Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, One More Chapter and the author, M. A. Hunter, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Ransomed in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
What an incredible, fast paced read. You are drawn into Emma's story from the outset. 
I thought the storyline was well written and gripping. The characters are compelling and realistic. Such a good read.
Well worth the money.

Ransomed by M.A Hunter is the first in The Missing Children Case Files series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter) - in particular Claire Fenby, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Emma Hunter is an investigative journalist, who has just published her first book, based on the abuse of children at a children's home many years ago.  It is a best-seller, and she is suddenly thrust into the lime-light, where she isn't too comfortable sitting.

When Lord Fitzhume approaches her to ask for her help in finding his missing grand-daughter, Emma refuses, but he has friends in high places, and it's a done deal.   7-year old Cassie was kidnapped a year ago, and all evidence points to the fact that the ransom exchange went poorly, and she died in an explosion, along with one of the kidnappers.   Fitzhume believes she is alive, and even though Emma hopes that to be the case, she isn't finding any evidence to support that theory.


My Opinions:

Although I did not find the excitement I had hoped for in this book, I did find a really well-written mystery, an interesting plot, and a new series to read.

I enjoyed getting to know Emma, and I  really liked Jack.  Unfortunately, I like neither of Emma's friends.  Both Rachel and Maddie are rather over-bearing, and both seem to have ulterior motives for everything they do.  They just don't seem to be a good fit with Emma.  I hope they will be shown in a better light in books to come.

The perpetrator was fairly obvious from the get-go, but it didn't detract from the story.  The twist at the end was unexpected....and a little disheartening.

The book is about a child abduction, and that is a rather dark topic, but since it did not actually center around what was happening with the child, it was a little lighter than I expected.  It actually centered around the affects it had on her family, which was tragic enough.

I understand that these books will be about Emma (and Jack) searching for missing children, so I am looking forward to continuing  with this series.

Ransomed by M.A. Hunter is the first in the series featuring Emma Hunter.  This was a fast paced thriller that kept my interest the entire book. Many twists and turns I didn’t see coming with likeable and relatable character.;you can’t help but like Emma’s drive and determination. Will she find the missing girl, Cassie, in time?  Who is behind the abduction?

Emma (MA – get it?) Hunter is an investigative journalist who spent three years working on her first book, a shocking account of the brutal abuse by staff inside The St Francis Home for Wayward Boys after she met first one victim in a homeless shelter and then two more came forward. These men trusted Emma enough to reveal the dreadful truth about what took place and named their tormentors. The book catapulted Emma to the bestsellers’ list and also prompted a police enquiry which had just culminated in the imprisonment of the three ringleaders. The story begins as Emma’s agent, Maddie, is holding a celebration of the court victory in her London office. In the office’s reception area Emma is approached by an elderly and obviously very well to do man. He introduces himself as Templeton, Lord Fitzhume, and implores Emma to make her next investigation that of the kidnap of his still missing granddaughter Cassie Hilliard. Emma is surprised to find she has never heard of the case and he informs her that he was able to insist on a press blackout, such is his status. It transpires the family’s chauffer driven vehicle was attacked and the six year old child snatched from the scene in a very professional manner. The police even got as far as arresting one abductor in a botched ransom handover and believe Cassie is now dead. Fitzhume is convinced she is still alive somewhere. Initially Emma doesn’t want to get involved. She wants to write about the disappearance her sister Anna. Anna vanished twenty years ago when she was nine years old. She just walked round the corner from home and was never seen again, tearing apart the rest of the family irretrievably. Emma has not let a day go by in recent years without pushing on with the search for her sister, convinced that she is still alive somewhere. However her publisher has the final say on what the subject of her follow up book will be and Lord Fitzhume has friends in some very high places, so she resigns herself to writing about the missing Cassie. When she meets up again with Fitzhume, she realises he’s not so different from herself and they have a shared grief for a missing child. Immediately she finds she actually wants to get the truth for this sad old man. Granted access to the closed case police files and given help from a Metropolitan Police Constable, Jack Serrovitz, she travels from her beloved hometown of Weymouth to stay in London with best friend Rachel and starts to delve into the case. The story constantly switches back and forth between events of a year ago when Cassie was taken and the present day as the reader learns more about what happened during and after the kidnap. Much of the action takes place in the past rather than the present until we reach the final few gripping chapters as the truth about Cassie is revealed. Based on her success and notoriety following the publication of her first book, which just about every person she meets has read, people now know who she is and her reputation precedes her. They realise how talented she is at laying bare the facts of a case with great empathy and people are prepared to talk to her, spilling the truth and relating facts that would have otherwise remained hidden. It wasn’t hard to guess a fair bit about the plot but there were still a few surprises in store. The cliff hanger left at the end will, I’m sure, lead nicely onto the next story in what I think will become an excellent series. 4*

