While on her routine morning jog Fran discovers a little girl standing next to a set of swings. When Fran speaks to her the girl tells Fran that her name is Esther and she is waiting for her Father who will come to get her.... who lives in Arizona. Concerned Fran is about to make a call to the police when a young woman comes running towards Esther, introducing herself as Mary Whitaker and Esther's mother. The Whitakers have newly shifted to the English village where Fran lives with her husband--a pious, conservative, mysterious family who prefer to keep to themselves. Fran tries to be friendly with Mary and her daughter but she can't ignore her growing concern that something is not right with the family. Then one day the Whitakers just pack up and leave and Fran guesses they have gone back to Arizona. Convinced that Mary and Esther are in danger, Fran decides to use her journalistic skills to track them down and finds out that her instincts are not only correct but the reality of the situation is far more dangerous. 

The book is fast paced with short length chapters and I managed to finish this over 80 chapters book within a day. The chapters are all in Fran's POV but halfway through the book we get some flashback chapters (THEN) interspersed in Esther's POV. The smooth writing style of the author lets the narrative shift easily from past to present. There is a twist and the story ends on an ambiguous note in relation to Esther's eventual character development. 

I received an e-Arc from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and the author Sarah A. Denzil via NetGalley. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨💫

Brilliant book I devoured it in one sitting, fantastic characters and storyline and left me wanting more! 5 stars from me!!

Little One is a standalone psychological thriller from Sarah A. Denzil and follows Fran who has retired along with her older husband, Adrian. Fran is out jogging in the village one morning when she comes across a young girl in a pretty yellow dress with a Peter Pan collar, who says her name is Esther. The girl is standing next to the swings in the village park and is apparently waiting for her daddy to collect her. She tells Fran her dad lives in Arizona and Fran contemplates what to do next. Deciding to call the police, she takes her phone from the pocket of her running tights but then Esther's mum, Mary Whitaker arrives. Fran can't stop thinking about little Esther and Mary, and when Mary sends her a private message suggesting they meet, she is happy to do so. But her instincts are telling her that something is amiss, and when the Whitakers suddenly move to Arizona from the village of Leacroft, she decides to follow them.

After having read Little One I feel that I am completely indebted to Sarah A. Denzil! In addition to Fran's investigating, there were chapters from Esther's viewpoint. I enjoyed getting to know Fran in the first pages of the book, understanding her thought processes and learning about her backstory. Midway through, the momentum changed and I found myself on a tremendous rollercoaster ride. Sarah A. Denzil has drawn a great character in Fran and equally noteworthy is her portrayal of Esther. Mary and Esther both came across as creepy because of their unusual behaviour, helping to create a sense of eeriness and a tone of apprehension that permeates throughout. Fran's husband, Adrian is a reluctant supporter of her and her life lacks purpose and intention... until she meets Esther and Mary.

The short chapters made this an easy read and as the story unfolded the levels of tension and suspense intensified. The story immediately drew me in, held my attention, and kept me invested emotionally. Its stellar plot and the author's intricate detailing made this an addictive, heart-rending read. Masterfully crafted, Little One is fantastically compelling, culminating in a top-notch final twist. I really enjoyed this, my second novel by Sarah A. Denzil and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

"Take my hand, little one."

Fran finds her standing by the swings. A little girl, Esther, no older than seven years old, by herself in the dead of night, her pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress covered in grass stains and her hair dishevelled. She says she's waiting for Father, and that strikes Fran as particularly odd.

After Esther is reunited with her family, Fran can't stop thinking about this pious child whose imaginary friend is God. Fran's instincts tell her something is very wrong. Why does Esther keep running away from home, and how did she get that bruise on her leg?

Fran's husband warns her not to get too close, but one morning, Esther and her family disappear. Where did they go? Why did they leave their furniture behind?

Fran knows in her gut that something terrible is going to happen to that child, and she can't stand by while it happens. No matter the cost.

After all, she found her. But can she save her?

Wow what a book.  I am still sat thinking about this book even though I finished it a few days ago.  I cannot write a review to do this book justice.   I was hooked from the first page.  The writing is superb and enthralling and overall, I just loved this book. 

I cannot wait to read more by this author.  This author has now become a go-to author.

Fran finds her standing by the swings. A little girl, Esther, no older than seven years old, by herself in the dead of night, her pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress covered in grass stains and her hair disheveled. She says she's waiting for Father, and that strikes Fran as particularly odd.

