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Cast into Doubt
For Shelby Sloan, life will never be normal again. Her beloved daughter has vanished from a cruise ship, and even more heartbreaking, police discover that Chloe was a recovering alcoholic—something even Shelby didn't know. Between witnesses, shipboard surveillance tapes and the testimony of Chloe's husband, Rob, everyone is certain that Chloe accidentally fell overboard while intoxicated.
But Shelby's grief soon turns to anger and doubt as she learns what really lies beneath Chloe's seemingly perfect life. A marriage close to the breaking point. Extended family members who were anything but loving. And successful friends with far too much to hide—or lose. Now Shelby will stir up secrets best left buried to uncover the truth behind her daughter's death…even as someone hiding in plain sight prepares to make this determined mother disappear for good.
But Shelby's grief soon turns to anger and doubt as she learns what really lies beneath Chloe's seemingly perfect life. A marriage close to the breaking point. Extended family members who were anything but loving. And successful friends with far too much to hide—or lose. Now Shelby will stir up secrets best left buried to uncover the truth behind her daughter's death…even as someone hiding in plain sight prepares to make this determined mother disappear for good.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
2363 people are currently reading
1293 people want to read
About the author
Patricia MacDonald
68 books550 followersLibrarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Patricia MacDonald is the author of several psychological suspense novels set in small towns. MacDonald grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and has a master's degree from Boston College. Before writing her own novels she was a book editor and was once an editor for a soap opera magazine in New York. She is married to writer Art Bourgeau. They live in Cape May, New Jersey and have one daughter.
Her first novel, The Unforgiven, published in 1981, received an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. Secret Admirer (1995) won the literary prize at the 1997 Deauville Film Festival in France, where MacDonald is consistently a number one bestseller. She’s also been awarded the prize for literature at the International Forum of Cinema and Literature in Monaco.
Patricia MacDonald is the author of several psychological suspense novels set in small towns. MacDonald grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and has a master's degree from Boston College. Before writing her own novels she was a book editor and was once an editor for a soap opera magazine in New York. She is married to writer Art Bourgeau. They live in Cape May, New Jersey and have one daughter.
Her first novel, The Unforgiven, published in 1981, received an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. Secret Admirer (1995) won the literary prize at the 1997 Deauville Film Festival in France, where MacDonald is consistently a number one bestseller. She’s also been awarded the prize for literature at the International Forum of Cinema and Literature in Monaco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
February 21, 2019
3 stars. 🐾🇺🇸
-Chole annoyed me.
-The story was okay. Some parts were predictable.
-I only gave it 3 stars for some of the grief journeys are good.
Update 2/21/19 at 5:37 am Eastern Standard Time:
-Still three stars
-This is short review for I just want short notes about the book to recall it down the road.
-Chole is one of the characters. She annoyed me so bad, I will not forget her.
-Some of the grief journeys points are good and the only reason I gave 3 stars. I forget to mention I highlight a few parts about the griefs.
-Chole annoyed me.
-The story was okay. Some parts were predictable.
-I only gave it 3 stars for some of the grief journeys are good.
Update 2/21/19 at 5:37 am Eastern Standard Time:
-Still three stars
-This is short review for I just want short notes about the book to recall it down the road.
-Chole is one of the characters. She annoyed me so bad, I will not forget her.
-Some of the grief journeys points are good and the only reason I gave 3 stars. I forget to mention I highlight a few parts about the griefs.
August 28, 2021
'Cast into Doubt,' by Patricia MacDonald is an intense thriller about a woman going overboard on a cruise. Shelby pays for her daughter, Chloe, and son-in-law, Rob to go on a cruise while she babysits their four year old son, her grandson, Jeremy. Several nights later, Shelby gets a call from Rob, telling her that Chloe is missing and likely went overboard from the ship cabin's balcony. Is it an accident or is it something more dark and malicious? Shelby follows the trail of events surrounding Chloe's last moments with dogged determination.
