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My Sister Milly
You've seen Manhunt, now read this powerful and personal account from Milly Dowler's sister Gemma . . . 'My name is Gemma Dowler. On 21 March 2002, a serial killer named Levi Bellfield stole my sister and sent our family to hell . . .'In My Sister Milly, Gemma Dowler recounts the terrible day of Milly's disappearance, the suspicions that fell on the family, the torture of encountering the murderer in court, the fatal errors made by the police, how it very nearly destroyed her family and how love and hope helped the family survive.Everyone thinks they know the story of Milly Dowler, but only one person knows the true pain of having lost her sister, and how a family can rediscover hope to survive.________________'Compelling. An amazing book'Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2'Heartbreaking' Daily Mail'Tragic, poignant, full of emotional memories'Daily Mirror
582 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2017
165 people are currently reading
2489 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
January 17, 2018
Audiobook...narrated by Ruby Thomas
I never heard of this story until listening to this audiobook. My god....heartbreaking!
Gemma Dowler explains why she waited 15 years to write this book - tell her family’s story —her sister Milly was 13 years old when she was brutally murdered. Milly was first taken in 2002. There are many thoughts I have about ‘the wait’ of the 15 years to tell this complete story. I have sooooo much respect for Gemma Dowler for ‘waiting’. People who have lived through ‘any’ trauma can learn from this book —
It’s very sad — but Gemma paints us a picture of her sister when she was ‘alive’. She gives us a very enjoyable experience of her personality- her temperament- passions - independent nature - and her love for music. We come to know her family - her town - what happened - the horrific journey her family lived through. I COULD NOT PULL MYSELF AWAY.... I did ‘a lot’ of walking with this audiobook.
Those of you who know me around here on Goodreads will understand why I got a chuckle when Gemma said that Millie never could write just one exclamation mark!!!!!!.... Ha.....go ahead laugh......yes, I’m guilty too!!!!!
I fell in love with this entire family. When I got to the acknowledgments… I was walking on one of my favorite lush trails.....THOSE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS had me in tears....Gemma’s enduring love for her parents - friends- therapist - on and on and on.....really got to me. Powerful and beautiful.
This is a very affecting true story!!! It filled my heart!!!
I never heard of this story until listening to this audiobook. My god....heartbreaking!
Gemma Dowler explains why she waited 15 years to write this book - tell her family’s story —her sister Milly was 13 years old when she was brutally murdered. Milly was first taken in 2002. There are many thoughts I have about ‘the wait’ of the 15 years to tell this complete story. I have sooooo much respect for Gemma Dowler for ‘waiting’. People who have lived through ‘any’ trauma can learn from this book —
It’s very sad — but Gemma paints us a picture of her sister when she was ‘alive’. She gives us a very enjoyable experience of her personality- her temperament- passions - independent nature - and her love for music. We come to know her family - her town - what happened - the horrific journey her family lived through. I COULD NOT PULL MYSELF AWAY.... I did ‘a lot’ of walking with this audiobook.
Those of you who know me around here on Goodreads will understand why I got a chuckle when Gemma said that Millie never could write just one exclamation mark!!!!!!.... Ha.....go ahead laugh......yes, I’m guilty too!!!!!
I fell in love with this entire family. When I got to the acknowledgments… I was walking on one of my favorite lush trails.....THOSE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS had me in tears....Gemma’s enduring love for her parents - friends- therapist - on and on and on.....really got to me. Powerful and beautiful.
This is a very affecting true story!!! It filled my heart!!!
May 29, 2019
Gemma Dowler is Milly’s sister and she wrote this book with Michelle Lovric. Most people in England will know the story of Milly Dowler. Not just her killing but the aftermath as well. She was killed at the age of 13 by Levi Bellfield on 21-Mar-2002. Gemma says ‘My sister was also a victim of police incompetence, of criminality in the press and of cruelty in the so-called justice system, which puts victims on trial alongside killers.’ The family have been through hell. It was not until 2015 that Bellfield admitted to what he had done to Milly. Traumatic does not even begin to describe it.
The poignancy comes from Gemma writing about her sister. It is heartfelt and desperately upsetting even though she wants the reader to know how full of life Milly was with her singing and dancing and having fun. She loved playing the saxophone. I feel sad writing this review so I do not know how Gemma felt writing this book.
The book is split into eight sections: Before; The Disappearance; Discovery; The Waiting; Trial and Punishment; Scandal; Breakdown and Recovery; New Blows. The first part of the book is Gemma introducing us to Milly and her character. The section on ‘The Disappearance’ about how the police handled the case. It is not good. The writing from Gemma is such that you can feel the anguish and frustration just leaping from the pages at how the police handled the situation.
