Well thank you to the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for a review.

Where do I even start?

I would say that besides the last few pages most of the plot is predictable. You’re pretty much given two paths and hints are thrown at you that it’s the one so much so that it’s too obvious and you know it can’t be that.

All of these characters are deeply ****** up. Which fine. But I’ve never been good with unlikeable narrators and I don’t think there was a single likeable character in this book. It certainly paints a dark picture of humanity as petty and narcissistic and relishing in the pain of others.

The unnessecesary second person narration was certainly a choice. I know it can be done well but I didn’t feel like this was one of those times. Especially considering it wasn’t all addressing the same characters. I thought the writing was pretty clunky and the author certainly loves commas.

And then there were the little things that bugged me. Why would a psychiatrist be performing the function of a therapist? Why would they not have seen their friends kid in two decades of existing?

At a certain point it’s like I get it, Chrissy is a self-centered cheating ‘cow’ and a terrible mother. But the loathing every single character felt for her was just….a lot. Nobody else ever takes responsibility for anything. Like why would you urge your wife who is in mourning to have more children???? And then be surprised that they have a messed up relationship??

The only thing I can say about this book was that it was a pretty quick read. I hated the book more with every chapter though.

I don’t know maybe i just can’t deal with a book that has such a bleak outlook but this was not for me at all. And I can’t recommend it to anyone as I feel there are much better thrillers out there to spend your time on.

So this turned out to be one of those books that ended up in my ambivalent list. Was it a jaw-dropping psychological thriller? - Yes. Did I love it? - Inconclusive. Would I recommend it? - Definitely, because I need to know what others think of this book to help me make up my mind.

Christine Donovan's perfect life is shattered when her two-year old daughter, Heidi, is kidnapped during a shopping trip. Twenty-three years, two kids, a broken family life and a volley of therapists later, Christine is a shell of the woman that she used to be, immersed in her own guilt and having turned away all her loved ones, including devoted husband, Greg. Just when each family member is settling down with their version of a normal life, Christine and Greg receive a letter stating that Heidi is alive. As they make one last attempt to find their long lost daughter, their own lives begin to unravel at a startling pace.

The author has a very unique narrative style that draws in the reader. But the story is told from the POVs of every character in the book, which is a bit hard to keep track of. Right from the start, Christine was an unlikeable character for whom I had little sympathy; her family, on the other hand, were the actual victims in this twisted tale of revenge. I was quite peeved that Christine's 'secret,' that she goes on and on about, wasn't all that earth-shattering and something that I had already sussed out half-way through the book. The plot twist at at the very end made up for it, though.

This was quite an exhausting read. I went from interest to irritation to boredom, then curiosity, to ickiness (yes, that's a word; I checked) and finally indignation at the injustice of it all. The first half of the book drags by, but you realise the author was just setting the stage for the more dramatic second half, which flies past. The author maintains a tension throughout the book which manages to keep you hooked even though you already figure out who the kidnapper is. Certain portions of the storyline may seem distateful - it did to me, hence the ickiness.

Overall, a disturbing yet gripping read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

She's Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri may be the most disturbing and twisted book I've read this year. Make sure you have plenty of reading time before you start this book, you won't want to put it down. This book is absolutely fantastic, I stayed up way too late reading this until I turned the last page.

Christine and Greg had their oldest daughter, Heidi, kidnapped when she was only two years old. No body was ever found and the case dried up years ago. Their marriage is broken, she hasn't been a good mother to her other two children and she has only two friends. When she starts seeing a new psychiatrist she starts to see some results and finally has some hope that she can pull herself out of her personal hell.

But there are some things that bother her. Her doctor almost knows too much. Is a little bit too familiar with the situation, can be a bit judgmental and pushy. That's one concern, but then she and her husband start receiving notes, emails and evidence that her daughter may still be alive. It's been twenty-three years, is that even possible?

Christine is determined to find out the truth. But with everyone against her, she will have to face her own sins and her own culpability in her daughter's disappearance. It may just destroy her.

Ten stars for this read!

What an amazing book. I can't say enough good things about it, mainly that you should definitely read it. It had me from page one, and kept me glued to every page thereafter. An absolutely shocking ending completes the read. The plot, writing, and characters all together make for a mind blowing experience, Highly recommend

A dark and twister thriller that chills any parent to the bone. A difficult read at times due to subject matter, but a well written thriller nonetheless.

The characters and the plot is beautiful ❤️
Her missing daughter was just the start of the nightmare.
Twenty years ago, Christine Donovan took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She’s never been seen again.
Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her.
Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn’t dead.
Christine might finally get the answers she craves - but what she doesn’t know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home.

I really thought that end was not so great as I reached the last few chapters but then there was another twist giving the book a good ending.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Hera Books in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis was very intriguing to me. Being an avid reader, I had never come across this kind of storyline before.

The thing I love about this book is even though I thought I had predicted something fairly early on, the twists and turns kept me on my toes which is what a good psychological thriller is supposed to do.

I did find it a bit on the longer side for my tastes. However after about 40% into the book, the story picked up and I found I was paying more attention to the story than to where I was in the book.

The story being told not only from multiple characters view points but from two different points in time got a little confusing for me.

Overall it was a very good read. Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books.