The plot is pretty seamless and readers are kept guessing. It's not an easy solve and I like the way MacDonald lines up her suspects in the reader's mind. While the drama and suspense make very captivating reading, I would have wished for Shelby to have had a romantic interest. Shelby's life was too sterile. It really did seems that all she had were her daughter and work. Even so, MacDonld makes her a sympathetic character that I want to learn more about. I would have also liked to know more about Chloe's alcohol addiction. It did not seems credible that Shelby would have been totally sideswiped about finding out about Chloe's addiction. Shelby grew up with an alcoholic mother, so I would've thought her more suspicious and knowledgeable of addictive behaviors. I didn't buy into the fact that Shelby was so preoccupied with her work that she didn't know that Chloe had some issues. These were small issues that didn't detract from my interest in the story because MacDonald had no small expertise in managing the element of mystery.
The plot is pretty seamless and readers are kept guessing. It's not an easy solve and I like the way MacDonald lines up her suspects in the reader's mind. While the drama and suspense make very captivating reading, I would have wished for Shelby to have had a romantic interest. Shelby's life was too sterile. It really did seems that all she had were her daughter and work. Even so, MacDonld makes her a sympathetic character that I want to learn more about. I would have also liked to know more about Chloe's alcohol addiction. It did not seems credible that Shelby would have been totally sideswiped about finding out about Chloe's addiction. Shelby grew up with an alcoholic mother, so I would've thought her more suspicious and knowledgeable of addictive behaviors. I didn't buy into the fact that Shelby was so preoccupied with her work that she didn't know that Chloe had some issues. These were small issues that didn't detract from my interest in the story because MacDonald had no small expertise in managing the element of mystery.
April 6, 2023
A Mother Wants Answers
A mother’s only child is missing after a cruise. An exhaustive search of the ship was made and the waters where the ship had sailed. The authorities declared she had fallen overboard. Once the search ended, the mother knew she had to find out what happened to her beloved daughter.
A mother’s only child is missing after a cruise. An exhaustive search of the ship was made and the waters where the ship had sailed. The authorities declared she had fallen overboard. Once the search ended, the mother knew she had to find out what happened to her beloved daughter.
February 27, 2012
"Cast Into Doubt" by Paricia MacDonald was an amazing mystery thriller.I couldn't put this book down, and I didn't suspect whodunit until the very end.The well-written and easily-flowing story didn't give much hint of whodunit. Shelby Sloan's daughter goes missing on a cruise with her son-in-law. Was it an accident or something more? Shelby gave her daughter Chloe and husband Rob a cruise for Christmas.She would be looking after Jeremy, her 4 year old grandson at their house while they were on holidays.But then she received notice that her daughter hads accidentally fallen overboard.They had sworn statements from a number of people on the cruise, who saw her drinking heavily.They proceeded on the assumption that her fall was a result of extreme intoxication.But Shelby cannot believe this story an takes it upon herself to investigate what really happened.It was her love for her daughter that drove her to take drastic measures.This was an amazing murder mystery with plenty of suspense.
July 19, 2020
مع آخر صفحة من الرواية أعود الى أرض الواقع..
رافقتني هذه الرواية طيلة أيام الاجازة..
شاركت الام خوفها و اصرارها لاثبات الحقيقة..
سمة أغلب روايات patricia إصرار الام و قوتها
و إبداعها في الوصف النفسي لتركيبة الشخصيات و أهمها شخصية المجرم.
لاسف فُقد هذا الجزء في هذه رواية ..
ربما لو لم تتزامن قراءتها مع البحر لكنت أنقصت نجمة ..
تحية لكل أم تدافع و تكافح لأجل أولادها سواء بصبرها على سوء طباع زوجها أو صعوبة الحياة أو حتى اهمالها لذاتها لاجل الاطفال أو مهما كان سبب
19/juillet/20🏖🌸
رافقتني هذه الرواية طيلة أيام الاجازة..
شاركت الام خوفها و اصرارها لاثبات الحقيقة..
سمة أغلب روايات patricia إصرار الام و قوتها
و إبداعها في الوصف النفسي لتركيبة الشخصيات و أهمها شخصية المجرم.
لاسف فُقد هذا الجزء في هذه رواية ..
ربما لو لم تتزامن قراءتها مع البحر لكنت أنقصت نجمة ..
