Book info

• Title The Girl Who Came Back
• Author Kerry Wilkinson
• Year 2017
• Genre Mystery

When six-year-old Olivia Adams disappeared from her back garden, the small community of Stoneridge was thrown into turmoil. How could a child vanish in the middle of a cosy English village? Thirteen years on and Olivia is back. Her mother is convinced it’s her but not everyone is sure. If this is the missing girl, then where has she been - and what happened to her on that sunny afternoon? If she's an imposter, then who would be bold enough to try to fool a child’s own mother – and why? Then there are those who would rather Olivia stayed missing. The past is the past and some secrets must remain buried.

Thoughts

This standalone work from Kerry Wilkinson charts the unfolding mystery of a kidnapped child who returns. She’s welcomed in with open arms by some, and treated with understandable confusion and suspicion by others, and sorting truth from the lies is what our journey together is all about.

I’m not sure I enjoyed this one as much as other works by Kerry - the story is great, and the twists and turns are up to the usual brilliant standard, but I didn’t quite get fully engaged with the prodigal daughter returning side of things. The reactions to a kidnapped child returning don’t read quite right to me, it’s all quite muted and hands off. I feel like there would be more emotion and certainly that the police would ask more questions.

But that’s nitpicking at another good read, a page-turner because even when I was suspending my disbelief, I still needed to get to the end to see what happened.

Rating: 3 / 5