Wow this is the first book in a new series and it's certainly addictive and explosive.
Emma Hunter is an investigative journalist who has just released her first book. 'Monster's under the bed about abuse in st Francis home for wayward boys.
A man asks Emma if she will find his missing six year old granddaughter cassie who was abducted a year ago. The police think she is dead but the grandfather thinks diferentley.
Emma turns him down to start with then agrees to have a look into the case.
She only helps as the case is a reflection of her sister Anna who went missing twenty years ago aged six.

I loved this book it grips you from the start The chapters alternate from when cassie was abducted to the present day.
I really like Emma and can't wait for more from this series. Well worth a read.

I’m going against the majority of reviews of this book in only giving it a three star rating but it really seemed a fairly dull read to me. It may be a small thing but the name for the boys home she did the expose on jarred with me. When would a home be called  for “Wayward Boys” ? It Victorian and seemed so unlikely. The characters didn’t excite me either and the plot was predictable and too neat.

Wow I loved this book and have found a new author to add to my favourites list. This is an exciting thriller about a kidnapped child who’s Grandfather can not accept the facts of what happened after the abduction. Riding high on the success of her first novel about a child abuse ring Emma is surprised to be asked to write about the abduction and maybe discover the truth. As she investigates the story whilst also still searching for her missing sister it turns out the truth is even darker than anyone could imagine. I can’t wait for book two.

This captivating thriller introduces readers to Emma Hunter, journalist and author of the best selling novel Monster's Under My Bed, a expose of the horrific abuse that young boys were subjected to at the St Francis Home for Wayward Boys. Emma didn't enjoy taking the credit for the book, she insists that the survivors should take the credit because it's their story not hers. I thought Emma was a fantastic character, she was so likeable with her tatty cardigan and messy hair and I loved her interactions with one of the survivors Freddie Mitchell and her best friend Rachel who was also a fantastic character. Emma was a troubled individual who was haunted by a terrible life changing event in her past, the mysterious disappearance of her older sister Anna and the guilt that she feels over the disagreement they had that resulted in Anna storming off and never being seen again. Emma wanted her next book to be about Anna but instead finds herself railroaded into investigating the disappearance of six year old Cassie Hilliard who was kidnapped a year previously and just happens to be the granddaughter of a very important and highly influential man. Lord Fitzhume was the type of man who demanded respect and expected to always get his own way. I can't say that I thought he was a very likeable character and I didn't think much of his daddy's little girl, spoilt brat of a daughter either. But where was Cassie? Would Emma be able to figure out the truth that was hiding behind the secrets and lies or was poor little Cassie destined to become another statistic just like Emma's sister Anna

Wow, what a amazing start to what looks like is going to be a absolutely fantastic series. The reader is drawn into the captivating story from the first page, a story that keeps you guessing,frantically turning the page and contains all the elements that a reader wants to find whilst reading a thriller. The author had created a wonderful cast of realistic characters, a bunch of believable individuals that you thoroughly enjoy investing your time with and I can't wait to read the other titles in this series. Worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.

Investigative journalist Emma Hunter has spent the last three years working on a story about the abuse of children in a group home. Now the book is out and the guilty parties are finally brought to justice, she’s ready to turn her attention to the story she really wants to write, that of her sister, Anna, who went missing twenty years earlier. Approached by a wealthy old man and asked to look into the case of his kidnapped granddaughter, Emma is slowly drawn in and agrees to investigate.

There are some heart-wrenching scenes here, and some tough topics addressed. Emma is far from being any sort of intrepid heroine; she’s quiet and frumpy, a cardigan-wearing type with a bad habit of sucking on her sleeve when she gets nervous, but she’s also clever and immensely kind, and people seem to trust and open up to her instinctively. 

