This was a very interesting read. There were so many twists and turns - some you cold predict and some you would have never seen coming. Each chapter after the first few intro ones, were just full of secrets and reveals as you tried to understand - is there a missing little girl or not? And where is the mom / wife?

I liked the POV of the detective too. Her office politics and frustration made the lead into how things played out and all the twists so much more believably.

I did think the message was a <i>little</i> heavy handed. But the message was a good one so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. I liked this one!

This was a gripping, tense thriller about an abusive husband and a missing daughter. The story cleverly circles around until all the dots are joined up by the end. Very enjoyable thank you I would read this author again.

Thank You Net Galley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and Carrissa Ann Lynch for a chance to review this book.

There's something about a missing child and marital abuse that makes for really painful reading. Coz' even after the book is done, the story lingers in the mind. Carrissa Ann Lynch's Without a Trace definitely packs a punch, the premise of not being able to determine the existence of a child is itself a very interesting concept. The story moves thru 3 POV's. There's the Mother, Nova, the Cop, Ellie and then the neighbor, Clara. There's enough suspense built into the story that the tension ratchets up to a maddening tempo. Each and every one has some secret to reveal and thus the drama of missing child manifests into a domestic abuse, missing spouses and what not. I loved how the author has used the bare minimum to convey the thrilling aspects of the story. Impressive!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I'm unsure what I thought of this book to be honest, it seemed to drag in places, but was rushed in others, and whilst what was going on became clear, it felt contrived. The author wrote multiple characters well, and I liked the concept of how Nova sought support for her abuse, but there were other aspects of the story I'm uncertain about. I can't put my finger on my ambivalence about this story, but although I wanted to find out what happened, I wasn''t as captivated as I am with some books.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5***

Nova and her daughter Lily have escaped the prison her husband keeps them in. When they arrive at the first safe place Lily is abducted from her bed. The police can find no records of her existing! Not even a single picture.
A very twisty read. The POV switches between Nova, the cop and the neighbor or landlord Nova rents her getaway hideout from. This wasn't a book I easily knew what would happen next in. I finished it in hours wanting to know what really happened to Lily and Nova.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for my copy to read and review.

What a Big page turner, Without a Trace was By Carissa Ann Lynch before I knew it, I had finished it.
I found this brilliant book hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who want a quick read that will have you hooked.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the book!! It was fast paced and I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know what happened. There were so many twists and turns. I wasn't sure who to believe and kept wondering if Lily really existed. On the other hand, I kept thinking, if Nova is telling the truth about her husband then he is one scary/crazy person. Loved Officer Ellie James and she was by far my favorite character. I hated how her fellow officers treated her. Not sure how I feel about the ending. I honestly wasn't expecting it. I thought it was going to end differently but was so happy to finally learn the truth about everyone.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved every part- the story, characters and writing style. I can't wait to read more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Impulse and Killer Reads through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Without A Trace

Author: Carissa Ann Lynch

genre: thriller

pages:200



Lily’s gone.

Someone took her.

Unless she was she never there…

A little girl has gone missing.

Lily was last seen being tucked into bed by her adoring mother, Nova. But the next morning, the bed is empty except for a creepy toy rabbit.

Has Nova’s abusive ex stolen his “little bunny” back for good?

At first, Officer Ellie James assumes this is a clear custody battle. Until she discovers that there are no pictures of the girl and her drawers are full of unused toys and brand new clothes that have never been worn…

Is Ellie searching for a missing child who doesn’t actually exist

My Thoughts

Rating: 5

Would I recommend it? yes

Will I read anything else by this author? yes

This story pulls you in from the very start it makes you ask is Lily real and if so where is she, was she taking by her father , or was she killed by her mother or did some one else take her, or is she a fragment of Nova's imagination, and those are the same questions that Officer Ellie James has to answer as well, right form the start you since there is something really wrong but who is telling the truth and if Lily is real then why can't Ellie find anything on her and why doesn't nobody know about her, or if they do know about her who are they protecting is is Lily , Nova or both or is it Nove's ex, like I said it pulls you in to the story and keeps you guessing and making you want to know what it it the truth and what are the lies and who is tell them . There are times that I would go back and froth on with Lily was real or not. And there is more going on then what you think is going . With that said I would like to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

A page turner, impossible to put down. Thrilling and nailbiting-ly good. The only thing I had an issue with, was the abrupt ending. It felt a little rushed, something I wasn't ready for at this point. Aside from that it was really, really good.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads!

Really good read. I liked the plot and the characters and the writing style. There were a few shocks and the build up in the suspense was great. I did not guess the ending and thought it was a good way to end the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I've read quite a few of this author's stories and they usually involve domestic settings, with a mystery, and cleverly built suspense. The stories are dark and the characters are believable, but usually have secrets, which lead to outcomes most readers wouldn't foresee.

