My review
I needed a fast moving book which would get over in a couple of hours. And this book fit the bill. The pages turned so rapidly that I was astonished
The story was routine for a thriller, a mother searching for her child. This had a slightly different delivery. The husband Tom didn’t plan to kill her, but got her imprisoned on embezzlement. In the prison, Natalie also made a startling discovery – she was addicted to narcotics.
The debut by Rona Halsall traversed the trails of Natalie from home to prison to freedom. A stronger badass woman emerged from prison to right the wrongs.
But being a thriller, there were bound to be twists. But this twist was predictable as there were only 4 characters, so one of them was bound to be the villain.
The middle of the book which talked about her in the present and in prison was different for me. Rest were pretty much the same as any thriller. I read the book till the very end in one sitting as I wanted to know if my prediction was correct. In this case my niggles were not a very well developed pre-prison Natalie, and husband Tom was a slim-show in the book. He was hardly there in the book.
Overall a good predictable hence fast thriller.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating : 3 stars
Book blurb
Natalie is desperate to find her little boy. It has been more than three years since she saw Harry. Three long years in prison for a crime she knows she didn’t commit.
But her husband believed the police, and took their son.
Who has gone to such great lengths to destroy Natalie’s life? Everyone she once trusted – friends, family, all the people close to her – what secrets do they hide?
Product Details
Publication date : 17th August, 2018
Publisher : Bookouture
168 Responses
Loved the post.
Thank you Priyasha
Fabulous review, Shalini! Guess I’ll give it a read xx
Thank you so much Hajar♥️
Not sure if I would read it, I mean I think I’ll know what is coming next..
I know… But it was still a fun read when I got to know I was right
that felt good
Hahaha, that might surely feel good. Pat you back from my side :-p
Nice review Shalini! I’m glad you enjoyed it even if it was somewhat predictable.
It did keep me occupied last week. Notice the last week part… My scheduled posts
Sometimes one just needs a book that one get through easily. It migh not be the best thing you ever read, but it doesn’t always have to be like that. This sounds like one of those
So..adding it to my “tome of books I will read whenever I run out of books to read ” 
Great review, and glad you enjoyed it enough: three stars certainly isn’t a bad score
Well, that means you are NEVER gonna read this… Next time, you want me to tell you a tale, I would just tell you this story. You can cancel one off your TBR
Lol…I have learned to never say never
I am so behind on reading books….I just need a sabbatical of a year to finally be able to read some books that have been on my list for agres 
One year? I need a few years… But in that one year, we have to do the adult thing
I meant paying bills.. What did you think?
Haha….Of course that was the first thing I thought about…paying bills…puh..what did you think I was thinking about
You have not seen my other comment… We would be having a different kind of adult conversation
Lol…I just saw it now
…Still don’t know what you are talking about though…ahem…cough…cough…lol 
Nothing just the icon, baby, just the icons… What did you think?
I have no idea??? What did you think I was thinking??
I was thinking what you thought I would be thinking
Well..what did you think I was thinking what you were thinking?
I was thinking what you were thinking, but I wasn’t thinking what you were thinking and I was thinking what you weren’t. So I was thinking about thinking what you thought about thinking but were really not thinking and I really was thinking what you were going to think about and I was thinking what you were thinking too.
Solve this when you get up…. A huge thinking problem
Welll…..I have to really think about this one. So let me think
Erm I think, that we were probably thinking about the same thing, but after all that thinking we did, we decided to think that it was best to not think about it anymore, because we both thought the other might think of the other as thinking too much about that thing
Exactly… You get me… I was thinking about that thing, then I wanted you to start thinking about that thing, then I realized that maybe we are thinking too much about that thing which we are probably not supposed to be thinking as you might be thinking that this thinking is done too soon, so I took the subject off the thinking and asked you about your thinking so that I can think the same thing without thinking that I am thinking too much and if we both are thinking through the same thoughts of thinking then we are probably not thinking too much and are thinking in the right way of thinking…
Whew… Baby, 2 cups of coffee and brain goes WHAM
Haha…oh man totally hysterically laughing here this was soo funny. But yeah..probably thinking about that thing to early was not thinking it through enough…so we’d better stop thinking about that thing…because we might not stop thinking about it, which might turn it into something that we think might be just a bit too much at this stage..so let’s not think about it…too much…
I agree… We should stop thinking about the thing even though we really are thinking about the thing but we shall not disclose that we are thinking about the thing too much so we will think about the other things which do not get in the way of the other way of thinking even when probably, maybe the other way of thinking is what we are thinking, but we will keep to this way of thinking without thinking too much…
Got it and I agree
Haha…I think it really is time to stop thinking about thinking the think part, and get to the actual doing the thing part, because all this thinking will eventually lead to the doing part anyway…so really what is there to think about?
