this book kept me gripped from start to finish, fast moving story with twists and turns. Starts at a destination wedding venue in Florida with friends together having fun and moves across the world to UK. Some scenes were so real yet maybe they were the effect of stress and valium? the plot was well constructed and the main characters developed as you read further into the book. Narration was excellent and a good pace, thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

This was my first Tess Stimson book and it won’t be my last. Fairly well paced with an intriguing story line. I was convinced I knew who it was… and I was wrong! Good characters, great plot and it kept me guessing! I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book.

When 3 year old Lottie goes missing at a wedding in Florida all eyes turn to her mother, how could this happen? As the story unfolds we follow the twists & turns of the investigation into Lottie's disappearance & question the motives of everyone involved.

There are some great characters in this story, Quinn being a particular favourite of mine. I won't go into any more detail of the story as its best gone in to blind, it has its ups & downs pacing-wise & comes to a quick conclusion. An entertaining audiobook with a great narrator.

Stolen - Tess Stimson
(Audiobook)

Alex Martini's three year old daughter Lottie vanishes from her friend's wedding reception in Florida sparking an international hunt for the missing child.

This is only my second audiobook but I thought the voice acting was excellent, expressive and clear, never irritating or confusing as to who was speaking.

The characterisation is very good indeed, we get to know Alex very well as she struggles to cope with the aftermath. Quinn the alcoholic, battle-scarred, cynical reporter was another favourite, especially when the two work together.

It is a wide ranging story, with threads covering the trial by media and social media, attitudes to working mothers, race, etc.

The plot rolls along with plenty going on and I found it a very engaging experience. Possibly a little long, but I stayed enthralled with plenty of twists and tugs on the heartstrings as Alex refuses to give up the search.

I will be looking out for more books by this author, and audiobooks from this publisher..

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio





Sent from my iPad

#Stolen by #TessStimson I’ve been totally engrossed in this #thriller and was close to cancelling plans to keep listening. A child goes missing at a destination wedding…. This story keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat. The twists kept coming and the ending was so unexpected. If you like a good thriller or #mystery this is one for you. Thank you to #netgalley for gifting me an #arc in exchange for an honest review. #netgalleyuk #harpercollinsukaudio #generalfiction #bibliophile #bookstagram #readersofig #goodreadschallenge2021 #riereads #oneadventureafteranother

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My review is on the audiobook version, top marks for the narrator who was fantastic.

This was such a brilliant gripping thriller it kept me on the edge of my seat! I got sucked in from the very beginning. Main character is Alex who is in Florida for her best friend’s wedding and her 3 year old daughter Lottie gets abducted during the ceremony. The book follows her despair of what she goes through. Lots of red herrings on who abducted Lottie and the MASSIVE shock of who it actually was. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Stolen’ by Tess Stimson in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Racine with Josie Dunne, Beth Eyre, Indra Ove, Aysha Kala, and Colin Mace. It’s running time is 11 hours, 29 minutes at 1x speed.

Well, this was quite a ride! I seriously stayed up into the early hours in order to finish it.

I won’t say much about the plot as it’s the kind of thriller best read ‘cold’. Alexa (Alex) Martini, is a twenty-nine year old human rights lawyer. Following the death of her ex-husband the previous year in a bridge collapse in Genoa, she is raising Charlotte (Lottie), their nearly four-year-old daughter alone. So, Alexa is dealing with a high pressure job and a very wilful little girl.

At the opening of the novel, Alexa and Lottie are headed to Florida for the destination wedding of her best friend in which Lottie is going to be one of five young bridesmaids. Yet at some point during the reception Lottie goes missing. The hunt for Lottie quickly becomes a world-wide media story. Yet it’s not long before questions begin to be asked about Alexa, specifically why wasn’t she watching Lottie? 

It’s a valid question. What happened to Lottie is a genuine mystery and Tess Stimson certainly racked up the tension and the suspects. There were also references to a number of real life cases, including Madeleine McCann.

Most of the chapters are narrated by Alexa, though there are a number that feature Quinn, a British television journalist assigned to cover the case. While she hates human interest stories, due to injuries received in Syria she can no longer do war correspondence. Quinn is a tough cookie and very suspicious of Alexa. While both women were flawed I found them relatable.

