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The Girl They Couldn't Steal
Snatched, rescued and brought up in a loving environment, Amy Walker embarks on a journey of self-discovery taking her deep into a disturbing Chechen gang in London’s underworld.
Amy’s ageing foster mother won’t be around forever. Soon she will be alone in her adopted world. As personal tragedy hits hard along with issues of morality, Amy sets off on a mission of self-discovery to unearth her missing years.
Haunted by an unexplained scar on her left foot, she discovers a coded list of foreign names, international addresses and inexplicable passport stamps, exposing lie after lie told by her foster parents.
She decides to stop at nothing to unearth exactly what they kept buried from the world. But she is attacked in the night, her home is ransacked and all she is left with is one address in Morocco.
Travelling to the shanty towns and palaces of Casablanca, Amy quickly realises that her own life is very much in danger. As the clues lead her close to unearthing her truth, she disturbs it, alerting the gang to her existence. Her truth will do anything to stay hidden.
More sinister untruths lead her back to London and a dark, Chechen underworld, where she discovers she was third on a coded, list of stolen children. As the gang looks to silence her, Amy’s quest for knowledge turns into a battle just to stay alive. Murder follows murder. Scotland Yard links each to Amy Walker. She’s a vigilante desperate for revenge.
For Amy, obsession has taken over. As her life descends into a whirlwind of former SAS agents, Chechen warlords and Russian hit men, she realises her quest is about so much more than just her past.
The gang that took her is still in operation and ready to strike again in Barcelona.
But Child No. 3 must be silenced. Little Girl Lost must never be found.
Amy’s ageing foster mother won’t be around forever. Soon she will be alone in her adopted world. As personal tragedy hits hard along with issues of morality, Amy sets off on a mission of self-discovery to unearth her missing years.
Haunted by an unexplained scar on her left foot, she discovers a coded list of foreign names, international addresses and inexplicable passport stamps, exposing lie after lie told by her foster parents.
She decides to stop at nothing to unearth exactly what they kept buried from the world. But she is attacked in the night, her home is ransacked and all she is left with is one address in Morocco.
Travelling to the shanty towns and palaces of Casablanca, Amy quickly realises that her own life is very much in danger. As the clues lead her close to unearthing her truth, she disturbs it, alerting the gang to her existence. Her truth will do anything to stay hidden.
More sinister untruths lead her back to London and a dark, Chechen underworld, where she discovers she was third on a coded, list of stolen children. As the gang looks to silence her, Amy’s quest for knowledge turns into a battle just to stay alive. Murder follows murder. Scotland Yard links each to Amy Walker. She’s a vigilante desperate for revenge.
For Amy, obsession has taken over. As her life descends into a whirlwind of former SAS agents, Chechen warlords and Russian hit men, she realises her quest is about so much more than just her past.
The gang that took her is still in operation and ready to strike again in Barcelona.
But Child No. 3 must be silenced. Little Girl Lost must never be found.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2011
4 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Phil Martin
51 books35 followersI grew up in the creative cauldron of nineties Manchester when Madchester rocked the charts and the Hacienda ruled clubland. The city has shaped me as a writer. I write thrillers and crime based on the fine folk of Manchester and Salford. The Little Girl Lost trilogy has however developed into an international thriller taking in Manchester, Morocco, London, Barcelona, Monza, Zurich, Moscow, Chechnya, Batumi and... Milton Keynes.
my books are available at Amazon
The Amy Walker series
The One They Couldn't Steal (Book 1)
http://amzn.to/xsDmpa
The One They Couldn't Silence (Book 2)
http://amzn.to/Wh5BST
The One They Couldn't Bury (Book 3)
http://amzn.to/14mypK3
THE ATTACHED http://amzn.to/xjsKgp
KILLING DOVES http://amzn.to/ysy4ip
STRIPPED BARE http://amzn.to/wbfoYn
my books are available at Amazon
The Amy Walker series
The One They Couldn't Steal (Book 1)
http://amzn.to/xsDmpa
The One They Couldn't Silence (Book 2)
http://amzn.to/Wh5BST
The One They Couldn't Bury (Book 3)
http://amzn.to/14mypK3
THE ATTACHED http://amzn.to/xjsKgp
KILLING DOVES http://amzn.to/ysy4ip
STRIPPED BARE http://amzn.to/wbfoYn
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 24, 2014
5 Thrilling Exciting Roller Coaster Stars
Child No. 3 caught my attention after reading a review from Best Crime Books.
