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    She's Not There: A Novel
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    She's Not There: A Novel
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    She's Not There: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    She's Not There: A Novel

    Written by Joy Fielding

    Narrated by Tanya Eby

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A novel of psychological suspense about a woman whose life takes a shocking turn when a young girl contacts her, claiming to be her daughter, kidnapped in Mexico years earlier, from the New York Times bestselling author of Someone is Watching.

    A lifetime ago, every year Carole Shipley looked forward to her wedding anniversary. But then a celebratory trip to Mexico for the occasion with her husband and friends ended in the unsolved kidnapping of her infant daughter, Samantha. Now, fifteen years after that horrific time, divorced and isolated, Carole is forced to relive the kidnapping by reporters who call every year on the anniversary of Samantha's disappearance. However, this year when the phone rings, Carole hears the sweet voice of a girl claiming to be her long-lost daughter. Plunged back into the world of heartbreak, suspicion and questions that led the case to run cold so many years ago, Carole doesn't know what or who to believe. But when she starts to figure it out, she finds the answers dangerously close to home.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateFeb 23, 2016
    ISBN9781511322874
    Unavailable
    She's Not There: A Novel
    Author

    Joy Fielding

    Joy Fielding's ability to portray the lives of ordinary women inextraordinary circumstances—as in See Jane Run andTell Me No Secrets—has made her an internationalbestselling author. She lives in Toronto with herhusband and their two daughters, and spends partof the year in Palm Beach, Florida.

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    Reviews for She's Not There

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    • 4/5
      To celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary Caroline and Hunter Shipley, and their two young daughters, five year old Michelle and two year old Samantha, travel from their home in San Diego to Rosarita, Mexico. Caroline had assumed that they would be enjoying a quiet, private celebration so is shocked to be greeted on their arrival at the hotel by three other couples her husband has invited to help them to mark the occasion. For their final night Hunter has planned a special anniversary surprise but, when the hotel baby-sitting service lets them down, Caroline is reluctant to leave the children alone in the room. Against her better judgment she goes along with her husband’s suggestion that, as the restaurant is so close by, they should take it in turns to check on the girls every half hour. At the end of what turns out to be a less than successful evening the couple return to their room only to discover that Samantha’s cot is empty. Although there are extensive investigations, all efforts to discover what has happened to their daughter are unsuccessful; in televised appeals Caroline, although falling apart inside, comes across as cold and unemotional whereas her husband presents as the much more charismatic and emotionally affected parent. Fifteen years on, divorced from her husband, who has remarried and has another two children, and coping with Michelle, who has her own emotional problems, Caroline has never given up hope that Samantha would be found but has always been the focus of negative publicity, suspected of having had something to do with her daughter’s disappearance. These suspicions have caused her to lose her job as a teacher on several occasions. On the fifteenth anniversary there is renewed and extensive press-coverage, including an artist’s impression of how Samantha might look now. When Caroline receives a call from Lili, a young girl in Calgary who believes that she might be Samantha, she is filled with hope, although all other members of the family remain convinced that this is just one more scam – there have been many over the years. Alternating between past and present this immediately engaging story explores not only what has happened during the intervening years but also what effects Caroline’s belief that Lili really is Samantha has on the rest of her family and friends. Joy Fielding managed the time switches in an impressive way, enabling the reader to build up a vivid picture of the damage done to relationships following an unresolved tragedy. She convincingly captured the combination of guilt and recrimination which combined to drive Caroline and Hunter apart and which continued to affect all the relationships within this broken family. Her exploration of the relationship between Caroline and her daughter Michelle exposes the damage done to a remaining sibling in such tragic circumstances, made worse in this case because, even prior to Samantha’s disappearance, it becomes clear that she was seen as the “golden” child whilst Michelle was labelled the “difficult” one. Another interesting theme which is explored is whether men and women deal differently with such a devastating loss and, if they do, what are the effects of this on their relationship. As the story progresses a pattern emerges of similar patterns in the family dynamics between Caroline, her brother and her mother, Mary, thus laying the foundations for an exploration of the long-term effects of toxic family interactions. As the story progresses there are various clues to indicate that the solution to who was behind the disappearance probably lies closer to home than anyone wants to contemplate but, although I had guessed before the end, there was enough uncertainty to ensure that the psychological tension was maintained. I thought that each of the characters was credible and I found myself having fluctuating feelings of sympathy, frustration and irritation towards them as the story progressed. The only character who felt unremittingly toxic was Caroline’s awful mother, Mary, and she appeared to have absolutely no redeeming characteristics! This is a powerful and affecting story with a wide range of themes, making it an ideal choice for reading groups to discuss, debate and argue about! This is the first of this author’s books which I have read and, on the evidence of her ability to tell an engaging story, I would certainly be prepared to read her earlier novels.
