It was ok but I did not really connect to any of the characters and I found myself getting bored.I do not feel I want to put my review on Amazon as it is not a good one.

What a book! Being a mother myself this book really got to me. I cannot imagine having a child taken - spending years without him and then when he returns you just do not know him anymore. 
The book was page turning and while I had figured out what was going to happen on my own, I still couldn't wait to read about how it all played out. Definitely recommend and will be reading more from this author!

It was quick and easy to read. I struggled to really connect with any of the characters. It was a good book, not really a thriller as marketed but more of a drama.

An emotional read full of tension and suspense. A realistic portrayal of the situation. I didn't expect it to hit the emotional level it did but, it made you feel like you were right there with the characters. I will definitely read this author again.

Wow! What a book. I really enjoyed this. I was so excited to read it based out of Australia and I was not disappointed. It was definitely a heart wrenching rollercoaster of emotions. I'll definitely be reading more from this author. 

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview the Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope.  This book is set in Australia but it could be set anywhere.
 A woman, Megan, is suddenly caught up in having her son taken by her ex-husband.  Megan is devistated and is finally making it back to her old life when her son comes back many years later.  Megan is so happy but unsure how to integrate her son back into his old life.  She has no idea what happened to him, but she must do what it takes to get him back the way he was.
Good Book - for me not a thriller, but a good drama that earns 3 stars from me.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: having something happen to your child. Megan arrives at school to collect her 6-year-old son Daniel one day, only to discover that he’s nowhere to be found because he’s already been collected by his father Greg – her ex-husband; the husband she finally had the courage to escape from, divorcing him after suffering years of control, abuse and cruelty. The police are contacted immediately – how difficult could it be for a man and child to simply disappear? But that’s exactly what they’ve done and Greg has ensured that they’ll never be found.

Six years later Megan has re-married and has a baby daughter Evie, when Daniel walks into a police station in a remote town not far from where Megan now lives, and tells them who he is. She can hardly believe it! The son who she never gave up hope of seeing again, is finally coming home! Only, when she goes to collect him, she discovers that he’s cold and distant – not at all the same as the warm, loving child he was before. What has happened to her Daniel in the six years he was gone, and is there any hope in him ever really coming back to her?

Nicole Trope does a sterling job of drawing us into a family in the midst of devastating trauma – at first when we witness Megan’s sheer heartbreak at losing her son for the first time, and then again when she finds him, only to feel like she has lost him all over again as she realises he will never be the child she envisaged. Even though this time she has her kind, supportive and patient husband by her side, he will never understand that what she is feeling just cannot include him – even though he was the investigator on the case when Daniel was first reported missing and swore to her even then, that he would be found. So even though he does have his own invested interest and care in Daniel – it’s completely different to that of being his parent.

Trope gets to the heart of her characters. Her portrayals are extremely well-rounded and real and she holds back from going overboard. Daniel’s realisation that his father has poisoned his entire childhood and memories of his mother is painful both to him and to the reader. I imagine that the research involved would have been even more so.

This is a heartbreaking story of a family wrenched apart, only to be put back together like a jigsaw puzzle … with the pieces in the wrong places. The writing is excellent and riveting from the very first page. You’ll feel your stomach twist in anticipation with each turn of the page. 5 tingling stars for this one – and I’ll be looking for other books by Nicole Trope. I feel I’ve missed out by not having read them!

Excellent read. Hard to put the book down. Right from the start you were sucked in and new this was going to be a good one. The storyline was wicked. Not quite knowing where it was going next. There was lots of twists and turns in the road.

If you are in the mood for a mystery novel then The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope is the read for you. The novel starts off with a case that could happen to anyone as Megan and her husband argue like cats and dogs as he is controlling and abusive towards her. Megan has had enough, so she takes her son Daniel and moves out. Trying to start new, Megan enrols Daniel into school and things seem to be working until one day when Megan's worst nightmare happens. She has gone to school to pick up Daniel - her six-year-old son, only to learn that her ex-husband picked him up and now has gone off the grid kidnapping her son, her baby boy.  Six years pass and though Megan thinks about her son all the time and has joined a support group for similar parents and made two great friends Tom and Susan who have been through similar cases. She is trying to move on with her new husband -Detective Michael and their young baby girl Evie. One day Megan gets a phone call from her husband, saying that they have found Daniel. Megan rushes to the station and sees her son. It should be a happy reunion, but her boy isn't the same kid she said goodbye to that morning she dropped him off at school. This Daniel is sullen, hiding things, keeping secrets and acts just like a carbon copy of her ex-husband. What happens though when Megan discovers some unsettling news and her past comes to haunt her? Can Megan protect her little girl from having the same fate as Daniel happen to her? I have to admit, I liked the twist of the ending of this book but didn't like what happened to Megan as I felt it was a let-down to the story as it was like she just got her family back and now we will rip it apart again in one way or another - WTF ??. Overall, the Boy in the Photo was a good mystery but in parts could tell it was Australian due to the slower pace of the story.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the author got the mystery genre extremely well. It is definitely a book I’d buy.