Exactly.. Cut to the main points… As Nike says – let’s do it… Man I am blushing…
Yp on Saturdays I blush..
Haha…aww..No need to blush
Lol….But I guess I will join you in the blushing department…jeez..it’s saturday morning haha 
Hahaha true… We are allowed to be all in on a Saturday
Haha…you are so right….But then again, you have pretty much been right about everything so far…
Michel dolls are getting attached to every comment. I am innocent
Of course you are…totally
There you go validating the truth… I am always so so innocent
Of course…again…stating the obvious here: Totally innocent indeed
Well…even without the icon…I would have totally believed your innocence
Hahaha now you know me so well… I am innocent so are my jokes
And no they were not
Absolutely: I totally believe you
And wait…they weren’t??? Totally didn’t notice….
The thinking of the thoughts is not in the same way of thinking if you didn’t notice what we have been thinking… What a shame what a shame…
The dolls also think so
I’m thinking..that we have done way too much thinking…don’t you think so?
Hahaha Michel should we get to the doing part?? Sorry (though I am not sorry) but you make it so easy for me to comment with the ideal comeback
Lol….I guess this one really was way too easy wasn’t it?
Wait…not saying that I am easy or anything 
But yup…let’s totally get to that part lol 
I am totally ready if you are.. My keypad is ready too with suggestive emoji
♥️♥️
These were all the emoji suggestions…
Haha…I don’t know…my Ipad just all steamed up there for a second…so let’s see what it does now…..
…..yup…pretty much the same reaction I guess….
I agree… Our keypads are in sync baby… Now we just need to get our time lines together…
♥️♥️
Now the keypad has suggested the house… Man, it is one step or rather many steps ahead of us…. Lucky is, it didn’t show the bed, just decided to be discreet and show the house
Haha…these timelines really are annoying arent’ they. But….never was one to don’t like a challenge…and pssh….what’s a little timeline and distance…totally nothing right?
Haha….yeah…I guess the house is discreet enough. It could have been even worse…it could have shown the shower…..
Haha…talk about blushing lol
It did it did… Check my other comments… We are surely heating up WordPress and akismet….
(this is not the middle finger, kindly note). My keypad thinks this is the way to go
Haha…maybe we will get banned?
Or…they will get a seperate wordpress for us…
Haha…this is definitely the way to go though…so let’s keep going 
Man I am loving your ideas.. I can thing of many ways to go… With a BANG!! Of all sorts. All the innuendos and puns intended. I am all in
The keypad even showed the sleep emoji along with the others…. MICHEL IT UNDERSTANDS BANG!!! the AI is quite intelligent
Haha….well I guess that we have already started all this with a BANG right??
Not let’s see what we can do with that BANG 
I’m all in too by the way….
But yes the AI is intelligent, and it is totally giving us his blessing too…which is great right?
F me… I am blushing and the keypad is suggesting the real F too
Hihi..head like a totally red tomato here (which I guess is a stupid comparison as they are always red lol
). My keypas is also suggesting the same thing….we really are in sync lol 
Now the action…. I am thinking
Hihi….I am thinking the action too…
It does go here
have I covered all bases
Haha…yes I think you have covered all the bases…have I done so too though?? OMGGG…another pun……
Hahaha yeah baby… That’s it
bases and places are all covered… 
Haha….phew….Glad to hear that…would not want you to feel left out in any way…
There are green tomatoes too… But they are not ripe or juicy… Kill me now before I take you down with me…. Omg omg that’s another pun… Oh Michel, how will you escape this now?