    • 5/5
      What a cracking read!This book engaged me from the very outset. We have a child who went missing whilst on holiday 15 years ago (and yes it is almost Madeline McCann’s disappearance story, so some people may have difficulty reading this book) and then suddenly out of the blue the mother is contacted by a teenager telling her she thinks she is that daughter. Cue the emotional turmoil, what do you do? Believe her and jump into a situation that could end up destroying you, or reject the young girl out of hand and spurn someone who could be your daughter. I was hooked by this story from the very first page! There is great characterisation throughout the book and I felt the mother’s pain, as not only has she been destroyed by what has happened, but the story is relayed every Anniversary and if that is not bad enough she is vilified by the press. As a result I was totally emotionally involved in the book and just needed to keep reading! I loved the time taken to get to know all the characters in the first half of the book and as both the backstory and current story were presented. It is definitely a book you do not want to put down and not only that I loved the ending, and the shocking twist in the final pages. I have not read this author before but on this book she could quickly become one of my favourites. I will certainly be searching out more of her books to read. I would definitely recommend the book if you enjoy books in this genre. I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review as is relayed here!
    • 4/5
      This book kept me hooked throughout but I imagine if I was a parent I might have had to put it down from time to time. The novel alternates between chapters from 15 years ago and chapters set in the present. That is part of why it works to hook the reader because you want to learn what is occurring for the characters now while filling in the back story. Fifteen years ago Carole and Hunter Shipley, residents of San Diego, decided to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary with a week at a luxurious resort just across the border in Mexico. Their two daughters, five year old Michelle and two year old Samantha, accompanied them but the resort offered babysitters so Carole and Hunter to get some alone time. Or that's what Carole thought but when they arrived at the resort she found that three couples (her brother and his wife, her best friend and her husband and a business associate of her husband's and his wife) were going to be spending the week at the resort. On the last night of their stay they found out that the babysitter had somehow been cancelled. Against Carole's better judgement she accompanied Hunter to dinner in the hotel's restaurant with their six friends on the condition that one of them would check on the girls every half hour. At every check the girls were sleeping soundly and everything seemed fine. Then when dinner was over Carole went into the bedroom and found Samantha was missing from her crib. In the months and years that followed the child was never found but Carole kept hoping. Her marriage broke up and her relationship with Michelle was problematic and each year the journalists hounded her but she managed to keep her cool. Then the phone rang in her house and a young girl named Lili from Calgary said she thought she might be Samantha. Should Carole get her hopes up? Everyone else urges caution but Carole can't dismiss the possibility that this might be real. When I started reading this book I was reminded of a kidnapping case in Europe that got a lot of media attention a few years ago. Through the miracle of Google I was able to remind myself of the Madeline McCann case which occurred in Portugal in 2007. I'm pretty sure that Joy Fielding used that case as her starting idea and I was disappointed that Fielding didn't acknowledge that either in her author's acknowledgments or on her website. I really hope that neither the McCanns nor their relatives never read this book because I am sure it would be devastating. It is rather ironic that Fielding paints journalists so negatively in the book for hounding the parents and yet she doesn't seem to realize that her own writing could have the same effect.
