The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer, by Australian author Ilsa Evans, is an entertaining and emotive read. The story focuses on Avery, a four-year-old who loves her daddy Daniel and mummy Cleo dearly.

Unfortunately, Daniel keeps Avery to himself and ignores the shared custody arrangements. Worse, he gets an intervention order against Cleo, resulting in her being sent to prison after repeatedly and desperately trying to see her daughter.

Worried how Daniel is coping as a single parent, his mother Shirley pays a visit – and finds Avery alone and locked inside the house. Other shocking discoveries lead to concerns that Avery is being harmed, so Shirley decides to take the girl away, accompanied by Cleo's mother Beth and Shirley's own mother Winnie, plus Beth's dog.

The hilarious story centres on the two grandmothers trying to overcome their considerable differences while accommodating an active child, a stubborn old lady, and a fluffy mini schnauzer. They also need to evade the authorities, the media, and those YouTube-crazy citizen detectives armed with mobile phone cameras – especially after the enraged Daniel refuses to accept help and instead calls the police.

There are serious messages behind the funny story, conveyed from the perspectives of multiple characters involved in the abduction case. It demonstrates that relationship breakdown is never just about the couple, while giving a voice to everyone embroiled in the plot so that their side of the story can be examined. This includes not just Shirley's and Beth's family members, but also the police officers investigating the “kidnap”, the hosts of a TV show reporting on the case, and Daniel's new girlfriend.

Ultimately, Avery's welfare outweighs everything else. While all the personal squabbles and private disputes among the family members become less relevant, it doesn't stop us from probing their inner pains and struggles. More importantly, it provides a rare glimpse of the numerous ways in which our ives can be dictated by social and cultural “norms” .

For example, how should women juggle their multiple roles and obligations as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, friends, colleagues and career professionals? How could men balance the endless expectations that they be capable and caring, masculine without being toxic, taking charge while being supportive, strong but also emotionally intelligent?

Throughout the ordeal, Shirley is the character who grows the most. Torn between her son's demands and her granddaughter's needs, she realises that she may have inadvertently perpetuated and enabled Daniel's behaviour. Meanwhile, Beth is an organiser, a thoroughly likeable character whose own experience of emotional abuse and neglect allows her to identify with Cleo and Avery.

But the most fascinating character is Winnie, who, at the mature age of 89, has three Twitter handles plus two Facebook, one Instagram and at least two PayPal accounts. She is the balance between Shirley and Beth, the technology-savvy, sensible and independent woman who disrupts all stereotypes about the senior generation.

Which makes The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer a highly enjoyable book, heartfelt, informative and thought-provoking. Absolutely recommended.

I recently embarked on a whimsical literary adventure with "The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer" and found myself utterly enchanted by both the author's creativity and the story's quirky charm. With a writing style that's as captivating as it is witty, the author effortlessly weaves a narrative that kept me glued to the pages.

Avery Conifer, the book's endearingly peculiar protagonist, stole my heart with their quirks and quick thinking. The plot is refreshingly offbeat, blending elements of mystery, humour, and a dash of intrigue. The story's unpredictability is its greatest strength, making it impossible to put down.

The only reason I'm not giving it a perfect five stars is because I occasionally found myself wishing for more depth in the secondary characters. Nonetheless, "The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer" is a delightful read that will transport you to a delightfully odd world where the unexpected is the norm. Highly recommended!

An enjoyable read that comes off lighthearted and humorous but deals with tough topics like child abuse, domestic abuse, complicated family dynamics, parenting and more, in a thoughtful and considered way.

With multiple POV, the story is about two grandmothers and a great grandmother who abduct their 4 year old granddaughter for fear of her safety.

I think there were too many POV’s that sometimes seemed unnecessary, but overall this is a good book with humour that explores important topics like motherhood. There are some triggers though, so be sure to look these up before starting.

An excellent multi generational novel, with some strong female protagonists who aren't young for once! Loved the story and development of the relationships between the women.

EXCERPT: 'I have a theory,' began Beth.

'Oh, god!' said Shirley. 'Not another one!'

Beth sent her a brief frown. 'No, hear me out. I have a theory that in thirty years we'll be sitting where your mother is now. Celebrating our ninetieth birthdays. We'll have been carted over from the retirement village and we'll be surrounded by wheelchairs and walking sticks and those Zimmerframe things. And also family. Just like now.' She wiped at the window, clearing away the condensation from her breath. 'Your Sam will still be running around organising everything, and Alex will have settled himself somewhere with a beer, and Hamish will be tending the bar, and Cleo will still probably be finding her way.'

'And Daniel?' asked Shirley in a low voice.

Beth hesitated, but only for a second. 'Yes,even your rotten Daniel. And also Avery, who'll probably have children of her own, and Caitlin and Charlie. All grown up. And you know what? People will be arguing, and others will be estranged, and still others will be taking sides when they maybe shouldn't. Some will be happy and some will be sad. They'll have mortgages and marriage issues. Some will be unemployed. All of them will have regrets in one way or the other. Maybe wishing they'd made better choices. And it doesn't matter.' She shrugged. 'Because, well, that's life.'

