23rd
Jun
Title: One Child Alive
Page Count: 376
ISBN: B091Z2FXG9
Goodreads Rating: 4.48
One, two, three. She counts the bodies dragged from the burning beach house, smoke rising from their cotton pajamas, and remembers a fourth; red hair, freckles, clinging to his mother’s legs, begging to watch the fireworks a while longer. “Where’s the little boy?” she whispers… In the ashes of the Fox family’s seafront vacation home, Olivia Rockwell can barely hold back her tears as she wonders who in the close-knit town of Fog Harbor could destroy such a warm, loving family. Then she spots a little green toy soldier in the sand and follows a set of small footprints along the beach to an abandoned lifeguard hut. Inside, she finds the youngest Fox child, Thomas. The only survivor… Holding his trembling body close, Olivia promises to keep him safe. She knows the agony of losing family at such a young age. But the second Thomas catches sight of Detective Will Decker’s sliver police badge over her shoulder, the little boy’s scream pierces the night. Could the family have been targeted by someone sworn to protect them? Is anyone safe if the police themselves are the primary suspect? Unsure who she can trust, Olivia keeps hold of the tiny horseshoe charm she finds at the scene and follows the trail deep into the web of lies surrounding this seemingly perfect family. But just as a tip-off from a local lighthouse-keeper puts the killer within reach, tragedy strikes: little Thomas is snatched from his bed. Up against a calculating monster who seems to know her every weakness, Olivia must dig deeper than ever before to find this innocent child. But when one twisted killer becomes two, can she stay alive long enough to save him?
A little while ago I was thinking I really wanted to start reading more thrillers again. And like fate wanted to help me out, I saw a Tweet by Bookouture and took the opportunity to request ‘One Child Alive’ on Netgalley. Luckily, I got approved to read this book. Although this is book three in the Rockwell and Decker series it can be read as a standalone.
In ‘One Child Alive’ Olivia and Will are being shook up by two fires and the death of a young family. The only surviving family member is a young boy who seems to be horrified of Will. What does this mean? Is the suspect working for the police too? ‘One Child Alive’ is a book filled with a lot twists and surprises.
What is clear from the very first page is that this is a book where a lot is happening. Things don’t get boring for sure. And I loved how this book goes from mysterious and thrilling, to a little romantic and back. As someone who reads a lot of romance it was fun to read a little bit of romance in this thriller. But I didn’t feel the connection between Olivia and Will as much as I’d like. I do wonder if I’d felt this way if I read the previous books in the series?!
One of the things I loved most about this read was the interactions between Will and his partner, JB. Those where really funny and made this book even more interesting. But above all there was just a lot going on and I found myself wondering what was really going on several times. Ellery Kane definitely was able to keep things mysterious with this read.
Although this book did work as a standalone, I did wonder a lot about the two main characters and their history. I think I would have preferred to read the first two books first. I just felt like I missed fun stuff about Will and Olivia’s past. But overall this was a fun read.
Available at (*affiliate):
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble Book Depository
Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing–professionally and creatively–for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery’s writing is often inspired by her day job. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she’s heard her fair share of real life thrillers. An avid short story writer as a teenager, Ellery recently began writing for enjoyment again, and she hasn’t stopped since. Ellery lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a picturesque setting that provides the backdrop for many of her novels. If you don’t find Ellery interviewing murderers behind prison walls or pecking away at her latest novel, she is probably at the gym landing a solid jab-cross to a punching bag; riding bicycles with her special someone; or enjoying a movie the old-fashioned way–at the theater with popcorn and Milk Duds. Ellery’s debut novel, Legacy, has received several awards, including winning the Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, young adult, e-book category, and the Gold Medal in the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards, teenage category. Ellery was previously selected as one of ten semifinalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition, and she recently signed a three book deal with Bookouture for her new Rockwell and Decker mystery thriller series.
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I received this book by the publisher in exhange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.
Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
I have found that even when a book can be read as a stand-alone, I usually feel like I am missing something if I don’t read the series in order. This sounds like a good series!
Very true. I definitely prefer reading a standalone series starting with the first book.