Haha…I guess there is no other way anymore to escape this…so….just take me down…
OMG……
M… I… C… H… E.. L hahahahaha… Fuck man, you are killing me here
Choose any or all
Haha…I’m killing you???? What do you think that you are doing to me???
I always have trouble choosing…so…..Sh-A-L-INI…I say: all….
Done… I chose all
Haha…
So we both chose all, that is sooo good 
Again we have something in common 
And good morning
Haha…goodmorning to you too
And aren’t you sleeping? It’s too early for you to be up!!!
Sleeping? What is that? Never heard about that phenomenon before
Hahahaha way to go baby
now you are giving my keypad the ideas to steam it up… 
Haha…I have been know to sometimes have some good ideas
I like it… Motor on…
Steam it up baby
these were the suggestions. Michel I am going a step further and saying I know but I don’t know what the drops are hahahaha 
Haha….my Ipad is now totally overheating here….
It’s not even steaming anymore…it’s becoming pretty much a volcano….
Lol….I’m going to say the same that I know…but don’t know what the drops are either….
Lol….Oh man….steaming it up here
Okay…really blushing here like a crazy guy now (wait…I was already crazy wasn’t I?? 
).
Hahahahahahahahahaha this reminds me of that juicy tomato conversation… Michel kill me now.. You are red as a tomato and I don’t want to make the juicy obvious on comments…. F**k man, now I am seriously blushing
Haha….no I seriously don’t want to kill you…that would mean I would have to miss you, which I don’t want too
Hihi…well you don’t have to anymore…because really the blushing part right now is totally going to make me face explode in a few seconds
Mine too… I have removed my specs… My face is totally heated up.. Omg omg this was totally pun UNINTENDED
Haha…I would almost believe you that it was unintended…before you said that you removed your specs…now I don’t believe you anymore….
Specs were fogging up.. And I couldn’t type this straight on… Hahaha this is so hard I mean difficult
Haha…my screen is fogging up….it’s getting harder, erm more difficult………to type..Oh man…you are bringing out the worst in me….
I am bringing UP the worst in you.. I mean bringing out… Are you sure… Or are you HARD-ly sure?
Emmm cold shower?? 
Oh man…you are so bad…in a totally good way
Shower time!! 
I’m finding this pretty hard now….
Hahahaha… I didn’t do anything… We have already verified that I am innocent… So I have nothing in me… I meant in my heart… Damn I am blushing too damn much to say further
Haha…oh yeah…Uhuh…you are totally innocent. We pretty much have totally established that
Lol…YOU’RE blushing???? What do you think I am doing here?? 
You that hasn’t got anything in you….
You know….I really like you….just saying
I like you too and I am really saying
Michel, I have to ask you – ARE YOU ON? Hahaha I meant work wise do you have an off?
Haha…what do you think I wasn’t really saying?
I really was/am too 
) And by this I mean for such a long time 
Haha…LOL, no I am not on….I am off today (else ofcourse I could not be speaking like this
Well though the keypads seem to know each other, I have yet to know you in all ways
How can it give me these emoji when the conversation is about getting to know you
Man, the keypad still thinks we are permanent…
Haha…I guess…that is true
Well, you are totally allowed to get to know me in all ways 
And sometimes…you just know things 
Don’t know why it’s giving these emoji though and the screen keeps steaming up…
I think the keypad is wise with these things
Aren’t you the sweetest? Well, my screen is pretty certain because it keeps showing the same emoji
♥️
Michel…
Well, you are totally sweet yourself
And I guess my screen is pretty certain too: see: 
Shalini…
Now I am totally blushing
Hihi….well, sorry…and ….not sorry
You shouldn’t be… You TRIGGERED IT ALL
Hahaha….I will try not to be…what did you call it…triggered by you
Huhhh? Would you leave me HIGH AND DRY?? BABY PUN FUCKING INTENDED!!!!!!
Haha…ofcourse not…..what do you think of me??
Would never leave you hanging….guess…that’s another pun that was totally not intended 
Michel, I am so tempted to say – no I am not totally sweet
Hihi…I think you already pretty much said that now
Hahaha so I did baby so I did
Lol
Should I say ENJOY.?!!!!
Lol…..I think that might be pushing it….