    • 3/5
      This is not one of Joy Fielding's best books, but it was moderately entertaining. The character Michelle was one nasty kid, and I liked that. The ending just didn't hit me with the impact that it should have.
    • 4/5
      I was afraid that it was simply a rip-off of the Madeleine McCann story but it was actually pretty good. Awesome twist.
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not effect my opinion of the book or my review itself.A work of fiction that seems to owe its premise to the Madeleine McCann case, She's Not There centers around the disappearance of Samantha, a two year old girl who goes missing while her parents eat in a nearby cafe.While this is most assuredly a mystery, full of psychological suspense, Fielding also tackles some very weighty issues. Cutting back and forth between past and present, readers are shown how Samantha's disappearance completely decimated her family in a way they have never recovered from. Her mother, Caroline, is reminded every anniversary of how the press blamed her for leaving her children alone in their hotel room, even though it was her husband's idea. Her husband, Hunter, moves on to start a new family while grappling with deep guilt from that night. And their older daughter, Michelle, is in a state of constant rebellion, refusing to eat, and getting caught driving drunk.As I neared the end of this book, I thought I was going to be disappointed. The ending seemed pat, and anticlimactic. But then, to give Fielding a lot of credit, she played off that perfectly. She makes readers think that they know it all, but then offers up a shocking twist that changes everything.While I didn't love this as much as I've loved other books in this genre, this was a good, quick, gripping read. If you like psychological thrillers, I would say you should give this one a try.
    • 4/5
      She's Not There tells the story of Caroline Shipley beginning with the present-day 15th anniversary of the disappearance of her younger daughter Samantha from an upscale Mexican resort. Fifteen years is a long time to grieve and wonder and hope. It is also a long time to be conned and scammed and eviscerated by the press. Her marriage fell apart years ago and her older daughter barely speaks to her. The early morning overseas call could be another scam or it just might lead her to her daughter. This is definitely a page-turner with some great plot twists.(Review based on complimentary Advance Reader copy.)
    • 3/5
      This is the firs Joy Fielding book I have read and was moderately satisfied with it. It started off slowly, but I did enjoy the twist at the end. What I did not like was the daughter character Michelle. There is no way I would have a daughter that rotten so it is hard to read about one. But each its own. All in all a good book, I will definitely try another in the future.
    • 4/5
      Another fast read. While I did need to finish so I can return to the library tomorrow, this book certainly did hold my interest. Caroline and Hunter are in Mexico to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Their family and friends are also there to surprise them. They've also brought their 5 year old and 2 year old daughters. Definitely, not the ingredients to have a great anniversary. Their sitter is cancelled, not by them, and Hunter talks Caroline into going to their anniversary dinner anyway and checking on the girls every half hour. We all know that's asking for trouble and sure enough, when they get back to the room for the last time, the baby, Samantha, is missing. Now, fifteen years later, Caroline receives a phone call from a young girl saying, "I think my real name is Samantha. I think I'm your daughter." The story goes between past and present and does a good job of holding your interest. The older daughter, Michelle, is an annoying character, but, it must be hard to be the sibling left behnd and your mother spends all her time looking for the missing sister. Other than that, though, this is a good book that holds your interest.