What a gem this turned out to be..don't you just love it when you find a book that you just can't put down..
Amy Walker has always known she was adopted. But since the death of her adopted father she has felt the need to find out more...more about why she was adopted.
With no real clues and no one willing really to talk about it, she decides to make this her mission after she graduates and investigate the facts herself...leaving her and everyone close to her in serious danger.
Amy is determined to find out where she came from and who her real parents were. It slowly becomes an obsession the need, the whys and who's. Dragging her best friend Carolyn with her, the search leads them to Morocco.
This starts a terrifying roller coaster ride for her and anyone who knows her or knows of her...
Hold onto your hats!!
My thoughts..
Exciting, edge of the seat type thriller by a British author Phil Martin
Twist after twist this authors writing sucks you in...Loved it!!!
This is the first part of a Trilogy the second one Female No 2 I'm straight onto it..
http://philmartinbooks.co.uk/
Child No. 3 caught my attention after reading a review from Best Crime Books.
What a gem this turned out to be..don't you just love it when you find a book that you just can't put down..
Amy Walker has always known she was adopted. But since the death of her adopted father she has felt the need to find out more...more about why she was adopted.
With no real clues and no one willing really to talk about it, she decides to make this her mission after she graduates and investigate the facts herself...leaving her and everyone close to her in serious danger.
Amy is determined to find out where she came from and who her real parents were. It slowly becomes an obsession the need, the whys and who's. Dragging her best friend Carolyn with her, the search leads them to Morocco.
This starts a terrifying roller coaster ride for her and anyone who knows her or knows of her...
Hold onto your hats!!
My thoughts..
Exciting, edge of the seat type thriller by a British author Phil Martin
Twist after twist this authors writing sucks you in...Loved it!!!
This is the first part of a Trilogy the second one Female No 2 I'm straight onto it..
http://philmartinbooks.co.uk/
December 15, 2013
........ I must find my happy place before I rate this story.. Amazing plot twist, DEFINTELY NOT BORING.... BUT the heroine hitwoman in me was not to fond of Amy..... I'm a huge meanie though <--- I own it...
June 4, 2014
Amy 'Aims' Walker begins the story at her graduation ceremony having become a medical doctor. On this special occasion she feels even more deeply than usual that she knows nothing of her background as she is adopted.
Having completed her studies she has a break before starting her hospital placement so she decides to use the time to investigate exactly where she came from.
After discovering that the story her adoptive parents have told her is bogus she convinces (cons?) her poor friend Carolyn into a holiday in Morocco where the clues have led her.
I say 'poor' friend because this woman gets dragged into all sorts of nasty dangerous stuff and Amy isn't exactly careful or mindful of their safety.
Amy could so easily have annoyed the hell out of me because she is so forceful and reckless and yet the author manages to convey just how much she NEEDS to know who she is that I did forgive her.
The clues rapidly take the girls back to Manchester and then on to London, the danger ramping up minute by minute.
The plot thickens as a Russian gang, ex special forces guys, assassins and the police all become involved.
It really is a rollercoaster of a mystery and enjoyable if a little OTT in places...I will be reading the next one in the trilogy (when I'm able to breathe again!).
Recommended for people who like action, stubborn women, madness, puzzle solving, hackneyed characters (in a good way) with a hint of humour (love the Russians/Chechens & the guy at Bletchley Park)
Having completed her studies she has a break before starting her hospital placement so she decides to use the time to investigate exactly where she came from.
After discovering that the story her adoptive parents have told her is bogus she convinces (cons?) her poor friend Carolyn into a holiday in Morocco where the clues have led her.