You feel Gemma’s pain and the family’s as they go from one awful event to the next. It’s what happens to Gemma as well that is so painful. No-one should have to go through that.
Gemma, you made Milly real to me and I am sure other readers will feel the same. I only knew her from the newspapers and TV news. You showed her as she was. You should be so proud of this book. I wish you all the very best for the future. You so deserve it.
The poignancy comes from Gemma writing about her sister. It is heartfelt and desperately upsetting even though she wants the reader to know how full of life Milly was with her singing and dancing and having fun. She loved playing the saxophone. I feel sad writing this review so I do not know how Gemma felt writing this book.
The book is split into eight sections: Before; The Disappearance; Discovery; The Waiting; Trial and Punishment; Scandal; Breakdown and Recovery; New Blows. The first part of the book is Gemma introducing us to Milly and her character. The section on ‘The Disappearance’ about how the police handled the case. It is not good. The writing from Gemma is such that you can feel the anguish and frustration just leaping from the pages at how the police handled the situation.
You feel Gemma’s pain and the family’s as they go from one awful event to the next. It’s what happens to Gemma as well that is so painful. No-one should have to go through that.
Gemma, you made Milly real to me and I am sure other readers will feel the same. I only knew her from the newspapers and TV news. You showed her as she was. You should be so proud of this book. I wish you all the very best for the future. You so deserve it.
July 9, 2017
Heartbreaking
Genuinely heart breaking and moved me to tears on more than one occasion. Such a brave family especially Gemma - thank you for sharing your story and RIP Molly xx
Genuinely heart breaking and moved me to tears on more than one occasion. Such a brave family especially Gemma - thank you for sharing your story and RIP Molly xx
November 1, 2017
Despite this being over 500 pages, I read it in a day. It was just that compelling.
Anyone who remembers this case will find this book fascinating. It brings you in with the story of before, brilliantly evoked so you feel that you know something of Milly and the family she was a part of, making it even more devastating to hear what happened to her. The emotional rollercoaster the family went on becomes the reader's, with blow after blow from the police and the media as hope is lost and the terrible details of the trial play out. I almost wanted to stop because it was so hard to read what the family went through - every time they seemed to be getting better, something happened to bring them right back to the depths of despair.
Gemma provides a scathing account of Surrey Police's incompetence in this case. I had not realised before that Milly could have perhaps been saved, had they listened to her family and investigated properly from the outset. Even if she had not been found, other girls could have been saved and other families spared from torment had her killer been promptly apprehended.
An absolute must read.
Anyone who remembers this case will find this book fascinating. It brings you in with the story of before, brilliantly evoked so you feel that you know something of Milly and the family she was a part of, making it even more devastating to hear what happened to her. The emotional rollercoaster the family went on becomes the reader's, with blow after blow from the police and the media as hope is lost and the terrible details of the trial play out. I almost wanted to stop because it was so hard to read what the family went through - every time they seemed to be getting better, something happened to bring them right back to the depths of despair.
Gemma provides a scathing account of Surrey Police's incompetence in this case. I had not realised before that Milly could have perhaps been saved, had they listened to her family and investigated properly from the outset. Even if she had not been found, other girls could have been saved and other families spared from torment had her killer been promptly apprehended.
An absolute must read.
January 22, 2025
I can't even begin to imagine how awful it would be to lose a child. To lose one to murder would be the absolute worst. Gemma Dowler's very honest account of her sister, Milly Dowler's ordeal is amongst the best books I've ever read/ listened to.
Expertly narrated by Ruby Thomas, this isn't a true crime novel, it's a very candid book not just about Milly, but about the impact her murder had on the people who love her most. There is also a lot about the disgusting actions of The News of the World, hacking the phone of a thirteen-year-old girl.
Never have the experiences of a family desperately awaiting news of their daughter and sister been so honest and so raw. Gemma really doesn't hold back and very openly wrote about the impact the loss of Milly, the trial, the phone hacking, and then eventually finding out what Milly's killer subjected her to, had on the whole family. The chapters on EMDR therapy were of particular interest to me as I've had it too and found it to make a huge difference.
I really commend the Dowler's for their honesty and the stoicism in the face of so much trauma. Gemma's brutal account of the police's incompetence is also infuriating; the family were kept in the dark at every turn, only told things when they knew it might be in the papers.
I have to say again how well narrated this book is. It's not just the words themselves, but Ruby Thomas really brings it to life. I had tears in my eyes listening to the chapters about the funeral. Milly's family chose songs for her that are meaningful to me too; particularly In My Life by The Beatles and Behind Blue Eyes by The Who.
