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The Orphans
Eight-year-old Jess and her little brother were playing at the water's edge when their parents vanished.
For hours the children held hands and waited for them to return. But nobody ever came back.
Years later, Jess has become a locker of doors. Now a lawyer and a mother, she is determined to protect the life she has built around her. But her brother Ro has grown unpredictable, elusive and obsessive.
When new evidence suggests that their mother might be alive, Ro reappears, convinced that his sister knows more than she claims.
And then bad things start to happen
For hours the children held hands and waited for them to return. But nobody ever came back.
Years later, Jess has become a locker of doors. Now a lawyer and a mother, she is determined to protect the life she has built around her. But her brother Ro has grown unpredictable, elusive and obsessive.
When new evidence suggests that their mother might be alive, Ro reappears, convinced that his sister knows more than she claims.
And then bad things start to happen
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 2017
5 people are currently reading
1301 people want to read
About the author
Annemarie Neary
6 books57 followersAnnemarie’s novels, The Orphans and Siren, are published by Hutchinson (Penguin Random House UK). A Parachute in the Lime Tree was published by The History Press Ireland in 2012.
You can find Annemarie on her website http://www.annemarieneary.co.uk and she tweets at @AnnemarieNeary1
Annemarie's awards for short fiction include the Bryan MacMahon, Michael McLaverty, Columbia Journal, Posara and WOW!1 prizes. Her short stories have been published in many places in the UK, Ireland and the US.
She was educated at Trinity College and King’s Inns, Dublin and the Courtauld Institute, London. A former lawyer, she lives in London with her husband and sons.
You can find Annemarie on her website http://www.annemarieneary.co.uk and she tweets at @AnnemarieNeary1
Annemarie's awards for short fiction include the Bryan MacMahon, Michael McLaverty, Columbia Journal, Posara and WOW!1 prizes. Her short stories have been published in many places in the UK, Ireland and the US.
She was educated at Trinity College and King’s Inns, Dublin and the Courtauld Institute, London. A former lawyer, she lives in London with her husband and sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 22, 2024
* Thank you to www.shotsmag.co.uk for my hardback copy in exchange for an honest review *
I love a good mystery - something that engages the grey matter in an effort to ascertain exactly what has taken place. In this respect, AnneMarie Neary's The Orphans didn't disappoint.
The year is 1992, the location, North Goa, India. Two small children, 8 year old Jess and her little brother Sparrow (Ro for short ) sit quietly on the beach, awaiting the return of their parents. They sit there for hours, but neither parent ever returns. Eventually, the body of their father is discovered in undergrowth, but there are no clues regarding the disappearance of their mother Sophie. The news headlines at the time labelled Jess and Ro 'The Orphans'.
As the years pass, Jess becomes a successful lawyer and is determined she won't be defined by a newspaper headline. She shares her story with no one except her husband Charlie. Jess and Charlie have a beautiful little girl, Ruby – they have the perfect home, and a great social life. On the face of it, Jess has managed to put that traumatic event firmly in the past, but a face can be so easily moulded into something that it's not actually feeling, and it's something at which Jess is very adept.
Ro on the other hand, has never settled down. He's something of a drifter, someone who lives constantly in the past, chasing leads/sightings of his mother all over the world. And unlike Jess, he's more than happy to share his story, especially if some attractive female happens along, and particularly if it also gets him a bed for the night. Ro is determined (to the point of obsession) to discover what happened that day.
In his pursuit of the truth, he becomes increasingly unpredictable and unable to distinguish fact from fiction. When new evidence comes to light, suggesting that their mother Sophie may still be alive, Jess and Ro's lives are about to take a very unexpected turn.
This is a really compelling read that begins with a mystery, but it doing so, it tackles head on, the grief suffered by the siblings, the profound sense of loss that's almost unbearable to witness. AnneMarie Neary has given a great insight into how Jess and Ro's lives were forever dictated by what happened that day on the beach. The narrative is crisp and easy to follow, and the author ensures that her characters play their roles to perfection. The plot itself pulls the reader willingly along, the ultimate objective of course, being to discover what really happened on that long ago summer's day on a beach in Goa. This is an author I haven't read before, but can happily recommend The Orphans without reserve.
I love a good mystery - something that engages the grey matter in an effort to ascertain exactly what has taken place. In this respect, AnneMarie Neary's The Orphans didn't disappoint.
The year is 1992, the location, North Goa, India. Two small children, 8 year old Jess and her little brother Sparrow (Ro for short ) sit quietly on the beach, awaiting the return of their parents. They sit there for hours, but neither parent ever returns. Eventually, the body of their father is discovered in undergrowth, but there are no clues regarding the disappearance of their mother Sophie. The news headlines at the time labelled Jess and Ro 'The Orphans'.
As the years pass, Jess becomes a successful lawyer and is determined she won't be defined by a newspaper headline. She shares her story with no one except her husband Charlie. Jess and Charlie have a beautiful little girl, Ruby – they have the perfect home, and a great social life. On the face of it, Jess has managed to put that traumatic event firmly in the past, but a face can be so easily moulded into something that it's not actually feeling, and it's something at which Jess is very adept.
