Thankyou Thomas mercer & NetGalley for this arc copy.

This book displayed true meaning on the impact of a high profile kidnapping case can grip the public when it involves the stereotypical victim. I liked the duel pov from Alice and the mother, at times I would have liked to have read more on the impact from the public and sometimes the structure fell w little flat. However it does display good talking points especially with the world we are living in now it felt like it could be factual in some senses when the story started to unravel

Alice is extremely wealthy, is kidnapped, and everyone looks for her. That’s about all that fits with the misleading blurb of this story. Anyone expecting a dark mystery with creepy perpetrators and alpha-numeric clues that take time to puzzle over and solve will be sorely disappointed like I was. Alice also happens to be a college student and the clues are relevant only to her top percenter parents and the few with knowledge about her father’s company, Zelos. They are also solved within minutes and there’s no captivating mystery about them.

Everything in the story is about that company’s AI technology and what it means for the future of society. It’s a constant theme that just gets tiring after a while. And anyone that doesn’t agree with the view of the story is really not going to like it. I wouldn’t have read the book if I’d have known what it was actually about, and others are going to feel the same way. Nothing’s worse than being tricked into thinking it’s your favorite type of story and then finding out it’s completely different. Especially because I don’t care either way about the central theme! Stop marketing to the wrong readers because it’s only going to anger them and make them dislike the book even more.

It’s not fair to the author because I suppose for the type of story it was, it was entertaining and readers who enjoy those types of stories will appreciate it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t.

I really enjoyed the first half of this story. The kidnapping of a billionaire’s daughter felt intriguing, and I very much enjoyed the multiple POV’s that were given. However, as line the second half of the story, I felt as if the plot became slightly sloppy and somewhat lackluster. We went from a clear exploration of wealth inequalities amongst various other complex themes to a treasure hunt that slowly started losing it’s steam. In the end though, it was an enjoyable read and I wholeheartedly enjoyed the stylized writing, satire, and complex themes.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this story in exchange for my review.

DNF @ 42%

I'm just bored and I don't like the way this is written. So over the top and stylised, it doesn't work as a mystery/thriller.

Alice Ingold, daughter of an heiress and tech icon has been kidnapped. The kidnappers are sophisticated and send the FBI on a scavenger hunt throughout the country. They want everyone to know the dangers of AI and wealth disparity. I really enjoyed the dual perspective of the mother and daughter in this book. It was a fast read and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. At times the plot was a little too real considering what’s happening in this country since the inauguration. Also, every time I read Elons name in the book I became immediately nauseated. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a tricky book to rate because I disliked so many of the things that most of the characters thought. Even Alice, who seems aware of her privilege, writes about how there has to be a ‘she’ or ‘he’ pronoun, which is ridiculous—Shakespeare used the singular ‘they,’ so I assure you, Alice had more options.

It also came across that the author might actually think that Elon Musk is smart? Is she living stuck in time 10 years ago?

This book certainly looks at how morally ambiguous most people can be. It also proved, at least to me, that allowing AI to take over will also steal whatever joy we find in our lives. It should be used to assist us, not to replace us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold. It was a quick read, and it held my attention, most of the time I was on the edge of my seat. The twist from the kidnapping to a treasure hunt was something I didn’t expect but overall, really enjoyed. I enjoyed meeting all the characters although I did feel like there was more monologue than needed to be. Because the kidnapping was high profile I would’ve liked more reaction from the public, but otherwise I thought this book was very well written and I enjoyed my time reading it. I give it 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers.

Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC of The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold through NetGalley.

This zeitgeist-y thriller sees the kidnapping of an AI billionaire's daughter turning into a bizarre treasure hunt as her parents race to solve cryptic clues and unravel the motive behind the case. Its ripped-from-the-headlines exploration of AI overuse, wealth inequality, and vigilante justice all make this a timely and provocative story, framing these themes through an engagingly structured mystery that uses its first-person narrators in clever ways. However, the flip side of this thematic strength is how some scenes are slowed down by characters expounding in monologues on their views about AI or inequality; while these sequences are typically justified by the plot, they can sometimes feel excessively on-the-nose. Likewise, considering that this was billed as a story about a kidnapping turning into a national scavenger hunt, with plenty of commentary on how the media and social media fuel online frenzies, I would've liked to see it spend more time showing how the wider public was reacting to the case as it unfolded. Nevertheless, THE KIDNAPPING OF ALICE INGOLD is a cleverly written novel laced with satire that's sure to make for interesting talking points online.

I'm grateful to Thomas & Mercer for providing an advance copy of THE KIDNAPPING OF ALICE INGOLD on Netgalley.