    • 5/5
      I received this book free from net galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.I fell in love with Joy Fielding's books more than 30 years ago and was very excited to have been approved to read her newest novel "She's not there". Her books are riveting, can't put down mystery/thrillers. Caroline seems to have a charmed life. (Other than her horrendous mother) She has a handsome attorney husband, they have two beautiful daughters, they live comfortably and are on their way, with their girls, to a resort in Mexico to celebrate their 10th anniversary and as a surprise, her husband, Hunter, arranges to have some friends and family join them. The four couples have a week of fun in the sun, often with their daughters Michelle and Samantha in children's programs or with a sitter. On the last night, a special dinner is planned but the sitter doesn't show. Hunter persuades Caroline, against her better judgement, to leave the kids alone in the room while they have dinner. After all, they aren't far away. They can see the room from where they are eating, they are checking on the girls every half hour. What could possibly happen in a locked hotel room while the girls are sleeping?This decision will haunt them for the rest of their lives, for during that dinner, someone gains access to their room and kidnaps their baby, Samantha. This book hops back and forth from the present to the past, 15 years ago, when it all began. It gives a very real portrayal of a family hit by the tragedy of a kidnapped child and all that goes with it; the fear, the shame and despair and the guilt they live with daily. That split second delicious they made has altered their life drastically. But then suddenly, fifteen years later, a young girl contacts them, saying she's Samantha and like many other times before, their life is a roller coaster of emotions and what ifs. I found this to be a very real interpretation of what life for the family of a kidnapped child is like. They were crucified by the press for being such irresponsible and neglectful parents, it was even suggested that they murdered Samantha. And really, admit it, which of us as parents haven't done something that could have resulted the same way? You pop over to the neighbours while the baby naps, or leave the baby in the car seat while you take groceries into the house or many other similar scenarios; we were just luckier. I found Caroline to be genuine and likeable and I emphasized with how one decision affected the rest of her life. My heart broke for her and as a mother myself, I can't even imagine how that missing piece will always affect a mother, not knowing and missing your child. I must say though, there are a lot of unlikable characters in this book. From Hunter, who is such a jackass, to Michelle who felt second best her whole life and never let her mother forget it, she was downright obnoxious; to Caroline's spoiled brother Steve to their mother, who never misses a chance to insult or belittle Caroline. There was an interesting dynamic of two generations of being the "second choice" child. While intentional or not, this impacted who they became As chapters flew by, going past to present, we got closer and closer to the mystery of what happened to Samantha that night in Mexico. Each chapter ended with a need to know more and I didn't want to put this book down. I had an idea of who may be involved but there were definitely some surprises in store. This book is a fast paced thriller with lots of drama too that will appeal to many readers. It's the kind of book you want to curl up on the couch with and devour in one sitting as it grips you and doesn't let go, you become lost in the story. I highly recommend it. Thanks to net galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book that I have read by Joy Fielding and after enjoying this book so much, I think its time to read some of her older books. This is a story very similar to the Madeline McCann abduction in England several years ago. Caroline and her husband go to a Mexican resort for their anniversary with their two children - a five year old daughter and a two year old daughter. Some of their friends and family are also there to celebrate with them. When the babysitter doesn't show up for their anniversary dinner and all of their friends are waiting, they decide to go to dinner and check on the kids every 30 minutes - after all the restaurant is so close to their room! At the end of the evening, they find that their youngest daughter, Samantha has been abducted. The novel is told by Caroline and each chapter alternates between present day and 15 years previous when the abduction occurred. Fifteen years after the abduction, Carolina gets a phone call from a girl who says that she may be Samantha - is she really or is it someone playing a cruel trick? This novel was a fast read because I wanted to find out the what really happened in Mexico and I was totally unprepared for the ending of the story. It was a great book and I really enjoyed it. (I received this book from LibraryThing for an impartial review)
    • 4/5
      An interesting novel... a story of loss, guilt, hope, and family. The basic plot goes back and forth from present day to the past, recounting the story of a toddler stolen from a hotel room in Mexico while the parents were celebrating their anniversary. The main problem I had with this novel is that there is not ONE likeable character. The mother is still a wreck and a dishrag; the remaining sister is a nasty brat, even as a grown young woman; the husband is now remarried, but also a cheater. The grandmother (mother of the wife) is a manipulator. Leaves no one for the reader to like and support. But the story does show the destruction of a family when something horrible like this happens... and the mystery is finally solved/resolved, though even that could have been done a little better. Enjoyable, but be prepared to struggle through parts.