I say 'poor' friend because this woman gets dragged into all sorts of nasty dangerous stuff and Amy isn't exactly careful or mindful of their safety.
Amy could so easily have annoyed the hell out of me because she is so forceful and reckless and yet the author manages to convey just how much she NEEDS to know who she is that I did forgive her.
The clues rapidly take the girls back to Manchester and then on to London, the danger ramping up minute by minute.
The plot thickens as a Russian gang, ex special forces guys, assassins and the police all become involved.
It really is a rollercoaster of a mystery and enjoyable if a little OTT in places...I will be reading the next one in the trilogy (when I'm able to breathe again!).
Recommended for people who like action, stubborn women, madness, puzzle solving, hackneyed characters (in a good way) with a hint of humour (love the Russians/Chechens & the guy at Bletchley Park)
April 6, 2016
I have literally hundreds of books at any one time in my `to read' list. It's normally a mixture of my long time favourites, some newbie's and some self published stuff. Child Number 3 written by Phil Martin was a self published book and the synopsis sounded right up my street. Like most books or authors I haven't read before I always hope they will be great and thankfully Phil Martin's most certainly was. Amy Walker is the main character in this rather dark book and we are introduced to her life and the fact that she has been very aware of the fact that she was adopted from a very young age. With her father having passed away and he mother being ill, Amy is insistent on finding out more about her birth parents.
Once she has completed medical school, she follows leads on her birth after being told by her parents that she was adopted following the death of her birth parents following a coach crash in Tuscany. What starts out as an innocent search turns into something much more sinister. Amy starts to uncover lies about her birth which leads her down a very dangerous path.
The character of Amy is very likeable, and although maybe not anything other than ordinary she is likeable. As a reader you empathise with her need to find the truth. It's also got a more authentic ring to the story as the path she chooses to take is led by her need for information. It means that the more danger she approaches, the more inquisitive she gets. The story starts in Manchester where Amy is living but before long sees her visiting the shanty towns in Morocco and uncovering links to the Chechen underworld.
The story grabbed my interest and to be quite honest kept it up throughout. The nearer it got to the end the more tense things were. This book only annoyed me towards the end. Obviously being part of a trilogy meant that the ending had me annoyed that I didn't have the next book to read immediately. Thankfully that can be remedied in a matter of days in this case. For a self-published debut novel I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not quite a 5 star read but a solid 4, and one that made for an unusual and very engaging read. Can't wait for the next one and to be frank priced at £1.32 on Kindle it's a bargain to boot!
Merged review:
I have literally hundreds of books at any one time in my `to read' list. It's normally a mixture of my long time favourites, some newbie's and some self published stuff. Child Number 3 written by Phil Martin was a self published book and the synopsis sounded right up my street. Like most books or authors I haven't read before I always hope they will be great and thankfully Phil Martin's most certainly was. Amy Walker is the main character in this rather dark book and we are introduced to her life and the fact that she has been very aware of the fact that she was adopted from a very young age. With her father having passed away and he mother being ill, Amy is insistent on finding out more about her birth parents.
Once she has completed medical school, she follows leads on her birth after being told by her parents that she was adopted following the death of her birth parents following a coach crash in Tuscany. What starts out as an innocent search turns into something much more sinister. Amy starts to uncover lies about her birth which leads her down a very dangerous path.
The character of Amy is very likeable, and although maybe not anything other than ordinary she is likeable. As a reader you empathise with her need to find the truth. It's also got a more authentic ring to the story as the path she chooses to take is led by her need for information. It means that the more danger she approaches, the more inquisitive she gets. The story starts in Manchester where Amy is living but before long sees her visiting the shanty towns in Morocco and uncovering links to the Chechen underworld.
The story grabbed my interest and to be quite honest kept it up throughout. The nearer it got to the end the more tense things were. This book only annoyed me towards the end. Obviously being part of a trilogy meant that the ending had me annoyed that I didn't have the next book to read immediately. Thankfully that can be remedied in a matter of days in this case. For a self-published debut novel I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not quite a 5 star read but a solid 4, and one that made for an unusual and very engaging read. Can't wait for the next one and to be frank priced at £1.32 on Kindle it's a bargain to boot!