Although the story is a bit predictable, it was also a very engaging read. Fran is still mourning the loss of her baby. The characters are intriguing and there's a few twists and turns in this steady paced book. I liked the authors writing style, it flowed seamlessly from chapter to chapter. There's a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I love books with a twist.

"Take my hand, little one."

Fran finds her standing by the swings. A little girl, Esther, no older than seven years old, by herself in the dead of night, her pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress covered in grass stains and her hair dishevelled. 

After all, she found her. But can she save her?

This was a very disturbing but good read. 

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of. 

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

This story started off with a mysterious new family and I felt drawn into finding out exactly what was going on.

Then, unfortunately it went downhill.  It became very unbelievable and far fetched, and I got rather annoyed with the whole thing to the end 

I would read another book by this author though, I just hope other stories aren't so detached from truth 

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for ARC

A refreshingly unique thriller that is intriguing from the first page to the last. Sarah Denzil writes effortlessly, with a complex storyline that goes well beyond any rudimentary shock and awe thrill. The characterization is brilliant with each member holding a bit of ugliness about them that readers love to hate. Hold on tight because you will not see it coming!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #LittleOne. All thoughts and opinions posted by Wayward Readers Book Blog are original and offered voluntarily.

Whilst our for her early morning run Fran comes across a little girl standing alone in the park. She is dressed in old fashioned clothes & says she is waiting for Father who is in Arizona. A young woman rushes up looking scared. She explains she is Esther's mother, Mary. They both look like they are something from another time. As they are new to the village Fran tries to make friends. There are lots of things that strike Fran as odd about them, the way Esther brings God & the Bible into everything. How Mary is so young. The village are soon abuzz with rumours about them. When they leave early one morning Fran can't let it go. She becomes obsessed with finding them, even going to Arizona- only she unearths more than she bargained for.

This was a strange book in some ways. It did require a lot of suspended belief. I know Fran was still mired in grief for her dead child, but it did seem she went very overboard in her search. However it held my attention to the end. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review thins book.

🌟🌟🌟.5

Fran found a little girl when she is doing her routine jogging. Her name is Esther and the way she dressed is a bit weird for a little girl. She reunited with her young mother, Mary. Fran can't let go of her weird feelings toward them because of the way they dressed and acting so she gets close to them. 

She went a little bit crazy when suddenly Mary's and Esther left their house without telling anything to Fran. So she decided to go and find them and I was like damn she is obsessed duh! 

Overall this is a good story. The plot getting better after Mary left. Lot of interesting things are happening.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for Little One ARC!

wow, what a book, and the ending involving adrian was a complete shock. That little esther i think will grow into another story (hopefully!) loved it!

Sarah Denzil delivers yet again with this novel following the story of a little girl in a cult, a strange family and one woman’s obsession with them. 
If you think you know how it’s going to end, you’re wrong. 
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah A. Denzil for the advanced copy in return for my honest review. Little One is available now – go grab yourself a copy!

Fran has been silently grieving a loss for quite some time when she meets Mary, a young mother, and Esther, her daughter. Fran is immediately drawn to them and feels a connection, specifically with Mary. Mary and her family are considered a bit odd but Fran takes them under her wing until one night, they disappear. Fran makes it her mission to track Mary and Esther down, and against her husband’s wishes, heads overseas to make things right. Once in the US, she learns more than she bargains for and finds herself in the hands of a dangerous cult and when she finds out whom their leader is, her world is changed forever.

This book had me shook. It was a bit slow to start to be honest, but once we learned more about Mary and Esther’s past it really started to pick up. I will say that it was hard for me to believe how quickly Fran became obsessed with Mary and Esther but this book was a page turner for sure. If you are one for twists, you HAVE to read this one. The ending had me literally gasping out loud. Definitely add this one to your shelves!

Little One followed Fran as she befriended a new family who moved into her town - Mary, Elijah, and their daughter Esther. It doesn’t take long for Fran to realise something was off about the family. Esther was strange and didn’t act like a typical child, Mary feared something and Elijah seemed controlling. But Fran couldn’t have guessed the truth, and the book followed them as the story unfolded. 

We were thrown right into the action and the story intrigued me from the first page. There were lots of questions brought up at the beginning, which immediately piqued my interest. Loved the plot and how it got darker and more intense. 

I loved Fran. She was a relatable character with powerful motivations. She was determined, fierce, and didn’t give up, even when she felt in danger herself. It was also interesting to get some glimpses into Esther’s life through her own POV. It gave an added layer of depth to the story and made it even more believable. I actually really enjoying the flicking back and forth as it explained what was happening on their end whilst Fran was searching for them. 