    • 3/5
      3.5 out of 5 stars -- "And guilt and blame are two very powerful weapons. Weapons of intimate destruction."Imagine every parent's worst nightmare -- your 2-year old daughter is kidnapped from a hotel room while you're out enjoying dinner with friends at a luxury resort in Mexico celebrating your wedding anniversary! That's the tragedy that Carol Shipley and her husband, Hunter, faced 15 years ago. No trace of Samantha was ever found. Everyone constantly reminds Carole that she should never have left her children alone in a hotel room. She knows that, but blames Hunter for talking her into it.Flash forward to the ringing of a telephone and a voice on the other end -- it's a girl claiming to be that missing daughter. Carole so wants this to be true, an answer to her hopes and prayers. Carole and her daughter, Michelle, travel to Calgary but the girl doesn't show. But then arrives on their doorstep in San Diego. Is this really Samantha?This was a very fast read but populated with several characters that I found so annoying that it was distracting. The mother was a mess, not that it would be unusual since she lost her daughter, but the rest of the family -- Michelle, mother Mary, brother Steve, and Hunter -- were also not exactly the kind of people I'd be able to tolerate as friends even if given lots of latitude for their personal anguish. The only thing that saved this book was that I wanted to get to the end to see if the girl was indeed Samantha and to find out what happened in the hotel. I hoped there would be a satisfactory conclusion. Most of it I had guess and anyone who reads this type of book would as well. Overall, I enjoyed the quick read in a single sitting. I wish I had developed more empathy for Carole, but I never connected with her. I like strong female protagonists vs those who do a lot of angsting and sobbing. The relationship between Carole and everyone else in her family was completely dysfunctional and they all need more than a few sessions with a therapist to fix all that is wrong. I don't even want to think about the pain a parent would experience in this sort of situation, so I gave her some leeway with her reactions and behavior, but some of her choices defied credibility and a reader will need to suspend a bit of disbelief about some of what happened.Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-book ARC to review. Thank you to LibraryThing for the paperback ARC.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book! Review to follow
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this new novel by Joy Fielding. Fifteen years ago Caroline's two-year-old daughter was taken from her hotel room in Mexico while she was at dinner celebrating her anniversary with her husband. The story is told in alternating chapters between the present and what had happened in the past. This seems to be very similar to an abduction that actually happened a few years ago. The characters were predictable. Caroline was blamed by the public and labeled as a bad mother, while her husband was able to go on with his life. Her older daughter felt she wasn't loved as much as the missing daughter, and Caroline's mother favored her son over her.This was a quick paced, very readable novel.
    • 4/5
      Like a "Law & Order" episode, this is based on a true story: the Madeleine McCann disappearance in Portugal. Like Madeleine's parents, the mother and father of 2-year-old Samantha Shipley leave her and her older sister in their hotel room in a Mexican resort, where the parents are celebrating their wedding anniversary with friends and family members [much to the chagrin of Caroline, the mother, who would have rather been there alone with her immediate family only]. Caroline and Hunter, her husband, alternate checking on the girls every half hour [the scheduled babysitter is mysteriously cancelled], until Caroline goes to the hotel room to discover that Samantha is missing from her crib. The story moves back and forth between the "vacation" in Mexico [15 years earlier] and the present day, when Caroline and Hunter are divorced and their older daughter, Michelle (who is a real pain), is splitting her time between them. Caroline still believes that Samantha will be found, although Hunter and Michelle seem to prefer to "move on" [Hunter has remarried]. Then one day a telephone call comes from a girl in Canada who is convinced she looks like the age-progression pictures of Samantha ... and mayhem ensues. Fielding did a wonderful job of making me care about these people, even if I didn't like most of them. Caroline is presented as a grieving mother who doesn't want to grieve or believe that her baby is gone forever, even though the rest of her family wants nothing to do with the Canadian interloper. The mystery is resolved at the end [with a twist I didn't see coming] but the plotting to get there is tight and suspenseful.