Ro on the other hand, has never settled down. He's something of a drifter, someone who lives constantly in the past, chasing leads/sightings of his mother all over the world. And unlike Jess, he's more than happy to share his story, especially if some attractive female happens along, and particularly if it also gets him a bed for the night. Ro is determined (to the point of obsession) to discover what happened that day.
In his pursuit of the truth, he becomes increasingly unpredictable and unable to distinguish fact from fiction. When new evidence comes to light, suggesting that their mother Sophie may still be alive, Jess and Ro's lives are about to take a very unexpected turn.
This is a really compelling read that begins with a mystery, but it doing so, it tackles head on, the grief suffered by the siblings, the profound sense of loss that's almost unbearable to witness. AnneMarie Neary has given a great insight into how Jess and Ro's lives were forever dictated by what happened that day on the beach. The narrative is crisp and easy to follow, and the author ensures that her characters play their roles to perfection. The plot itself pulls the reader willingly along, the ultimate objective of course, being to discover what really happened on that long ago summer's day on a beach in Goa. This is an author I haven't read before, but can happily recommend The Orphans without reserve.
July 26, 2017
t took me a while to decide what star rating I was going to give this book because I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the story.On one hand I did enjoy the mystery elements of the story but I was disappointed with the ending and there were a number of issues that were raised but left unresolved.
The story is voiced by the alternating perspectives of Jess and Ro who recounted what they remembered from their childhoods as the story which was set entirely in the present day unfolded.Jess and Ro where complex characters who had completely different personalities and if I'm honest I didn't like either of them very much.Actually all of the main characters where unlikable apart from poor baby Ruby and Maya.My problem with Jess who was a lawyer and therefore supposed to be a intelligent woman was she was such a door mat.She let everyone walk all over her from the idiot bully at work,her horrible husband,her bitch of a nanny and her psycho brother.And if you suspected that things where going missing from your home wouldn't you change the security code and the locks,I mean come on...it's not rocket science is it.
It's not a fast paced story but it is Intreguing at times.I never felt like giving up and not finishing the book and despite my mixed feelings it was a enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Random house uk/cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
The story is voiced by the alternating perspectives of Jess and Ro who recounted what they remembered from their childhoods as the story which was set entirely in the present day unfolded.Jess and Ro where complex characters who had completely different personalities and if I'm honest I didn't like either of them very much.Actually all of the main characters where unlikable apart from poor baby Ruby and Maya.My problem with Jess who was a lawyer and therefore supposed to be a intelligent woman was she was such a door mat.She let everyone walk all over her from the idiot bully at work,her horrible husband,her bitch of a nanny and her psycho brother.And if you suspected that things where going missing from your home wouldn't you change the security code and the locks,I mean come on...it's not rocket science is it.
It's not a fast paced story but it is Intreguing at times.I never felt like giving up and not finishing the book and despite my mixed feelings it was a enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Random house uk/cornerstone for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
August 14, 2017
I love how Annemarie Neary writes. When I read her writing it doesn't feel like I'm reading, I'm just there. This is the story of a mother's disappearance and how her two adult children are coping with the reality that they never really knew her or what happened to her. Jess has barricaded herself against hurt with a child, husband, nice house and all consuming job. Her brother, Ro, has spent his life searching obsessively for his mother. Ro's behaviour becomes more manic, and Jess's life splits apart when a passport that their mother may have used comes to light. The characters are really well developed, the location was beautifully described. At the very end it was maybe a little neatly tied up for me, but I know a lot of readers like that.
June 12, 2017
I expected a lot from that thriller, but I was completely lost between the details with the characters. The novel is way too long and the characters are dull. Definitely not a page-turner as a thriller should be !
June 14, 2017
I struggled with this book to get into the context of the story. it failed to keep my interest due to the dullness of the two main characters. It was way too long and definitely not in the thriller category. it was more about grief, family ties and a sense of loss. Not for me. Thank you Net Galley for my ARC.
June 5, 2017
Although this book has suspense and mystery elements to it, it is really about family ties, grieving, sense of loss and abandonment.
February 14, 2023
Haunting
August 9, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. Not only was it well-plotted and deep, it was also realistic and believable, which is perhaps why some elements of the narrative make for tough reading. Ro as a character is so multifaceted, so intricate, that the narration when in his POV, manages to evoke not only horror but sympathy simultaneously. Not to mention, the glimpses inside his mind are just fascinating! Unlike a lot of thrillers, this novel doesn't utilise any major twists or surprises which I think Neary uses to her advantage. The Orphans doesn't rely on cheap thrills or shock endings to entice the reader and instead relies on the basics of story-telling - intricate characterisation, beautiful writing and a focus on human experiences and emotions.