Although there’s no doubt this was a gripping thriller there were blips. I wasn’t comfortable with some adults’ snarky comments about Lottie’s weight. She is three! Then well into the story there were a few chapters where I felt rather confused as to what was going on. While there was clearly some misdirection, it did effect the pacing for me. The odd red herring is fine but this one still has me scratching my head in puzzlement.

In terms of the audiobook, Stephanie Racine is an experienced narrator and I have enjoyed her work on a few audiobooks over the last few years. Her voice is clear and confident. I wasn’t sure that the other listed narrators were all that necessary or indeed was particularly aware of them. Perhaps some indication of what roles they took in the end credits would have helped.

This was my first time reading Tess Stimson’s work and based on this positive experience it won’t be my last.

I was eager to get stuck in to this one and where the storyline as a whole was good and had great promise I felt the plot dragged a lot and went through the motions where I felt there wasn’t much going on and I was urging it to move on. The trauma of Lottie going missing is written very well in respect of Alex’s character as I really felt her pain and loss. You are thrown a few curve balls that did add to the storyline and kept you guessing. I found the outcome a little unbelievable so that and the pace let it down for me.

3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC thats due to be published on the 5th of Aug.

Unbelievable story with twists and turns to keep you up all night! Shocking truth revealed, couldn't believe it at the end! Well written and definitely didn't guess the ending!

“Every good story begins with a loose thread…”

We are quickly in the action, the first chapter had me hooked and the action doesn’t stop. Not your classic “Whodunnit?”. It’s complex and detailed with threads of love, friendship, family and betrayl running through the story.

There are so many unreliable narrators and the twists and turns just keep coming with lots of red herrings to keep us guessing. The Addition of media reports throughout to give an alternative perspective was also a clever tool and really highlighted how much a trial by media can influence cases of child abduction.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was fantastic. Stephanie Racine done an excellent job or portraying all of the characters and bringing the story to life. It is filled with emotion and depth, truly wonderful!

I can’t recommend this enough, especially if you love a good thriller. A must-read for fans of Louise Candlish and Lisa Jewell. I think this would make an excellent TV Drama *hint hint*!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and Avon for an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#Stolen #NetGalley

A fast paced but easy to listen to story of missing 3 year old Lottie Martini, snatched from a wedding in Florida. Just when I thought I might have it all sussed Tess Stimson throws something else into the mix and scuppers that line of thought. The plot has lots of twists and turns and red herrings by the bucket load. Enjoyed listening to it.
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for an audio download of this book.

At Alex's best friends beach wedding in America Lottie , Alex's three year old daughter goes missing

Lottie is a stubborn child and Alex a widowed career woman has her frustrations with the three year old which are worse now she is a single parent after Luka Martini her estranged husband was killed in the Genoa bridge collapse while visiting his parents in Italy.

What has happened to Lottie Martini as the days lead into weeks , months and years all the clues lead nowhere and everyone fears the worst

Alex refuses to believe that Lottie is never coming back and continues to search for her daughter

Clues are followed but never lead to anything and Alex's mental health is questioned when she refuses to give up and claims to have seen Lottie in the UK over 4000 miles from where she went missing

Who took Lottie Martini? And will she ever come home?

I listened to this in a couple of days as I was hooked and wanted to find out what had happened to Lottie, I did have my suspicion's and although I was right it came together really well at the end

Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Collins for the chance to listen to this audio book in return for a honest review

Wow! I've never been so gripped by every part of a story like this before. Nothing is as it seems when the world is tipped upside down for Alex and her daughter when 3 year old Lottie goes missing from a wedding. The world casts judgement, and everyone is under the spotlight of suspicion in the twistiest storyline I think I've ever read.

Not only is the storyline epic, but the writing is equally fabulous. Its hard to explain too much without giving anything away, but the repetition of storytelling once we have a better idea of context was a stroke of genius for me, and I'll definitely be seeking out other stories by this skilled author.

I was fortunate enough to receive a free audio version of this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and the performance was great! I'd definitely recommend this to those who love a modern thriller/mystery.

