Author: Romy Haussmann
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Book Description: A woman held captive finally escapes—but can she ever really get away?
Gone Girl meets Room in this page-turning, #1 internationally bestselling thriller from one of Germany’s hottest new talents
A windowless shack in the woods. A dash to safety. But when a woman finally escapes her captor, the end of the story is only the beginning of her nightmare.
She says her name is Lena. Lena, who disappeared without a trace 14 years prior. She fits the profile. She has the distinctive scar. But her family swears that she isn’t their Lena.
The little girl who escaped the woods with her knows things she isn’t sharing, and Lena’s devastated father is trying to piece together details that don’t quite fit. Lena is desperate to begin again, but something tells her that her tormentor still wants to get back what belongs to him…and that she may not be able to truly escape until the whole truth about what happened in the woods finally emerges.
Twisty, suspenseful, and psychologically clever, Romy Hausmann’s Dear Child is a captivating thriller with all the ingredients of a breakout hit.
Rating: 4 1/2 Stars
Review: Whew, this was an extremely intense novel to read and I absolutely loved it. Been touted as a cross between Gone Girl and Room, this is one of the few times that I feel the publisher got this right.
This story translated from German is a roller coaster of emotions. Told from three points of view, Hannah, Matthias and “Lena”, you get an insane tale that will keep you surprised to the very last page.
The book begins when Lena is being taken to the hospital after being hit by a car, her daughter Hannah along for the ride. As the doctors are working on Lena, the hospital starts to piece together what appears to be a horrific story, of this family being held captive. This quickly turns into a twisty tale.
I find mysteries and thrillers are hard to review, so I will leave you with just the setup and let you enjoy this one for yourself. This book kept me wanting more, it was so good. The writing was exquisite and I was reeling in a good way when this book ended. I usually have mixed feeling about these types of books, but this one holds up 100%.
Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Obsessed Bookaholic 