Childless

by Julianne Feher

Decades without answers... Detective Ethan Dumas is a cold case detective, a partner, and a husband. He prides himself on closing cases, seeking justice, and finding peace for families after years or even decades of them having none. In 2018, when four young girls’ cold cases make their way to Ethan and his partner, Jason Verne, it should be no different; even if their captain, the mayor, and Fiona Griffin, an invested victim's mother who will stop at nothing to prove the police had it wrong in 1982, all insist otherwise.

Truths unable to be faced...

Unfortunately, cases reopened with money and politics hardly give Ethan and Verne the leverage they need. As the cases unravel and point toward the original suspect, Fiona Griffin remains persistent Ethan and the others have it all wrong about her daughter, again.

Lies refusing to stay buried...

With pressure mounting from all sides, and a shift in his home life, Ethan must uncover the truth among an unpredictable suspect, lingering doubts in a case, and buried lies.

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2025

Reviews

[Vankay]

Wow. I have… a lot of thoughts.

Our characters - I absolutely adored the dynamic between Ethan and Verne. Their relationship is so well written, their banter feels organic and comfortable, and their trust in each other carried me through this book emotionally. I really loved the addition of Soto - I think she fit very well into their dynamic.

Julianne did such a good job at writing this in such a way that the emotions our characters went through were felt. I felt anger and frustration and sadness for our characters. All of their unease and confusion, everything, came through so clearly on page. I personally feel like the emotions of these characters are such a huge part of the story.

I think the plot was really well written. The journey to the conclusion was cohesive and I felt eager alongside our characters for that next clue. I, personally, enjoy that this isn’t a happily-ever-after type of story. The conclusion, and the events leading to it, felt real and honest. The characters’ reactions felt real and I’m really glad things weren’t tied up into a nice little bow.

I will say, as a mother, this was hard to read at some points. I did have to put it down a few rimes to hug my 3 year old, and the end definitely had me crying.

Overall, such a great read. I can’t wait for book 2!

[Jenna Morlock]

It’s hard to believe that this is an indie author who hasn’t been picked up by a publisher yet… they’ll be fighting over Julianne one day! I found her novel via Book Con. I really loved her writing style and can’t wait for her to write more in this (hopefully) a series! I did figure out the twist early on but for a debut novel… excellent! Her books will only improve from here! Thank you Julianne for a great one!

[Kaitlyn Rowlands]

I met this author at BookCon in Indie Alley and I’m so glad I did! I loved her writing style and the book was interesting start to finish.

[ashley ♡‧₊˚]

5 ⭐️

[Tammy]

📚Childless
✍🏻Julianna Feher
Blurb:
Decades without answers... Detective Ethan Dumas is a cold case detective, a partner, and a husband. He prides himself on closing cases, seeking justice, and finding peace for families after years or even decades of them having none. In 2018, when four young girls’ cold cases make their way to Ethan and his partner, Jason Verne, it should be no different; even if their captain, the mayor, and Fiona Griffin, an invested victim's mother who will stop at nothing to prove the police had it wrong in 1982, all insist otherwise.

Truths unable to be faced...

Unfortunately, cases reopened with money and politics hardly give Ethan and Verne the leverage they need. As the cases unravel and point toward the original suspect, Fiona Griffin remains persistent Ethan and the others have it all wrong about her daughter, again.

Lies refusing to stay buried...

With pressure mounting from all sides, and a shift in his home life, Ethan must uncover the truth among an unpredictable suspect, lingering doubts in a case, and buried lies.
My Thoughts:
As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. Ethan Dumas, the main character, and his partner Verne, are delightfully rich characters. Their investigation into a handful of cold cases was twisty and had me making theories like Charlie from It's Always Sunny (you know the gif, I promise you). I was reading it at the same time as a friend and we were sending messages back in forth in all caps for days. There was just enough tension to keep me hooked throughout the entire read, and enough dangling plot threads
Thanks NetGalley,, Rothbury Major Crimes and Author Julianne Feher for the advanced copy of "Childless" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#RothburyMajorCrimes
#Chidless
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Pedophilia, Death of Children, Sexual Abuse of Minors, Miscarriages & Infertility and Murder

[Lauren Ateyeh]

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical to start this book since I couldn’t find any reviews on it, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I really enjoyed it. The story follows Detective Ethan Dumas, a cold case detective who takes pride in bringing families closure after years of unanswered questions. When four cases involving missing young girls from the 1980s land on his desk, Ethan and his partner Jason Verne quickly find themselves tangled in a web of politics, pressure, and a mother determined to prove the police got it wrong decades ago. The book kept me guessing with its mix of buried lies, family struggles, and the tension between truth and perception. It’s a well-paced, engaging read that I ended up not wanting to put down.

[Ronni]

Childless is a fantastic slow-burn mystery! The dynamic between Detectives Dumas and Verne is absolutely perfect and it made for great detective work. The story had just enough detail to be interesting but not so much that it was boring. It absolutely pulled at my emotions (in a good way). Julianne Feher has a knack for story-telling and is one of few that I've read that really brings things full circle with the title alone. The twists kept me guessing and I think that's the fun part- wondering if you're right about your ideas. I was not looking to start another series but I'll be waiting impatiently for the next book because Dumas and Verne are now buddies that I need to follow! I'm also hoping to hear more about Vanessa and get details on everything happening there.

[Tori]

I met this lovely author during BookCon and was immediately pulled in by the premise of this story. The writing style was amazing, the plot lines weaved together well, and the characters were nicely fleshed out. The middle portion of the book did feel a bit long and took a while to get through, but it all inherently made sense in order to set the scenes. Great read overall and heartbreaking and bittersweet ending.

[Reagan]

I found this author through Bookcon 2026 and I was so excited to dive into this story. It made me feel nostalgic for the first time I watched shows like Criminal Minds and Sherlock. The character work was great and the plot kept me turning the pages. I am excitedly awaiting the next book in this series!

[Jen Duhamel]

Such a great read. Both the characters and story are multilayered. Strong character and story development as well. Kept me on my toes. Some great twists and turns. Looking forward to book 2 in the series.

[karina.reads.books]

3.75 stars

[eva!]

got this book from the author at bookcon! so good, can't wait for the next in the series!

[Angela R]

Could not put this book down and now can't wait for book 2! Loved the dynamics between the characters and the twists in the story gave me whiplash (the good kind!). Honestly can't recommend this read more highly. Hoping Julianne Feher gets the second book out soon, I need more!