تحية لكل أم تدافع و تكافح لأجل أولادها سواء بصبرها على سوء طباع زوجها أو صعوبة الحياة أو حتى اهمالها لذاتها لاجل الاطفال أو مهما كان سبب
19/juillet/20🏖🌸
May 18, 2021
I was looking for a summer read, something riveting that I could escape with. This was my first MacDonald novel and it totally hit the mark. The story was consistent at a steady pace with so many questions. First, how in the world does a grown woman go missing on a cruise ship. And then, who wanted her gone?
I was left guessing until the very end which surprised me. It was a twisted, tangled ending of revenge and blackmail. The writing was clever, the characters well developed, and the plot was pretty logical. I felt like Sherlock along the ride with Shelby as she desperately searched for answers.
I was left guessing until the very end which surprised me. It was a twisted, tangled ending of revenge and blackmail. The writing was clever, the characters well developed, and the plot was pretty logical. I felt like Sherlock along the ride with Shelby as she desperately searched for answers.
October 26, 2022
If you like storylines that are like roller coasters, this one is for you! Takes place mostly in Pittsburgh, PA and a little in St. Thomas.
Usual quirky family dynamics all around. Divorce, lies and the mystery of a Overboard lady on a cruise. Great storyline.
Usual quirky family dynamics all around. Divorce, lies and the mystery of a Overboard lady on a cruise. Great storyline.
July 1, 2021
Chloe goes missing on a cruise with her husband. Her mother Shelby is desperate to know what happened and conducts her own investigation. This book was weak. It was kind of me to give it 2 stars. Shelby was an unlikeable character from the get go. She was ignorant, rude & stubborn. Chloe was also an annoying character, so much so that I didn’t care about her disappearance or what happened to her. The links that helped solve the case were weak at best and the motive for the crime was so weak that it was laughable. Still at least it didn’t turn out to be another pedophile story.
July 5, 2021
Don’t waste your time. Took about 3/4 of the book to get going. Very slow moving with too much boring details.
September 15, 2021
The reason I didn't like this story, was because it involved a drunk alcoholic mother, and in real life my mother was an alcoholic and reading this story it made me have bad memories of her. And really put me off reading this story
September 17, 2021
Je capote.
Le panel de femmes est particulier. On a affaire à 3 femmes avec des personnalités complètement imparfaites mais qui restent elles-mêmes tout au long.
Le fil conducteur est prenant et à plusieurs reprises je me suis retrouvée sans hypothèse (un exploit).
J’étais absorbée par le drame et les liens avec les divers individus.
J’ai fini le livre émue?
Le panel de femmes est particulier. On a affaire à 3 femmes avec des personnalités complètement imparfaites mais qui restent elles-mêmes tout au long.
Le fil conducteur est prenant et à plusieurs reprises je me suis retrouvée sans hypothèse (un exploit).
J’étais absorbée par le drame et les liens avec les divers individus.
J’ai fini le livre émue?
July 9, 2021
I want to ask the reviewers who gave this book 4-5 stars! If I could have given it a half a star, I would have. The writing was something that I expected a ninety grader would do. The story had some interesting elements but towards the end, the storyline seemed beyond credible. As for the ending, the author seemed to run out of steam. I will certainly avoid any other books by this author.
December 31, 2012
I generally like MacDonald's books, and I did like this one. It was more predictable than most of her others. The whole "parent out to investigate the death of their child" plot device is so overused and cliche. I liked the ultimate solution to the mystery though.
March 19, 2014
A weak motive for a murder is what tries to hold this plot together but ultimately fails, leaving the reader in a merry go round sense of fiction and a waste of time.
October 17, 2018
Just okay for me. Pretty predictable. Had a very small amount of language.
July 13, 2021
Eh. I didn’t really like any of the characters. The motive was weak and far fetched. And it was slow paced at the beginning.
July 10, 2023
According to her professional profile, Patricia MacDonald, the author of Cast Into Doubt, is my age; we both graduated from high school the same year and earned undergraduate and master’s degrees at the same time (but in different schools and subjects). When I downloaded her book for free I was looking forward to reading an author who shared a similar background.