'Without A Trace' is creepy and sinister, told from three main, first-person points of view. The psychological thriller is characterised by an unreliable protagonist. This story has three and accompanied by a plot full of twists, and misinformation. It is difficult for the reader to decide who to believe. What is the truth? What is fiction? Are the answers somewhere in between?

Domestic abuse is the primary theme of this story, it is the reason Nova runs. The twisty plot is always coherent, you can see where this story is going, but you don't know what you will find when you get there.

The short chapters, providing viewpoints from the three main female protagonists, work well with this suspense led story. The reader has to wait to see what happens next to the character, whilst they are given additional facts and motivations from the other characters.

Poignant and dark this story has important messages, and the final events and resolution of the mystery are realistic and memorable.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins - Killer Reads via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Unputdownable!!

Wow! I think this just might be Carissa Ann Lynch’s best work yet! I was completely and immediately hooked!!! I could NOT stop reading. I love these characters. The story line had me on the edge of my seat. I had no idea what was going to happen.

With some surprising twists and turns, Without A Trace, is an absolute must read. This is one I’ll be recommending to my friends.

I can’t wait to see what Carissa Ann Lynch comes up with next!

Carissa Ann Lynch knows how to write a story to keep you hanging on until the very end.

I had no clue what was true and what wasn’t. I was doubting everything said by every character.

I love her writing and the little twists she puts in to make you stop and think but never put the book down.

There one minute and gone the next, or was she ever really there? If she was, how was all traces of Lily erased so thoroughly?

Nova Nesbitt and her daughter, Lily, age 4, have just moved into a log cabin many hours from her home. It is just the right size for the two of them. Nova has finally gotten the courage to leave her husband, Martin. He is an angry and violent man who takes his temper out on Nova. Even still, she is terrified that he will find them.

The first morning Nova goes to waken Lily only to find her gone. In her place in bed is a scraggly stuffed rabbit that Nova has never seen before. Nova is convinced that her husband has found them and has stolen Lily.

Ellie James, local policewoman, has been called to investigate the disappearance of Lily. Neighbor and landlady to Nora lives next door. Her name is Clara. When interviewed, Martin insists that they don’t have a child and that it’s a figment of his wife’s deranged imagination.

When a gruesome discovery is made in the cabin, Ellie realizes something truly sinister is at work in this case.

This story delves into the lives of women who have been broken down by abusive and controlling husbands to the point that they are totally under their spell.

But there is a much bigger plot afoot here and it will take some clever investigating to discover what has happened.

A good story but I must admit that I got a little frustrated trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Perhaps that’s what makes it a good mystery. Well done.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A solid read that was too predictable. I found the mystery to be cliched and the characters to be too unreliable. Overall a decent mystery.

I was very skeptical as i had never heard of this author. But thanks to #NetGalley i was able to read this book in exchange for a review. I really really liked this book! It was an easy read with richly developed characters and a unique plot. Of course where would a thriller be without the twist at the end, this one had a great twist. I highly recommend picking up this fast paced suspenseful thriller!

I started this book a little unsure, as the description gives away that the missing child that the story centers around, Lily, may not even exist. But as hoped, there's more to it than you think and I quite enjoyed the story. It's a sad tale about a woman named Nora who is either abused and afraid (if you believe her) or mentally unstable (if you believe her husband.). It's told from multiple points of view, including the neighbor of the property where the girl disappears and the investigating officer. Both of these woman are complicated in their own rights, with dark pasts and secrets that drive their motivations and behavior once Nova disappears.

It's definitely not your typical missing child story and the way it is set up leaves you wondering who is actually telling the truth. Or is there more than one truth? The inclusion of the knitting website was intriguing and I like to think that it is based in reality. I loved the ending to the story and felt that everyone got what they truly deserved. It sounds cliche, but I say it like that for a reason!

Defininitely a must for fans of Jessica Strawser's Not That I Could Tell! I fell in love with the characters and the many roles they each played within in the story and to each other. It's proof of just how small the world can be and how women truly do have each others backs, especially mothers.

The mystery of what happened to Nova and whether Lily is truly a figment of her imagination or a real child is quite the driving force in this book. I honestly didn't know what to make of Nova and Lily. There were times when I was sure she was real and times when I thought there was going to evidence that Nova was unstable and making it all up due to some mental disorder. I could honestly see it going either way while I was reading, which kept me interested enough to not put this one down!

I love the stories that are told from different perspectives because it gives you the inside information from all around. But often times, it can be confusing to switch characters when you're so engulfed in the words that you don't take time to realize one chapter has ended and another began. So I liked how this one not only gave the name of whose chapter it was, but also who they were. This book was so full of strong women that it was easy to confuse the names and who they were, especially in the beginning. So having those titles with each woman's name and description came in really handy and I wish more books would do it.

The writing and situations easily appealed to me and pulled me straight in. There's nothing better than when an author can make you truly believe the story you're reading and make you feel like the characters are real live, breathing humans. Lynch has mastered the writing game and I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out for her!

This book just wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't care for any of the characters and I didn't realize this was a book about abusive spouses which I don't really care to read about.