July 8, 2017
Ο Sparrow, θεωρητικά, είναι ένας χαρακτήρας που παρουσιάζει αρκετό ενδιαφέρον, κυρίως από ψυχολογικής προσέγγισης και ανάλυσης. Όμως, όσο η ιστορία προχωράει και εξελίσσεται, δεν βλέπουμε να εξελίσσεται και ο ίδιος. Ναι μεν μας φανερώνει αρκετές πτυχές του εσωτερικού του εαυτού, παρ’ όλα ταύτα αυτός αποδεικνύεται λιγότερο βαθύς απ’ όσο θα μπορούσε να είναι, και σίγουρα λιγότερο απ’ όσο εμείς θα θέλαμε ως αναγνώστες. Με απλά λόγια, αν κι έχει όλα τα απαραίτητα φόντα για να είναι πολυεπίπεδος και πολυσχιδής, καταλήγει να είναι αρκετά επίπεδος. Ακόμα και η εμμονή του να βρει τη μητέρα του δεν μοιάζει να πηγάζει από κάποια ουσιαστική ανάγκη, αλλά από την ανικανότητά του να κάνει κάτι άλλο στη ζωή του.
Στον αντίποδα έχουμε την Jess η οποία, φαινομενικά, είναι πιο αδιάφορη ως χαρακτήρας, αφού παρά την τραγικότητα που έζησε ως παιδί μπόρεσε να βρει το κουράγιο και τη θέληση να προχωρήσει στη ζωή της, να δημιουργήσει και να κάνει πράγματα, γεγονός που την καθιστά αυτομάτως λιγότερο αδύναμη και με λιγότερες εσωτερικές ανησυχίες, επί του πρακτέου, όμως, είναι πιο ενδιαφέρουσα από τον αδερφό της. Επιπλέον, αισθάνομαι πως ο αναγνώστης μπορεί να ταυτιστεί περισσότερο μαζί της, παρά με τον ψυχαναγκαστικό αδερφό της, αρκετές πράξεις του οποίου είναι αψυχολόγητες, σε αντίθεση με τις δικές της.
Η ιστορία, ως προς την εξελικτική της πορεία, έχει αρκετό σασπένς και αγωνία, όμως υπάρχει μια ανισορροπία στην δόμηση των στοιχείων αυτών μέσα στην αφήγηση. Η πλοκή έχει αρκετές τρύπες, γεγονός που καταφέρνει να σπάσει την ένταση σε σημεία που δεν θα έπρεπε, αποπροσανατολίζοντάς μας και στερώντας μας μέρος του συναισθήματος που θα έπρεπε να έχουμε τις εκάστοτε στιγμές.
Ουσιαστικά έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ, όμως αν το αναλύσουμε λίγο καλύτερα, ίσως να το κατατάσσαμε με μεγαλύτερη ευκολία στο κοινωνικό δράμα, αφού η συγγραφέας, εμφανώς, έχει επιλέξει να εστιάσει την προσοχή της, αλλά και να δώσει έμφαση, στους οικογενειακούς δεσμούς, στη θέση των ατόμων μέσα στην οικογένεια και το πως αυτοί μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν, να εξελιχθούν, να καθορίσουν την ίδια την ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, τόσο τη δική σου όσο και αυτών που επηρεάζουν άμεσα. Κοινωνικά, λοιπόν, υπάρχει μια πάρα πολύ καλή προσέγγιση, όμως θα ήταν –ίσως- καλύτερη, αν είχε αποφευχθεί να προστεθεί το στοιχείο του θρίλερ.
Το κείμενο ως κείμενο είναι αρκετά καλογραμμένο, διαβάζεται με σχετική ευκολία, όμως σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θα χαρακτηρίζαμε το βιβλίο, στο σύνολό του, ως page turner. Και όταν μιλάμε για ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που αναλύει ανθρώπινους χαρακτήρες και συμπεριφορές, και εμπλέκει στην αφήγησή του «τρομακτικά» γεγονότα που σκοπό έχουν να καθηλώσουν τον αναγνώστη, αλλά δεν το πετυχαίνουν, κάτι δεν έχει πάει πολύ καλά.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
Στον αντίποδα έχουμε την Jess η οποία, φαινομενικά, είναι πιο αδιάφορη ως χαρακτήρας, αφού παρά την τραγικότητα που έζησε ως παιδί μπόρεσε να βρει το κουράγιο και τη θέληση να προχωρήσει στη ζωή της, να δημιουργήσει και να κάνει πράγματα, γεγονός που την καθιστά αυτομάτως λιγότερο αδύναμη και με λιγότερες εσωτερικές ανησυχίες, επί του πρακτέου, όμως, είναι πιο ενδιαφέρουσα από τον αδερφό της. Επιπλέον, αισθάνομαι πως ο αναγνώστης μπορεί να ταυτιστεί περισσότερο μαζί της, παρά με τον ψυχαναγκαστικό αδερφό της, αρκετές πράξεις του οποίου είναι αψυχολόγητες, σε αντίθεση με τις δικές της.
Η ιστορία, ως προς την εξελικτική της πορεία, έχει αρκετό σασπένς και αγωνία, όμως υπάρχει μια ανισορροπία στην δόμηση των στοιχείων αυτών μέσα στην αφήγηση. Η πλοκή έχει αρκετές τρύπες, γεγονός που καταφέρνει να σπάσει την ένταση σε σημεία που δεν θα έπρεπε, αποπροσανατολίζοντάς μας και στερώντας μας μέρος του συναισθήματος που θα έπρεπε να έχουμε τις εκάστοτε στιγμές.