By the same token, she says she lives in Cape May and the characters of her book are from my hometown of Philadelphia. Cape May is part of the Jersey Shore where many of us from the Philadelphia area spend our summers. She seems to have a working knowledge of Philadelphia, referring to suburban Gladwyne, Center City (what we call downtown), City Hall, South Street, Society Hill, Old City and the city’s Northeast, South Philadelphia and Manayunk neighborhoods.
Even better, her book is about a passenger who went missing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, I was just about to take a transatlantic cruise myself, and I am a veteran of many Caribbean cruises in the past.
And best of all, the author promised a breathtaking twist. Assuming it was a promise she would keep, not break, the stars were aligned for me to like this book — and if I were a fan of soap operas and mediocre writing I suspect I would have.
For Patricia’s profile also notes that before turning novelist she was editing soap opera magazines, and it’s evident that this previous experience had indelibly tainted her writing and storytelling.
Cast Into Doubt is about Shelby Sloan — if ever there was a name for a soap opera character — age 42, a single mom who raised her daughter Chloe, now age 24. Chloe is Shelby’s only child.
Chloe is married to Rob and they have a son, Jeremy, age 4. The three of them live in a modest row house in Manayunk.
Shelby has achieved success as a buyer for a local fictional department store and lives in an apartment in tony Society Hill. She purchased a one-week Caribbean cruise as a Christmas gift for Chloe and Rob and volunteered to babysit her grandson while they’re away.
Most of us can’t imagine becoming a grandparent like Shelby at age 38, but in the very first chapter we are told that time has been kind to her. In soap opera fashion, her skin is radiant and unlined, her blonde hair is thick and shiny, and she keeps herself fit in spin classes. Shelby is living the dream — until Rob calls her from the cruise ship to report that Chloe is missing.
At first Shelby is uncomprehending and flabbergasted, reminding me of Cal’s astonished reaction in the movie Titanic when he was informed that his fiancée Rose was missing: “It's a ship! There's only so many places she could be!” But after a thorough search of their ship by the Captain and his crew, it’s clear that Chloe is no longer on board, and the circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that she was drunk and fell overboard.
And yet of the four possible reasons why passengers fall overboard (intoxication, suicide, foolhardy behavior or foul play), guess which one a skeptical Shelby is convinced happened to Chloe? No, it’s not intoxication, even though she was shocked to discover in the days after Chloe’s disappearance that her daughter was indeed an alcoholic and had been attending AA meetings for at least a year before her cruise.
Of course the reason in the book behind Chloe’s disappearance could never be so logical, simple or straightforward, but it is so outlandishly farfetched that it’s the perfect plot for a moronic soap opera called Cast Into Doubt.
By the same token, she says she lives in Cape May and the characters of her book are from my hometown of Philadelphia. Cape May is part of the Jersey Shore where many of us from the Philadelphia area spend our summers. She seems to have a working knowledge of Philadelphia, referring to suburban Gladwyne, Center City (what we call downtown), City Hall, South Street, Society Hill, Old City and the city’s Northeast, South Philadelphia and Manayunk neighborhoods.
Even better, her book is about a passenger who went missing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, I was just about to take a transatlantic cruise myself, and I am a veteran of many Caribbean cruises in the past.
And best of all, the author promised a breathtaking twist. Assuming it was a promise she would keep, not break, the stars were aligned for me to like this book — and if I were a fan of soap operas and mediocre writing I suspect I would have.
For Patricia’s profile also notes that before turning novelist she was editing soap opera magazines, and it’s evident that this previous experience had indelibly tainted her writing and storytelling.
Cast Into Doubt is about Shelby Sloan — if ever there was a name for a soap opera character — age 42, a single mom who raised her daughter Chloe, now age 24. Chloe is Shelby’s only child.
Chloe is married to Rob and they have a son, Jeremy, age 4. The three of them live in a modest row house in Manayunk.
Shelby has achieved success as a buyer for a local fictional department store and lives in an apartment in tony Society Hill. She purchased a one-week Caribbean cruise as a Christmas gift for Chloe and Rob and volunteered to babysit her grandson while they’re away.