I almost didn’t read this one because of the reviews but I am sooo glad that I did! What a sick, twisted story! I personally loved the authors writing style and thought the way each character was talking to someone made it that much more sinister. I sometimes don’t like when chapters alternate narrators but with this book, each time there was a chapter for a new character I found myself excited to see things from their perspective. The twists kept coming and even when I thought I figured it out, the last chapter blew my mind. Absolutely loved this one!

There’s certainly a reader for this book, and I’m sure many people will love this dark and twisted thriller for what it is. I’ll try as best I can to articulate what this book has to offer and why it didn’t work for me.

The story takes place 23 years after a two-year-old child, Heidi, was kidnapped from her mother Christine. Now Christine receives a note alleging that Heidi is still alive, and implying she was kidnapped because of Christine’s moral failings—her affair with a married man.

I don’t find cheating a particularly interesting plot point, and the story focuses heavily on Christine’s past affair: her motivations, her guilt, her thoughts before and during and after. I started this book thinking the affair would be one of a series of twists and turns in a thriller, one of many potential social embarrassments and sins in the community dug up in the course of an investigation—but no, the story really lingers on this one singular affair as source of guilt and blame for Christine and central to baby Heidi’s kidnapping.

The story is conveyed through multiple POV narration chapters, which I think is a good choice for a thriller of this style; however, each chapter isn’t just a character’s inner thoughts and feelings, but is directed to “you,” the “you” being whatever other character our POV character is currently thinking about. I never quite got used to this and felt it was unnecessary, and also led to a great deal of extraneous, self-conscious narration on the part of the characters, as they explained themselves to the various “you”s. In my opinion, this bogged down the narrative and didn’t add anything of significance.

There is a dark and twisted kidnapping plot, and a variety of damaged personalities. I think this story will appeal to those who are interested in, or at least unbothered by, stories of infidelity and other, darker sexual taboos. It really isn’t a story about child abduction, but rather the story of the drawn-out psychological torture of a mother who blames herself for her child’s disappearance. If that sounds up your alley, then this is the book for you.

A phone call and a moment of lapse of attention and it was all it took for baby Heidi to be kidnapped. The Guilt kept Christine awake for decades. Then came a note through the door - Heidi was alive.

The whole premise was interesting, the style of writing took some time to get used to. At times, felt clunky. The suspense was interspersed in the prose. Soem secrets felt to be close to home so that intrigued me. Overall, an entertaining tale.

Sorry but this book wasn't for me, I didn't like how it was written and I struggled with the actual story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hera Publishers for allowing me to read this book.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3
I've been trying to pick up more mystery/thriller books and when I saw this ARC on Netgalley, I was pulled in by the premise and I thought I would enjoy it. But I was wrong. It is written in a jarring style; with chapters switching between the past and the present. And each chapter was a different character's point of view. The chapters were written in a conversational format, with the person who was in focus talking like they were narrating the story. It was unconventional and would have been nice to read, but the execution fell completely flat. Somewhere around three quarters of the book, I started guessing what the plot of the book would turn out to be and what do you know, my guess was right. It was an easy mystery to solve, and I guess that is a redeeming thing about this book.
There's a lot to be said about this book, but my only wish is that the plot could have been done better + there was a messy subplot that wasn't required at all. The plot sounded pretty interesting otherwise.

Compelling, Disturbing, Compulsive…
A distressing lapse of concentration, a kidnap, disturbing secrets. Dark and chilling suspense with a disturbing theme. Well crafted, credible characters and a fast moving, engaging storyline make this a compelling and compulsive, edge of seat read.

I could see where this was going from VERY early in the book.
It was an entertaining read,where people spilled secrets and lies on every page.
I had the plot down perfectly until the last few pages,and that definitely made me like it more.
Fast and fun.

#ShesMine #NetGalley
Awesome.
Christine Donovan took a call she should have ignored while shopping. In those few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She’s never been seen again.
Despite having two other children with husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her neglect caused her child to be stolen, while haunted by a secret that consumes her. Just as she takes measures to finally heal, a note is posted through her door, with the words she has always longed to hear: Heidi isn’t dead.
Christine might finally get the answers she craves - but what she doesn’t know is that finding her daughter will uncover dark secrets close to home.
In seeking the truth, Christine might destroy everything that she loves … so how far is she willing to go to find Heidi?
Wao. This was superb.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Enjoyed this one. Quick read, would be perfect for a night on the couch read, A good mystery, thriller!
This was a gripping, unnerving, and chillingly suspenseful!

20 years ago Christine ends up I accepting a phone call she should have never answered! While shopping and on the phone in a matter of seconds with her back turned her little toddler is kidnapped!
Never to be seen again!
Still feeling guilty and having two other kids with husband Greg she is still haunted by a deep secret that is eating her alive!
Christine finally decides its time to heal the wounds and try a to move on.... Until a note comes sliding through the door. Holding a message a mother always hopes to hear..... Heidi isn't dead!
Is this the happy ending? Getting and finding her daughter after 20 years?! By doing so she is about to discover big dark secrets that is too close to home.

WoW!.honestly I have a hard time reading books about kidnapped children.... Because its honestly one of my worst fears.
But this book was so well written. The characters I seriously felt for them! They were like watching a movie!
I really enjoyed this book! And would so recommend to anyone who enjoys a good fast paced thriller!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Hera Books & Author for this advance ebook!
I'll post to my Goodreads and bookstagram account closer to pub date!.