I have delayed reviewing this book, because I am so worried that my words will not do justice to this haunting and oh so perfect novel from the author of "The Enchanted".

This is a novel that gets under your skin and steals a place in your heart and head, and one that I will come back to again and again. It is a novel of untold horrors (indeed, they are mostly untold, Naomi does not remember what happened to her and the snow child escapes into her imagination to cope with her incarceration) and cruelty, but also hope, resilience and forgiveness.

The writing is lyrical and concise and have a strange fairy tale quality that really appeals to me. The depth and layers in this book are intricate and absorbing. Yes it is a story about a person who finds missing children, but it is also a story illuminating the power of the imagination, the horror of victim turned perpetrator, the growth of a human soul, the power of love and so much more.

I would urge anyone to read this book, and my thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

First of all, can I just say that I really love this cover? I like the other (white) cover as well but the addition of this 'blueish tinged cover with a speck of gold' colour gives it the look of magical realism that I could imagine and it only added more delight to my reading experience with this extra touch.

The Child Finder is told mostly through the voices of Naomi and Madison. Naomi, once a lost girl herself, is The Child Finder. She's gifted in some way and has a high success rate in finding missing children through her methodical searches, even if it means they're not always found alive. Although she only takes one case at the time and there's no rhyme which case she's going to take - it's certainly not about the money - she is actually looking for two children in this novel. The children went missing under different circumstances and it demonstrated perfectly how different some cases are regarded and how you can be treated and regarded by the police and public eye if you don't fit into the mold.. at the end of the day there are just two equally distraught mothers. Thankfully, Naomi is a good and righteous person and her past (or lack of a past because she can't remember anything before the age of 9) makes her untrusting of most people but also more objective.

I liked reading about Naomi's search and I really rooted for her to get on the right track and find these children but it were really little Madison's entries that put a magic spell on me. She imagines herself as a Snow Child because she's fond of fairy tales and it's her way to cope with her captivity and Mr. B. The way that she told herself things in order to survive her imprisonment was enthralling. Even though the abuse is veiled and Mr. B in his own twisted way really likes the girl there is no doubt that Mr. B is not a good man at all. Mr. B's character, who he is and where he came from, stays pretty much in the shadows until the end of the novel and I really wasn't expecting it to pull at my heart as well when all was said and done. I really didn't want it to but I couldn't help it.. how bad is it if you find yourself caring for the villain? It is seriously twisted I know, and it takes one helluva writer. 

There is so much to be found in this story. There were also interesting parrallels in present and past for Naomi and Madison and while Naomi's looking for Madison I had the feeling that she was looking for herself too in some way and she was ready to find out the truth about herself. The further she gets in the investigation the more prominent little flashes of her past float to the surface and the more I wanted to found out more. Did she also survive a Mr.B? Where was her mother? Who is with her in her dreams? 

"The dream was like a dark demon, bringing with it scraps of the past. It was hard to tell what was a skeleton to be buried - or a treasure to be revealed."
Unfortunately, I didn't feel I really got and understood Naomi at all times. Running away from finding out her past, being scared of the unknown just didn't seem in line with her strong character. And why would you run from a good thing in your life and the only person you trust? I was a little disappointed because Naomi's memory loss was actually the second big plotline. She doesn't remember anything from before the moment she was running in a field at the age of 9 and was found by nomads. She only has nightmares that show her fleeting glimpses of a past that she can't get a hold on. I felt the ending of this plotline was largely unresolved. I actually hoped I'd get more answers in this novel. I know I know, it might have taken us too far, adding another 100 pages to the novel, but I really wouldn't have minded at all :-).

Overall, this was a haunting story, beautiful but horrific. I haven't read Denfeld's first novel The Enchanted yet but this novel certainly gives me reason to want to read more books by this author.

Loved this book, really well written. Highly recommend

Wow! This book has you completely gripped from the first page. Not only are you concerned about the Snow girl, but you also need to know more about Naomi who is trying to find her. This is an absolute cracker, looking at childhood and how it effects you throughout your life, relationships and criminal investigations and hope. The rugged, uninviting and dangerous setting highlights the vast difference between a safe home and family life. A great read, I cannot wait for more!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Naomi was found and fostered by Mrs Cottle. She lived with her and her foster brother Jerome struggling to identify with who she was as her childhood is a black space. Naomi devote a herself to finding missing children. She has two cases both harrowing to investigate. Can she save the children? Madison is a little girl, feared dead in the cold wilderness and the snow girl is born. Can she be saved?

