I requested this from Netgalley in return for an honest opinion .I regret to say, despite some glowing reviews,, that I found it rather nasty rubbish. It’s an American book featuring female child abduction and male child abuse.. That this happens we know all too well from TV news and papers, but I don’t need to read a fictionalised account as well . The real thing is bad enough. And this story I found unbelievable, blown up to daft proportions.. It left me feeling disquieted.

There are a lot of 'missing person' books around, but this one is a cut above most others. The intriguing twists and great writing meant I literally couldn't put it down.

Although not necessarily all that comfortable with the plot.
If you can put up with the far fetched story line then this is a easy read.

A gripping book. A topic that is written about quite a lot now but this book is worth the read

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I Know Where She Is is about Francine and Will, and their daughter Autumn who was kidnapped from a shopping mall 10 years previously. Francine spent a lot of those years drunk and so her and Will got divorced. Will spent those 10 years in therapy and writing books about Autumn's kidnapping.
Then as the 10 year anniversary looms, a strange teenage girl turns up to see Francine claiming that she's spent the last few years in a house in the woods with Autumn. Lena claims that many girls have been kidnapped for the use of paedophiles, including celebrities and the police.

I really enjoyed this book. The first part of the novel, you're trying to guess whether Lena is telling the truth or whether she is insane, or trying to con Francine.
The book is fast paced and keeps you reading. The writing style makes this book really easy to read despite the subject matter. I would definitely recommend for those who aren't of the faint hearted and want a fast paced thriller.

A page-turner from start to finish... Highly recommended.

Sorry this book was not for me. I found the whole plot so drawn out and upsetting that I couldn't plough on. That is not a criticism of the book though, more of why I like to read. A bit too close to life for me - sorry!

Firstly thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
This was certainly a gripping thrill ride of a story. Well written with strong female characters who you can really get behind and root for.
The bad guys are truly disturbing, as is the situation!
I would recommend this to all thriller fans and look forward to reading more from this author.

Excellent book, highly readable, thought provoking , and hard to put down. Recommended.

Francine has been driven to despair and the bottom of many bottles of vodka since her daughter was kidnapped years ago. Separated from her husband, who has moved on with life, she's about to hit rock bottom. Then a note comes, saying 'I know where she is...'

Hope ignites. But what comes next in the form of a young distressed girl who claims to know her daughter, seems so unreliable that Francine can't go to the police.

Her ex believes the note is a prank.

Francine has no choice but to find her daughter herself. Hope gives her something to live for, and she finds an inner strength she didn't know she had.

This is an engaging page-turner that keeps the suspense high. Francine is an interesting woman. Her alcohol abuse doesn't define her, it's simply part of what she's been until now. She's determined and tenacious and I liked that. The relationship with her ex isn't overly predictable.

The story as a whole (even though I read it in two sittings) wasn't 100% my cup of tea. It's a 'big' suspense plot, rather than say the sort of case where a single individual is responsible, and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. I also feel I've read this kind of story before. Can't be too specific due to spoilers! I suppose I prefer more intimate books that look more closely at a few individuals and their motivations. This book has a bigger scale, a larger evil, and doesn't look too much at why these people act like this (other than the rather obvious motive of seeking sex/power).

It took a little while for me to get into this story. Little bit slow at first but then it gathers pace and by the end I just couldn’t put it down. I went through the whole range of emotions and was so scared at times for the two main characters. I loved the character of Francine and how she never gave up hoping that she’d be reunited with her missing daughter. The storyline shows the darkest side to the human character and makes you feel sadness, horror and anger. It’s an excellent debut novel and I definitely look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this book and being introduced to this author.

This had a gripping storyline, which at times was difficult to follow due to the upsetting content.
I would definitely recommend you read this.

This was a really gripping book - I read it within 48 hours of starting! It’s a thriller that keeps you engrossed the whole way through, would definitely recommend.

Recommended Four stars. Initially, I found this book hard to get into. However, once I did it had me hooked. A good read albeit a little far-fetched in places.