This had so many twists and turns that had my heart on edge. Alex attends a wedding with her little daughter but whilst Alex is distracted, Little is taken. This is the story of a mother on the hunt for answers. Who took Lottie and why? The story had be endlessly guessing with lots of twists and turns

I received this audiobook from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. What an emotional ride, every parent's nightmare a child missing. Kept me hooked right till the end. The narrator keeps this story moving along.

Stolen is a twisty thriller, full of intrigue and misleading plot lines that will keep you guessing until the end.
Alexa and her three year old headstrong daughter Lottie are in Florida for Alexa’s friend’s wedding. After the ceremony, Lexie goes missing and it appears she has been abducted while Alexa’s attention was elsewhere. The police quickly become involved and the media take a lot of interest in the case, in particular Alexa’s parenting history.
It’s difficult to give a more detailed synopsis without including spoilers, but it’s fair to say almost all the characters seem guilty at one point or another, and I found it quite difficult to like any of them.
A great read for fans of psychological thrillers who don’t become irritated at an abundance of red herrings. The narrator was a little over the top at times but did add to the suspense.

Wow, what a fantastic audiobook and I am happy to have found a new author! I really enjoyed this book a lot and I felt like I was on a journey, where I travelled to one area thinking I was on track to knowing who took little 3 year old Lottie Martini away from her Mum, Alex Martini, only to find myself being transported to another area which gave more clues as to what might have happened to her. It was like being on an aeroplane, going from one airport to another and to another, gathering clues and thinking I knew what had happened to Lottie, only to find out at the very end what really happened to her. So many twists and turns and red herrings kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt very excited, my heart pounding; eager to listen on to find out what had happened to her and where she was. The ending was fantastic and it brought me great joy. I loved the narrators of the book, who did a great job, especially with the italian accents. This is an awesome book, which I highly recommend!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Twist after Twist... I was hooked!


Today I have the absolute pleasure of reviewing 'Stolen' by Tess Stimson.


The story, which is told from different perspectives, focuses on the abduction of Lottie Martini, a three year old bridesmaid. I was certain, so many times, that I had cracked the case and I knew who the abductor was, but alas, the expertly written twists and turns meant i was wrong every single time! And the end... oh the end! I was on the edge of my seat and actually screamed during the last chapter.. and i'm not afraid to admit it!


I was given access to the audiobook on this occasion, and was a little apprehensive as I think the narrator can make or break an audiobook experience - but I was absolutely obsessed with the narrator!! Due to the way the novel was written, it really felt as if you were listening to the characters thoughts and this was down to the narrators wonderful acting ability and the genius writing style.


I would 100% listen to this book again, and I am certain I would be just as apprehensive and hooked as I was the first time!

Wow! What a rollercoaster that was!

First off, to me the narrator can make or break an audiobook and I was so pleased with the narration of this book. The ability to paint a picture vocally really drew me in to the story. Will be looking for other audiobooks with the same narrator.

Now to the nitty gritty.... I am a big fan of thrillers, and what excites me is clever plot twists and turns. This new treasure from Tess Stimson did not disappoint!
The prologue set the scene at present day, and throughout the story I was listening so intently for clues as to how we would get to that moment in time. There were many dead ends and red herrings throughout - especially the last third. This story will really keep you guessing - even when you are convinced you have sussed it out!

The book is littered with media snippets and comments and opinions from the public. This really made me consider the validity of what you read and hear; and how we can all have an opinion even when we don't know the full story..

Stolen is a story about love, loss, relationships, betrayal, ethics of journalists, and abduction.

You will not be disappointed by this unique take on a sad and frightening story with even the slightest glimmers of hope.

Many thanks to Avon UK Publishing, NetGalley, and author Tess Stimson for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Stolen is due for publication August 5th 2021

Really enjoyed this book. I usually only listen to audio books while I'm cleaning, or pottering around at home, but I never stopped with this one. Listened in two solid halves, and loved every minute.

Incredibly plotted, with plenty twists and turns that you can't see coming, every time you think you've got a hold of who took Lottie you end up changing your mind, just a few short chapters later.

Well edited and performed by the narrator too, comfortable listing however you choose. Just note with a main character called Alexa, you might not want to listen aloud near any Amazon devices *grin*