Stolen

By: Tess Stimson

Narrated by: Stephanie Racine, Indra Ove, Colin Mace, Aysha Kala, Beth Eyre, Josie Dunne

You thought she was safe. You were wrong…

Alex knows her daughter would never wander off in a strange place. So when her three-year-old vanishes from an idyllic beach wedding, Alex immediately believes the worst.

The hunt for Lottie quickly becomes a world-wide search, but it’s not long before suspicion falls on her mother. Why wasn’t she watching Lottie?

Alex knows she’s not perfect, but she loves her child. And with all eyes on her, Alex fears they’ll never uncover the truth unless she takes matters into her own hands.

Who took Lottie Martini? And will she ever come home?

A totally addictive thriller, with a twist you just won’t see coming. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Louise Candlish and T.M. Logan will be totally gripped from the very first page.

©2021 Tess Stimson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘What a page-turner! I couldn’t put it down. It had everything I love in a thriller – a great twist (or three or four), a fantastic lead character and a set up that will strike horror into the heart of any parent.’ Sarah Alderson, bestselling author of The Weekend Away

too long

first half better than second half in need of a good editor. some glaring plot holes especially with social media and everyo r having a cell phone. I kept confusing 2 of thr male characters Marc and Jack.

Please 🛑 with the politics

Not sure why I waste my time typing reviews like this, because despite the lack of profanity, they always seem to disappear from audible reviews, especially those that are found to be the most helpful. Freedom of speech is a thing of the past. So on to my wasted review....

This is SO FRUSTRATING... there are so many things to like about this one, but I am tired of supporting international authors, only to realize I’m listening to a White American Bash Book, which seems to be the new normal.

Just one more piece of evidence that every other country, and half of my own, now sees America as a joke. And they definitely see Florida as a joke. I have never in my life heard a politician stand up and speak the way the Florida governor was imitated.

The author got one thing right… The media in America is a joke, and it’s the reason that “everything is about race in America” (quote from the book) and equality and looking for something to be mad about constantly. Nothing our media has done has driven this country closer together, but it is destroying us. The entertainment industry is just as bad.

But this person is out of their mind if they think that a MAN in America who had previously left his kid in a hot car, had eye-witness testimony of public displays of anger, and whose kid is now missing, would not be ridiculed in the media. That’s a stretch to make the “equality” point. Alex suddenly laying into the reporter because “a man wouldn’t be judged the same way” feels like everything else these days, excuses.

What I love about the book is the sarcastic humor that is present throughout the first few chapters, and the overall plot is intriguing and definitely twisted. I like many of the messages... how we don’t know about all of the missing children, especially among minorities. But the constant politics was just too much. Without it, I would’ve given this book 4 stars.

However, there are other issues with this book. There are multiple narrators listed, but for 90% of the book, you hear the same one. If the narrator is changing, it is very difficult to tell. There are also details that just don’t work. For example, Alex says the woman who had her daughter appeared to be young with an unlined face, yet in the next paragraph she says she couldn’t tell them her hair color because she only saw her from the waist down. The police, or no one else, seems to notice. There are lots of little things like that, but that doesn’t bother me half as much as the politics.

I’m sad to give this book such a negative review, because it really is a good story. But I’m tired of the same sad song and dance when all I want to do is hear some fiction and escape reality. I wish these authors would go do a TED talk instead of peppering their psychological thrillers with politics.

Long book, great for a long roadtrip.

Excellent book for a long road trip. I drove 1000 miles listening to this book.

So good

Kept me on edge of my seat the whole time!!! Can't wait to read more from Tess!!

A gripping story, but unrealistic.

This story kept my attention and I enjoyed listening, but it’s unrealistic in many parts. A few parts are dragged out, and there are too many red herrings. However, I would recommend it to someone looking for an entertaining story to get them through a road trip. Warning: Can be a bit triggering for parents.