Ουσιαστικά έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ, όμως αν το αναλύσουμε λίγο καλύτερα, ίσως να το κατατάσσαμε με μεγαλύτερη ευκολία στο κοινωνικό δράμα, αφού η συγγραφέας, εμφανώς, έχει επιλέξει να εστιάσει την προσοχή της, αλλά και να δώσει έμφαση, στους οικογενειακούς δεσμούς, στη θέση των ατόμων μέσα στην οικογένεια και το πως αυτοί μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν, να εξελιχθούν, να καθορίσουν την ίδια την ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, τόσο τη δική σου όσο και αυτών που επηρεάζουν άμεσα. Κοινωνικά, λοιπόν, υπάρχει μια πάρα πολύ καλή προσέγγιση, όμως θα ήταν –ίσως- καλύτερη, αν είχε αποφευχθεί να προστεθεί το στοιχείο του θρίλερ.
Το κείμενο ως κείμενο είναι αρκετά καλογραμμένο, διαβάζεται με σχετική ευκολία, όμως σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θα χαρακτηρίζαμε το βιβλίο, στο σύνολό του, ως page turner. Και όταν μιλάμε για ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που αναλύει ανθρώπινους χαρακτήρες και συμπεριφορές, και εμπλέκει στην αφήγησή του «τρομακτικά» γεγονότα που σκοπό έχουν να καθηλώσουν τον αναγνώστη, αλλά δεν το πετυχαίνουν, κάτι δεν έχει πάει πολύ καλά.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
July 31, 2017
The opening chapter of this thought-provoking novel really draws you into the story and sets the scene for what is to come. The idea that two young children can play happily on a sun drenched beach, only to have the realization dawn on them, particularly on the elder child, that their mother and father have quite simply disappeared, doesn't bear thinking about. What then follows, for both Jess and Ro (Sparrow), is their constant sense of searching, each taking a very different path, as they learn to cope, in their own very individual way, with such a devastating loss.
The Orphans is a story about family and of the ties that bind us together. It's about expectations and the dreams of securing a semblance of hope when dark shadows of the past continue to influence the future. In many ways, it's a deeply contemplative story, consisting of many layers, which when peeled back reveal more and more facets of the effects of abandonment, of loss and unresolved grief. Thoughtfully created, both Jess and Sparrow have been irreparably damaged by their childhood experiences. With thoughtful precision and clever writing, we learn what makes Jess and Sparrow act and react, and always, I think, regardless of the fact that we see them as adults, that there is always a sense of the abandoned child about them.
I can remember very vividly as a young child turning in a busy department store and not being able to see my mother, that heartrending lurch of the stomach and the overwhelming sense of panic that resulted when I searched and searched and couldn't find her. I remember being taken by the hand and led to a cluttered office where an appeal was made over the tinny PA system and the relief when my mother arrived filled with her own sense of panic.
To lose someone and never to find them is unimaginable, that constant feeling of searching must be so very difficult to accept. In The Orphans, the author fills this novel with that devastating and incomprehensible sense of loss and abandonment in a suspenseful story with all the fundamental principles of family at its heart. Beautifully written, cleverly crafted, and with a fine eye for detail, this is another great story by a talented writer.
The Orphans is a story about family and of the ties that bind us together. It's about expectations and the dreams of securing a semblance of hope when dark shadows of the past continue to influence the future. In many ways, it's a deeply contemplative story, consisting of many layers, which when peeled back reveal more and more facets of the effects of abandonment, of loss and unresolved grief. Thoughtfully created, both Jess and Sparrow have been irreparably damaged by their childhood experiences. With thoughtful precision and clever writing, we learn what makes Jess and Sparrow act and react, and always, I think, regardless of the fact that we see them as adults, that there is always a sense of the abandoned child about them.
I can remember very vividly as a young child turning in a busy department store and not being able to see my mother, that heartrending lurch of the stomach and the overwhelming sense of panic that resulted when I searched and searched and couldn't find her. I remember being taken by the hand and led to a cluttered office where an appeal was made over the tinny PA system and the relief when my mother arrived filled with her own sense of panic.
To lose someone and never to find them is unimaginable, that constant feeling of searching must be so very difficult to accept. In The Orphans, the author fills this novel with that devastating and incomprehensible sense of loss and abandonment in a suspenseful story with all the fundamental principles of family at its heart. Beautifully written, cleverly crafted, and with a fine eye for detail, this is another great story by a talented writer.
June 15, 2018
I'm so glad I won the giveaway for this book from goodreads.com!
