When she is approached for help by an unknown young girl, author Kara Parsons can only think of contacting the one person she feels may know what to do - mental health professional Arles Shepherd, who is recovering from a brutal attack.

But something does not add up in the young girl's story, as Kara and Arles discover to their detriment. And when an armed man appears, posing a clear and present danger, difficult decisions must be taken...

Milchman follows up her first story about an unusual protagonist, therapist Arles, Shepherd, with a worthy successor in the form of this novel.

I absolutely enjoyes reading this. Will definitely be recommending. Kept me really hooked I'll love to reread again

2,75 ⭐

at a book signing in her hometown, author kara parsons is approached by a girl with a copy of her book, claiming to be a missing child. instead of calling the police, kara - aware of how the system can fail the young and vulnerable - seeks help from her former therapist, arles shepherd. she quickly realizes there's something strange about the girl, who won't even reveal her name.
when a man with a gun tracks them down at arles's secluded cabin, the real danger emerges, forcing her and kara to go on the run.

first of all, i was totally unaware that this is the second book in a series, but i still continued reading, and i didn't feel like i was missing out on anything - so i assume it can be read as a standalone.

the premise was really good, but the book just didn't deliver. a lot of the storyline felt pretty unbelievable and far-fetched. in many parts the book was just dragging a bit too much.

considering the book is in the thriller genre, at times i didn't feel like i was reading one. the thrills just weren't there. i mean, there was some action when the guy with the gun approached them and when they went on the run, but it just fell flat to me. i definitely liked the last 35% of the book and i really enjoyed the ending, though.

as for the characters - kara was really empathetic, and i liked how both she and arles tried to help the girl.
arles took care of her and did her best to keep her safe, which i do admire, although i questioned some of their decisions.

i also liked the way the relationship between the girl and her parents was portrayed - it was kinda sad to read about.

overall, the story was decent, but it just didn’t resonate with me personally. i can see why some people would enjoy it, but it just didn't click with me.



*thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author for the opportunity to review this ARC.*

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Unfortunately had to DNF this. I tried reading the first book in the series beforehand to get a better feel for the set up and the characters, but had to DNF that as I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style and the story dragged a bit too much for me. Moved on to this book thinking it may stand on its own legs decently, but had to drop this book for the same reasons as it just wasn't enjoyable for me personally.

I did not know this was the second book in a series when I requested it. It was way too unbelievable and far fetched for me that I was not able to get through it. Also, the fact it was the second book for me always throws me off as I like to read in order. This was unfortunately a DNF for me.

This was not an awful read, but I do feel as though a lot of the storyline was pretty far fetched and quite unbelievable.