This is a great book.  I probably could have given it 5 stars, but it really takes a lot to be a 5-star book, doesn't it?  Nicole Trope is an excellent writer.  From the first page, she spun a story that drew me in.  While missing children stories are quite common, this one is definitely better than most.  It is told from a different point of view...that of the abductee and the mother.  I love the book went back and forth in time, but it was still easy to keep track of the progression.  The characters were well-developed and most were sympathetic and relatable.  I did think there could have been a bit more story development in the present day period of time.  I won't go into that so I don't give anything away.  Overall, this story was suspenseful and well-written.  I would recommend it for most general fiction and thriller readers.  It's an easy read, since the plot doesn't get too complex and there are just enough characters to make the story complete.  There were a couple times I thought about putting this book aside, but it was just interesting enough to keep me reading on.  Overall, this is an easy read...would be great for the beach.  Give it a go.

Set in Australia The Boy in the Photo is a good thriller which is based round Megan and her son Daniel who is snatched by her ex husband Greg from school one day when he is only 6 years old.After fearing the worst over the next 6 years Daniel suddenly reappears after walking into a remote police station alone claiming his dad has died in a fire.Megan is over joyed to have her son back but all is not sweetness and light as Daniel has to deal with a new dad and baby sister.Megan is still not convinced about her son's account of where he has been during the missing 6 years and the death of her ex husband still leaves her thinking about the past and just what Greg has done to Daniel ? It is a well written thriller but i did guess the ending that was  coming and i wouldn't describe it as a pageturner  never the less it is a good 4 star thriller for me.

I found The Boy in the Photo to be really compelling so devoured it in under 24 hours. 

Megan’s son (Daniel) was abducted by her abusive ex-husband at the age of 6 and miraculously is returned to her more than six years later. Daniel struggles to fit into his new life and Megan is unsure what trauma he has suffered at the hands of ex.

This book is fast-paced with several twists and turns. I would recommend to anyone that loves a thriller.

The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope is getting rave reviews and its another one you must add to your TO-READ list immediately. Anything where a child disappears sparks my interest. Can you even imagine something so scary happening? It’s every parent’s nightmare. And what if your child came back to you…but now he’s different and not in a good way?

Here’s the scoop:

Megan waits at the school gates for her six-year-old son, Daniel. As the playground empties, panic bubbles inside her. Daniel is nowhere to be found.

According to his teacher, Daniel’s father picked up his son. Except he and Megan are no longer together. After years of being controlled by her cruel husband, Megan finally found the courage to divorce him. Hands trembling, she dials his number, but the line is dead.

Six years later

Megan is feeding her new baby daughter when she gets the call she has dreamt about for years. Daniel has walked into a police station in a remote town just a few miles away.

Megan is overjoyed – her son is finally coming home. She has kept Daniel’s room, with his Cookie Monster poster on the wall and a stack of Lego under the bed, perfect to welcome him back. But when he returns, Daniel is quieter than she remembers…

Desperate to find out what happened to her little boy and to help him heal, Megan tries everything – his favourite chocolate milkshake, a reunion with his best friend, a present for every birthday missed – but still, Daniel is distant.

And as they struggle to connect, Megan begins to suspect that her son is hiding a secret. A secret that could destroy her family…

This book is out now! Get it here.

A mother's worst nightmare comes true for Megan while waiting for her 6 year old son to come out of school one day - he's not there. Someone else has collected him from school without permission, and they have both disappeared. Greg was abusive to Daniel's mother during their marriage, and now he's getting his revenge. 
Years pass, until finally the long awaited call comes - they've found Daniel. But things don't go quite as she always dreamed it would....
I enjoyed this story, wondering myself the whole time how I would cope after all the time of wishing your son to come home, and then when he does it's not exactly how you always dreamed it would be. He seems scared, angry and distant. Is is (understandable) trauma or is it something more?

Nicole Trope had me shaking my head and upset many times in The Boy In The Photo. I knew it would be an emotional read based on the synopsis, but I was unprepared for the feelings that surfaced.  Ms. Trope laid out a story that kept me reading steadily. The events that unfolded were predictable, but she managed to make them seem fresh because of the depth and complexity of the characters.  If you like character driven, emotion packed domestic suspense, I can recommend The Boy In The Photo, but be warned, the overall subject is difficult and dark.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Wowza!!  Simply Amazing. The Boy in the Photo is one amazing book you HAVE to get your hands on if you like suspense, but this one also comes with with a lot of emotional and nerve-wracking content. I completely enjoyed this book from start to finish. And for some strange reason, even after the mystery was solved I wanted to keep going long after the last chapter was done.