Jess and her brother Ro are at the beach with their parents. The unthinkable happens & their parents vanish leaving them orphans. However, their Dad's body is found along the beach, but their mother remains missing even in their adult years. Jess has done well in life-married with a little girl & a good job. On the other hand, Ro has done poorly. He has spent his adult life searching for his Mom. He has unrealistic ideas & does the unimaginable. After a passport belonging to their Mom has been found, the cold case reopens. What happened to Sophie, their Mom? How could she just abandon her children? One man who took them in seems to hold back information that could help Jess find answers. His partner resembles their Mom. As Ro believes the woman is his Mom he won't stop at anything until he gets answers. Jess loves her brother & thinks he is incapable of causing harm. As events unfold, she loses her job, her marriage is rocky, & she wants to protect her brother from the police who think he is capable of causing harm.
Jess and her brother Ro are at the beach with their parents. The unthinkable happens & their parents vanish leaving them orphans. However, their Dad's body is found along the beach, but their mother remains missing even in their adult years. Jess has done well in life-married with a little girl & a good job. On the other hand, Ro has done poorly. He has spent his adult life searching for his Mom. He has unrealistic ideas & does the unimaginable. After a passport belonging to their Mom has been found, the cold case reopens. What happened to Sophie, their Mom? How could she just abandon her children? One man who took them in seems to hold back information that could help Jess find answers. His partner resembles their Mom. As Ro believes the woman is his Mom he won't stop at anything until he gets answers. Jess loves her brother & thinks he is incapable of causing harm. As events unfold, she loses her job, her marriage is rocky, & she wants to protect her brother from the police who think he is capable of causing harm.
July 26, 2017
Intriguing and enjoyable story line told in typically beautiful Neary prose. The characters are developed within an atmosphere of rising suspense, but without a silly crescendo. Set in South London - Clapham Common perhaps, but maybe Wandsworth Common, the observations of modern day London life are deliciously observed. The end is unexpected but real, credible and sad. This is the third novel that I have read of Neary and I am already looking forward to the next!
July 28, 2017
http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2017/0...
I was hooked from the beginning … the prologue in North Goa 1992 left me with so many questions that I needed answers to. As we get to know Jess and brother Ro, I was caught up in their personalities/lives and the effect being abandoned has on them as adults.
I love the process where a story begins and we know very little about the characters, basing reactions on our own perceptions. How wrong I was in the beginning about Ro! Took me a while to let go of what I wanted him to be and how I thought he should act! He disappointed me so many times but I understood why. I felt so many emotions, quite complex, in regards to Ro. There were times when his humanity came to the fore … if only for a very short time.
Jess has the same emotional need although projects into the world in a totally different way. The story needed Miles to push her out of her blinkered and false sense of security lifestyle. I couldn’t find any redeeming features in either husband Charlie or nanny Hana. I wanted Jess to take control and flip everything upside down! She needed to know the secrets to release her though …
It’s obvious Annemarie Neary knows the profile of psychopathic behaviour and mental illness – the vulnerable members of our society. She skillfully weaves these behaviours through the plot making it fast paced, atmospheric and a tense read.
Highly recommended by me.
I was hooked from the beginning … the prologue in North Goa 1992 left me with so many questions that I needed answers to. As we get to know Jess and brother Ro, I was caught up in their personalities/lives and the effect being abandoned has on them as adults.
I love the process where a story begins and we know very little about the characters, basing reactions on our own perceptions. How wrong I was in the beginning about Ro! Took me a while to let go of what I wanted him to be and how I thought he should act! He disappointed me so many times but I understood why. I felt so many emotions, quite complex, in regards to Ro. There were times when his humanity came to the fore … if only for a very short time.
Jess has the same emotional need although projects into the world in a totally different way. The story needed Miles to push her out of her blinkered and false sense of security lifestyle. I couldn’t find any redeeming features in either husband Charlie or nanny Hana. I wanted Jess to take control and flip everything upside down! She needed to know the secrets to release her though …
It’s obvious Annemarie Neary knows the profile of psychopathic behaviour and mental illness – the vulnerable members of our society. She skillfully weaves these behaviours through the plot making it fast paced, atmospheric and a tense read.
Highly recommended by me.
July 18, 2017
I really enjoyed the prose and the split narrative voices between Jess and Sparrow. The story immediately introduces the disappearance of the parents on a beach in Goa back in 1992. The father's remains are later found but the mother vanishes in to thin air leaving two children on the pristine Indian beach. The book deals with mystery, emotion, personal sacrifice, and I was immediately drawn in by the ever-captivating notion of a missing person who simply vanishes in to thin air and the ensuing pursuit of the truth and identity. I would really like to see this being made in to a small TV series or film as the number of locations and the suspense feel very cinematographic. Received advanced copy and will be recommending others to read for Summer once release date due.
July 20, 2017
A beautifully pitched emotional drama about a Jess and Ro whose hippie parents disappeared on a beach in Goa when the children were little. Twenty-five years later, their mother's passport is discovered in Ireland. Does this mean she is still alive? Jess has made a successful life for herself - a career as a lawyer, a beautiful house, marriage and a two-year-old daughter - but the discovery of the passport brings her chaotic brother crashing back into her world. Things begin to unravel at work and in her marriage, too. Everything she holds dear is at risk. Subtle and gripping.
July 25, 2017
Parents gone. What now?
Sparrow and Jess are playing on a beach in Goa. When they turn around their parents are gone, and don't come back. Years later a new clue is found but instead of closure it brings more problems.
