Little One by Sarah Denzil
Published by Independently published on 11 January 2021
Genres: Thriller
Pages: 344
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
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"Take my hand, little one."

Fran finds her standing by the swings. A little girl, Esther, no older than seven years old, by herself in the dead of night, her pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress covered in grass stains and her hair dishevelled. She says she's waiting for Father, and that strikes Fran as particularly odd.

After Esther is reunited with her family, Fran can't stop thinking about this pious child whose imaginary friend is God. Fran's instincts tell her something is very wrong. Why does Esther keep running away from home, and how did she get that bruise on her leg?

Fran's husband warns her not to get too close, but one morning, Esther and her family disappear. Where did they go? Why did they leave their furniture behind?

Fran knows in her gut that something terrible is going to happen to that child, and she can't stand by while it happens. No matter the cost.

After all, she found her. But can she save her?

Wow. That was a rollercoaster ride. I’ve got to say that from the synopsis you think this might be a missing child type thriller. It’s not. The synopsis gives nothing away as to what this book is about. And if it gave any more details then it would spoil it, I’m also not going to spoil the book for you by trying to summarise it (plus, who wants a review that regurgitates the synopsis?). With this in mind it is quite difficult to write a review without spoiling anything for those who have not yet read it.

“Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs in the world. No, it’s the hardest job in the world, and probably the loneliest. Be kind to yourself. You’re doing the best you can.”

The first half of the book was enjoyable but kind of plodded along, you really got to know Fran and build a relationship with her.

By the midway point I had an idea of where the story might be going and what some potential plot points could be but I was still unsure. My ideas of where the story might be going – completely wrong! Those potential plot points – nope!

You hit the midway point and this novel takes a turn and becomes an unputdownable, non-stop thrill ride. I absolutely loved the second half and cursed anybody who interrupted my reading time. It was all bam, bam, bam action and twisty, twist with plot twists. There is no way anyone hitting the half way mark would have predicted what was to come.

The final twist – SO GOOD!!! and so well written, completely believable and not just thrown in for shock value.

I will be looking up Sarah Denzil’s other books and will definitely be buying more of her work in future.