I didn’t see the resolution coming, nor the twist in the case of Emma’s missing sister which is a thread that’s obviously going to be picked up in the next book in this series. I feel like the police officer assigned to assist Emma is going to play a bigger role, maybe as a love interest. This is a really great start to a series, with the major case in it wrapped up pretty neatly but all these other intriguing threads leaving the reader keen to learn more. I’d definitely have picked up the second book immediately if it was available when I read this one!

I hadn't heard of this author or this book prior to reading it. The book was not what I expected, in a surprisingly good way. This book had suspense and many twists and turns I didn't see coming. I didn't predict the ending of this book (which is always a welcome surprise). I would definitely read more by this author.

Well what a way to kick a brand new sparkly series. Hot of the back of a bestselling expose of historic child abuse, Emma Hunter definitely makes an entrance as the go to person to solve the unsolvable! And she’s got to find a child who disappeared into thin air!

I loved the different perspective to the investigation, Emma’s nose for a story even when she’s reluctant is brilliant. Her investigative instinct is akin to that of a police officer and she’s got a cute one by her side in the form of Jack Serrovitz assisting her in this lukewarm cold case. The rapport between this two could be interesting as the series develops…

The supporting cast of the bereft family are an unusual one with the patriarch who can pull a string or few to get what he wants, his broken hearted daughter and broken son in law. It goes to show that money can buy you a lot of stuff but it can’t buy happiness…. but can money help you find a missing child?!

I seriously enjoyed my first encounter with Emma Hunter and I’m so looking forward to getting to know her better. The story was pacey with a climax that I really didn’t see coming. Hunter had started his new series with a bang and I for one have got the next three on preorder already!!

Ransomed by M.A Hunter is a crime thriller that is the start of a new series that, if this book is anything to go by, will be a cracking one! We meet Emma Hunter, an investigative journalist who has just released her first book, making her an author as well. Monsters Under The Bed, about abuse in 'St Francis Home For Wayward Boys'. An older man approaches her, Lord Fitzhulme, to rask if she will help to find his six year old granddaughter Cassie Hilliard, who was abducted a year ago. The police think she is dead but her grandfather is determined to prove differently. Emma, after turning him down, eventually decides to agree to look at the police records of that time and soon ends up involved in the case. She only does this because the case is a reflection of her sister, Anna, who went missing twenty years ago and she was also six.
I picked up Ransomed and immediately I was dropped into Emma's world. The pace was perfect for me and I really found Emma relatable and determined. The chapters alternate from the time Cassie was abducted to the present day, so we are treated to the tension rising from the start, making me not want to put this down for any length of time. I am glad that this book is the start of a series, as I really like Emma, a woman who only has one need in the world, to find her sister but it seems other issues get in the way. I would like to see what happens in the future books for her. 
Thanks to @rararesources and NetGalley for the book today for this review

Ransomed marks the first book in what has all the features of an excellent series of books featuring journalist and award winning author, Emma Hunter. Having her first book, about the historic atrocities committed at an orphanage, become an bestseller, she is desperate to write her second book. She is approached by the grandfather of a missing, presumed dead, girl. Whilst Emma does not want to investigate the case, her publisher has other ideas. Will Emma be able to shed any further light on what happened to the girl, when police have already closed the case? Will she be able to assist the elderly gentleman to give him answers where others have not been able to do so? Why does he want her to assist when a private investigator would be the obvious choice? What will Emma be able to discover about the missing girl?
An absolutely brilliant book. Such a great read. Loved Emma as a character. Really looking forward to the second book in this series. The book is complete in itself, but also sets the scene for the rest of the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Six year old Cassie disappears after a birthday party at the home of Penny and Gerry Connor for their son Sean. A year later Cassie's grandfather looks up journalist Emma Hunter to help investigate the abduction.

Emma Hunter is a journalist who unearthed some wrong doings at a children's home many years ago. She writes a book detailing what's happened and it becomes a best seller. 

Emma is dealing with abduction demons of her own. Her sister Anna was abducted twenty years ago and is still missing and she tells the grandfather to hire a private detective. Her publishers think it would be good for Emma to take on the case and she reluctantly does.