ABOUT 'THE UNUSUAL ABDUCTION OF AVERY CONIFER': Two women abduct and hide out with their four-year-old granddaughter Avery, who they suspect is being harmed. They both love Avery ... shame they can't stand each other. A wise and witty novel for readers of Sophie Green and Brooke Davis.

What would you do to protect a child?

Beth's daughter Cleo and Shirley's son Daniel used to be married. Now Cleo is in gaol for supposedly contravening a family violence order, and Daniel has full-time care of their four-year-old daughter, Avery.

When Shirley suspects that Daniel is harming Avery, she enlists Beth to abduct their own granddaughter, even though the two women can't stand each other. They are joined on the run across country Victoria by Winnie, Shirley's own 89-year-old tech-savvy mother, and Harthacnut, Beth's miniature schnauzer.

The abduction gives rise to crises both personal and social, as Shirley's large and interfering family - including her toxic son - struggle to come to terms with her actions, amid a whirl of police investigation and media excitement. This heartfelt, wise, witty and wholly original novel explores of the lengths we may go to for those we love, and the unintended damage folded into daily life.

MY THOUGHTS: Relationships are an endless source of fascination for me. The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer is the story of mothers in their role as grandmothers (and one great-grandmother) doing what they do best - nuture and protect.

Of course, as someone once famously said, 'you can't please all of the people all of the time,' and yet mothers constantly try as they do their best for their families. And these mothers certainly upset more than one person in their efforts to keep Avery safe and give Daniel a much needed wake up call.

Daniel is a character who is easy to dislike. He's one of those 'entitled' people, one who never takes responsibility for anything, who believes that he is treated unfairly, and - need I go on? You know the sort. He's manipulative and needy and controlling. What makes him so different from his brother and sister? Who knows, but he is different, very different.

But the crux of the story is what brings together two women who previously couldn't stand each other. Beth thinks Shirley is common; Shirley thinks Beth is stuck up; and Winnie thinks they both need to get over themselves. Shirley is worried that Winnie is in the early stages of dementia but Beth has a sneaking admiration for Winnie - she is capable of being sneaky and thinking on her feet.

I admired these three women for having the courage of their convictions. They tried to do the right thing the right way, but when that failed they took matters into their own hands. We need more women like these three. You only have to look at the skyrocketing child abuse numbers to know why.

An inspiring story told with empathy, pathos and humour.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

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THE AUTHOR: Ilsa Evans is an Australian author. She has written across several genres from light fiction (such as the books that make up the 'laundry series') to more gritty social realism. Two of her books, Broken and Sticks and Stones stem from the findings of a PhD on the long-term effects of family violence that Ilsa completed in 2005. Ilsa teaches creative writing and carries out public speaking when she is not writing. She lives in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne with her children, assorted pets and several uninvited possums.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer by Isla Evans for review. I'm only sorry that I waited so long to read this little gem. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

This was a enjoyable read about two grandmothers and one great grandmother (and a dog) who abduct their 4yo granddaughter because they fear for her safety. The story is told from multiple points of view (I’m not sure all were necessary, it certainly made it longer than it needed to be) and talks about plenty of issues from parenting, family dynamics, coercive control and other forms of domestic abuse, relationships and more. Overall it is still a light read with laughs along the way even with many unlikeable characters.
My problem with it mainly stems around Daniel, the father of the little girl. He gets away with his behaviour and Cleo, while also not without her own bad behaviour, spent time in jail because of his lies and manipulation! This just seemed unfair and unreal but maybe that’s just me.

The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer was a sweet, entertaining read. I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it because I usually like some romance in my book, but this is still very much a book about love, only different kinds of love. The love of family. My favourite character was definitely Winnie.

I found this book to be very good. It had me hooked from the beginning.. Was a great read. It would definitely be a book I would recommend.

A wonderful story about what it means to be family! Some serious themes but beautifully written. Love the story of the two grandmothers getting to know each other.

This book is an example of a serious topic handled with respect and dignity. Domestic violence is a serious issue in Australia and I love that this books seeks to explore that issue by looking at the impact beyond the perpetrator and immediate victim. The light hearted writing style does not for one minute distract from the seriousness of the issue.
Shirley Conifer is convinced that someone is hurting her grand-daughter confronts her son, Daniel. Daniel has sole custody of Avery after Avery’s mother is in prison for contravene a restraining order. Not satisfied with his explanations, Shirley takes matters into her own hands and, with the help of her mother and Avery’s other grandmother, Beth, she abducts Avery.
The two grandmothers must work together to keep Avery safe while outrunning the media and police. Both are forced to confront their own issues in a quest to keep safe the one thing that is dearest to both.
In some ways the artwork on the cover of this book does it an injustice – it looks like a Mhairi McFarlane novel and, to be honest, I was expecting a light-hearted, beach read. However, the book is much deeper than that. Evans use of humour allows the reader space to process what they are reading but it doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the subject matter. A Liane Moriarty-esque cover would, in my opinion, be more appropriate.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a copy of the book in return for my unbiased review. This review is my own opinion.

