This translation from German is so much more than a book about an abducted woman who escapes her abductee. The tale is original, captivating and complex.
Lena Becks disappeared from Munich 13 years earlier and her parents, Karin and Matthias, have looked for her ever since. The difference between their concept of their daughter and how she becomes described in the newspapers is fascinating in its disparity.
Lena's escape with her eldest child is the start of a wholly different story with so much trauma being experienced by the different characters portrayed in the book. The truth is not always told which is quite understandable considering the secluded life lead by Lena and the children.
This was a fascinating story, very well told, with characters severely traumatised by their experiences.
I hope there will be more translations published by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Romy Hausmann/Quercus Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A really accomplished thriller which had me hooked from beginning to end. It is a gripping story of kidnapping and incarceration, it takes a profound look at the psychological trauma of abduction.

This book is very well written and translated, with an excellent plot. It has plenty surprises and dramatic twists and turns. It intrigues throughout and is one of the best thrillers I have read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dark, terrifying and disturbing thriller that will have you turning the pages with trepidation.
Set in Germany, the main focus is the disappearance of Lena thirteen years ago whom we are immediately led to believe is being held captive in a cabin in the woods alongside her two children Hannah and Jonathan. Flashbacks to her time of capture and initial treatment make for sickening reading but thankfully this thriller isn’t full of graphic and gruesome references (just a few!). Instead the author leaves us in no doubt the kind of life Lena and her children are subjected to more through inference, conjuring up a frightening nightmare of a situation that is both intriguing and compelling. Their days are regimented and so structured with literally no home comforts yet it is heartbreaking that for these three prisoners that is their reality and indeed their normality, especially for the children born into captivity. Until that is Lena escapes.
One of the things that makes this novel so frightening is it’s premise;such a situation can and has happened in reality making it a great starting point for a piece of fiction. I was completely riveted, glued to the pages, desperate for the denouement. Words flow so easily,drawing you into the heart of Lena’s time in captivity and beyond, wondering at an individual’s capacity for survival amidst a backdrop of physical and psychological abuse you can’t even begin to imagine.
It’s as much the events following Lena’s escape as her time in the cabin that I found gripping, so to that extent this is as much her father’s story as it is hers. What drives him forward, still living a life long after her disappearance is his search for justice. Lena’s father Matthias has never ever given up hope of finding his daughter, either dead or alive and his rage and despair at a police force , unable to solve the mystery surrounding Lena’s disappearance is integral to the storyline. His unconditional, almost obsessive love for his daughter is unassailable. Who exactly is Lena, the woman whom Matthias holds in the highest esteem? Is she someone else entirely? Can she ever really escape from the horrors she’s been subjected to? These are just some of the questions that continually occupied my thoughts as I raced through the pages, with a sense of intrigue, knowing the author was deliberately withholding vital information so that all is not what it first seems.
Lena’s daughter Hannah stole my heart, with a voice that cuts you to the quick. With the innocence of a child, especially one unused and unfamiliar with the outside world she is clearly highly intelligent and very literal. This thriller is told through multiple perspectives but it’s is Hannah’s that is enlightening and provides some light and dare I say it , warmth to a very bleak situation. Can you believe her version of events or has her imagination conjured up fantastical stories to protect herself from her own reality?
The truth is cleverly disguised so blinded was I by my feelings for these characters that I couldn’t have guessed the ending in a million years! With a few red herrings and twists along the way, I was hooked from start to finish. Definitely has an ending that gets your pulse racing in addition to tying up any loose threads, finally completing the picture of this house of horrors and and how and why it came to exist.
Ultimately this is a novel about love. Pure unadulterated love and of course twisted love of the kind that creates monsters. It’s also very much about our capacity for survival. If you loved Room by Emma Donoghue and The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd then this is the book for you!
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

At the start Dear Child feels very familiar to The Room, however once you progress past the first few chapters Romy Hausmann draws you in to her story.

Dear Child is dark and at times uncomfortable to read but the plot isn't straight forward, as you learn what each of the characters have been through and how they cope. At the heart of the story is Lena and despite the others being present you still want to know what happened to Lena and, when she finally gets her say the story is made.

I was given a copy of Dear Child by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

A messy and confusing book which I imagine reflects what could happen in a situation like this. However I did find it very unbelievable at times and difficult to empathise with any of the characters

Thank you to netgalley and Quercus books for an advance copy of this book

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of this book.

This story, set in Germany follows 3 different characters, Lena, Matthias and Jasmin. I don't want to write too much for fear of giving away the plot.

I really enjoyed this book from the start and looked forward to reading it each night. The plot was intriguing, the characters felt real and believable and it was very well written. I hope the author is planning on writing a new book soon!