This book was not at all what I expected and it blew me away. It's mesmerising and one I won't forget in a hurry. The writing is beautiful despite the tragic circumstances it describes. Such a gift to read thank you

This book had me captivated from a few pages in. The subject matter is grim and I would not recommend this as a read for a younger person. However it is also a beautiful book. It reminds me of a work like ‘Room’. The delicate subject matter of child abuse is handled sensitively without being offensive or crude. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future works by the author.

This is a gripping story of The Childfinder, Naomi, who is searching for an eight year old child, Maddison, missing for three years. The story is told by two voices – Noami and the Snow Girl. Not a style that I always enjoy but in no way did it detract from my enjoyment of this book. It is set in the brutal, yet beautiful landscape of Oregon a place that would be impossible for a five year old girl, not dressed for the weather, to survive. In her search Noami recalls her past – as much as she can – and it is one that has made her uniquely capable to perform this special role and motivates her to search, to believe she can give parents back their children – alive or dead.

There is another storyline of a missing baby which interweaves the main story which I felt enhanced the book as it further showed how Naomi dealt with people and situations.

The characters in the book are very well drawn. Naomi is a wonderful character. The voice of the Snow Child is stunning and told with great understanding and knowledge. There is great empathy in the writing of this book both story and characters.

There is heartache and joy in this story which is well told, well written and well worth reading. Highly Recommended.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I started to read The Child Finder but it certainly wasn’t the beautifully told story that I got. The book blurb makes it sound like one of your usual missing child thrillers but what I read was something very different and rather special indeed. Please be aware that this book can be very uncomfortable reading at times due to it’s subject matter of child abuse but I can honestly say that although difficult to read at times, it isn’t gratuitous or graphic. This author obviously understands wholly how children react in the aftermath of abuse and this story of Naomi and the children she is compelled to look for is handled with care and patience. Do not come to it expecting a fast paced race against time to find Madison. Instead, this is a slow burning, deeply affecting study into how victims of abuse cope during and after.

Naomi is called The Child Finder. She searches for missing children after all other avenues have been explored and everyone except the families have given up hope. She has a gift, an intuitive insight into how to investigate the clues into a disappearance, and her own troubling past has helped her to develop those skills. Naomi’s background is as intriguing as the searches she carries out in the present. Her own childhood escape from captivity and her memory loss of that time have heightened her senses but it lead to her time in foster care after that horrific ordeal and that was one of the most poignant parts of the book for me. As she searches for Madison, she also becomes in another missing child case which I’m surprised wasn’t used to create another book or short story about The Child Finder as I found that plotline just as interesting as the main focus search and would like to have seen that developed further and not just used as a digression as it was here.

This is an truly magical book that had the feel of an adult fairytale at times. Beautifully crafted and written with an alluring perception, it enticed me in and held me captive until the very end. Yes it’s a disturbing and distressing experience at times but in Rene Denfelds hands the storyline is lifted from its ethereal shadows to throw light on some strong and hardhitting emotive issues. I would love to meet Naomi again as I think she has so many layers that we still need to uncover.

I’ve not seen many UK reviews of this book and I’m not sure why. I absolutely loved it and have had the most dreadful ” book hangover ” since I finished it. The stories within it still haunt me even now. Highly recommended by me especially if you yearn for a very different spin on the missing child mystery.

This was one if not the best book i have read in a long time, i was hooked from the first page and finished the book in a day, i really hope there is more to come so we can learn more about Naomi.

This book didn't grab me and keep me reading till the small hours but I did need to finish it. For me it was missing depth I did not feel I got to know the characters very well. It was an ok read but not one I would rush to the shops to buy

Unique story - left me with thoughts of lone wolves, winter breath, and long quiet roads. Reminded me of The Lauras by Sara Taylor.

The Child Finder is a beautifully written novel about a young woman, Naomi Cottle, who was raised by a foster mother and has a huge blank period in her own childhood memories. Naomi spends her life searching for missing children.

