On board a cruise in 1984 two year old Robert vanishes without a trace while his family are all sleeping in the cabin beside him. Despite all efforts from his family he is never found. Skip forward to 2024 Lily is has lived in the shadow of her brothers disappearance all her life juggling her career as a psychotherapist and her family as well as being a mediator between her divorced parents. When a new client claims to be her missing brother lily belief that Robert drowned starts to crumble and she will have to face the truth of what happened on the cruise ship all those years ago.

This is a very slow burn and I did feel a bit lost till I got to grips with both timelines and all the characters, but it's well worth it and the twists were brilliantly done and I had no idea what to expect.

I also listened to this on audio and at times I found the Audio a little annoying and didn't follow completely but I had the ebook which I was reading alongside but overall not a bad audio. (Would give the audio 3 stars)

Thank you to Netgalley, Headline and Carmel Harrington for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A missing Child, a shattered family.

This book is set over 3 timelines
1984 set aboard The Carousel, sailing the Mediterranean, a young family are enjoying their cruise together. Kimberley, her toddler Robert, new husband Jason and their baby Lily. When 1 night the unthinkable happens. They awake one morning to find Robert has vanished overnight. The ship is searched, the local police are called and despite intensive searches Robert is not found. The investigating officer believes Jason has something to do with the disappearance.

2024 Lily, now grown up balances a busy Carter with her own young family. As the 40th anniversary of Robert’s disappearance approaches her dad Jason, who has never given up his search appears on local to, with the newest facial recognition photos, showing Robert how he may look now. The ghost of Robert has haunted their family, with no answers as to what happened to him, and suspicion towards Jason, it has been a difficult time for them as a family.

1970s/1980s, we meet Sally and Elsie 2 young girls, who meet in Sunshine House orphanage.

This was a powerful and emotional read, the characters well written and relatable. I was confused as to how things would all come together but come together it did.

I just had a slight niggle with continuity. At one point during the investigation the Spanish officer tells the parents that an Amber Alert has been raised, I am fairly sure that Amber Alerts didn’t become world wide until much later in the late 90s, early 2000s.


Despite that I highly recommend this book. I listened to the audio book and the Narrator did a great job

This is my first of Carmel Harringtons and it will definitely not be my last. I was enthralled from start to finish. The storyline unfolds through a past and present timeline which works well. It’s very cleverly written and it builds the suspense. I did find it to be a slow paced listen and a little predictable at times but having said that I still enjoyed it. When it comes to the characters I can’t say I really warmed to any of them as they gave me mixed emotions but I did really like Sally and I loved the relationship between Lilly and Zach. The narration was spot on and really brought it to life. Enjoyed this one and would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline Audio for the opportunity to read and review #TheStolenChild

The Stolen Child is a gripping novel that draws you in and keeps you guessing until the end. The story moves between three different times starting in the 1980’s when Kimberley's son Robert goes missing while on a Mediterranean cruise. Despite being asleep in a cabin with his mum, baby sister Lily and step dad Jason there is no trace of him and he is never found. The story also moves back to the 1960’s and 1970’s to a children’s home and to the present day, where Lily meets a new client Zach who thinks he may be her missing brother. I thoroughly enjoyed this book due to the emotive writing style and characters who I was completely invested in. I will be looking out for more novels by Carmel Harrington.

A steady slow burn of a listen unwinding over three generations. The Stolen Child twists and turns, weaving its way through the emotional fallout and long-lasting repercussions of abandonment, loss, love, lies, friendship and family in the face of tragedy. Will tug on your heartstrings, whilst you tug on on your hair, trying to figure things out.

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.

This is a lovely novel that comes with its fair share of intrigue and plot twists! I find it hard to categorise this novel as it will to appeal to readers of multiple genres I feel.

The story features (I think!) 3 distinct timelines - one past, one present. Initially these seem like distinct (and equally gripping!) stories, but of course they do converge, and the point at which they do is quite spectacular!

One of the timelines starts with a child abduction on a luxury Spanish cruise. Another is the tale of 2 young girls growing up with Nuns in an orphanage, while the 3rd is about a family in Ireland using facial recognition software to look for the child (now man) who was abducted 40 years previously.

This is such an easy listen, the narrator does a fantastic job at taking on different accents and voices to distinguish the characters.