A woman is hurt in a hit and run by a car. She’s taken by the hospital along with her daughter, Hannah. Hannah told the paramedics the name of her mother is Lena.
Lena Beck disappeared 13 years back. Hannah also looks like a young Lena. But is she Lena? There are questions come up, but not with no solution. These questions put the police amid a whirlwind. Something they need to figure out and soon!!!

Set in Germany, the story follows the story of Herr Beck (father of Lena), Frau Beck and her daughter Hannah. This is a tragic tale of kidnapping and gruesome captivity. The detectives investigating the case are shocked by the harrowing details of the captivity.

Lena, Mr Beck and Hannah are traumatised but in their way. They are dealing with it even after it’s over. The book has presented the trauma and related issues collectively. The perpetrator has wreaked havoc on them. He isn’t but his shadows lurk in their mind like pain and trauma. He has left a trail of victims in his wake and all are trying to cope with it.

Romy Hausman in her mystery thriller has given insight into the psyche of victims. She has penned down her thoughts with brilliant words and views. She has done excellent research to bring out the seriousness of the situation. She also highlights points when we unknowingly ask an insensitive question (like, did you not fight?). How we sometimes being a best friend could not fathom the depth of the issue.

I loved how the author ended the book, especially the epilogue. It’s so positive and liberating.

Dear Child is a dark intense mystery tale of abduction and captivity and torture. Some people held captive physically, and some were captive in their mind.

My rating 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus for the book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book is a true thriller, holding my attention from beginning to end and drawing me back to it every time I have to put it down.

A horrible tale of abduction, abuse and power. But also a tale of resilience, of choice and overcoming.

This story kept me guessing right to the end. And still leaves me with questions.

Fabulously written, this book will keep me thinking long after i have finished it.

I really enjoy reading these types of books and yes I know books like Room, The Good Girl, The Marsh King’s Daughter and others talk about abduction, imprisonment and abuse, which is always hefty and disturbing to read but they also happen to really touch me to my core if done right. Dear Child was perfect and pulled at my heartstrings straight away. I fell into its pages from the start because it hits you full on with little snippets about what happened at the cabin, sending shivers down my spine. Fortunately the tension does let up after a little while because much more than a story about the time in the cabin is it a storyline about the aftermath, how everyone reacts, how the media doesn’t leave you alone, and how you are free then but not free in your head, it’s about the enormous trauma it causes. The main character struggles to trust, to enjoy, to be herself when her identity was demolished to the ground from the minute she found herself waking up in that cabin. She had to be someone else or suffer the consequences, so who is she now?

Dear Child is narrated by 3 different characters and keeps you guessing about what happened all those years ago and who took Lena. It’s quite a complex story and I loved how the author added another layer to it. It made me rather confused and puzzled about Lena though, some of just didn’t add up, she seems to be keeping something to herself but I couldn’t see how this piece of the puzzle fit into the greater picture, there was a sizeable mystery aspect woven into the story. Her father doesn’t recognize her in the hospital for instance which was beyond strange because he does recognize her daughter Hannah as his grandchild right away and she seems to have seen her grandfather at a garden party on one of the secret outings that her father didn’t know about.

I loved the determination of Matthias, Lena’s father, but also really liked to follow Lena’s daughter Hannah. Hannah is a young girl who knows everything about everything, she can give full definitions of the most complex terms and processes. In other ways she lacks emotions and she is quite chilling. Her view of reality is – understandably – very distorted. Sometimes I didn’t even know she was talking about things that weren’t real because I only had Hannah’s reality, only when I read further along I would then realise that it was her imagination and that would knock me back again.

The person I loved most in the end though was Lena and I only realised just how much when I was almost turning those last pages. The strength she had, the things she did for her children and how she made their life better, how she told them about the constellations and bedtime stories, preparing them for the moment they would be able to step into the real world, how my heart bled for her and how she was still busy working on a future when she couldn’t even tell if it was night or day.

The last part of the novel took a very unexpected turn, it turns into a real thriller there that made me sit up straight, and it gave the answers to all the much sought after questions I had stored in my head. I didn’t think it would happen again but my heart bled once more when I read about the reasons why this had happened. Although you wouldn’t say so, the story has so much to do with love, love for your wife, your father, your daughter, your children,… sometimes love knows no limits and this book shows the darkest sides but also the deepest and bestest side of love.

A dark and gripping story with a great twist! Well crafted and memorable!

