Review: The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

I chose this book because of the beautiful cover, and because I was trying to find a winter-themed crime/mystery novel - apart from the early books of Kathy Reichs and Louise Penny, they seem to be a bit thin on the ground! I had expected The Child Finder to be a standard private detective/missing child story, but it is so much more than that. It's about the strength of the human spirit and determination to survive no matter how bleak the circumstances, and the tricks the mind will play to protect itself. There are also references to folk tales, such as The Snow Maiden. 

Naomi Cottle specialises in finding missing children; her own harrowing childhood means she can sometimes be more adapt than the police at finding them, even the cases that everyone else has given up on. Madison Culver disappeared three years ago on a trip to the remote, mountainous forests of Oregon, shortly before a blizzard. The authorities assume she died of exposure and have long since stopped looking for her remains, but Naomi knows that Madison could have survived - if someone else has found her.

I was completely gripped by this story and by 30% I got to the point where I couldn't put it down. Along with Naomi's search for Madison, we learn about how she has (mostly) overcome the demons of her own childhood, the mistake that haunts her, and her struggle to lower her defences enough to allow those she loves to get close. There are no real surprises in the plot, no big 'twist'; the strength is in the author's creation of flawed but fascinating characters the reader really cares about. I even found myself feeling sorry for the villain!

Child abduction and the effects of abuse make up the main plot of this detective story, but it is dealt with using a very light touch. This is not a gritty read but, as the author works in the field that she writes about, you know every word is completely authentic and from the heart.  Thoroughly recommended, particularly if you've enjoyed books such as Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, and like reading stories that are just that little bit different.

Thank you to Rene Denfeld, W&N (Orion), and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.