Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti promises to be a complete thrill ride from the beginning pages. The author does a terrific job of ratcheting up the suspense! This book is told by three narrators: a mother who lost her daughter, the sister, and the missing girl herself who is running away from an abusive husband.

Take a look:

Twenty years ago, Myra Barkley’s daughter disappeared from the rocky beach across from the family inn, off the Oregon coast. Ever since, Myra has waited at the front desk for her child to come home. One rainy afternoon, the miracle happens–her missing daughter, now twenty-eight years old with a child of her own, walks in the door. Elizabeth Lark is on the run with her son. She’s just killed her abusive husband and needs a place to hide.

Against her better judgment, she heads to her hometown and stops at the Barkley Inn. When the innkeeper insists that Elizabeth is her long lost daughter, the opportunity for a new life, and more importantly, the safety of her child, is too much for Elizabeth to pass up. But she knows that she isn’t the Barkleys’s daughter, and the more deeply intertwined she becomes with the family, the harder it becomes to confess the truth. Except the Barkley girl didn’t just disappear on her own. As the news spreads across the small town that the Barkley girl has returned, Elizabeth suddenly comes into the limelight in a dangerous way, and the culprit behind the disappearance those twenty years ago is back to finish the job.

This is so much more to the story, but I don’t want to give anything away. I HIGHLY recommend this book, its out on March 9.

This book had a lot of promise, but as I was reading it, it just fell away. The idea is good - a girl, presumed drowned, shows up with a son 20 years after her disappearance, on the run from her abusive husband, but is she who she says she is - but I lost interest about halfway through. I found it to be disjointed & confusing at times. I wanted to know how everything tied together, but I didn't care about any of the characters.

I give this story points for originality, but I didn’t actually enjoy it. While I had a lot of empathy for Elizabeth and thought she beat herself up with negative self-talk, there was something about the coincidences and twists that didn’t work for me.

Elizabeth is on the run from her abusive husband and stops at an inn in her hometown. The woman who runs the place is convinced it’s her long-lost daughter who disappeared twenty years ago when she was just eight years old. Elizabeth doesn’t immediately tell the truth because then the novel would be over.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 9, 2021.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

So many twist and turns here your head will be spinning.
This was a great, suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. Highly recommend!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A web of deception entangles a mother’s grief, a sister’s guilt, and a woman’s desperation in this twisty thriller. Full of surprises, Call Me Elizabeth Lark will keep you guessing until the very end!

Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti initially lured me in with an intriguing premise but, for me, the execution fell a bit flat when all was said and done.

Twenty years ago, Myra Barkley's daughter disappeared without a trace. Since then, Myra has stationed herself at the family's Oregon inn awaiting her beloved child's return. When Elizabeth Lark, a woman who is fleeing an abusive relationship arrives with her young son in tow, Myra believes that her prayers have been answered. Offering shelter to the young woman who, she believes, has finally found her way home, Myra provides the safe haven that Elizabeth seeks for herself and her son. But will the alliance of the two women stir up the ghosts of the past that each would rather have remained firmly buried?

While the first few chapters managed to draw me in, I felt that the novel as a whole failed to fully engage my interest on anything more than a superficial level. That being said, I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this title.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. I am a fan of thrillers and haven't read many recently due to the sheer volume and I began to find myself guessing some of the events that would occur. Though I had some suspicions about what was going on (only one of which was 100% correct!), the story had great promise and, initially, the pace kept me interested.

Something then changed. The story had a lot of twists and turns and at points I found the events, descriptions and reactions of the characters rather convoluted. I had to go back a couple of times as I thought I had missed a detail, and the character development didn't progress as much as I would have liked, e.g the relationship between Gwen and her husband could have been more fleshed out. I also found the ending both abrupt and underwhelming - it had been such a build up to the reveals and then I felt let down that more detail wasn't given.

I did enjoy the family drama and reveals in the story and, with the right people behind it, I do think it would make for quite an interesting mini-series. The OMG moments and plot twists remind me of a few dramas from the past few years, whilst also being original as I hadn't read a story quite like this one before. The story was certainly an interesting one but, by the end, it did not fulfil the hopes I had.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Heartfelt and spellbinding, Call Me Elizabeth Lark is one of those rare psychological thrillers that transport you into another world. Lies and decades-old secrets threaten to tear apart a family already marked by grief. Exquisite writing, compelling characters and a story so captivating you won’t be able to put it down until you’ve unearthed every last secret.

Overall, the book didn't draw me in and was very difficult to get through. The only character that appealed to me was Gwen, however, only a few chapters were from her point of view. Most chapters were from Myra's (the mom) view point; at first she was fine, but it quickly escalated into her always feeling sorry for her self. Also, the book seemed to drag on and on without real reason as none of the additional information was helpful/necessary. Perhaps I read an early version, but there were a number of spelling and grammatical mistakes.