Anyone reading or listening to this book can really sense how loved Milly still is and always will be.
Expertly narrated by Ruby Thomas, this isn't a true crime novel, it's a very candid book not just about Milly, but about the impact her murder had on the people who love her most. There is also a lot about the disgusting actions of The News of the World, hacking the phone of a thirteen-year-old girl.
Never have the experiences of a family desperately awaiting news of their daughter and sister been so honest and so raw. Gemma really doesn't hold back and very openly wrote about the impact the loss of Milly, the trial, the phone hacking, and then eventually finding out what Milly's killer subjected her to, had on the whole family. The chapters on EMDR therapy were of particular interest to me as I've had it too and found it to make a huge difference.
I really commend the Dowler's for their honesty and the stoicism in the face of so much trauma. Gemma's brutal account of the police's incompetence is also infuriating; the family were kept in the dark at every turn, only told things when they knew it might be in the papers.
I have to say again how well narrated this book is. It's not just the words themselves, but Ruby Thomas really brings it to life. I had tears in my eyes listening to the chapters about the funeral. Milly's family chose songs for her that are meaningful to me too; particularly In My Life by The Beatles and Behind Blue Eyes by The Who.
Anyone reading or listening to this book can really sense how loved Milly still is and always will be.
August 11, 2018
Audio #127
Heartbreaking story of a family's loss but so well written
Heartbreaking story of a family's loss but so well written
August 10, 2023
My Sister Milly by Gemma Dowler is a deeply personal account of the aftermath of the disappearance of her thirteenth year old sister, Amanda 'Milly' Dowler in 2002. Milly disappeared on her way home from school one evening & it wasn't until months later that her body was discovered in local woods. I remember seeing the videos of Milly ironing & having a laugh which were shared by her family & the media when she went missing. It was a very big case in the UK, but you never really know what goes on behind the headlines.
Gemma's book shows the sheer horror of being a family whose loved one goes missing. How they were failed by the police who seemed blinkered to any possibility that didn't involve the family for far too long. The fact that the man who killed her, serial killer Levi Bellfield who went on to kill several other girls & young women after Milly, was able to access her personal diaries & written thoughts & then use these to torment the Dowlers in court is shameful. The notion of British justice takes a battering in this book & rightly so.
This account is raw, personal, & powerful, & the reader can feel the grief & anger which comes off the page. One thing I did notice is that Gemma seems very self-deprecating & almost idealises Milly (although she says she doesn't in the book) but I suppose this is natural in these cases. It was a difficult read at times because of the ineptitude of the police & the overwhelming interest of the media, & I must admit that I shed a tear or two at times. I hope the Dowlers are now able to remember Milly as she was & move on whilst never forgetting her.
Gemma's book shows the sheer horror of being a family whose loved one goes missing. How they were failed by the police who seemed blinkered to any possibility that didn't involve the family for far too long. The fact that the man who killed her, serial killer Levi Bellfield who went on to kill several other girls & young women after Milly, was able to access her personal diaries & written thoughts & then use these to torment the Dowlers in court is shameful. The notion of British justice takes a battering in this book & rightly so.
This account is raw, personal, & powerful, & the reader can feel the grief & anger which comes off the page. One thing I did notice is that Gemma seems very self-deprecating & almost idealises Milly (although she says she doesn't in the book) but I suppose this is natural in these cases. It was a difficult read at times because of the ineptitude of the police & the overwhelming interest of the media, & I must admit that I shed a tear or two at times. I hope the Dowlers are now able to remember Milly as she was & move on whilst never forgetting her.
June 13, 2023
I found this book hard to get through for a couple of reasons. I feel like it could have been written with all the information in about half the pages. There was a lot of repeated points which were unnecessary. I understand it was an horrific crime which shook the whole of the UK and the world but the book was way way too dramatized. That being said it had some important points about the legal systems downfalls which mirror the justice system in the US as well. It is worth reading.
April 18, 2019
[Trigger alert: this post may be difficult for some to read]
Yaa Rabb…this is such a painful book to read. The story of Amanda ‘Milly’ Dowler, the thirteen-year-old raped and murdered by Levi Bellfield told by her sister Gemma Dowler. Some might wonder why it took the family so long to write this book, but really once you finish reading the book, you realise that their lives were severely traumatised by the entirety of the process.
I want to mention that Milly by all accounts, loved and was loved. I find it increasingly rare to hear or read of people where there is so much love and affection between family members. It’s painful that the innocence of their love for one another was so utterly destroyed.
Of course, the ultimate person responsible is Bellfield, his evil against the family can never be sufficiently punished. Your heart cannot help but ache as you read the horror of what took place, both to Milly and her family.