A thrilling read that keeps you turning the page, this novel describes in vivid details the turmoil of a mother who has lost her daughter and the dark world that exists beneath civilisation.

Well written and sublimely paced, this novel is able to grasp your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat as you explore more deeply the world in which Francine finds herself.

Torn between a mother fighting a losing battle and a staunch determination to find her lost daughter, never losing hope against all odds, this book pulls you in and keeps you immersed while you vie for Francine against all odds.

A parent's ultimate nightmare, this book resonates on every level as somebody with children of my own.  I lived her nightmare, her hope, her frustration and her anger, egging her on at every  step, relishing in her successes but also ruing her failures and challenges.

This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy a tense thriller but is not for the fainthearted; a dark story line but exhilarating in the way it is written.  A must read novel by a talented author.

I Know Where She Is by S.B. Caves is a riveting psychological thriller that will mess with your mind and your emotions.
The novel is menacing - bad guys have families and faces just like good guys. How do you tell them apart?
The question of trust arises. The very people who should be keeping girls safe, fail them and let them down. There is misguided trust. People are loyal to what they know, fearing the unknown.
What is truth? What is imagined? Who can be trusted? Characters and readers wrestle with these questions.
Corruption is rife. Just who are the good guys?
The one firm foundation is the love of a mother. A love that will not let go. A love that refuses to give up. A love that keeps on hoping. A love that will not stop believing. Like a Rottweiler with a bone, a mother's love clings on and will not let go.
I Know Where She Is is a disturbing read. There is more than a hint of menace. It will invade your thoughts and mess with your mind. This book will consume you. The ending will leave you wanting more.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I am split in half with this book. It’s well written, compelling reading, great twists. But I really struggled with reading about child abuse and gang rapes. It’s very unsettling and disturbing to read as a topic. I skipped most of the parts which referred to this. Some may not mind reading these topics and being part of the story line. But I struggled.

Equally I wanted to read to the end to see what happened. I just had to know the ending and continue.

Every parent’s nightmare. In that respect, this book did it’s job very well as I was almost afraid to read it; the content, chilling and disturbing. Very well written. It portrayed so well, that mother instinct to fight for her young no matter the outcome.

Francine’s young daughter, Autumn, was abducted 10 years ago but Francine has always believed that she is alive and has never given up hope of seeing her again and being reunited. She then receives a scrawled note – “I know where she is” – written in a childish hand. Her ex-husband dismisses the news so Francine is on her own.

The book, therefore, shows huge promise at the early stages. Despite the fact that this is not a new idea, the way in which it is approached is novel and well presented. The style of writing is excellent. I did have great trouble at times with the dialogue in determining who was speaking but that may have lain more with the fault of the Kindle format than with the writer. The pace of the plot was excellent. It rose and fell and gave the reader an opportunity to recover during the quiet spells. Books with light and shade are always more interesting than those written purely on one level.

My major criticism is with the actions taken, or not taken, by the heroine of the piece, Francine. It’s not possible to be more specific without introducing spoilers but there were several points throughout the story where I was screaming that she would not have done what she did. In fact, this woman is so irrational that she ranks among my top ten people I would least like to meet. Now that doesn’t necessarily make this a bad book but it did spoil the enjoyment for me as I have to believe in the actions of the main characters and couldn’t do so. It’s also not enough to be told that a mother seeking her lost child will do anything. Whilst that’s true, against the odds she faced she wouldn’t succeed.

If you are someone who can easily suspend belief then I heartily recommend the book. I can’t – hence the three-star rating.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Any book about a child's disappearance is harder to read once you are a parent as you have the 'what would I do' thoughts. This was true for this book. The mother has never given up hope but the father needed to move on and doesn't want to believe that any can know where she is.

The book draws you in and wills you to want the mother to be right in 'knowing' her daughter is still alive. I enjoyed reading this and if you want to know what happens, get a copy!