Jane Renshaw’s The Child Who Never Was delivers on all its promises. It is a provocative and stunning psychological thriller with a twist that blew away my mind.
WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT
Her child has been taken. But no-one believes her.
Sarah’s beautiful baby son Oliver has gone missing. And she will do anything – anything – to get him back.
But there’s a problem. Everyone around Sarah, even her beloved identical twin, Evie, tells her she never had a son, that he’s a figment of her imagination, that she’s not well, she needs help.
And on one level, they’re right, Sarah does need support. She has suffered massive trauma in the past and now she’s severely agoraphobic, very rarely leaves the house, avoids all contact with people.
But fragile though she is, Sarah knows deep in her heart that Oliver is real, that the love she feels for him is true.
And that can only mean one thing – someone has been planning this. And now they’ve taken her baby.
The stunning psychological thriller with an ending you won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of K.L Slater, Mark Edwards, Alex Michaelides.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
Jane Renshaw’s The Child Who Never Was delivers on all its promises. It is a provocative and stunning psychological thriller with a twist that blew away my mind.
Sarah’s toddler, Oliver, has gone missing, but no-one believes her. Not even her beloved twin sister, Evie, who she loves more than herself.
Because she never had a son.
The child she is mistaking for her own is Evie’s son, James. But is he?
Renshaw has crafted an all-consuming novel. I could not help but follow Sarah as she tried to find her way through the web of lies and deceit. Who is telling the truth? Why does she keep thinking James as Oliver? Has her mental health declined so much she cannot differentiate reality from make-believe anymore? I was in Sarah’s mind all the time she was trying to find answers to these questions.
The book is addictive, thrilling, and full of twists. I never knew when the tables turned. Everyone was a suspect here, even Sarah herself. I did not know whom to believe. I kept on leafing through the pages to find out whether Sarah was right in believing Oliver to be her child. The breakneck speed helped me in making short work of this book in two days. Further, the plot is taut with suspense.
Besides being eager to find out the truth, I also felt angry at the actions of the protagonists. Renshaw has created some seriously twisted people. The emotions she invoked through her writing are a testament to her writing prowess.
Finally, the climax. I did not see it coming. At all. While the climax was stunning, the buildup to it was even better. Once I crossed 60%, I could not stop reading. It was so addictive. Although I wished the conclusion was different, I cannot deny The Child Who Never Was by Jane Renshaw is an absolute must-read.
A big thanks to the author, publisher, and Emma Welton of Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for my copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion on the book at all. I opted to provide an honest review on my blog.
AUTHOR BIO
As a child, Jane spent a lot of time in elaborate Lego worlds populated by tiny plastic animals and people. Crime levels were high, especially after the Dragon brothers set themselves up as vets and started murdering the animals in their ‘care’. (They got away with it by propping the victims up with Plasticine and pretending they were still alive…)
As an adult, she is still playing in imaginary worlds and putting her characters through hell – but now she can call it ‘writing’ and convince herself that she is doing something sensible. In real life, she has a PhD in genetics and copy-edits scientific and medical journals.
Jane is the author of Watch Over Me. THE CHILD WHO NEVER WAS will be her second novel published with Inkubator Books.
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Purchase Links:
Amazon.in || Amazon UK || Amazon US
Disclaimer – The Amazon.in link is an affiliate link. If you buy from this link, I will get a very small commission at no extra cost to you.
Publishing Information:
Published in digital format by Inkubator Books on 16th August 2020.
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Debjani's Thoughts 
Heading off to see if myl ibrary has a copy. Your review makes it sound quite thrilling, Debjani!
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It was a thrilling book, Marialyce. 🙂 Just be informed, the protagonist(s) are seriously twisted people.
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Hi Debjani! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my book. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m learning a lot about the art of reviewing on this blog tour – your review manages to be very informative and intriguing without giving anything away. Great, thank you!
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I am jumping like a child with glee. 😀 This is the first time an author has commented on my review. Thank you for appreciation.
Your book was very good, Jane. I loved reading it.
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Thank you! I know authors aren’t meant to comment on reviews (even the good ones), but I think (hope) it’s different for blog tours… You put a lot of effort into reading, thinking about and reviewing the book, so I think it’s only fair to say thanks! Plus, you have a very welcoming vibe on your blog – it’s lovely.
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Thank you once again, Jane, for your lovely comment. 🙂
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This sounds amazing! I love books with twists and I want to find out about her son now, I’m going to have to track down this book😁
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Do let me know your thoughts on this book, Tammy. Thanks for reading.
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Great review. Just pre ordered after reading this.
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Ooh! Thanks for your appreciation, Mel. 🙂 You’ll love this since you like psychological thrillers.
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Thanks so much x
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Welcome, Emma!
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Wow Debjani this was the most brilliant review that I have read today. I long to read it now
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Thanks, Shalini, for your appreciation. I’m glad I made your day. Hopefully, you’ll get the chance to read this book and love it as much as I did.
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