This was brilliant. I loved the clashing of personalities between the main characters but what got me most was thinking what would I do in the same situation? What would you do? I think we would all like to think we would do the same but when it really came down to it…would we? That takes a lot of courage.

A lovely and thoroughly enjoyable novel about love and relationships.

When Avery Conifer's grandmother, Shirley, suspects the 4-year-old is being mistreated by her father, Shirley's self-absorbed and manipulative son, Daniel, she hides her away until such time as Avery's mother can look after her. Avery's other Grandmother, Beth, and Shirley's mother Winnie come along to help out.

The storyline sounds rather far-fetched, but it's constructed in such a believable, heartfelt way the reader can't help but be swept along for the ride. There are moments of slapstick humour, suspense and heart-rending sorrow as the three ladies, their beloved granddaughter and endearing canine companion outrun the law, all in an effort to protect a child from someone she should never need to be protected from. And along the way they find friendship and learn about love and acceptance.

A humorous, endearing and absorbing page-turner.

This book really highly enjoyable. I did not know a lot about it going in but it was a nice surprise. I also really enjoyed the writing style.

I was rather excited to read this book however once I got going, I found that the writing style didn't quite work for me so I chose to not finish this book.

The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer by Aussie author Ilsa Evans was a very entertaining read and I must say going into this book I was a little unsure if I would like it even though I had read many great reviews on it.

This is a well-written book about family drama with a few laugh out loud moments which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author in the future. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book and the diversity of the two Grandmothers as well as the subject matter of how assumptions of others can be damaging.

I really enjoyed this novel. It tells of a not so perfect family and the lengths that the grandmothers (Beth and Shirley) go to, to protect their granddaughter from physical harm. Avery's mother is in prison and her father is a less than ideal parent. In fact he is harming Avery, thus the reason for the abduction.
There is a mishmash of different characters thrown together working towards the safety of Avery. I particularly liked the character of the fiesty great grandmother, Winnie. No flies on her!
A beautifully told story of three women and a young child on their travels around Victoria, escaping the authorities.
It is about a serious subject but it is told very wittily from various points of view.

After all the great reviews I have seen, I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunetly it wasn't for me. It was nearly a DNF for me but I kept giving it the benefit of the doubt. I found the story to drag, the ending completly unbelieveable and I struggled to relate to most of the main characters.

That said there were some parts that made me laugh out loud. It was well written and I can see why many people would like this one but it just wasn't for me

Avery is a delightful little girl who loves both of her grannies very dearly. Sadly the two grannies, Beth and Shirley, don’t like each other. Beth’s daughter, Avery’s mum, is in jail for contravening a Family Violence Order - placed on her by Shirley’s son Daniel. Daniel has now got full time care of Avery.

While she is babysitting, Shirley notices bruises on the little girl but Daniel has a plausible explanation for them so she thinks nothing of it. But a short while later when Avery is more or less dumped on her doorstep late one afternoon so Daniel can go on a date, Shirley notices a couple of nasty welts on Avery’s bottom and what looks like a cigarette burn. Shirley realises that possibly something bad is going on, and she has to keep Avery safe. So she goes and visits Beth to ask for help. Very quickly, despite their dislike of each other, the two of them are on the run along with Shirley’s 89-year-old tech-savvy mother, Winnie, and a grumpy miniature schnauzer that belongs to Beth.

As soon as Daniel realises what has happened he reports the abduction to the police and makes passionate pleas to his mother on National TV. This results in the fugitives needing to keep a low profile so they can keep Avery hidden for a few weeks until her mother gets out of jail. It is Winnie’s knowledge of the internet and disguises that keeps them hidden.

The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer sucked me on from the very first page. It is an amazing read and Australian author, Ilsa Evans, has written about a difficult subject with a light hand, including both heartwarming and laugh out moments. The story is told from quite a few points of view, both grandmothers; Winnie; the police investigator; the social services caseworker and the journalist, which gave a well balanced story. Even though the main focus is on domestic violence, in particular child abuse, and there are also other themes of toxic relationships and attitudes to ageing, this is not a dark story as they are all treated with sensitivity.

“…It may take a village to raise a child, but perhaps it only took a couple of older women to protect one…”


With thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for my copy to review

Three grandmothers abscond with their granddaughter, sending police on a statewide (wo)man hunt and the family into a tailspin. Why would they do this? How can they get the child back? Who really is in the wrong here?

Above all, this was a tale of relationships, and what a mother will do to protect those they love most of all - no matter how old they are.

This was such a fun read. Often invisible, older women are not generally the heroines of these sort of stories, so it was enjoyable to see them in the role of fugitives. Having the story told from the different viewpoints of each woman: the grandmothers, the mothers, the girlfriends, the police, the journalists, explored the difference aspects of the female voice and the internal monologues ans judgements we all have, even if they're unwarranted. I loved the relationship and character development between the three older women, and loved that the story showed what happened when the so-called invisible women actually do go missing.

I also loved that this was set in my home state, and I am familiar with many of the key locations.

I would love to see this on the screen as a mini series (along the lines of Big Little Lies). This is easily in the same class as Liane Moriarty, and fans of those books will enjoy this.

Five stars.

~ Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~