The focus is on five year old Madison Culver who went missing three years previously, while the family were cutting down a Christmas tree in the Skookum National Forest and also a missing baby whose mother has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The narrative by Snow Girl, a captive child who was rescued from the snows by a deaf and dumb man, is heart wrenching. She is imprisoned, tormented and yet it would seem also loved by her rescuer. As the search for Madison continues against all odds Naomi’s own history starts to unfold.

A truly moving tale, delicately written.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital review copy.

Rene Denfield is my hero.
Hope and magic in all the darkest places.
I was intrigued by page 3 and hooked by page 6. Sad to leave the characters.
Life affirming.
This will be my push for September - I want everyone to have an opportunity to experience the world through Rene Denfield's eyes.
Thank you

I found this heavy going at the beginning but was soon hooked. A worthwhile read.

A wonderful book which I enjoyed from start to finish. I would really recommend this book to others and am keen to read other books by Rene Denfeld as really enjoyed the writing style

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

the child finder aka Naomi, herself a lost child but has no memory of what happened to her...but when she was older she had a calling...to find lost children and she is good at it...

have to say i loved this book even though i wouldnt wish anything in this book to happen to anyone in real life...even though we know that it does...

i hope there is another book to follow this one as i feel there could be a trilogy or something to follow...another author for me to follow with interest

I would like to thank Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Child Finder’ by Rene Denfield in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Madison Culver disappeared when she was five years old. Three years have passed and as the police are no closer to finding Madison, her family turn to Naomi Cottle for help.
Whilst searching for Madison, Naomi is asked to locate the missing baby of a young woman called Danita Danforth who the police have locked in jail suspected of abducting her baby.
Naomi, herself a missing child long ago, has the ability to find other children and when asked how she finds them replies ‘because I know freedom’.
During her search for these children the story touches on her relationships with the loving woman who fostered her, Mrs Cottle, and Jerome, her foster brother and friend. Child abuse has been mentioned but hasn’t been overly dwelt on apart from where it adds to the understanding of Madison and her abductor.
‘The Child Finder’ has been beautifully written by Rene Denfield who manages to weave the different threads of the story into a novel showing great compassion, sensitivity and empathy for the characters. I’m so pleased NetGalley asked me to read this book as it was a wonderful story that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

Naomi is the child finder. A finder of lost children, the person to call when all hope is lost. Naomi once a missing child herself, sets out to save others while hoping to reclaim her own past.
This feels like a very personal book, a book very much about survival and love. This is beautifully illustrated by how the author handles such sensitive issues with warmth and compassion. The author is obviously very fond of the female lead and this shines throughout the book. The subject matter is at times disturbing but well balanced by being dealt with care and sensitivity. The supporting cast as well as the 'baddie' are interesting and well fleshed out.
Not my usual read but thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. An engaging atmospheric, thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley for a free digital copy in return for an honest review.

Fantastic read!I couldn't put this book down.Absolutely heartbreaking at times and I found some parts difficult to read,but the main character was so intriguing.I'm sure this book will be a big hit!

This book has two main stories, the primary one of Naomi, the child finder, searching for Madison three years after her disappearance. As the reader we see both Naomi's investigation and child's perspective. Madison with only sketchy memories of before, feels herself to be a snow girl, created by her captor. There is also the story of Naomi, and the reason why she does what she does is that she is also a lost child, who was found. She has only very sketchy memories of what happened to her before she was found except her name, which she knew belonged to her.

The insight into the methods of an investigator, searching years after the trail went cold for the police, also the difficulties on a legal level that the police are held too whereas an investigator has much less constraints.

This book has a difficult subject, that of abducted children and personally I found it quite a challenging read on an emotional level. Saying that, the subject was handled with sensitivity and care. Probably anybody who is a parent will find this a very emotive topic. I am not often brought to tears by books but I was with this one.

What I thought was interesting was that very occasionally we got glimpses into the psyche of Madison's captor which made it not so black and white.

The character of Naomi as expected is the most interesting in the book, she is a strong, fearless woman, forged by monsters that she cannot remember. She has an outwardly sunny personality but trusts only a handful of people and is driven from one missing child case to the next with her hidden past influencing everything that she does.

The pacing is excellent and this is a fairly quick read, especially in the last half. It is only 250 pages long. There is potential for a sequel but I have no idea if that is going to happen, but I would love to read more.