Friday, January 25, 2019

"All The Lovely Children" by Andrew Nance






"The morning began with a stop downtown. I wandered the park, which sure seemed bigger than when I was a kid. I cast a wary eye at the sheriff's department across the street and wondered if Kit was in. If so, should I go talk to him? Not yet. Instead, I went over to Le Bistro and looked at the park from that perspective. If Savannah Smallwood left the restaurant and walked straight across the street, she'd be at the playground. At twelve, she might have been too old for a swing set, teeter-totter, and merry-go-round. Perhaps she'd gone exploring around the park. That's what I would have done at that age.".......

There are four missing children in Charly Bloom’s hometown. Returning there will be painful. Charly was also once a victim of a child abduction, some twenty years ago. She managed to get away, and was thought to have killed the kidnapper, known as the “Snatcher.”

Can Charly return home and help the latest victims? Will what happened in the past guide her to the answers? Is the “Snatcher” really dead? Is it a copy cat? Charly has worked in law enforcement. Her former childhood friend, Kit, is now the sheriff of their hometown. Kit thinks Charly can help them. She figured it out back in 1959 didn’t she?

The story goes back and forth between 1959 and the first kidnappings, to 1982 when they start again. Told with vivid description and detail, you can feel yourself being pulled in. A different time and place. In this case the story takes place in a place called Temperance, North Carolina. Carefully woven twists and turns made for a great if not disturbing read.

The only thing that kept me from a five star review would be some story content. While some may not find it disturbing, I find anything involving children and sexual violence out my reading taste. While it’s not used in a flamboyant manner, it’s still unsettling. Then again serial killers are disturbing. I’d still give this book a fair chance and feel it’s worth a read.

Thank you Andrew Nance

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