When Jake was a baby he was abducted and his parents, Elaine and Nathan, feared the worst for the few months that he was separated from them but they were lucky, their baby came home. Eight years on and they appear to be a normal family – but are they? As a legacy of this kidnapping Elaine is perceived as an overly anxious mother – but who wouldn’t be? Then she discovers that the abductor has been released from prison.


One day the school nurse notices that Jake has a bruise on his back and after questioning Jake and his mother, she refers it to Child Protective Services who immediately get on the case. Meanwhile Elaine takes Jake to the paediatrician and long story short – they discover he has leukemia. Tests are made and the hunt for a bone marrow donor is on. I have to leave it there, no spoilers.

What I will say is: this is brilliant. We are introduced to a variety of characters: Nathan’s partner (a close friend of the family), Elaine’s neighbour Linda, CPS worker, mysterious stalker’s – all there to add to the twists and turns and worries that turn Elaine’s world upside down. OK, sometimes it got a bit crazy (I can’t imagine a mother deserting her son for such long periods whilst he was so ill), but poetic licence and all that.

Didn’t, couldn’t guess the end. Would, and could, recommend it as an exciting, psychological thriller.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Relay Publishing and Net Galley for an e-arc of this title in exchange for my honest review. This book was interesting, and it kept me reading, if only to figure out what the heck was going on. I didn't particularly like the characters, and I felt some of it was unresolved, even at the end. I'd recommend this, but there will be times that you might be scratching your head trying to figure out why the plot was taking the turns that it was.

The Found Child by Jo Crow is a psychological thriller about Elaine's son Jakob who went missing as a small child but was found and returned to them. Now Jakob has leukaemia and needs a bone marrow transplant but the doctors tell them that blood tests show that neither Elaine or her husband are a match as they are not related to the child. This book has a few twists and turns.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Relay Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. Very good book. I think I would kill my husband if he did this. Jake gets very sick with Cancer when he is in hospital his Mom discovers he is not her Son. His Dad has sold their real Son and bought this boy 8 years ago. Things get crazy they try to have her killed making it looked like suicide. I do not want to give to much away but this is a very good book.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of The Found Child By Jo Crow that I read and reviewed.
I really did not find this book what I was hoping it would be. The suspect was what should have been heartbreaking but these people where so evil and selfish and broken I really could not feel any pain for them. Yes, there were some twist and surprises but when you look at how self centered these people seemed was what was done really that shocking?
I can only give this book three out of five stars because the only person I liked the the book was Jake because he was the true victim and did not even know it.

The Found Child was an amazing read, highly addictive and one that you will not want to put down! A sad and Interesting read.

After the torture of her son being kidnapped, when he was a baby, Elaine finally gets her life on track. That is until Jake's kidnapper is released from prison and at the same time, the school nurse finds a mysterious bruise on his body. Elaine then has to endure her boy going through test and finding out he has leukemia and also the worry that his kidnapper might come back to finish what he started.

When looking for bone marrow matches for poor Jake, it comes to light that Jake is not Elaine and Nathan's biological son. Where is Jake? And who is this boy they have bought up for almost eight years?

"Hurting someone because you got hurt is how the world falls apart."

Wow! A non-stop thrill ride of a tale. Set on an interesting and intense premise I did not see coming. Very well done!

Jo is a new author for me but absolutely loved this book, kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and really enjoyed the way she writes.

Will definitely read more from this author and I can thoroughly recommend this book.

WOW!! Just finished this book and I need a second to get my breath back and think about what just happened. This book was like a runaway train once started it is unstoppable and just as thrilling!!

The book starts with Detective Aaronson having the horrible task of telling some parents that their child has not been found and that the lead has gone cold.

Elaine and Nathan find out their son Jake has leukaemia and he may need a bone marrow transplant and that’s when the secrets start coming out. Eight years before Jake had been abducted for a few months and returned apparently. But the bone marrow results show neither of them are his birth parents!!!

I have never read a Jo Crow book before, but I am seriously blown away by her ability to keep the reader in the palm of her hand and only release you when the book is finished. You are left with a lasting memory.

A must read book which should come with a warning to clear you’re diary, as you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

The Found Child is a psychological thriller/suspense through and through. You don’t know what’s happening and who to trust for majority of the book. This book is nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for your mind.

The prologue starts off with a bang and I knew I was in for a ride. Then, the story at present begins normally enough, with us getting vibes of a regular family, but the underlying tension and secrets are strong enough for us not to get fooled. The protagonist is established as an anxious, paranoid mother. You slowly start to realize that she is not reliable narrator. The author does well to make us doubt her along with most of other characters.

There are many things happening in the book – multitude of secrets and mysteries begging to be unfolded. And as the story progresses, even more questions crop up. Just when you think you’ve got the answer to one mystery, another question comes up to complicate that same mystery.

I had some problems with the flow of the book. So much is happening at such a fast pace, that one might easily get overwhelmed and confused. I also had problems with some of the plot lines.

For example, a school nurse informs Child Protective Services about bruises in Jake’s body which later turn out to be a symptom of his Leukemia. Later on, a woman from Child Protective Services comes to check up on him, and while she fails to get any proof of abuse on Jake, she does get him to open up about the tension between his parents he noticed since he became ill. So, that woman uses that as an excuse to announce about further visit in the coming week. I was very surprised at that. From what I’ve read and seen about Child Protective Services, they have a lot on their plates to check back and counsel parents struggling because of their son’s illness, a son who has evidently not been abused by rhem. That, to me seemed too unbelievable. Or maybe my knowledge about the Child Protective Services has been flawed all along.

Despite its flaws, the pace of the book actually ensures that you don’t get a breather to stop and think about any possible inconsistencies. But, there is still not complete closure at the end. The ending leaves you with the feeling that there could be more in store for us readers. I think I’d like that. Because I was still feeling conflicted when it ended. I was confused who to root for. And that’s a problem for me, because I always need someone to root for in a book or movie for me to be invested in it. Otherwise, what’s the point, really? But again, maybe I should appreciate the book for its ability to put me out of my comfort zone.

Anyways, overall, The Found Child was true to its genre. The twists and turns were excellent. And it was unpredictable enough to keep me at the edge of my seat.

https://rayasreads.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/arc-book-review-the-found-child-by-jo-crow/