    • 4/5
      Many thanks to Librarything.com for an advanced copy of Joy Fielding's She's Not There in return for my honest review.She's Not There reminds me of the novels of the past that were read for sheer pleasure. I enjoyed this fast paced mystery even though it was very reminiscent of the true story of the Madeline McCann abduction. For those who are unfamiliar with the case, Kate and Gerry McCann while vacationing in Portugal left their very young children to sleep alone in their hotel suite while they met friends at a close-by restaurant, checking on the children throughout the evening. Three year old Madeline was discovered missing some time during that night. Despite the author's claims that this was a work a fiction, and I am sure, many parts were, there is no denying that the facts of the novel are almost identical to those of the actual case. I generally am not a lover of these kinds of stories, but this one, if taken strictly as the fictional story that it claims to be, was quite good. The writing was absorbing. I read the book easily and quickly. I was totally engrossed in the story. I loved the alternating chapters between the past and the present. The characters were relatable, the aftermath of such a tragedy believable and understandable. To me this book would have been the perfect pleasure read if not for the fact that it took a family's real-life heartbreak and turned it into a form of entertainment.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. I didn't like the characters to well, I found them all shallow but the story was great. You go through the book and nothing is a big surprise but it does leave you with all the answers and a tightly woven story. The author is one that I don't usually pass by so I knew this one wouldn't be different, I devoured it.
    • 4/5
      The very idea of this book is a bit ripped from the headlines the way Law and Order episodes once were- child goes missing while on vacation with the parents, straight out of the hotel, and the parents are, of course, the prime suspects. In that regard the story is a tiny bit predictable. And some of the characters are hard to either like and/or relate to on some level. But with that being said the book itself is still an enjoyable read, a look into a cold case and how everyone in the family is changed when a child vanishes without a trace.
    • 3/5
      An enjoyable read by Joy Fielding. I look forward to reading more of her works.
    • 3/5
      I was really looking forward to Joy Fielding's She's Not There. I love suspense novels, but this novel had no suspense nor a real mystery. Caroline Shipley and her husband, Hunter went on a vacation to Rosarito, Mexico fifteen years previously for their anniversary. Caroline would not leave the kids with her mother or brother, so they brought five-year-old, Michelle, and two-year-old, Samantha with them. On the last night the babysitter failed to show up. The hotel said that someone had canceled the sitter. Since they were going to be eating just outside (they could see the window from the table), they went to dinner (Hunter insisted because he had a surprise for Caroline). They took turns checking on the sleeping girls. When they go back after dinner, Samantha is gone. Who took her and why?Fifteen years later Caroline gets a call from a young girl stating she might be Samantha. Could this be her long lost daughter? We get to see how this kidnapping affected the family and if this young woman is really Samantha. Will Caroline finally get the truth?I found She's Not There to be a slow novel with no suspense. It was so easy to figure out who took Samantha and why. We are subjected to a lot of Caroline thinking (and over thinking) and disagreements between Michelle and Caroline. Michelle was a difficult child before the kidnapping and she has not improved over the last fifteen years (I got very tired of their arguments). I did not like any of the characters in the book. Caroline plays the blame game and has issues controlling her temper. The writing is okay (satisfactory). I kept hoping that there would be a twist at the end. I give She's Not There 3 out of 5 stars (which mean it was okay).I received a complimentary copy of She's Not There from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the novel.
    • 5/5
      Hunter and Caroline Shipley's youngest daughter was kidnapped while they were vacationing in Mexico. Their marriage fell apart and their oldest daughter is quite difficult. Caroline is blamed for leaving their girls alone while they celebrated their 10 year anniversary, when it was actually her husbands idea to leave them in their room. Fifteen years later, Caroline receives a phone call from a girl who thinks she might be her daughter. Can Carolyn believe this girl?I throughly enjoyed this book. It is suspenseful and it felt very real.
    • 5/5
      I received this book in exchange for a review. I loved this book. The solution at the end was a complete surprise. The author Joy Fielding really pulls you into the story. I couldn't put this book down. The characters become almost real and the story is possible making everything feel real.