Sparrow and Jess have dealt with the mystery of what happened to their parents in very different ways, and the psychological effect of their childhood experience on their current relationships is a main theme in this novel. The narrative focuses on what is going on in their lives, how they interact together and with others.
I love this author's writing style - clear, to the point and very readable, and I love the idea of the missing parents but, despite this, the book didn't keep my attention. There were some great moments, some excitement and some surprises, but not enough to keep me engaged.
Mostly set in London, this was an enjoyable read, but disappointing when compared with Annemarie Neary's debut novel Siren.
Sparrow and Jess are playing on a beach in Goa. When they turn around their parents are gone, and don't come back. Years later a new clue is found but instead of closure it brings more problems.
Sparrow and Jess have dealt with the mystery of what happened to their parents in very different ways, and the psychological effect of their childhood experience on their current relationships is a main theme in this novel. The narrative focuses on what is going on in their lives, how they interact together and with others.
I love this author's writing style - clear, to the point and very readable, and I love the idea of the missing parents but, despite this, the book didn't keep my attention. There were some great moments, some excitement and some surprises, but not enough to keep me engaged.
Mostly set in London, this was an enjoyable read, but disappointing when compared with Annemarie Neary's debut novel Siren.
March 25, 2018
Very dissapoonting. I did not give up on reading as I thought the story would get better that point never arrived. Flat characters, I could not give a toss about them. The story could have been told in less pages certainly.
May 27, 2018
I can't deny that this book is a bit of a disappointment. I had read and enjoyed Annemarie's debut Siren but the political and the personal that gave that book its edge in a packed crime fiction genre is missing in The Orphans. And, sadly, this issue is compounded by very thin unsympathetic characters, lacking nuance and depth, and some leaps in disbelief that make this book hard to follow.
The set up fascinates though, for sure, for Annemarie takes themes of media intrusion to focus on a sister and brother in their mid-30s who were media 'sensations' when they were little as they became notorious for having been abandoned by their parents on a beach in Goa when they were just toddlers - their parents vanishing into thin air.
Now, thirty years on, Jess is an insecure doormat of a wife whose husband emotionally abuses her, and her brother, Sparrow, is a violent drug-addicted sociopath who is resistant to any form of emotional connection. Suddenly the two hear news that their mother's passport had been used after she went missing - and all the hopes and fears of their parents being alive come flooding back.
It was this set-up that drew me in but sadly it isn't fulfilled. Most of the action takes place in Clapham Common, a very average suburban area I knew well, and there is certainly a fantastic narrative drive to the book - which is why I gave it three stars, but I found the principal characters unbelievable (Jess also happens to be a star lawyer as well as a browbeaten wife and the two seem incompatible) and the plot has a part great finale but also a confusing one that you cant help feeling you didnt quite get.
The set up fascinates though, for sure, for Annemarie takes themes of media intrusion to focus on a sister and brother in their mid-30s who were media 'sensations' when they were little as they became notorious for having been abandoned by their parents on a beach in Goa when they were just toddlers - their parents vanishing into thin air.
Now, thirty years on, Jess is an insecure doormat of a wife whose husband emotionally abuses her, and her brother, Sparrow, is a violent drug-addicted sociopath who is resistant to any form of emotional connection. Suddenly the two hear news that their mother's passport had been used after she went missing - and all the hopes and fears of their parents being alive come flooding back.
It was this set-up that drew me in but sadly it isn't fulfilled. Most of the action takes place in Clapham Common, a very average suburban area I knew well, and there is certainly a fantastic narrative drive to the book - which is why I gave it three stars, but I found the principal characters unbelievable (Jess also happens to be a star lawyer as well as a browbeaten wife and the two seem incompatible) and the plot has a part great finale but also a confusing one that you cant help feeling you didnt quite get.
July 5, 2017
In 1992 Jess and her little brother Sparrow are playing on a beach in Goa but when they look round for their parents they are both gone, along with the blanket they were sitting on.
Over the years Jess learns to come to terms with it, she trains as a lawyer, gets married and has a child of her own. Sparrow on the other hand never comes to terms with it - even in his late twenties he is touring the world looking for clues and following up possible sightings, never settling to a job or any person.
When a sighting in Ireland takes him back to the area where they had holidays as a family he is sure that he is on a trail, but after losing his temper things start to go downhill and his obsession starts to take a sinister turn
A good story made interesting by following both Jess and Sparrow - Jess still always tries to protect her little brother and see the good in him whereas Sparrow is spiralling out of control and obviously unstable and with the additional intrigue of whether the mother will ever be found or not
Over the years Jess learns to come to terms with it, she trains as a lawyer, gets married and has a child of her own. Sparrow on the other hand never comes to terms with it - even in his late twenties he is touring the world looking for clues and following up possible sightings, never settling to a job or any person.
