When They Find Her, by Lia Middleton {Book Review}

After reading the title of this book… When they find her.…and then reading the synopsis, I felt my heart stop! You can only draw one conclusion as to why a mother would lie about her child vanishing, so going in, you know your heart needs to be prepared. Let me not get ahead of myself though, and let’s do this review the proper way!

What is When They Find Her about?

NAOMI ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A MOTHER.

But three years ago, her husband left, taking their child with him.

Now, her daughter has come to stay, and Naomi knows it’s her one chance to re-build her family. But the night ends in a terrible accident. And Naomi tells a lie she can never take back:

NAOMI REPORTS HER DAUGHTER MISSING.

Within hours, her home is invaded. Journalists crowd the driveway. Police search the woods at the foot of the garden. Her ex-husband paces the hall.

And Naomi can’t look away. Because the only thing worse than the lie she’s told is the truth:

NAOMI HAS NO MEMORY OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THAT NIGHT . . .

My Review

Naomi is the protagonist in this book, a mom, dealing with mental illness and a sleep disorder as a result of that. These factors all lead to a terrible incident while Naomi’s 4yr old daughter, Freya, is in her care. An incident that Naomi chooses to lie about, and before she knows it, one lie leads to another…and another….

When They Find Her is so incredibly well written. Lia captures Naomi’s character and mental state so well within the pages of this book….that you can’t help but be concerned for her….and dare I say, feel empathy for Naomi? The writing had me going: one more chapter, one more chapter….and in the end I had inhaled the whole book within a day.

The plot was so gripping and intense….and even though it was a bit slower in pace, I didn’t mind. I did wonder: “what the heck is the 2nd half of this book going to be about?”, but this was a well thought out and plotted book in my opinion, and it all came together beautifully. There are plot twists galore, there is heartbreak….so much heartbreak, and would you believe it, even some joy.

My Rating

When They Find Her has a Goodreads rating of 4.2 stars and I think that’s pretty accurate. I feel that this is a solid 4 star read. Personally, I would say this leans more towards domestic drama, with a ton of mystery, but it’s not what I would describe as a typical thriller. That aside, I feel like anybody would enjoy this book, whether you’re a hardcore thriller lover or not. Also, this is a debut novel of the author….I cannot wait to see what she does next!

Disclaimer: This eBook was provided to me by Netgalley and Penguin Random House SA, in exchange for an honest review.