Really… I meant hygiene and all that
Erm…??? Now I have lost track of the conversation
Shower… And happens when mind is elsewhere…
I meant answering and reading all blogs and stuff
Haha…I know….I have some writing to do myself too
Are you off today as well…from work I mean lol 
Hahaha I completed my work in the morning so hopefully I am done for the day… And for the other information, I ain’t telling you
Haha…THIS time I certainly was talking about the work and nothing else: THIS time
And I was too… I sincerely told you I finished my work in the morning
Haha…I know….I know..What do you think I was thinking?? Of course you were talking about work
No I WASN’T… NEVER… YOU CAN BE AT WORK AND ON….
Absolutely..that’s the total truth. Don’t know if that is such a good idea though….
Might not be… But what a way to feel
♥️♥️
Haha…lol….that is also true
Blush blush
Haha….I really don’t think that I have ever blushed more in a single hour, than right now
And that’s good??
Haha…it totally is
Michel do you remember yesterday’s conversation about S and F… It is soon going to literally become that way…
Hihi. How could I even forget that conversation??
……and I think you may be right…..
Yeah… It’s Saturday… You are all mine… I mean to talk and chat (I so totally don’t mean that)
Haha…lol….welll I thought that was we were doing already lol
And I know what you meant….I think I did anyway…..(well half the time I don’t even know what I mean myself…..
)
Sorry, if I assumed too much… Sorry
Haha….no worries…You didn’t assume too much
And really never be sorry for a single second: totally unneccessary: just saying
Still honey… Sometimes better to be careful than to hurt you
♥️
Okay: getting serious here for a second (which is hard for me to do as you know, crazy at times and stuff…
). But seriously: you could never hurt me 
I really had fun talking to you this entire morning, and there isn’t a single thing that you have said that was hurtful, painful…or anything of the sort. In fact it was totally the opposite of that. You are very sweet, and I really like you a lot. So there: I have said it 
So…no worries okay? And if I ever say anything hurtful myself, or something that makes you uncomfortable in any way: please let me know as well: because that is totally the last thing I ever want to do.
I like you a lot too (that scares me)
♥️♥️ S and F too (how’s that possible?)
Oh yes I am pretty frank and direct. The above sentence tells it all. I will..
Mailed you
Well…don’t be scared
That’s totally not necessary 
You did?? Okay….going to check my mail now 
Hihi…I had not yet noticed that you weren’t pretty frank and direct lol
Hahaha I am subtle… I know that…
Hihi…
And have just replied back
I did too… Check spam folder too
Okay…will check that too…but just replied back…again
Still don’t think it would be a good idea though….
I agree for you… Since you are in a high pressure job and it would be obvious in your case… Not in mine
♥️♥️
Haha….Yeah it would be very obvious in my case, and I think the word pressure is probably not the best one used here
Lol…and I guess you are lucky than 
Oh yeah baby… I can hide it well too… Unless you know me well… I don’t know what emoji to use here Michel
Hihi…well Shalini, sometimes you don’t even need to use emoji: sometimes you just know
S and F…
Fuck man, what did you think I was telling you about?? Should I go on a tangent?? Or South??
Lol….Nawwww…You are all good
A man who understands my innuendos… What more do I need… Be still, my heart!!! ♥️♥️
Haha….seriously can you even make my blush more??? Wait…don’t answer that one
I have no idea… Because I am the same…
Hi…I repeat my previous statement: Sorry…but not sorry
But I am certainly not OFF
Lol….would never in a million years accuse you of that
Hahaha
You’re good to be able to guess the bad guys
I do like fast paced read too. Great review!
Thank you so much Jasmine… This was a bit predictable
Fabulous review! I enjoyed this one as well a little predictable but still a fun ride!
We seem to like the same kind of books, don’t we? And I told ya, you are everywhere darlin
Well we have fabulous taste, right?
Oh yeah baby.. We do we do
Nice review Shalini. I passed on this one and am not thinking I should have requested this one. I have heard that it is a good one with a bit of a twist. Just what I like.
A bit predictable.. Only 4 characters so easy to guess..
Glad you enjoyed this one despite it being predictable. I am hoping to read by the end of this week. Great review!
Happy Reading..
Thank you for another nice review. I love fast moving stories too. Michael
Me too