When a sighting in Ireland takes him back to the area where they had holidays as a family he is sure that he is on a trail, but after losing his temper things start to go downhill and his obsession starts to take a sinister turn
A good story made interesting by following both Jess and Sparrow - Jess still always tries to protect her little brother and see the good in him whereas Sparrow is spiralling out of control and obviously unstable and with the additional intrigue of whether the mother will ever be found or not
September 19, 2017
The Orphans by Annemarie Neary was a melancholic read that became unbearable at times because I could literally feel an ache in my heart for Ro and Jess.
Through Ro and Jess I experienced the trauma of what entails after being abandoned by their parents without any reason and how their lives have been dictated by 'that' day on the beach.
Jess and Ro suffered through this trauma in their own ways. Where Jess doesn't choose to discuss or speak openly about being one of 'the orphans' to anyone, Ro is obsessed in finding his mother with the hopes that she would love and accept him.
The Orphans is a heartbreaking read that left me feeling extremely sad and sorry for these characters. I didn't pity them. My feelings were just somewhere in between.
Both characters are fragile and flawed. It was very different to what grief-loss books are these days. My sadness also came from a place where Ro thought his sister has moved on. Whereas, in reality, Jess was still the eight-year-old on the beach. She had just put a mask on of moving on which slipped from time to time throughout the book. She was right there with Ro, only she masked it.
Ro was a fresh, deep and his unpredictability gave me a glimpse at how his mind worked. It was thrilling to read his POVs as much as it was heartbreaking to feel his pain. I didn't expect the story to end the way it did which left me in unexpected tears and sadness.
The Orphans is a book you will cherish if ever abandonment and grief has accompanied you.
Through Ro and Jess I experienced the trauma of what entails after being abandoned by their parents without any reason and how their lives have been dictated by 'that' day on the beach.
Jess and Ro suffered through this trauma in their own ways. Where Jess doesn't choose to discuss or speak openly about being one of 'the orphans' to anyone, Ro is obsessed in finding his mother with the hopes that she would love and accept him.
The Orphans is a heartbreaking read that left me feeling extremely sad and sorry for these characters. I didn't pity them. My feelings were just somewhere in between.
Both characters are fragile and flawed. It was very different to what grief-loss books are these days. My sadness also came from a place where Ro thought his sister has moved on. Whereas, in reality, Jess was still the eight-year-old on the beach. She had just put a mask on of moving on which slipped from time to time throughout the book. She was right there with Ro, only she masked it.
Ro was a fresh, deep and his unpredictability gave me a glimpse at how his mind worked. It was thrilling to read his POVs as much as it was heartbreaking to feel his pain. I didn't expect the story to end the way it did which left me in unexpected tears and sadness.
The Orphans is a book you will cherish if ever abandonment and grief has accompanied you.
September 25, 2017
All the ingredients were there: atmosphere, evocative description, interesting characters (if a little aloof), but they often reacted erratically and didn't always stick to the "script". I love a good slow-burner, but this chiller took it to the extreme so that by the time the tension rocketed up, I was about to put the book down, and I never give up on a novel- ever.
Eventually, the puzzle was solved thick and fast, but the story regarding the missing mother was never solved. There were no twists, just predictable prose, that would have been absolutely fine, if the book ended with at least the main subject matter having been solved. Except it wasn't. It was alluded to, but even the detective didn't pursue that avenue.
All in all, I felt very disappointed because the bones are there, it just needed a little longer in the writers hands before publication.
Eventually, the puzzle was solved thick and fast, but the story regarding the missing mother was never solved. There were no twists, just predictable prose, that would have been absolutely fine, if the book ended with at least the main subject matter having been solved. Except it wasn't. It was alluded to, but even the detective didn't pursue that avenue.
All in all, I felt very disappointed because the bones are there, it just needed a little longer in the writers hands before publication.
August 24, 2019
I was on the edge of my seat while reading this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing by Annemarie Neary, as I was kept in suspense through every page. For my first “mystery” book, I was impressed. However, finished the book, still a mystery was not ideal.
If of liked many questions to have been answered about the two characters my heart reached out to as I read.
Jess & Ro, whom we meet as children, went through the great loss of their parents and never fully recovered through the years. We watch their lives unravel and crumble, but are left in the lurch as the book ends in quick anti-climax of well, just that.. I don’t know? Perhaps you’d like to read it and share?
I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing by Annemarie Neary, as I was kept in suspense through every page. For my first “mystery” book, I was impressed. However, finished the book, still a mystery was not ideal.
If of liked many questions to have been answered about the two characters my heart reached out to as I read.
Jess & Ro, whom we meet as children, went through the great loss of their parents and never fully recovered through the years. We watch their lives unravel and crumble, but are left in the lurch as the book ends in quick anti-climax of well, just that.. I don’t know? Perhaps you’d like to read it and share?
February 26, 2020
Just can’t get into the book. The premise was promising but the characters were not.
March 8, 2020
I didn't really get the point of this story? There were no twists and no answers to anything. I did like the author's descriptions of things and places though.
March 21, 2020
The writing or this is absolutely awful. I can't read this drivel.
September 11, 2021
Wth in my opinion THIS IS THE WORST THRILLER I’VE EVER READ
April 15, 2024
I have more questions after reading the book than I did before.
April 25, 2025
Slow starter but kept me page turning to find out what happened next.
