your child disappears and the descriptions given of the different feelings the parents went through really struck a nerve with me.

I thought I'd guessed how it was going to end half way through, but was completely wrong!

I am now a huge fan of this author, I loved the way she writes .

This was my first book of Carmel Harrington's, and I firmly believe I've started with the best. My reading journal is filled with notes and theories about who was really what and what this person's role was in the book.

The marriage of the timelines in the 60s-80s and the present day was absolutely incredible. I kept watching, right on the edge of my seat, as decade long secrets finally became revealed.

The story is incredibly fast paced, and in every storyline things progressed at a good pace. Questions I had ("why not get a DNA test?" "Why do I feel so suspicious about this person?") were quickly answered.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was fantastic. Emer Heatley is fantastic at protraying each character in distinctive ways, and her talent for accents really shines here. My one gripe with the audiobook is that you can sometimes hear the narrator clear their throat, which can be a little off-putting.

This is a book I'll be shouting from the rafters for quite some time.

I really enjoyed this book! It had a great story and was a quick read, I was intrigued all the way through.

I enjoyed this twisty thriller alternating between the 1970s / 80s and today with a child stolen on board a cruise ship that vanishes into thin air. It's only as the story unfolds that we realise there's a lot more to this and it's not a chance kidnapping.

A brilliant story spanning different decades. Elise and Sally bond with each other at an orphanage in Ireland run by nuns. They find each other again after leaving the orphanage at different times when reaching 18.
Years later, Kimberly is on a cruise with her family when her son goes missing and is not found. His father, Jason devotes his life to trying to find out what happened and shares a reconstructed photo of the baby now, causing someone to get in touch. Could he be the missing Robert?
Well written and with a link between the women that is not easy to work out!

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Elsie and Sally are two best friends at the orphanage run by nuns. When Elsie leaves, at the age of 18, Sally longs for the day when they will see each other and become best friends again.
On a cruise ship, Kimberly’s son disappears during the night and she, her husband and their daughter never get over it, with father Jason devoting his life to trying to track down missing children like his wife’s son. On the anniversary of the disappearance of her son, Jason talks on a TV program about him, showing a computer generated photo of what baby Robert would look like now. When a visitor to the area, Zach sees the programme and thinks it might be him the story really gets going.

I really enjoyed this book. All the way through I tried to work out the link between Sally and Elsie,and Kimberly. There are some very emotional parts as well as heartwarming and sad ones. A highly recommended read.

A wonderful, easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable book!!
I loved the well rounded characters & have been engrossed by the storyline. This is one of those books to read in one sitting on a sunny afternoon.

Things are never as straight forward as they might seem
Sally is sent to an orphanage in 70’s where she is befriended by Elsie. Their lives are tough never more so than when they have to leave and stand on their own two feet
Sally eventually marries but her partner is abusive - Elsie rallies to help
Meanwhile a parallel story in the 80’s On a cruise ship tells us about Kimberly and Jason and their search for their stolen child
We move to 2023 to hear the story of Zach who believes he is the lost child
There are so many threads and inter connected stories here but all becomes clear by the end - and it’s not what you expect!