This books packs some punches. It is split into chapters of then and now, then being when Cassie was taken. I did guess who set up the abduction but the journey was very interesting. The book ended on a cliffhanger so I'm desperate to read the next one.

It's a 4⭐ from me and a must read for you.

This is the first in a series of cold case missing children files featuring an investigative reporter, Megan Hunter, who just wrote a blockbuster expose of a  awful children’s home and is now drawn to the cold case of a young kidnapped girl.  Megan’s younger sister was kidnapped and that case has never left Megan’s mind so the parallels are too close not to investigate. The story is dark and grim, Hunter determined and resolute,  strike just the right tone for such a harrowing series as this must surely be. Excellent, can’t wait for the next as sinalled by the end of this one.

An investigative journalist by trade, a woman driven to never stop searching for her missing sister, missing for 20 years.  This is Emma Hunter.  Emma has recently become famous as an author as her investigations led to the discovery of decades of abuse at an orphanage.  Her drive, her purpose in life, is to protect children and find her sister.  MA Hunter has developed a pretty amazing character and set her into the middle of a community that desperately needed her.
  
RANSOMED has an extraordinary story line that will hold your attention as you wait to see what Emma will discover next.  There are only a few recurring characters but they are so well developed, it's clear they've been living in the author's mind for awhile.  This is the first book in a series written so well that you will be searching for the next book as soon as you finish this one.

Emma Hunter has become quite the hit with her debut novel that brought light to an old child abuse case. This new fame has lead a wealthy, well-known man to approach her about helping to figure out what has happened to his missing granddaughter. The case hits home with her and she teams up with a detective to try to solve it. Emma has got her hands full with this one.

I did not want to put this book down. It is the first book of a new series that can't continue soon enough. If you enjoy the logic of solving crimes then this is for you. Emma knows how to get into the mind of the suspects and I want more.

This is the first book in a new series and it’s a brilliant start. 
Emma is celebrating the success of a book she’s had published but doesn’t really like the limelight. The subject of the book has attracted a lot of attention as it resulted in people being imprisoned for their crimes in a children’s home. 
At a PR event Emma is approached and asked to help find a missing girl. Her grandfather is desparate for her help, but Emma is reluctant to agree. 
Soon it’s taken out of her hands as her publicist tells her it’s going to be the subject of her next book so Emma has no choice. 
It’s a bit close to home as her own sister was abducted and Emma can’t help but be reminded of this through the investigation. 
Emma works with Jack to go through the Police files and you can tell it’s the start of a great friendship, and maybe something more....
The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat and I loved the ending. 
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in the series. 
Thanks to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Initially I was reading this book and wondered what the title of the book had to do with the story.  Then bam. Your into it. The author has really developed the character of Emma Hunter. An author who has tragically got a sister who was taken in childhood.  We also meet Jack and Rachel.  The story was told in a really great way. I was so pleased to read at the end that this is going to be the first in a six book series.  Such a shame the second book was available as it left me wanting to reading more.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

Ransomed is the first in M.A Hunter's The Missing Children Case Files; a series that follows Emma Hunter, an investigative journalist who is so much more than she seems. Emma is an incredible introvert with an unassuming manner that hides a woman with a compassionate nature and bloodhound's tenacity to tracking down the truth of the matter.

Fresh off the successful launch of her book exposing the decades of sexual abuses at a children's home that led to convictions of the perpetrators, all Emma wants is to focus on the case that weighs heaviest on her mind. Anna, Emma's sister has been missing for 20 years now. But her agent is dismissive, as the case is so old and points her to Lord Fitzhume's missing granddaughter, Cassie. Cassie's only been missing a year, and while the Metropolitan Police have closed the case, Lord Fitzhume is insistent that Cassie is alive and out there.

Told in chapters that alternate with what actually happened during Cassie's abduction (Then) and Emma's hunt for what happened (Now), Ransomed is a book that is keeps you on the edge of your seat. The lives of the rich and privileged is no happier, and often much less than those of other people. As Emma digs deeper into the reason why Cassie was taken, she uncovers family secrets that brought about the very reason they are grieving their loss.

Richly detailed characters, delicate topics broached with compassion and empathy, and complex villains,  M.A. Hunter's writing builds a world that reads like a particularly riveting serial drama show. I honestly was completely blown away by the ending and left mourning the fact that I need to wait to read the next book!