Once she has completed medical school, she follows leads on her birth after being told by her parents that she was adopted following the death of her birth parents following a coach crash in Tuscany. What starts out as an innocent search turns into something much more sinister. Amy starts to uncover lies about her birth which leads her down a very dangerous path.
The character of Amy is very likeable, and although maybe not anything other than ordinary she is likeable. As a reader you empathise with her need to find the truth. It's also got a more authentic ring to the story as the path she chooses to take is led by her need for information. It means that the more danger she approaches, the more inquisitive she gets. The story starts in Manchester where Amy is living but before long sees her visiting the shanty towns in Morocco and uncovering links to the Chechen underworld.
The story grabbed my interest and to be quite honest kept it up throughout. The nearer it got to the end the more tense things were. This book only annoyed me towards the end. Obviously being part of a trilogy meant that the ending had me annoyed that I didn't have the next book to read immediately. Thankfully that can be remedied in a matter of days in this case. For a self-published debut novel I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not quite a 5 star read but a solid 4, and one that made for an unusual and very engaging read. Can't wait for the next one and to be frank priced at £1.32 on Kindle it's a bargain to boot!
Merged review:
I have literally hundreds of books at any one time in my `to read' list. It's normally a mixture of my long time favourites, some newbie's and some self published stuff. Child Number 3 written by Phil Martin was a self published book and the synopsis sounded right up my street. Like most books or authors I haven't read before I always hope they will be great and thankfully Phil Martin's most certainly was. Amy Walker is the main character in this rather dark book and we are introduced to her life and the fact that she has been very aware of the fact that she was adopted from a very young age. With her father having passed away and he mother being ill, Amy is insistent on finding out more about her birth parents.
Once she has completed medical school, she follows leads on her birth after being told by her parents that she was adopted following the death of her birth parents following a coach crash in Tuscany. What starts out as an innocent search turns into something much more sinister. Amy starts to uncover lies about her birth which leads her down a very dangerous path.
The character of Amy is very likeable, and although maybe not anything other than ordinary she is likeable. As a reader you empathise with her need to find the truth. It's also got a more authentic ring to the story as the path she chooses to take is led by her need for information. It means that the more danger she approaches, the more inquisitive she gets. The story starts in Manchester where Amy is living but before long sees her visiting the shanty towns in Morocco and uncovering links to the Chechen underworld.
The story grabbed my interest and to be quite honest kept it up throughout. The nearer it got to the end the more tense things were. This book only annoyed me towards the end. Obviously being part of a trilogy meant that the ending had me annoyed that I didn't have the next book to read immediately. Thankfully that can be remedied in a matter of days in this case. For a self-published debut novel I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not quite a 5 star read but a solid 4, and one that made for an unusual and very engaging read. Can't wait for the next one and to be frank priced at £1.32 on Kindle it's a bargain to boot!
July 29, 2017
I am rating this series as one book as I could not put them down, and as I completed one book I immediately picked up the next.
This trilogy contains it all, a huge complex plot that is easy to follow, immense tension that had me utterly gripped, great variety of strong characters that can hold their own, and a storyline that twists and turns as each shocking truth unfolds.
This story follows Amy Walker and her travels as she desperately follows new leads as they become uncovered, in her obsession to find out who she is and where she comes from after finding out she was adopted. This trilogy follows her chase for the truth through various towns, cities and countries which are written about with such a strong sense of knowledge and history about each place, this had me feeling like I was in each place as Amy fought to stay alive.
I was sad to see some of the characters come to their end! However Vitali's constant presence more than made up for their loss, I loved his character.
An absolute gem that was recommended to me, and thank god it was as I may never have come across them.
Phil Martin has done a fabulous job with this highly imaginative trilogy and I cannot even begin to guess at all the hard work that clearly went into the plot alone! Will certainly look out for more by this author.
My only one small gripe is it does need proof reading, I could overlook this however due to the strong and emotional storyline. X
Deserves every one of the 5 stars x
This trilogy contains it all, a huge complex plot that is easy to follow, immense tension that had me utterly gripped, great variety of strong characters that can hold their own, and a storyline that twists and turns as each shocking truth unfolds.
This story follows Amy Walker and her travels as she desperately follows new leads as they become uncovered, in her obsession to find out who she is and where she comes from after finding out she was adopted. This trilogy follows her chase for the truth through various towns, cities and countries which are written about with such a strong sense of knowledge and history about each place, this had me feeling like I was in each place as Amy fought to stay alive.
I was sad to see some of the characters come to their end! However Vitali's constant presence more than made up for their loss, I loved his character.
An absolute gem that was recommended to me, and thank god it was as I may never have come across them.
Phil Martin has done a fabulous job with this highly imaginative trilogy and I cannot even begin to guess at all the hard work that clearly went into the plot alone! Will certainly look out for more by this author.
My only one small gripe is it does need proof reading, I could overlook this however due to the strong and emotional storyline. X
Deserves every one of the 5 stars x
May 8, 2014
I was gifted a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is part one of a trilogy and is one hell of a roller coaster ride, and even more so for Amy Walker the main character, who is caught up in something from her past due to no fault of her own, but she is now traveling to various countries and different parts of the UK to try and find out who she is and where she comes from. She also gets her friend from University involved but things turn out rather dangerous for them and they leave a trail of bodies, loads of unanswered questions that she wants answered despite all the danger. The characters are interesting and I am sure some of them will appear in later books.
Very easy to pick up and read, very difficult to put down, nicely written in a sense that although there are plenty of bodies left behind there is no gore.
The ending is actually better than I thought it would be, it ends just at the right time leaving you with enough desire to buy the next book in the series, but it is not too open ended.
Definitely a good read if you enjoy fast paced thrillers. It is certainly a disturbing subject as this happens way too often around the world.
My only complaint is the names of the Russian or Chechen characters, surely there are some easier names to pronounce than those that the author has chosen
This is a self published book. Looking forward to the next one.
This is part one of a trilogy and is one hell of a roller coaster ride, and even more so for Amy Walker the main character, who is caught up in something from her past due to no fault of her own, but she is now traveling to various countries and different parts of the UK to try and find out who she is and where she comes from. She also gets her friend from University involved but things turn out rather dangerous for them and they leave a trail of bodies, loads of unanswered questions that she wants answered despite all the danger. The characters are interesting and I am sure some of them will appear in later books.
Very easy to pick up and read, very difficult to put down, nicely written in a sense that although there are plenty of bodies left behind there is no gore.
The ending is actually better than I thought it would be, it ends just at the right time leaving you with enough desire to buy the next book in the series, but it is not too open ended.
Definitely a good read if you enjoy fast paced thrillers. It is certainly a disturbing subject as this happens way too often around the world.
My only complaint is the names of the Russian or Chechen characters, surely there are some easier names to pronounce than those that the author has chosen
This is a self published book. Looking forward to the next one.
May 8, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has kept me up well past my bedtime for the last couple of nights.
It's the story of Amy Walker who finds out not only that she was adopted but that she was abducted at the age of two and a half. This information opens a whole can of worms and Amy and her friends find themselves in a few sticky situations, although I did find myself liking some of the villans and was sad to read about the demise of a few. The storyline and characters were believable and there was obviously a lot of research done.
The epilogue is also well written and gives you just a teaser of what's th come in the next book. . . . . .which is now ready to go on my kindle for later.
It's the story of Amy Walker who finds out not only that she was adopted but that she was abducted at the age of two and a half. This information opens a whole can of worms and Amy and her friends find themselves in a few sticky situations, although I did find myself liking some of the villans and was sad to read about the demise of a few. The storyline and characters were believable and there was obviously a lot of research done.
The epilogue is also well written and gives you just a teaser of what's th come in the next book. . . . . .which is now ready to go on my kindle for later.
January 19, 2014
Excellent book!!!!
Can't wait to start the next one, which is already downloaded on my kindle in readiness.
The first book kept me wanting to read just another page, before having to stop to either get off the train; go back to work and even go to sleep.
Great writing from Phil and such a fantastic first book.
Can't wait to start the next one, which is already downloaded on my kindle in readiness.
The first book kept me wanting to read just another page, before having to stop to either get off the train; go back to work and even go to sleep.
Great writing from Phil and such a fantastic first book.
August 4, 2016
Really enjoyed this. well worth reading, the story pulls you in from the beginning, wondering whats going to happen next.
enjoyed it so much had to buy the next one right away ...
The story is about Amy Walker and her desperate need to find out about herself. She goes off to search and follow anything that leads her to find out who she is and where she comes from after finding out she was adopted. I don't think she or anyone else imagined just how much it takes for her to find things out, and how much trouble it can cause along the way. This is the first book in the trilogy.
http://www.facebook.com/MyBookBlog?re...
http://ilovereading1.weebly.com/
Product Description
Having exposed lie after lie told by her foster parents, Amy Walker sets off on a mission of self-discovery to unearth exactly what they have kept buried from the world.
After journeying from her Manchester home to the shanty towns and palaces of Morocco, more untruths lead her back to London and a dark Chechen underworld, where she discovers she was third on a coded, list of stolen children.
As Amy gets closer to unearthing her truth, she disturbs it, alerting the gang to her existence. Her truth will do anything to stay hidden. The gang is still in operation and ready to strike again in Barcelona.
Child No. 3 must be silenced. Little girl lost must never be found.
enjoyed it so much had to buy the next one right away ...
The story is about Amy Walker and her desperate need to find out about herself. She goes off to search and follow anything that leads her to find out who she is and where she comes from after finding out she was adopted. I don't think she or anyone else imagined just how much it takes for her to find things out, and how much trouble it can cause along the way. This is the first book in the trilogy.
http://www.facebook.com/MyBookBlog?re...
http://ilovereading1.weebly.com/
Product Description
Having exposed lie after lie told by her foster parents, Amy Walker sets off on a mission of self-discovery to unearth exactly what they have kept buried from the world.
After journeying from her Manchester home to the shanty towns and palaces of Morocco, more untruths lead her back to London and a dark Chechen underworld, where she discovers she was third on a coded, list of stolen children.
As Amy gets closer to unearthing her truth, she disturbs it, alerting the gang to her existence. Her truth will do anything to stay hidden. The gang is still in operation and ready to strike again in Barcelona.
Child No. 3 must be silenced. Little girl lost must never be found.
September 5, 2013
Roller Coaster of a Read.
This trilogy started with an unpleasant ailment for the main character and from there it was a fast action, thrilling ride of a book!
The author has a brilliant imagination and certainly had me glued to my Kindle for almost a week reading this superb trilogy of books. Priced at a great price. I believe the author did all his proof reading, publishing and hard graft alone - he has done a great job and I loved his writing style a lot.
This trilogy started with an unpleasant ailment for the main character and from there it was a fast action, thrilling ride of a book!
The author has a brilliant imagination and certainly had me glued to my Kindle for almost a week reading this superb trilogy of books. Priced at a great price. I believe the author did all his proof reading, publishing and hard graft alone - he has done a great job and I loved his writing style a lot.
May 2, 2014
This is a very fast paced thriller. The action started pretty much straight away and didn't stop until the ending. It was written and obviously researched really well, there were a few spelling and grammar errors which could be sorted easily. Not the usual sort of story I would enjoy but found as the book went on I was reading faster and faster to find out what would happen. Very glad I read this and will have to read the next one!
May 10, 2014
First time I've read a book from this author and I was not disappointed at all. Really fast paced, and well written.Im always a bit sceptical when I start new authors, but this is a genuinely good book. Can't wait to read more from this author.
May 14, 2014
You are gripped to the story from the first page. Very good and different story line, will be buying the next books x
November 17, 2017
Excellent novel, keeps you reading not wanting to set it down!
Will plan on reading the next two in the series!
Will plan on reading the next two in the series!
June 27, 2014
I could not get on board with the books inflated depiction of two medical school graduates. Despite the fact that new graduates lack experience, which the author failed to assume all the way through this, I just could not believe in the story. If your main character is a newly qualified doctor it pays to do actual accurate research into newly qualified doctors rather than assume a unicorns and rainbows version of what medical schools actually produce.
Apart from the fact the undergraduate curriculum was overhauled in 1999 and a more integrated approach was taken since then, which is again ignored, the two characters who have just finished medical school are seen to be making decisions not to take one of them who is drugged to hospital because they apparently know exactly what to do without having any training in critically ill patient care. After witnessing an accident the duo decide that resuscitation is futile going against basic training despite the fact neither of them have the experience or qualifications to do so. They are repeatedly attributed to know about death and losing patients when the undergraduate curriculum would not have given them an opportunity to follow many patients, if any, to death. These two characters would have been studying Medicine full time for 6 years prior to graduation which makes them vocationally trained but not clinically experienced, a distinction clear to those who have medical training but probably a concept that has not occurred to the average layman who isn't writing a trilogy where his protagonists are newly qualified doctors, which would be fine if you make the assumption no one who has ever been to medical school and qualified would ever read this book,
A lot of the experience the new graduates are assumed to have probably would not have shaped their skills or them as doctors for another 2 years post-graduation. With these inconsistencies and lack of attention to detail about the characters who play such a central role in the book I could not read this and enjoy the other aspects of the plot.
Apart from the fact the undergraduate curriculum was overhauled in 1999 and a more integrated approach was taken since then, which is again ignored, the two characters who have just finished medical school are seen to be making decisions not to take one of them who is drugged to hospital because they apparently know exactly what to do without having any training in critically ill patient care. After witnessing an accident the duo decide that resuscitation is futile going against basic training despite the fact neither of them have the experience or qualifications to do so. They are repeatedly attributed to know about death and losing patients when the undergraduate curriculum would not have given them an opportunity to follow many patients, if any, to death. These two characters would have been studying Medicine full time for 6 years prior to graduation which makes them vocationally trained but not clinically experienced, a distinction clear to those who have medical training but probably a concept that has not occurred to the average layman who isn't writing a trilogy where his protagonists are newly qualified doctors, which would be fine if you make the assumption no one who has ever been to medical school and qualified would ever read this book,
A lot of the experience the new graduates are assumed to have probably would not have shaped their skills or them as doctors for another 2 years post-graduation. With these inconsistencies and lack of attention to detail about the characters who play such a central role in the book I could not read this and enjoy the other aspects of the plot.
August 29, 2015
I was offered a free copy of this book by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
So, I will offer the following:
1. When an author centers a story around some specific theme, in this case adoption, I wish they would at least research what it is they are talking about. “Fostering” and “Adoption” are not synonomous, as they are used in this book. The author uses the terms interchangeably, but there are distinct legal, and most often, emotional, differences in the two terms.
2. This book is very much about the action. It moves quickly, and sometimes choppily, from one dangerous event to another. I would like to see a smoother flow between the action scenes.
3. There is little character development in this story. This is just a personal preference, but I think that many readers like the action-packed story and do not require a deeper senes of the people who populate the story.
Overall, it seemed to me that as the book neared the conclusion, the writing did flow better, and the story was more engaging; I wanted to keep reading, at that point, not just to get through the book, but to see how the story would conclude. So I feel like the author has potential that was just beginning to gain momentum as the book reached it's end.
Earlier in the book I would have given only two stars to this one, but as it improved, I felt like three stars was closer to my overall take on this one.
So, I will offer the following:
1. When an author centers a story around some specific theme, in this case adoption, I wish they would at least research what it is they are talking about. “Fostering” and “Adoption” are not synonomous, as they are used in this book. The author uses the terms interchangeably, but there are distinct legal, and most often, emotional, differences in the two terms.
2. This book is very much about the action. It moves quickly, and sometimes choppily, from one dangerous event to another. I would like to see a smoother flow between the action scenes.
3. There is little character development in this story. This is just a personal preference, but I think that many readers like the action-packed story and do not require a deeper senes of the people who populate the story.
Overall, it seemed to me that as the book neared the conclusion, the writing did flow better, and the story was more engaging; I wanted to keep reading, at that point, not just to get through the book, but to see how the story would conclude. So I feel like the author has potential that was just beginning to gain momentum as the book reached it's end.
Earlier in the book I would have given only two stars to this one, but as it improved, I felt like three stars was closer to my overall take on this one.
August 23, 2016
The Girl They Couldn’t Steal is a thriller involved with child abduction and trafficking. Amy has always known she is adopted but has no information regarding her birth family. Now that she has graduated medical school and has six months before buckling down to work she sets out to investigate who she really is. She sets off a chain of events far bigger than she can imagine, involving multiple countries and criminals of all kinds and at all levels. Russian Mobsters, Chechens, Old School English Gangsters, Retired British Military, and corrupt police, Amy faces them all down in her search. Parts of this were interesting and engaging, but at times Amy and other’s actions seemed illogical and just not very smart. The book ends up with many, but definitely not all threads tied up and has lead-ins to the next book in the trilogy. Interesting read that made me want to know what happened. but I am not sure if I would read the two more books to find out.
December 6, 2016
So for me this is really a 3.5 star.
Amy had just graduated as a Doctor but before she gets stuck in she wants to find out where she came from. She was fostered/adopted at a young age after her parents died in a terrible accident. She begins to dig around and suddenly finds herself in a dangerous situation.
This story is full of action and that made me want to carry on reading it. I didn't really like Amy. I found her to be annoying and some of the things she did were just unrealistic. I also didn't like Needham, I found her to be over the top.
I did find the writing to be good and liked the language used. I liked the way the story incorporated people whose first language wasn't English.
Amy had just graduated as a Doctor but before she gets stuck in she wants to find out where she came from. She was fostered/adopted at a young age after her parents died in a terrible accident. She begins to dig around and suddenly finds herself in a dangerous situation.
This story is full of action and that made me want to carry on reading it. I didn't really like Amy. I found her to be annoying and some of the things she did were just unrealistic. I also didn't like Needham, I found her to be over the top.
I did find the writing to be good and liked the language used. I liked the way the story incorporated people whose first language wasn't English.
January 10, 2015
An adopted child who wants to know more about her birth family, the ending of her university course to become a doctor following on from the recent death of her father motivates her to progress this desire. Had she had known the true cost to her and others (some of whom she loves) she may well have left well enough alone.
The book is fast paced and the reader is whisked from country to country as the body count mounts. First of a trilogy, the end leaves the reader ready for the next book without feeling this book is not complete. A difficult topic, this book remains an easy read for those who like their action speedy.
The book is fast paced and the reader is whisked from country to country as the body count mounts. First of a trilogy, the end leaves the reader ready for the next book without feeling this book is not complete. A difficult topic, this book remains an easy read for those who like their action speedy.
June 26, 2014
Intense thriller from the first page. it's about Amy Walker knew she was adopted but the details of how she was where all lies told by their adoptive parents to stop her finding out where she really was from. so one day she after they died she goes out of the way to find out where she was really was from. along the way she meets some people. who try to kill her and everyone around her. A fast paced thriller you won't want to put down.
August 28, 2016
Not a book that I would normally read and I have to admit that the last hour of reading I was skimming just to finish. The characters, to me, we're not believable. I doubt that a new uni grad would take on an international crime mob boss face to face; and I would seriously doubt that one hit man could eliminate all the policeman in one station (surely British police are better trained than that?) and the list goes on.......
Will pass on the sequels.
Will pass on the sequels.
September 16, 2015
I was given this book to read for a review ages ago and I sorry to say as it was in my kindle stuff I forgot about. I want to start by saying I really quite enjoyed it. But best thing is that I ended up reading the three book in the series and the story line, writing and characters get better with each book. Great job and well worth a read!!
October 5, 2014
Excellent! I really enjoyed this book, which was based around the area where I was born in London. A page turner, which had me reading well into the early hours. Am looking forward to reading more books by Phil Martin.
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