June 12, 2020
Jess and Sparrow, two young siblings, are mysteriously abandoned on a beach in Goa in 1992. Their Papa is described as having been a 'drug addict with more money than morals.' Their mother Sophie is 'brave or negligent, depending on who’s talking', both living as free spirits in a hedonistic bolt-hole.
Soon after, their father is found dead, and their mother’s fate unknown. Taken in by family friends, the orphans become tabloid fodder and remain so throughout their lives. Now 34 and living in London, Jess has left it all behind her, to a point - she still has 'no blithe confidence in the world.'
Nevertheless she leads an apparently idyllic life as a city lawyer with a privileged domestic life. This charming set-up comes complete with beautiful daughter Ruby and husband Charlie, who may or not be carrying on with the judgmental Brazilian nanny Hana, who declares "We hope that Jess is good enough for Ruby, because we don’t think she’s good enough to keep Papa". The `Startlingly blonde' Hana has ‘two furrows of permanent displeasure on her brow", and she’s a bone of contention.
Elsewhere in Neary's 340-page tale, we find Sparrow, once his Mum's "perfect angel", now angry and possibly mentally unhinged. The loss of his mother has unmoored his whole life. Ruthless and intent on finding her, he will do whatever it takes, chasing up sightings in Goa, Lille, Manchester and Kerry, amongst other places. Finally, a definite lead takes him to Sligo, where a passport in his mother’s maiden name has surfaced. Tellingly it has been used only once, on a flight from Delhi to Paris, just after she disappeared.
But nobody seems to know what happened. As a reader, you share this mounting frustration about the mystery of the parents' disappearance, but Neary artfully weaves the suspense, drawing us in. Initially, the premise didn’t quite appeal, and I wasn't expecting to like this book - I was happily converted, however, by the pacy writing and an intriguing plot. The characters are vivid, the story rife with happenings - a murder, a missing mother, a volatile brother and a crumbling personal life.
A subplot detailing sexual harassment at work makes uncomfortable reading, but rightly so. The creepy advances and reprisals of the menacing Miles add another layer of interest in an uneasy life.
Annemarie Neary builds a compelling story around a tragic tale, and it is to her credit that the resolution is credible and satisfying - this genre can too often test the reader’s suspension of disbelief
Soon after, their father is found dead, and their mother’s fate unknown. Taken in by family friends, the orphans become tabloid fodder and remain so throughout their lives. Now 34 and living in London, Jess has left it all behind her, to a point - she still has 'no blithe confidence in the world.'
Nevertheless she leads an apparently idyllic life as a city lawyer with a privileged domestic life. This charming set-up comes complete with beautiful daughter Ruby and husband Charlie, who may or not be carrying on with the judgmental Brazilian nanny Hana, who declares "We hope that Jess is good enough for Ruby, because we don’t think she’s good enough to keep Papa". The `Startlingly blonde' Hana has ‘two furrows of permanent displeasure on her brow", and she’s a bone of contention.
Elsewhere in Neary's 340-page tale, we find Sparrow, once his Mum's "perfect angel", now angry and possibly mentally unhinged. The loss of his mother has unmoored his whole life. Ruthless and intent on finding her, he will do whatever it takes, chasing up sightings in Goa, Lille, Manchester and Kerry, amongst other places. Finally, a definite lead takes him to Sligo, where a passport in his mother’s maiden name has surfaced. Tellingly it has been used only once, on a flight from Delhi to Paris, just after she disappeared.
But nobody seems to know what happened. As a reader, you share this mounting frustration about the mystery of the parents' disappearance, but Neary artfully weaves the suspense, drawing us in. Initially, the premise didn’t quite appeal, and I wasn't expecting to like this book - I was happily converted, however, by the pacy writing and an intriguing plot. The characters are vivid, the story rife with happenings - a murder, a missing mother, a volatile brother and a crumbling personal life.
A subplot detailing sexual harassment at work makes uncomfortable reading, but rightly so. The creepy advances and reprisals of the menacing Miles add another layer of interest in an uneasy life.
Annemarie Neary builds a compelling story around a tragic tale, and it is to her credit that the resolution is credible and satisfying - this genre can too often test the reader’s suspension of disbelief
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2017
Sparrow was the youngest of the two siblings who were left by their parents on a Goa beach. One moment their parents were there - the kids went looking for shells and things - the next: they were gone, even the coloured blanket they had been sitting on.
Eventually, his sister got back into the routines of life. She married, had a kid and even a nanny. But Sparrow devoted his whole life to finding his mother. He wasn't sacrificing it, he simply didn't know what else to do. It didn't seem he had an choice in this. There was nothing else he could do but travel the world, hoping to locate her whenever someone claimed to have seen a woman resembling her...
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
Eventually, his sister got back into the routines of life. She married, had a kid and even a nanny. But Sparrow devoted his whole life to finding his mother. He wasn't sacrificing it, he simply didn't know what else to do. It didn't seem he had an choice in this. There was nothing else he could do but travel the world, hoping to locate her whenever someone claimed to have seen a woman resembling her...
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
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