    • 4/5
      I have read an awful lot of books about missing children lately. She's Not There was one of the most emotional and also most gripping ones out of those.You can't help but think of the case of Madeline McCann when you read this. A little girl disappears from her parents' hotel room while the parents are having dinner with friends in a restaurant close by. 15 years later, the mother receives a call from a girl who thinks she may be the missing daughter. Told from the mother's point of view, the story goes flawlessly back and forth between the present and the time of the disappearance.The characters were exceptionally well drawn: the second daughter who ends up being a total mess and is in desperate need of attention. The sleazebag husband. The grandmother, what a nasty piece of work! And then the mother who has been under continuous attack from the media, which has affected her personal and professional life.I kept guessing right till the end and never worked out who was behind the kidnapping though there were small clues along the way. There were plenty of twists making this hard to put down. It came close to a 5-star read, but the ending reminded me of The Waltons and was just a little to sickly sweet for me.4.5 stars.Many thanks to Ballantine Books for my copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Flashing back and forth from the present to fifteen years earlier, Joy Fielding takes you on a terrifying journey SHE’S NOT THERE, the nightmare of Caroline Shipley, an unsolved kidnapping of her infant daughter, Samantha—this year, could it possibly be her daughter calling.Fifteen years earlier the family is on vacation to Mexico—The Grand Laguna Resort Hotel. Caroline and Hunter (an attorney) with daughters, five-year-old Michelle (very difficult), and Samantha two-years-old, sleeping silently in the toddler seat. They had selected this beautiful luxury hotel and spa as the perfect place to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The hotel would provide an evening of baby sitting and children’s programs which meant they would have some much needed time for themselves. When they arrived it was a big surprise—their family and friends are in attendance. In a way she was disappointed, thinking she would have alone time with her husband. Things were not turning out so well with the trip, proving less than stellar. A mix-up with the babysitter, feeling guilty leaving the kids alone, and her brother and sister in law’s bickering. She checks on the girls and they were fine, sleeping; however, when they returned for the evening, Samantha was gone—in Mexico, a strange place and her baby was nowhere to be found!Michelle had always been jealous of her baby sister. Did she harm her-- first reaction?. She had left the kids in the room alone, due to the babysitter not showing up. Hunter told the hotel they checked on them every half hour. Now, Caroline is beside herself with guilt for leaving the girls alone in a strange hotel. Someone had taken her. She realizes she lost her key card earlier in the day. Hunter had insisted they leave the girls alone, and now she blames him. Except she was just as guilty for going along with it. There of course was no mention of the fact Hunter left Mexico to return to his law practice in San Diego barely a week after Samantha’s disappearance. Their marriage was over. Her husband has moved on to a new life and familyNow, fifteen years later, their daughter was never found. A miserable life. Now divorced, the reporters call every year on her daughter’s anniversary of the kidnapping. She has to relive the nightmare. The years had not been good to her, haunted by the media, her grief, guilt, and everyone treated her like an outcast and a bad mother. This year, it is not a reporter on the line. It is a young girl, who says she thinks she is her daughter. Could it be for real? Is it too much to get excited about? Is this her real daughter, and if so where has she been? She says her name is Lili, but she thinks her real name is Samantha. As the truth slowly unfolds, things are closer to home than she could ever imagine. Everyone thinks she is crazy. However, as most kidnapping goes, it is always someone closer to home than you may think. The lengths people will go when they are desperate--the schemes, the unspeakable acts. A truly dysfunctional family. A light suspense (not a thriller), more of a drama--- A mother's need for justice, a realistic account of how media can be ruthless, and people can misjudge. Not a lot of likable characters here, the intensity was missing, and not really pulled in-- with this crazy family. My first book by the author; however, look forward to reading more.