This book begins, unusually, with a woman escaping her captive. But that is only the start. I found the characters intriguing, particularly 13 year old Hannah.
A fast paced exciting read

Brilliant!
Romy's debut thriller is absolutely outstanding. The premise of the story is the escape of the abducted Lena who has been locked in a cabin in the woods baring children for her captor. She is involved in a hit and run fleeing for her life and has ended up in hospital, where she is safe. Obviously this is just the beginning. Told from multiple perspectives Matthias, Lena's father, who has been counting the days since he last saw her, Hannah, Lena's daughter who escaped in the ambulance too, and Lena who seems to be hiding something.
This is a excellent translation with care given to the emotional aspects of the story. The heartbreaking loneliness Matthias has suffered searching 14years for his daughter; the acutely factual way Hannah tells her story, with little experience but vast knowledge of the world. The novel flips back and forth in an easy way to tell the reader the truth about whole story.
There are definitely some chilling chapters that make you feel completely on edge yet entice you to keep reading. Advertised as gone girl meets room, I would say if you liked those you'll love this! Can't wait for to write another.
Thanks to Querqus and NetGalley for the ARC.

Dear Child is a fabulous debut thriller by the very talented Romy Hausmann.
Lena has been missing for over thirteen years. She is missed every day by her loving parents. She has her two children, Hannah and Jonathan for company. She also has their father, who is her captor. She must do as he says or else face the consequences.
When Lena makes a successful bid for freedom, surely all of her problems should be over? But it seems that it may be just the start of another line of complications and troubles for Lena and the family rather than a clear road ahead.
Dear Child is such a wonderful read, so gripping and thrilling. Whilst it is a difficult subject, it is very sensitively written.
It is told from the viewpoint of several of the main characters, including one of the children, which works so well. It may draw comparisons with ‘Room’ from that aspect, but it is, in my view, a far superior read and the storyline is so very different.
It really was a book that once I had started I could not put down and had to keep reading ‘one more chapter’.
Romy was born in GDR and her family escaped to the West. The concept of ‘freedom’ is a very important one to her and this inspired her to write this book.
I can not recommend this book highly enough. A brilliant read.
Thanks to NetGalley, Quercus Books and the author for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really interesting read. Well written with interesting characters. Centred on Lena. A captive with her children. She finally flees but is she who she says she is.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in return for an honest review

A windowless shack in the woods. Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure that his children will always have a mother to look after them.

One day Lena manages to flee - but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called 'Lena', who disappeared without a trace over thirteen years ago. The police and Lena's family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle that doesn't quite seem to fit.


Wow, what a book! This book was so addictive and I read it in more or less one sitting. I couldnt get enough of this book. This book is everything that a psychological thriller should be. It is dark, twisted and scary! There have been several occasions where I have read a translated book and the story hasnt worked that well. However, this was not the case. The translation was excellent. This book reminded me of The Memory Wood in some chapters.

Firstly many thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book. The story itself is a slightly different game on the abducted and held prisoner storyline that has been done many times before but in my opinion this book trumps all of those. This book is addictive reading at its best so much so I had to stay up half the night to try and finish it and then when the reveal comes I was shocked. I can see why this has been a best-selling book in Germany and I truly believe it will be in the UK. I place this book in the top ten books I have read this year so far and it will take something special to remove it. If you only read one book this year make it Dear Child.

I rally enjoyed reading this book....wow it was fast paced, i couldn't put it down needed to know what was on the next page, what was coming next. Full of suspense, great characters....

A darkly interesting premise that bings thoughts of real life events of the past to the fore. A twisted and moody thriller, probably failed to hit the target with me and found some parts slow and almost monotonous.

Lena and her two children are held captive in a windowless home, by the father of the children. There are rules to be obeyed, and punishment for not obeying these rules. When Lena manages to escape with her daughter, it becomes apparent she may not be who everyone says she is, a young woman called Lena who had disappeared 13 years previously. But can Lena, and everyone close to her, figure out who she is?

I found the beginning of the book confusing - I could not figure out what was happening, were all the stories happening along the same timeline, or were we jumping back and forth to different time periods. However, the book soon settled into a thrilling and terrifying journey where I could not figure who (if anyone) was good and who was bad.

The story took the format of chapters for the individual main characters’ stories, all weaving together to come to a final climax and twist that I did not see coming. It was an intriguing story which I found difficult to put down.

A really good thriller.

Dear Child by Romo Hausmann is a stunning thriller that I simply could not put down.
Lena Beck’s parents get the call they have been waiting for for 4000 days. Their missing daughter has been admitted to hospital.
But Dear Child is not your average abduction story, full of twists and turns and deep emotional trauma, Hausmann manages to bring to life some of your deepest fears and questions of how people cope in the face of true horror.
This will be up there in my best reads of 2020 for sure.

Chilling, intriguing and mesmerising, I could hardly out Dear Child down. I had to know what was coming next. It was a twist tale that kept me guessing the whole way through.

I did guess the twist, but not in its entirety. Compelling reading, definitely recommended.