This book had so many twists and turns, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

I really felt for the Barkley family, especially Myra, after her young daughter went missing, but she never gave up hope that Charlotte would one day return. So when Elizabeth Lark showed up at the Barkley Inn one day, Myra realizes in an instant that the eyes looking back at her must be those of Charlotte. But where had she’d been for all of those years and why had it taken so long for her to come back? There are no easy answers, but when the truth is revealed it’s a mind blowing revelation!

This was a great, suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3699477146

I received an advanced readers copy and exchange for an honest review.

Very hard to get through, not what I was expecting, not a psychological thriller in the traditional sense, although a fairly psychological look at the meaning of family against a suspenseful backdrop. Not my cup of tea but others may appreciate this one.

This was a good suspense /thriller /mystery as you navigate the clues, characters, back stories and red herrings. There are some twists and turns and whilst I picked the villain, it was still a satisfying read and conclusion. This was a page turner I read in one sitting.

Thank you to the Author, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing an eARC and all opinions expressed in this review are my own and unbiased.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC of Call Me Elizabeth Lark. What a twisty, tense book!
Charlotte's family has been looking for her since she disappeared when she was eight. Her father, Herb, who is more grounded in reality, accepts that she drowned on the beach at night while her older sister should have been watching her. Her mother, Myra, has hoped and never lost faith that her daughter was out there, alive. When a young woman, named Elizabeth Lark, shows up at Myra and Herb's door with her young son, Myra is certain it is her daughter. Unfortunately, it is someone who had a peripheral place in the lives of Charlotte's family and she is on the run. The book absorbed me quickly. I lost some interest in the middle. I knew that Elizabeth was not Charlotte, but I was waiting for Myra to figure that out. Ms. Colasanti's writing is tense and suspenseful. Suspense/thriller is not my usual genre, but Call Me Elizabeth Lark was worth the time.

Though the plot was predictable it still managed to somehow keep me on the edge of my seat and made it hard to put down.

Honestly, this one fell a little flat for me. It started out AMAZING and it was a really interesting plot, but it dragged and lost its “umph” the last half was hard to finish. The ending left me confused and frustrated.

This book was honestly such a great storyline. Unique, I’ve never read another one like it. Fabulous twists and turns; figuring out the whodunnit was incredibly difficult. Not one you see coming. I will say though, that it gets three stars only because parts are confusing, it makes jumps and you’re not quite sure how they got there.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

ok...so I have to give the spoiler alert...I NEVER have spoilers...but this one ...well...I needed to ...because I can't fully tell you how disappointed I was in it without spoilers.

Read on if you are ok with knowing a lot of the story.

The majority of the book I was all in...none of the characters drew me in by themselves...as a matter of fact I really didn't like most of them....but the book itself was very good....for awhile...

The story is multi-level with the background being that 8 year old Charlotte disappeared and her mother has been waiting ...dutifully....and absolutely sure ...that charlotte is alive and will be back...even after 20 years.

Elizabeth ...who escapes from her abusive husband (by Killling him ...unintentionally but not really caring either way) with their son (Theo) from a cabin in the middle of nowhere...and makes it to the hotel owned by Charlotte's parents...she went there as she remembered from when she was a kid...

the story does leave the opportunity for thought that Elizabeth is Charlotte even though Elizabeth states in her narration that she is NOT their daughter...but does keep you wondering for awhile.

The story has a lot of twists and even with no real love of any certain character ...the story kept me absolutely interested....until the last 30 pages....where the train went off the rails so badly and NOTHING made sense anymore.

So here come lots of spoilers...

Myra....Charlotte's mother ...had an affair while her husband was off trying to find himself...while she had the affair with a local (Kenneth)...and she had his baby...we find this out later in the book...and the baby is Elizabeth....Myra gave up the baby to the housekeeper and helped provide for them...without ever telling anyone else...

Charlotte ended up being kidnapped by Charlotte's sister's (Gwen) boyfriend...who just happened to be the next door neighbor of Kenneth...he then goes and tells Kenneth what he did...