There were some brilliant plot twists in this book. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was oh so wrong. The ending was incredible. This was my first book by the author, and it certainly won’t be my last!

On a run early morning, Fran found a child alone. Soon her mother came rushing down the path. But something felt off. Fran befriended her. Suddenly the child and her family vanished. Fran had to find out what happened to the child.

Having read Author Sarah Denzil’s works, I was excited, and it was completely justified. There was the right amount of intrigue for my interest to be spiked up. The writing was smooth, flowed well.

Fran drew my empathy; her reasons for searching for the strangers at any cost, bordered slightly on obsession, but I got it. She went to great lengths, even traveled wide and far, in search of them.

But… The onus here is on me. The topic the book delved into, once Fran got the clue, was not my favorite. In fact, I stay away from such topics in most books, nothing triggering, but not interesting to me.

I skim read those parts. And finally, there were two major twists, extremely shocking that perked me up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to think back to see if there were clues that I had missed.

All my love for the book was stored at the beginning and the end.

They were living with the enemy and they did not suspect it! A riveting story, full of lies, deceit, and a plot is so well woven that it keeps the reader tight in the seat from the beginning to the end. It´s a story that we have seen happening most, unfortunately, more than once in real life. People get lured by false messiahs and follow the most absurd rules in exchange for a false feeling of happiness, togetherness, and love. Really entertaining and worth reading!

Not my favorite Denzil read but still not bad…
.
I was granted an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review (thank you net galley !) and decided to make this my next thriller read (if you want to call it that…??). I absolutely loved You are Invited so I figured, why not, let’s give it another go. Overall, the writing is very easy and enjoyable to follow along with. However, the following along pro was all a con at times. I found the book to be predictable & filled with, what I like to call, “fluff” (irrelevant information that could basically be removed from the book and wouldn’t determine the outcome of the plot at all). I found myself skimming through some Chapters because I wanted to find out what the next secret was. Which to some is a good thing however, my reading taste tends to steer toward quick and to the point reading.
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I liked the ending and i REALLY enjoyed the beginning (what TF is up with Esther, seriously). Throughout I found myself distracted often, however, the plot and climax were enjoyable overall (a good beach reach for people who like thrillers). All and all I will continue to read the author.

I've read a few books by this author in the past and was very eager to delve into this one. I quite liked it overall. However, some of the twists were beyond belief and I began to lose interest at certain parts.

This books a crime thriller about a family who are a little different, who move into a small village where the residents don’t take to kindly to them being a little different, one resident Fran tries hard to be friends with the mum and her child, losing her own child seemed to draw her to them. 
The characters were strong however Frans obsession with the Whitaker family became a little annoying and I wanted to shout at her go back off. I preferred the characters in the cult, creepy and more fitting for the plot. 
I absolutely loved this author last book and I really enjoy her writing style, unfortunately the plot felt a little far for my likening on this one.

🌼Little One is the first book I’ve had the chance to read by British writer @sarahadenzil.🌼


🌼Little One starts off with a young girl named Esther being found in a park one morning before the sun rises by a local woman named Fran. Within a few minutes of Fran finding her, Esther’s mom comes rushing towards them, pulling her daughter into her arms. After the two are reunited, they leave Fran in the park with a feeling that something just isn’t right. As if Esther and her mom have something to hide. Fran immediately becomes intrigued with the welfare of Esther and she begins poking her nose in places she shouldn’t, becoming overly obsessed with the mother/daughter duo. When Esther and her family up and leave without telling anyone, Fran is determined to find them.🌼

🌼Initially, I was under the impression the book was focused on a child who goes missing. I was wrong and a little disappointed. Instead, the story follows a small family who recently moved to an area where the family is seen as outsiders because of the family’s awkward demeanor, their interaction with others, and the way they are dressed; as if they walked off the TV show Little House on the Prairie. The people in the community will do whatever it takes to get them to leave and go back to their hometown. It’s not until after the family returns home that the reader learns that the family is part of a religious cult. A lifestyle that I was not expecting when I began reading this book. I haven’t read many books geared towards cults, nor am I religious. Both of those ideas, unfortunately pushed me away from the book. It wasn’t until the plot twist, that my mind was blown and I was in complete shock. I do believe the book was well written and based on the storyline of the book, it shows the writer did extensive research on religious cults. If you’re a reader who has an interest for cults, I would recommend adding this book to your 2021 -to be read- list.🌼

🌼Thank you @netgalley for an eARC of Little One (which was released Tuesday, January 12, 2021).🌼

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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