    • 4/5
      Carole’s daughter went missing fifteen years ago when the family was on a vacation in Mexico. Hounded by the press, Carole is branded a bad mother and struggles to find a teaching job. Her marriage falls apart and she is left with a daughter she barely gets along with. Anticipating the fifteen year anniversary of the kidnapping, Carole is startled when she receives a phone call from a young girl, claiming to be her kidnapped daughter.This was an intriguing and engaging book. It blended the past and present perfectly, allowing the story to unravel and a perfect pace. The characters were very realistic, flaws and all. Overall, well worth reading, highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I have read all of Joy Fielding's book and this one rates up with one of the best. This book hooked me right away and I could not stop reading until I finished. This story was definitely a suspensful book with some crime and mystery thrown in.Fifteen years ago, Carole Shipley was happily married with two young daughters. On her 10th anniversary, her husband wanted to take her to Mexico to celebrate. She did not want to leave her daughters with her mother, so the whole family set off. If she had known what was waiting for her, she would have made a very different decision. While celebrating with her husband and friends, her daughters were left alone in their room sleeping. Even though they checked up on them every half hour, the unthinkable happened, Samantha disappears. Of course the family becomes suspected, and Carole more so than her husband for her calm, cool demeanour.For 15 years Carole suffers not knowing where her daughter might be or what happened to her. Her relationship with her older daughter Michelle has suffered as a consequence of the kidnapping. Her marriage falls apart and her husband remarries and begins a new family. She tries to return to teaching but is let go from job after job. She finally has a position she likes when she gets a phone call. “I think my real name is Samantha. I think I’m your daughter.” The story is told from Carole's point of view and goes back and forth from the past to the present. This style does not always work and can be confusing, but it flowed nicely in this book. We see what Carol went through over the years and how the media treated the incident and her personally. She is continually scrutinized and villainized by the me. Her husband seems to be let off relatively easy by the media but she is constantly under attack. This book makes you think about the many cases in the media about family abductions etc. and how easily we can be manipulated by reporters. I found this book extremely emotional and thought provoking. I had to flip back a few times to see if I could figure things out. I wasn't even close in my guess to what happened. The solution did not become apparent until right before it was revealed, which to me makes for a great book. I highly recommend this great read by Joy Fielding to anyone who enjoys suspenseful reads.I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This was quite good! I have read and enjoyed Joy Fielding in the past so I knew that I had a pretty good chance of enjoying this book as well. I have had a review copy for a while but for one reason or another never ended up actually picking it up. This is a story of a missing child so I knew that it might be a bit more emotional but when I saw that my library had a copy of the audiobook, I thought it was time to give this book a try. This book ended up being really hard to set aside because I just had to know what really happened to Samantha. This book is told through several points in time. We see everything happening to Caroline and her family today and all those years ago during that fateful trip when Samantha disappeared. We do also see a few shorter scenes at different points during the fifteen years that have elapsed since the disappearance. I really thought that everything fit together very well and came together to tell a very sad tale. I was completely invested in learning what happened all those years ago and felt really bad about everything that Caroline has been through over the years. Not only did Caroline lose her daughter, but she was also treated terribly by society. Everyone seemed to blame her for her daughter's disappearance. As the actual night that her daughter disappeared came together, my heart hurt for her. It didn't seem right that one bad decision should have such a devastating impact on her life. The story that was set in the present was equally well done. I understood why Caroline had to find out if the girl on the other end of the phone could be her daughter. I did have some issues with her older daughter, Michelle. I couldn't understand why Caroline allowed her to have the control that she did and it got to be a bit much for me. I know that Michelle had also been through a lot and was dealing with things differently but Caroline, as her mother, should have stood up to her a bit more. Once everything was finally revealed, there were a few surprises. Tanya Eby did a great job with the narration. I thought that she added a lot of emotion to the story and really brought the characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to the book for hours at a time. I would recommend this book to others. I thought it was a very well done and sometimes emotional mystery with plenty of twists to keep things interesting. I definitely plan to read more from Joy Fielding in the future.I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book, but was surprised that Ms. Fielding never mentioned the McCann kidnapping in her acknowledgements. Basically the same thing, parents dining with friends in restaurant at resort, child stolen from hotel room, parents suspected. In any case, some of the setup was thinly veiled in the first few chapters, so I had a good idea of several of the plot twists which were unveiled later. All in all, an enjoyable book.
    • 5/5
      I haven't read joy fielding in years! this one was most excellent. could not stop reading it. a family's 2 year old is kidnapped from a resort in Mexico while the parents are dining. the children were left in the room alone. the book uses the future and past in alternating chapters. after 15 years a young woman appears claiming she thinks she is the missing girl. the book unravels like the peeling of an onion with an ending i didn't expect. if you like page turners, this one is for you!