Most of us can’t imagine becoming a grandparent like Shelby at age 38, but in the very first chapter we are told that time has been kind to her. In soap opera fashion, her skin is radiant and unlined, her blonde hair is thick and shiny, and she keeps herself fit in spin classes. Shelby is living the dream — until Rob calls her from the cruise ship to report that Chloe is missing.
At first Shelby is uncomprehending and flabbergasted, reminding me of Cal’s astonished reaction in the movie Titanic when he was informed that his fiancée Rose was missing: “It's a ship! There's only so many places she could be!” But after a thorough search of their ship by the Captain and his crew, it’s clear that Chloe is no longer on board, and the circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that she was drunk and fell overboard.
And yet of the four possible reasons why passengers fall overboard (intoxication, suicide, foolhardy behavior or foul play), guess which one a skeptical Shelby is convinced happened to Chloe? No, it’s not intoxication, even though she was shocked to discover in the days after Chloe’s disappearance that her daughter was indeed an alcoholic and had been attending AA meetings for at least a year before her cruise.
Of course the reason in the book behind Chloe’s disappearance could never be so logical, simple or straightforward, but it is so outlandishly farfetched that it’s the perfect plot for a moronic soap opera called Cast Into Doubt.
August 27, 2022
This was a very well-plotted mystery that kept me intrigued right to the end. Shelby gifted her daughter and son-in-law a cruise along with an offer to care for their son while they vacationed. But a call from son-in-law Rob telling her Chelsea had disappeared, apparently falling overboard, throws Shelby’s life into turmoil, and she’s determined to find out just what happened to her daughter and why. With numerous possible (and plausible) suspects, the mystery was sustained until the satisfying conclusion.
July 16, 2013
This is the first book I've read by Patricia MacDonald and I enjoyed it. I liked the main character, Shelby and the rest of the characters were interesting. A good, suspenseful story that had an unexpected (to me) ending. Shelby's sister was odd but evidently very smart, one of those people who does not connect to other people. I was never sure about the son in law until the end. I could feel the loss and hurt Shelby felt when Chloe died and I liked that she did not give up in trying to find out what really happened. The book kept my interest and my next book to read is Missing Child by the same author.
September 25, 2022
not as good as expected
This book starts out good—couple goes on a gifted cruise and woman falls overboard and disappears. The rest of the book dragged on with too many unnecessary characters and wordy where it didn’t need to be.
This book starts out good—couple goes on a gifted cruise and woman falls overboard and disappears. The rest of the book dragged on with too many unnecessary characters and wordy where it didn’t need to be.
June 7, 2019
Entertaining with good plot twists.
April 5, 2024
Round up to 4.5 stars.
April 17, 2013
Cast Into Doubt takes us one step further into the world of missing children with this one being focused on someone's Mum and somebody's daughter. Shepley has always wanted the best for her little girl Chloe , so when she gets a promotion at work and a chance to do something she decides to purchase two tickets for a cruise ship tour for Chloe and her husband Rob and she agrees to pull Nana duty and babysit Chloe and Rob's four-year old son Jeremy. All goes well for the first week until that dreaded phone call arrives, the phone call that all parents hate and wish will never come. It is Rob calling with bad news - Chloe has disappeared and they believe her to be fallen overboard. So soon will become the search for Chloe and with no help and dead ends Shepley will do everything in her power to discover what happened to her daughter. As secrets are revealed about her daughter Shepley worries that things and stories aren't adding up. Was Chloe killed by someone on the ship and her death made to look an accident overboard ? Did Chloe stumble into something deep or was her death - the horrible case of mistaken identity or something more sinister ?
Find out in Cast into Doubt by Patricia MacDonald, a story that might make you think twice to A) opening your doors to strangers and B) going on a cruise ship into the middle of nowhere.
Find out in Cast into Doubt by Patricia MacDonald, a story that might make you think twice to A) opening your doors to strangers and B) going on a cruise ship into the middle of nowhere.