Recently divorced Megan with her six-year-old Daniel is still coming to terms with the trauma that was her marriage. When she finally found the courage to break free from Greg, she doesn't have the hear to separate her little boy from his father, but this mistake costs her dearly when one day after school Greg picks up Daniel, never to be seen again.
Six years later Megan has re-built her life and has a daughter Evie. She's moved on but has kept looking for her boy Daniel. When one fine day, she receives the call she's been waiting every day for the past 6 years - Daniel is found. When Daniel finally returns home, Megan's joy knows no bounds, but something is off about Daniel - he's quiet, speaks without emotion, rebuff's her attempts to hug him. And as they struggle to connect, Megan begins to suspect that her son is hiding a secret. A secret that could destroy her family…

Both characters and the plot of this book are simply outstanding. There are a few books out there that have explored the topic of parental child abductions, but this one takes the cake. It felt authentic and real.
The Boy in Photo keeps the momentum going up till the very end. You feel the thrill all along. I figured out the ending earlier in the book, but that didn't stop me neither did my interest wane. Nicole Trope has done a wonderful job with the topic and I look forward to reading more of her books soon. Highly recommend this one!

Thank You, NetGalley, Bookouture and NetGalley for an arc!

She becomes aware of the silence at the other end of the line. A prickling sensation crawls up her arms. Her heart speeds up. ‘Found who?’ she asks, slowly, carefully, deliberately.
‘They found Daniel.’
Six years ago
Megan waits at the school gates for her six-year-old son, Daniel. As the playground empties, panic bubbles inside her. Daniel is nowhere to be found. Her darling son is missing.
Six years later
After years of sleepless nights and endless days of missing her son, Megan finally gets the call she has been dreaming about. Daniel has walked into a police station in a remote town just a few miles away.
Megan is overjoyed – her son is finally coming home. She has kept Daniel’s room, with his Cookie Monster poster on the wall and a stack of Lego under the bed, in perfect shape to welcome him back. But when he returns, there is something different about Daniel…
According to the police, Daniel was kidnapped by his father. After his dad died in a fire, Daniel was finally able to escape. Desperate to find out the truth, Megan tries to talk to her little boy – but he barely answers her questions. Longing to help him heal, Megan tries everything – his favourite chocolate milkshake, a reunion with his best friend, a present for every birthday missed – but still, Daniel is distant.
And as they struggle to connect, Megan begins to suspect that there is more to the story. Soon, she fears that her son is hiding a secret. A secret that could destroy her family…

This was an outstanding read.
So packed with emotion, heartbreak, suspense; just had ne utterly gripped and could not put it down.
I could feel her heartbreak while reading and found myself in tears.
It's not just about the time missed it's also what happens after found.
Magnificently written and so engaging.
The author has done a magnificent job on creating the world and the characters throughout.
Highly recommend reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC .  I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Daniel was six years old when he was kidnapped by Greg, his father,  his mum Megan, has never stopped looking for him and thinking about him.  Six years have passed and we find Megan has finally remarried to Michael, who is a detective she met when he was I investigating Daniel’s kidnapping.  She also now has a baby daughter Evie.  One night, out of the blue, she receives a telephone call saying that Daniel had walked into a police station saying there has been a fire and his father Greg, is dead.  But Megan’s euphoria at being reunited  with Daniel soon disappears as she realises that he is cold, distant and withdrawn and has been totally brain washed by Greg after he told him that she didn't want him and was going  to put him in a foster home.  Megan then realises that Daniel is keeping a secret from her and ends up putting her life in danger.  The chapters then gives us glimpses of how Daniel’s life has been and what trauma he has gone through and also chapters goIng  back over the six years through Megan’s eyes and how she coped.  I did find the story predictable but It did not deter me from enjoying this book.  A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a mixed bag for me - but I loved all of them.
Told over 6 years, by mum Megan and by son Daniel and told in both past and present it gives us both sides of the story of 6 year old Daniel, taken at the school gates by his father - only to return 6 years later - completely changed!
There were parts of the book that were heartbreaking, parts that were sinister and parts that were heart warming!
None of that takes away the true message of the damage that can be done to a small child and what that kind of brain washing does!
Excellent and sensitively written, it took me to a place that terrified me, mainly because I am a mother to a young boy!
Totally recommend this whatever genre of writing you like.