Elizabeth led her life with her stepmom not knowing the facts...and when her stepmom died she felt she had nowhere to go....enter Kenneth....The boyfriend who "accidently:" killed Charlotte … who evidently was living in this cabin in the middle of nowhere ...and Kenneth was giving him money for some reason....the boyfriend steps into the picture because he as always wanted a "Barkley" girl.. ...he couldn't have Gwen...he killed Charlotte and when Kenneth tells him she is a Barkley (at least a sister)...he takes her to the mountains for the next multitude of years...living in a cabin with no power...little food...and a horrible temper

the timeline is never really explained ...but Elizabeth would have had to have been relatively close to Charlotte's age....Myra's husband was only gone a year...so she would have only been a few years older than Charlotte...so either the teenager took Elizabeth when she was about ten...which is freaky weird...or the step mom died several years later and for some reason Peter ....the boyfriend...who was in hiding for several years (his parents say he has been gone for 20 years and Gwen also talks about his disappearance)...either way....doesn't make much sense to me....no reason for Kenneth to be bankrolling him...

now it starts to get bad...yes now...

Elizabeth is at the hotel with her son...a DNA test has been taken but results are not back yet...but will show up soon and prove Elizabeth isn't Charlotte but proves that Elizabeth is Myra's daughter....Gwen takes her children sledding and Charlotte and her son show up...Alice....a friend of Elizabeth has come to help her is also there...

A mysterious man is able to take the children as the mothers talk and the kids get further away until they can't be seen...isn't that convenient? that he was right there to take them ...like he would know they would wander off...He lets Gwen's children go but takes Elizabeth, Theo and Alice...

Kenneth take the three of them... all to his huge house (where he wasn't staying...he and his wife Adele had split up and he was staying at Myra's inn) ….locks them in a posh room with no doors and is watching them through security cameras....all three are clothed in plush house coats...so he took them to his house...clothed them in plush clothes and locked them up....ok?

Kenneth lets them out of the room and then explains his nefarious plan and what all happened to lead up to this... (I know this is an easy way to explain in a short time all that is unknown...but it still sucks) ….Now just earlier... again no great timeline....Gwen was in this exact same house with Adele ...so how did no one know he was there...especially since his car was parked in front and in the drive...and wouldn't he just take them somewhere else instead of the house where his wife is? Kenneth tells the three (Elizabeth, Theo and Alice) that he is going to kill Myra and her husband...Elizabeth responds and you are going to frame us....Kenneth says they can go wherever they want with his car... so he is going to kill the parents...tells all three...and assumes that they wouldn't go to the police when he lets them go? ….wouldn't he have just left them in the locked room and go do the murders? ...then let them go?

All four then go to the house where Myra and her husband are ... they go in...and no one says anything about him being there to kill the parents...they sit down and start talking....huh what??? they keep talking about calling the police to let them know Elizabeth has been found ...but for some reason they all keep saying it but not doing it....Kenneth then pulls the gun ….so if the gun wasn't out...not a good time to attack him?

the ending was just sloppy and poorly done...and honestly I think the worst...is that Charlotte...who was killed and was a major part of the story...is thrown out in about 2 paragraphs...Peter killed Charlotte by "accidentally" breaking her neck...they found her bones under the cabin which he had evidently been living in for several years while Kenneth gave him money....Charlotte finally got a memorial service....and that was it for Charlotte...

there were so many ways to make this story better ...and I would have loved to have had a narrative by Charlotte....She was the only character I really cared for...and she was treated like she was a major part ...then just an afterthought...

overall the ending really hurt the book for me...I am giving it two stars...would like to give it 2.5...but felt like it didn't deserve a three star...

too bad...it was a good story that deserved better than it got.

Maybe it was just me...but honestly ...I had to reread the end to make heads or tails ...I was sure I had missed something ...but no...it was just pretty bad...

Oh my gosh. #callmeelizabthlark by #melissacolasanti is one heck of a ride. We meet Elizabeth with her son. Imprisoned in a remote cabin by her abusive husband. People. #readers the journey that you are about to go on is #unpredictable you will NOT guess every single home run this author has gifted us. I absolutely loved this book. The way the story is woven together and the #shocking turns we keep taking. I can’t recommend this one enough. #netgalley #bookstagram #netgalleyreads #readersofinstagram #booklover #netgalleyreview #readersgonnaread #readersofinsta #netgalleyarc it comes out #march2021 #preordernow

I struggled with this one, after looking forward to being thrilled by the intriguing premise. There are glimpses of good writing (especially in the descriptions of the setting) but I thought the story logic really let the novel down - I found myself wondering *why* the characters were doing what they were doing (the reasons given were not convincing enough - for example, why wouldn't a mother ask for a DNA test right away, to put all the nay-saying to rest? Why would the parents of a troubled person let a stranger in the door, and answer all her questions about their son? If he was well known for being troubled, why would he have been popular in his high school? Why did he do what he did? It just didn't add up.). The motivations of secondary characters seemed superficial for a family that had been suffering through the trauma of losing a child/sibling for over twenty years. There was a lot of room to explore complicated emotions, but we never really got that.

Thank you for the opportunity to read/review this book.