‘A darkly luminous story of resilience and the deeply human instinct for survival, for love…The Child Finder is a novel that demands to be consumed and then once inside you – lingers…’ A.M. Homes, author of MAY WE BE FORGIVEN
For fans of THE LOVELY BONES, ROOM and THE ENCHANTED
Naomi Cottle finds missing children. When the police have given up their search and an investigation stalls, families call her. She possesses a rare, intuitive sense, born out of her own experience, that allows her to succeed when others have failed.
Young Madison Culver has been missing for three years. She vanished on a family trip to the mountainous forests of Oregon, where they’d gone to cut down a tree for Christmas. Soon after she disappeared, blizzards swept the region and the authorities presumed she died from exposure.
But Naomi knows that Madison isn’t dead. As she relentlessly pursues the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce defences that have protected her for so long. If she finds this child, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CHILD FINDER:
‘A beautifully written, gripping page turner…a book that is worth searching for, bringing home, and welcoming into your family. 5*’ Goodreads
‘This book is dazzling and heartbreaking. 5*’ Goodreads
‘A wonderful, extraordinary book. The author speaks from her heart on every page.’ 5* Goodreads
‘I could not put this book down until the captivating conclusion.’ 5* Goodreads
‘I finished the book in a day, not wanting to put it down.’ 5* Goodreads
‘Wow…a page turner, keeping me in all weekend.’ 5* Goodreads
‘Loved it and will be recommending it to everyone I know.’ 5* Goodreads
‘The Child Finder is one of the most beautiful novels I’ve ever read.’ 5* Goodreads
For fans of THE LOVELY BONES, ROOM and THE ENCHANTED
Naomi Cottle finds missing children. When the police have given up their search and an investigation stalls, families call her. She possesses a rare, intuitive sense, born out of her own experience, that allows her to succeed when others have failed.
Young Madison Culver has been missing for three years. She vanished on a family trip to the mountainous forests of Oregon, where they’d gone to cut down a tree for Christmas. Soon after she disappeared, blizzards swept the region and the authorities presumed she died from exposure.
But Naomi knows that Madison isn’t dead. As she relentlessly pursues the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce defences that have protected her for so long. If she finds this child, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CHILD FINDER:
‘A beautifully written, gripping page turner…a book that is worth searching for, bringing home, and welcoming into your family. 5*’ Goodreads
‘This book is dazzling and heartbreaking. 5*’ Goodreads
‘A wonderful, extraordinary book. The author speaks from her heart on every page.’ 5* Goodreads
‘I could not put this book down until the captivating conclusion.’ 5* Goodreads
‘I finished the book in a day, not wanting to put it down.’ 5* Goodreads
‘Wow…a page turner, keeping me in all weekend.’ 5* Goodreads
‘Loved it and will be recommending it to everyone I know.’ 5* Goodreads
‘The Child Finder is one of the most beautiful novels I’ve ever read.’ 5* Goodreads
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Reviews
Giving voice to those who are metaphorically or even literally voiceless, Rene Denfeld reminds us that consequences continue, aftermath continues - yet we must somehow find ways of holding on to threads of hard-won hope
Poetic... Redemptive... Unflinching
Rene Denfeld has a gift for shining bright light in dark places. The Child Finder is a gorgeous, haunting gem of a novel. Raw and real yet wrapped in a fairy tale, as lovely and as chilling as the snow
A truly mesmerising and deeply moving story
Part mystery, part fairy tale, this is also a real white-knuckle read where the suspense ratchets up to almost unbearable proportions
A glittering gem of a story - part mystery, part fairy tale, and all white-knuckled, edge-of-your-seat thriller . . . readers will be drawn in by Denfeld's lyrical prose and undone by the brutal reality that Naomi uncovers, just beneath the snowy forest floor
The sense of physical and psychological isolation is palpable in this moving exploration of loss, hope and human resilience
Denfeld is a Portland-based journalist and private investigator, and also the adoptive mother of three foster children. All of these aspects of her life are mined in The Child Finder, a powerful novel about a search for a missing girl that's also a search for identity.... It's "Deliverance" encased in ice... Denfeld's novel is indeed loaded with suspense, its resonance comes from its surprising tilt towards storytelling restraint, a rarity in this typical crackling genre. Elegiac, informative and disquieting... The novel gallops to a suitably heart-racing finish
A moving tale of resilience and hope in the face of the worst of humanity
A hauntingly beautiful, chilling novel by a real-life badass heroine (Rene Denfeld is, among other things, a licensed investigator and foster-adoptive parent), The Child Finder turns around a woman named Naomi, a private investigator with a gift for finding lost children, and her search for a girl who has been missing in the Oregon woods for three years. Denfeld brings Naomi to life with precise, lyrical prose. While the whole book reads like a fairytale for adults, Naomi herself is fully realized and deeply human
Denfeld's haunting, disquieting and tension-filled tale is brilliantly told
A compelling blast of cold air from the wintry woods, with elements of a dark fairytale
The story takes you forward on a fast-paced search and recovery, one that keeps you turning the pages. Imminent danger is palpable, keeping you reading, while the mystery is deep and full of angst and loneliness. Danger and urgency are the prevailing worries....If you enjoy mystery, romance, danger and some darkness you will love this story. This work takes you on a journey and keeps you turning the pages until the truth comes out. The characters will stay with you a long time
A darkly luminous story of resilience and the deeply human instinct for survival, for love. Blending the magical thinking of childhood, of fairy tales, dreams, memories and nightmares, The Child Finder is a terrifying and ultimately uplifting novel that demands to be consumed and then once inside you - lingers...
A gripping page-turner