This book I’m sure was a labour of love from the author, it is so well thought out, so well written and is just superb!!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

It's about a family on a boat in the sunny sea. Mom, Dad, and their kids, Robert and Lily. Then, boom, Robert vanishes.

At first, it's super intense. You really feel the mom freaking out, and you're like, "What's up with the dad?" The story jumps around in time. We see what happened when Robert disappeared, what happened way before, and what's happening now.

Now, Lily's grown up, and she helps people with their problems. Her parents aren't together anymore, and Dad's still stuck on Robert. Then, someone she's helping says something that flips everything upside down.

The scary, fast feeling goes away a bit. It gets more like people thinking about stuff, not just running around. It's like, time has passed, so everyone's a bit calmer, but slower. But I still wanted to know what happened. And there were surprises I didn't see coming. It was a fun story, and I liked it.

This thriller about an abducted child was well-narrated but unfortunately poorly written. The overuse of clichéd phrases was grating and the twist ending was given away by repetitive not-so-subtle clues. I will say that I enjoyed the storyline about Elsie and Sally, and the novel was well-paced.

I listened to the audio version which is well narrated throughout. The story centres on events on a cruise ship in the Med. Kimberley and Jason have gone on holiday with their two children, Robert and Lily. Robert goes missing.

The story starts really well. There’s a strong sense of tension and drama as events leading to the disappearance build. Kimberley’s distress is almost palpable and Jason’s part in it all is questionable. The narrative plays out over three timelines. The disappearance, some 20 years before and the present day. Each timeline adds to the plot development as in the current period, we find Lily working as a therapist, her parents separated and her father obsessed. Events turn when a client has a theory about the disappearance. The tension changed a little. After a strong fast paced start, the story became more introspective and less of a thriller. Years have gone by, of course, and that sense of drama dissipated, but the pace slowed considerably. However, it held my interest throughout and there are unexpected twists, impossible to second guess. Well written escapism, I enjoyed it.

This is the type of book my Nana would have classified as " a good old yarn".
In 1984 a toddler goes missing on a cruise ship. In 2024 the family are still devastated and the fall out from the loss of their son and brother has fractured and impacted this family every day since. After forty years, the truth is finally going to surface.

I thought this book started strongly but unfortunately my interest waned as the book carried on. I think it is more of a domestic drama than a thriller/suspense and I will admit these type of books wouldn't be the genre I am drawn too so possibly a case of wrong reader for this book. I too think fans of this author/ genre will enjoy this book but for me, it was a little too drawn out with unnecessary detail and I found the pacing uneven. Had it been shorter I think I would have enjoyed it more.

The narration of the audio was good and this kept me going with this book where I think I may have struggled to finish this has I only read it.

Not for me but will be a hit with others I am sure.

2.5 stars.
4 stars for the narrator/ audiobook listening experience.

I enjoyed this family drama/thriller book so much.

I expected a search for a stolen child, a few red herrings, and finally, they turn up.

THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THAT...

Told over 3 timelines, the day the child is stolen, a long time before, and a long time after. I enjoyed each timeline equally, and they all flowed seamlessly.

The past goes back to the 60's/70's and I loved looking at life in that era.

I listened via audiobook and loved the narrator's soft accent. She really brought the characters and story to life.

Thanks so much to Headline Audio and Netgalley for my arc copy of this book.

I was really intrigued by this one, and boy did it deliver! So Kimberly and her family are on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, one morning her son is just not there. I mean, I’d lose my mind, so I was hoping they would find him. Fast forward 40 years, and Robert is still missing. My heart broke for Jason, looking for his son al this time, putting out news pleas, getting new photo mock ups of what Robert could look like.

I liked the character of Lily, and Zach too. I did guess what was going to happen, but it didn’t take anything away from the story at all.

I’ll definitely read more from this author.

What a fantastic story! Plotted out so well! I loved how it all came together in the end and I didn’t guess the ending at all. Loved the pacing, it was done really well and I was enthralled throughout. Absolutely loved the side characters like Nicola and Sister Jones. A fantastic read and one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline audiobook of The Stolen Child. It's a psychological thriller / drama that I actually could envisage on the tv it was very much brought to life, and I was completely immersed from beginning to end.