May 19, 2021
Misleading Book Cover
I have to say, the cover for this book makes it look like a throwaway cozy mystery novel. I love cozy mysteries, so I know what they usually look like, but that's not what I was in the mood for and I almost passed over this book because of the cover. I only read it because I've read a lot of this author's books lately so I decided to give it a chance, and it's a dark, twisted psychological thriller full of family secrets, but definitely not a cute little mystery, and I worry that the cover will mislead people. Some people won't take this book seriously when it deserves to be recognized, and some people will start reading it expecting a fun, charming read, and they might get ticked off, so I feel the need to warn people, abd hope this book gets the audience it deserves. It's not a charming, fun read, but it's a good, traumatizing psychological thriller, and it's definitely worth a read.
I have to say, the cover for this book makes it look like a throwaway cozy mystery novel. I love cozy mysteries, so I know what they usually look like, but that's not what I was in the mood for and I almost passed over this book because of the cover. I only read it because I've read a lot of this author's books lately so I decided to give it a chance, and it's a dark, twisted psychological thriller full of family secrets, but definitely not a cute little mystery, and I worry that the cover will mislead people. Some people won't take this book seriously when it deserves to be recognized, and some people will start reading it expecting a fun, charming read, and they might get ticked off, so I feel the need to warn people, abd hope this book gets the audience it deserves. It's not a charming, fun read, but it's a good, traumatizing psychological thriller, and it's definitely worth a read.
September 22, 2022
Underboard
The premise of the story was fine. A mother's concern is fine. However, that is about where things stopped being fine. I have suffered the loss of family members and it is tough to deal with. Shelby was not a likeable character to me and while I would feel great empathy toward a mother who lost her child, she could have gotten farther along with a little charm and savvy rather than her socially challenged bull in a China shop method. Furthermore, I am still not sure why Chloe was worth the trouble of getting murdered. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me. I think the book idea had a lot to build on. Unfortunately I found it to be a bit amateurish in it written presentation. The potential for a good mystery seemed to be there but for me, it just did not deliver.
The premise of the story was fine. A mother's concern is fine. However, that is about where things stopped being fine. I have suffered the loss of family members and it is tough to deal with. Shelby was not a likeable character to me and while I would feel great empathy toward a mother who lost her child, she could have gotten farther along with a little charm and savvy rather than her socially challenged bull in a China shop method. Furthermore, I am still not sure why Chloe was worth the trouble of getting murdered. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me. I think the book idea had a lot to build on. Unfortunately I found it to be a bit amateurish in it written presentation. The potential for a good mystery seemed to be there but for me, it just did not deliver.
June 18, 2021
This is told from Shelby's perspective. Her daughter Chole is reported missing from a Cruise that her and her husband Rob are on. A cruise that Shelby gave them as a gift. Shelby is watching her grandson Jeremy while they are on the cruise. There are alot of other people as well. Rob's ex-wife and her new husband. Rob's other daughter Molly. Shelby's sister, Talia and her brother Glen. Some other people Chole met on the ship. Rob's parents. Shelby's family is very disfunctional. Her sister Talia is down right odd. Chole disappears and Shelby continues to search to find out what happened to her. It's one thing after another, but it does all tie up in the end.
This we ok. Some of it really seemed farfetched to me.
This we ok. Some of it really seemed farfetched to me.
February 11, 2022
Not Great
This book was extremely unbelievable and I struggled to keep focus. Everything just so happened to fall perfectly into place with little to no effort. Well, everything besides the camera footage that should have existed. The book felt like it was dumbed down for the reader. The author tried to make connections and call backs, but I was too bored to care. I don't want to sound like a jerk, because it is better than anything I could ever write. This just wasn't the book for me.
This book was extremely unbelievable and I struggled to keep focus. Everything just so happened to fall perfectly into place with little to no effort. Well, everything besides the camera footage that should have existed. The book felt like it was dumbed down for the reader. The author tried to make connections and call backs, but I was too bored to care. I don't want to sound like a jerk, because it is better than anything I could ever write. This just wasn't the book for me.
November 16, 2012
Really liked the book but the ending sort of fell down.
September 29, 2016
A mother investigates when her daughter goes missing on a cruise.
August 28, 2021
super boring plot dully executed and predictable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews