Little Girl Lost

by J.S. Marciano

Once lost, are we ever the same again…? A family is torn apart when a little girl is kidnapped while her family is on vacation. The press immediately turn on the family, blaming the parents for the young girl’s disappearance. Time passes and everyone begins to lose hope. But when a girl is found wandering the streets of Portugal alone, she is returned to her family and the case closed. Yet something is not right. And as little Rosemary Cathcart grows up, and her parent’s divorce, that feeling never really leaves her. Years later, after finding her boyfriend has been cheating on her, Rosemary flees to her brother’s home, where she quickly wears out her welcome. When her mother arrives and asks her to move in with her and her new husband, Rosemary decides to go to Jersey and work at her father’s hotel. But when she arrives she learns the hotel is close to bankruptcy and her father on his death bed with cancer. Before he dies, he has secrets to tell that will change her world, and the world of everyone around her, forever. And it would seem that Rosemary Cathcart, once a Little Girl Lost, is still yet to be found…. Full of dark secrets and mysterious twists and turns, Little Girl Lost is a must read thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. J. S. Marciano works in a London-based global organisation as a Credit Controller. Although she once dreamed of becoming a singer/actress, she began writing at an early age, and published her first short stories in the London Mystery Magazine and the London Evening News. Jane lives in North West London with her husband of forty years, and enjoys being a grandmother.

Genres: Mystery

ebook

First published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Linda Strong]

I found myself thumbing through pages looking for something that would grab my attention. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything.

My thanks to the author / Endeavor Press / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

No rating ... no review posted

[Lisa Baillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Girl Lost J S Marciano

Who am i? What would it be like to be kidnapped as a child? Stolen away from your family. Thrust into a life of crime and human trafficking and murder. This is what lay ahead for Rosemary Cathcart when she was kidnapped on holiday as a child. A little girl is then found presumed to be Rosemary, so she's reunited with her family and the case is closed. But is case really closed?

What a brilliant book. Was a bit lost in the 1st intro. But soon caught up and really enjoyed the book. Enjoyed the character of poor Rosemary. Following her failed love life she see's refuge with her brother, not to be wanted and heads off for a reunion with her father. But nothing goes right for her. And where the book ended on a cliffhanger it sounds as though her life wont get any better

Ty to J S Marciano and Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a copy of this book in return for a review

[Sue]

I am so sorry but I tried to get involved in this novel, but after numerous attempts, I DNF, and will not be rating this novel. It was not for me.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, but in the end, just had to abandon this book. In all honesty, I cannot think of one redeeming feature, one reason why I should continue to read it.

Shambolic. Trashy. Rambling. Irritating.

Thank you to Endeavour Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Little Girl Lost by J.S. Marciano for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Ari Reavis]

*Received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

Dnf at 10%

I feel bad because it's an arc, but I sat in confusion for most of the beginning and then when I finally figure out what's going on, everything changes and I'm reading about a girl begging her naked cheating boyfriend to give HER another chance. Oh hell no. Good-bye.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like to give bad reviews but this was a very disappointing read although the premise of the story could have turned it into a great one. Unfortunately I found it hard to get into the story and found myself skipping my way over some of the pages, looking for something that would become exciting or interesting. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book after I read the blurb. The prologue was really good and I thought I was going to enjoy it.....Unfortunately, it went downhill for me. It was just too unbelievable.

I had no idea how one heroine can have so many things going wrong for her. Instead of fighting for herself and her future, she was always looking for someone to save her. Her brother, her father, her new love interest. Her decisions were all made in a rush and with no real purpose.

She was too quick to fall in love. She barely met Ari (the cab driver who helps her out after she finds her boyfriend in bed with someone else and he throws her out of the apartment) and she was already falling for him without even going on a true date!

I would have rather seen her grow as a character, become independent, self-sufficient. She needed to learn how to survive on her own. Reflect on what went wrong with her prior relationships and learn from it, instead of jumping right into a new one. But even that, I could have let slide but the whole drama with her parents was way over the top.

I'm sad this book didn't work for me.

2/5 Fangs

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little girl lost by j s Marcian is a general fiction ( adult) mystery and thriller read.
Once lost, are we ever the same again…?
A family is torn apart when a little girl is kidnapped while her family is on vacation.
The press immediately turn on the family, blaming the parents for the young girl’s disappearance.
Time passes and everyone begins to lose hope.
But when a girl is found wandering the streets of Portugal alone, she is returned to her family and the case closed.
Yet something is not right.
And as little Rosemary Cathcart grows up, and her parent’s divorce, that feeling never really leaves her.
Years later, after finding her boyfriend has been cheating on her, Rosemary flees to her brother’s home, where she quickly wears out her welcome.
When her mother arrives and asks her to move in with her and her new husband, Rosemary decides to go to Jersey and work at her father’s hotel.
But when she arrives she learns the hotel is close to bankruptcy and her father on his death bed with cancer.
Before he dies, he has secrets to tell that will change her world, and the world of everyone around her, forever.
This was a really enjoyable read with good characters. Rosie was my favourite character. Little slow then bam couldn’t put it down. Full of twists and plots. Can't wait to read more. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

[Trina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this arc from Netgalley.

Terrible. I'll keep this short as I've wasted too much time on this already. This is like a cross between a Harlequin romance and a train wreck. The situations that Rosemary finds herself in (and gets out of) are totally unbelievable and ridiculous. The twist is no better than the rest. I'm to believe that top officials, in a police department are bribed by a couple of nobodies. Really?? Women that are locked up in jail/ prison have access to mascara, hair clips and mirrors? Oh? There are too many good books out there to read without wasting your time on this utter failure.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book to a point but it wasn't quite what I was expecting and in places reminded me of a serial that I might have read years ago in a woman's magazine. It just didn't seem credible in places and didn't flow in the way I expect from this type of book.

[Between The Pages (Gemma M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off very well the first chapter had me hooked! But then the following chapters were nothing like the first chapter and it picks up again within the last few chapters. I did enjoy this book but I expected more after the first chapter, which is why I awarded four stars. I devoured this book in two days. I found it easy to read, fast paced and it contains short chapters. The overall story is a good one and is cleverly written but personally I just needed more because of that first chapter. I've never been so hooked so quickly before. I would recommend this book to you all if you haven't read it already. I really loved the Character Ari as well within this story, what a hero. We all need a hero. Enjoy. I did.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite short book so a quick read really. It starts well and I had high hopes but the initial promise starts to get lost in the numerous threads to the story, too many for me. I began to wonder what this poor girl had done in a previous life to get so much thrown at her in this one. For me less would have been so much more, if only one or two of the plot lines were followed then I think that the characters and the story would have been rounder and more fully developed.
I think this is a debut novel, it was an enjoyable read and I liked the author's style but for me there was just too much going on.
My thanks to TBConFB for this arc.

[Bookish_predator · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely quick read, almost non-stop from the moment you pick it up until you realise it's finished.

Secrets, lies, violence and a woman trying to work out who she is, it's a little slow in places but picks up nicely, the characters are written well and I loved the last few chapters where things really get going.

I hope, from the ending, that there will be a sequel as I would love to read that!

*Huge thanks to J.S. Marciano, Endeavour Press and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Mark Tilbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book as the plot seemed interesting at the start, but as I worked my way through it I found it wasn't as good as the description made me think it would be.

This isn't a long book, but so much has been crammed in and it didn't enhance the story. If the plot had perhaps just concentrated on the kidnapping of a child, it may have worked out better.

I wish I could give more than two stars but I just felt disappointed with this book. I chose to read and review an ARC copy of this book thanks to TBC.

[Vicki White · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read but I found the spelling and grammar errors really distracting (not sure if just the version I received). The synopsis had me hooked but the book itself didn't live up to it for me. Too many ongoing plots, not all of which were necessary and the ending was poor. Not for me I'm afraid.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book with girl in the title - seems to be a proliferation of them at the moment. But this was a good one. A little unbelievable in places but a proper page turner. Kept me interested right up until the end.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother getting this book

This book really disappointed me. Seemed like an intriguing story but it really ended up being a huge let down. It ended on a cliffhanger but since this book came out nearly a decade ago it's obvious that the author never published another book much less a sequel. Thankfully I got it free through Amazon. Only lost the time I spent reading this book.😘

[gwen_is_ reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Endeavour Press for an eARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Summary: Once upon a time, a little girl was stolen from her family while they were on vacation. For years, she stayed with her abductor being mistreated. One night trouble finds the abductor and she tells the girl to run. That night she witnesses something that traumatizes her until she can’t even remember her own name.
Three weeks later, a child is found wandering the streets. A family comes to claim their Rosemary. She is loved and cared for, but can’t really get over what has happened. Eventually her father and mother get a divorce, each remarrying. The loving father of her childhood goes to New Jersey and they lose contact.
Fast forward. Rosemary is in her thirties and just got kicked out by her boyfriend. He has someone else now. With nowhere to go she goes to her brother Leo’s house. Leo loves her and lets her stay with him.. but his wife Mei is not happy. Expecting a baby, she doesn’t want the drama that envelopes Rosemary. After a month, Rosemary decides that she has to make a clean start. She buys a ticket to New Jersey where she will bridge the gap between her and her father, and hopefully work at the family hotel. In all this there is Ari Ferrari, a handsome taxi driver that she clicks with. On her last day she gets a ride from him to the ex’s house to get some of her stuff. The new girlfriend shows up and craziness ensues, capped by Rosemary letting the room know that she is pregnant.
Over cake and coffee at the airport lounge, Ari charms Rosemary out of her phone number. She leaves for New Jersey, expecting to see her father. She sees her step brother instead. Everyone is hemming and hawing, coming up with reasons why she needs to wait to see her father. The reality, he is dying of cancer and wants something off his chest before he parts. All the things that Rosemary thought were true are swept away in a moment of confession.
Trouble comes for Rosemary in the form of Christine, Freddie’s “new girlfriend”. Freddie, her ex, is dead, and Christine has come for Rosemary. …
My thoughts: this is a fun, fast read. I loved the premise and thought it was well executed for the most part. I liked the characters, with all their flaws. My issues were with the relationship with Ari. Why would he keep popping up? They barely know one another! It seemed odd to me, and I couldn’t get over that. My second issue is that it felt like the ending was rushed. That aside, I did love the book and recommend it. Four stars.
On the adult content scale, I give it a six. Violence, sexual content and language.
The book is out now, let me know what you think.

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Girl Lost
By: J S Marciano
5 out of 5 stars

The story Little Girl Lost by J S Marciano is a suspenseful mystery book. A family has been torn apart when a little girl is kidnapped while her family is on vacation. Blame goes to the parents. Time passes and hope is being lost. Then a girl is found wandering the streets and is returned to her family, case closed. Rosemary Cathcart then grows up, her parent's divorce and the feeling that something is not right never really leaves her mind. Years later Rosemary flees her boyfriend’s home after she finds out he is cheating on her. She goes to her brother’s home, however, her mother wants her to live with her and her new husband. Rosemary decides to start a new and goes to live with her father. There she finds that the hotel he owns is close to bankruptcy and her father is on death’s door. She also learns there are more secrets to be told that will change her world and everyone else’s around her.

This book is a haunting look into the kidnapping of a young girl and the events that happen after she is found. You are introduced to a family who is dysfunctional at best. There are so many secrets that they are hiding from Rosemary that it is no wonder that the family broke up. Rosemary is a sympathetic character. Her world is shattered when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and leans on her brother for support. He is married with a child on the way and it is not the best situation. I was quite confused about Rosemary’s mother at first, both by her actions and attitude towards Rosemary. Then when she goes to visit her father the mystery deepens. This is a story with a lot of twists and turns. The emotions that it evokes goes from anger to sadness to shock. This book had me asking myself “what could happen next?” I highly recommend for anyone who wants a book that is thrilling from beginning to end. I was provided a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

[R_B _16 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book could've benefit from one or two fewer sub-plots and more character development. The story starts with a flashback which I found really irritating in style. The author was deliberately vague as to the gender of the child in question referring to them as "it". This really annoyed me as this could've been achieved with different phraseology. It was otherwise well written but this was very distracting.

The story centres around Rosemary who has lots of things happen to her. She is treated really badly but I couldn't bring myself to feel very sorry for her, I just didn't connect with her or really care that much. There are also some pretty big, dramatic events from which the author swiftly moves on without explaining how Rosemary felt about them.

I was really irritated by how one of the characters (trying not to spoil, here) is pregnant yet continues to get drunk, without explanation. It felt like the pregnancy was an after-thought by the author who forgot to adjust the story to make allowances for it.

It's difficult to explain without spoilers but the ending was very rushed. It just ends. It's obviously set up for a sequel but I'm not chomping at the bit for the next instalment, I'm afraid.

I was given this book to review by THE Book Club (TBC)on Facebook.

[Bridget McKeown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book. I really enjoyed this (not sure that is the right description given the topic...) A child goes missing, returned several years later and life moves on, people recover or do they. Well written and easy to read

[Fiona Hanrahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little girl lost by J.S. Marciano
I received a free copy of this book from TBC in return for a review.
The prologue is really well written with a fast pace and an edge of fear.
The story then moves forward in time and the pace of the storytelling slows down. We meet Rosemary who's love affair breaks up and her life starts to unravel. A journey to visit her father on Jersey reveals a dark family secret.
I really liked large parts of this book but there were unnecessarily complicated plot lines that took away from the writers ability to delve deeply into the core of the dark secret. The heroic Ari is introduced early on as a passing taxi driver but the plot line involving him is fairly unbelievable.
I give this book 4 stars but I do think the author tried too hard with too many unnecessary twists. This resulted in the book coming to an abrupt and unsatisfactory end. It is a well written book and easy to read. However there are spelling and grammar errors throughout that were irritating. I will be interested to see what J. S. Marciano produces next.

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but feel a little confused by it. The prologue was brilliant. Well written, disturbing, past paced and definitely made me want to read more.
However, the story line then moves forward 20 or so years and the writing style changes completely. Obviously this is the beginning of a totally different thread which is written in a style in keeping with the subject matter, but there are so many plot lines within this book, it really needed to be longer to build the characters and develop each aspect of the story. The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I'm hoping there will be a sequel to wrap up the story. All in all a great premise which I wish didn't feel so rushed after a fab start.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Sue Clement · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start. This book is a short read but has many stories running through it. Probably one too many with the introduction of Rosie's ex boyfriends sister, the only part of the story that appeared out of place. There is also a lot of grammatical errors too. Apart from that I loved it. Yes others have referenced Madeline McCann and I can see that and probably setting it in Portugal was going a little too far in the similarities. However I loved it and this story had me gripped from page one. Ending a little disappointing but guessing there will be a book 2. My heart goes out to Rosie. Lots of unanswered questions now.

[Jackie Roche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Helen at TBC and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this which I voluntarily reviewed.
The beginning of the book grabbed my attention, even though I was initially confused about who was who.
The premis of a child being kidnapped and later being reunited with their parents interested me. How would the family now interact with each other?
However, it didn't hold my attention and I contemplated not finishing it. I did read it to the end and was disappointed. I like cliff-hangers but to me this left too much unfinished.
I would like to think there will be a follow-up where all the loose ends are tied up.

[Natasha du Plessis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short read that I finished in one night. This book is about a girl that was kidnapped as a child and then returned to her family after a few years. Rosie does not really have purpose in her life according to me and after being dumped by her awful boyfriend some events unfold. Some of the characters were enjoyable and others less so. For a quick read I enjoyed this book but I expected a bit more. There is a twist to the story but you will have to read and see for yourself. Loved the ending.
3.5 stars from me.

Thank you to the author via TBConFB for the copy.

[Cal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to TBC and the publisher who gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'Little Girl Lost' got off to a promising start and I thought it was going to be a fantastic read. Sadly, however, it seemed to lose its momentum after the fabulous beginning and became a different book to the one I thought it was going to be.

That being said, it was well written and had a great deal of potential, but unfortunately it just didn't quite work for me. I would, however, read something else by this author as I feel the quality of writing is there.

3 stars.

[Barbara Tsipouras · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has practically two storylines. The one about Rosie's family is somehow acceptable. Probably in order to throw in some suspense and a little romance there is a crazy unbelievable second storyline about Rosie's ex that was totally unnecessary. Instead of this wanna-be thriller as sideline the author should have concentrated on developping his characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for this free copy.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to TBC for the ARC. I found this author's style of writing very engaging, however the storyline was too far fetched for me. It felt like a series of 6 books' worth of ideas shoved into one. I would really recommend looking at it afresh and cutting out lots of bits. They were interesting, but save them for Book 2 and the rest. I'm not a fan of the happy coincidence, and there were too many for me. Well written I would read more from the author

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story and worth a read. The plot moves along at a good pace and I was intrigued from the first page to the last. It is quite a short book however and so I felt that we could have looked more deeply into some areas, which were only skimmed over.