When the characters are first introduced to us we meet a mum and dad with 2 young children on a cruise when mum Kimberly goes to bed with her baby daughter Lily and her son Robert is asleep in the next room her husband Jason is along at the bar having a couple of drinks however when the couple wake in the morning their whole world has changed as Robert is nowhere to be found.

Investigators board the ship do a thorough sweep before the family depart in Spain, where they continue to look for their son.

We then have the other timeline, which is from a grown-up version of Lilly, who is now helping others in her career due to their family experience. When she meets her client Zac, her dad hasn't given up hope that Robert is still alive somewhere and has been making age reconstruction images to try and find his son, which Zac has seen. Zac comes to Lilly with an incredible story of how he had an imaginary mum, not a friend, and questions if these are memories rather than a normal behaviour of childhood development in play.

This is where the various twists and turns come in to the book and things really begin to get extremely interesting we are also sumbermeged back in time to the lif of kimberley before she met her husband so actually this audiobook is really 3 different timelines that we experience throughout which thankfully wasn't too difficult to follow and flowed relatively well which is a credit to the author as this can be difficult to do with such fluidity without confusing the reader/listener.

The narration of this audiobook by Emmer Heatley was very well done as all characters really felt came to life and were easily disnguishable throughout the entire audiobook. It was a pleasure to listen, and the accents were also well done, making it overall a pleasure.

With thanks to Netgalley & Headline Audio for this ARC in return for an open, honest review. Best wishes for publication on 27th February 2025 📚

This was an interesting listen, it wasn't what I thought but worked well as it made me concentrate and work on the meaning behind the book. The twist worked well.

Initially I struggled with the narration but it soon worked well.

Wow! What a brilliant, brilliant plot!

Kimberly Murphy is desperately searching for her son, Robert, who was abducted as a toddler, 40 years ago.

In the past, we learn of Sally and Elsie, best friends who grew up in an orphanage together, trying to find their path in life.

When Kimberly’s daughter, Lily, is approached by her American client, Zach, claiming to be her long lost brother, the Murphy family are thrown into turmoil… and hope!

I loved both stories, especially Sally’s and the character development was fabulous; I felt completely immersed into these character’s lives. I couldn’t see how the two stories would link, so I just enjoyed the ride, until they came crashing together and my jaw hit the floor!

The narration by Emer Heatley was spot on and her accents were brilliant; I especially loved the soft Scottish lilt.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Carmel Harrington and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Oooh this was excellent!

I believe Carmel Harrington is an author new to me. I don’t think I fully anticipated the journey that this title would take me on. I was expecting a bit of a police procedural, but what I got was so much more.

A story that starts out with a child stolen during a family holiday, then catapults us 40 years into the future and the aftermath of that day for little Robert’s family.

Lily, the child left behind is now a psychotherapist and when she welcomes a new client with a theory on what happened to Robert, everything is going to come spilling out.

The writing is rock solid, I had an honest to god Wtaf moment at the twist, then another.

The narration on this was first class 🎧

Storytelling at its best!

Guess what?
All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

What a rollercoaster of emotions this book takes you on. Set in three different times we get to know two young girls growing up in an orphanage, meet them again as adults and are then shown the tragic events that destroy a family. The links become clear late in the story when we finally, 40 years after the main event, discover exactly what happened to the toddler on the boat.
A tragic story with a great twist

🎧5⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Emer Heatley. I love Irish narrators, although it’s not all Irish. Emma doesn’t disappoint. There were a lot of swallowing noises during the narration which I don’t usually get on audio, it didn’t stop me loving this book.

A new author to me. Initially I thought another stolen child trope nothing new to see here, but this is excellent, my favourite read using this trope. Hats off to the author this is in my books of the year.

There are two seemingly separate threads, Robert a young child goes missing on a cruise ship. His mother Kimberley and his step dad Jason spend 40 yrs wondering what happened to him as he wasn’t found at the time.
The other thread friends Sally and Elsie age out of social services care in the 80’s.
The two threads from the past are joined with one in the present.

I found it totally engaging throughout with a good pace, plenty of interest spread evenly through the story. The threads are weaved together well to divulge the story in a seamless manor. The majority of the characters are likeable, there’s some we are not supposed to like.