I cannot hide my contempt for the police and the media for their roles. Alhumdulillah, the hacking of Milly’s phone ended the horror of a newspaper that is The News of the World (although those responsible continue their harm in other positions of power). But really, the violence of the police against the family is something that cannot be understated. From trying to coerce Gemma to frame her own father as an abuser, to the ways in which they concentrated on him, rather than putting their resources into finding the killer who lived nearby - the catalogue of idiocy to maliciousness should never be forgiven by the family.
As someone who works constantly in the legal field, watching the various aspects of how racist and violent it can be towards people of colour, I was shocked at the extent to which that violence was deployed against the family again and again.
This is an extremely hard book to read. It will leave you aching with the sheer mendacity of our systems when dealing with the trauma of families.
I’m glad that the family were ultimately able to find the help they needed and find some joy in their lives.
Yaa Rabb…this is such a painful book to read. The story of Amanda ‘Milly’ Dowler, the thirteen-year-old raped and murdered by Levi Bellfield told by her sister Gemma Dowler. Some might wonder why it took the family so long to write this book, but really once you finish reading the book, you realise that their lives were severely traumatised by the entirety of the process.
I want to mention that Milly by all accounts, loved and was loved. I find it increasingly rare to hear or read of people where there is so much love and affection between family members. It’s painful that the innocence of their love for one another was so utterly destroyed.
Of course, the ultimate person responsible is Bellfield, his evil against the family can never be sufficiently punished. Your heart cannot help but ache as you read the horror of what took place, both to Milly and her family.
I cannot hide my contempt for the police and the media for their roles. Alhumdulillah, the hacking of Milly’s phone ended the horror of a newspaper that is The News of the World (although those responsible continue their harm in other positions of power). But really, the violence of the police against the family is something that cannot be understated. From trying to coerce Gemma to frame her own father as an abuser, to the ways in which they concentrated on him, rather than putting their resources into finding the killer who lived nearby - the catalogue of idiocy to maliciousness should never be forgiven by the family.
As someone who works constantly in the legal field, watching the various aspects of how racist and violent it can be towards people of colour, I was shocked at the extent to which that violence was deployed against the family again and again.
This is an extremely hard book to read. It will leave you aching with the sheer mendacity of our systems when dealing with the trauma of families.
I’m glad that the family were ultimately able to find the help they needed and find some joy in their lives.
June 23, 2019
Where to begin with this book? Oh man...
First and foremost, my heart goes out to the Dowler family. Listening to their story through Gemma's eyes was harrowing. I listened to this audiobook on a 1000mi drive from Kentucky to Vermont and that drive went quicker than I thought with this book to keep me awake.
Secondly, it makes me sick how the authorities treated the Dowler family. It's definitely a testament to their strength and resilience in this troubled time.
RIP Milly Dowler. You were and still are so very loved.
First and foremost, my heart goes out to the Dowler family. Listening to their story through Gemma's eyes was harrowing. I listened to this audiobook on a 1000mi drive from Kentucky to Vermont and that drive went quicker than I thought with this book to keep me awake.
Secondly, it makes me sick how the authorities treated the Dowler family. It's definitely a testament to their strength and resilience in this troubled time.
RIP Milly Dowler. You were and still are so very loved.
July 6, 2017
Heartbreaking A must read
A courageous woman Gemma Fowler has told Milly's story with such determination and courage. I was crying all the way through with frustration that Surrey Police had caused such pain to the Dowler family and for the torment that Millys suffered at the hands of that evil bloated monster. Milly shone throughout as a beautiful sassy young lady. Gemma thank you for sharing Millys and your story with the public.
A courageous woman Gemma Fowler has told Milly's story with such determination and courage. I was crying all the way through with frustration that Surrey Police had caused such pain to the Dowler family and for the torment that Millys suffered at the hands of that evil bloated monster. Milly shone throughout as a beautiful sassy young lady. Gemma thank you for sharing Millys and your story with the public.
February 6, 2019
Heart wrenching
I saw these 2 lovelies in the concert they did for Hatton Operatic Society and I know their Uncle Pete.
I had to put it down a couple of times due to the tears flowing
I saw these 2 lovelies in the concert they did for Hatton Operatic Society and I know their Uncle Pete.
I had to put it down a couple of times due to the tears flowing
October 9, 2020
This is 5 stars, not because of what happened, obviously, but because of the writing. I really don’t know where to start.
This is a very passionate, well written account of the tragic events leading up to and following the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler. The first part, describing her childhood and her personality is “lovely” and gives everyone an insight into the very happy and normal family life that the Dowlers had.
What follows is completely heartbreaking and in some parts harrowing and it is quite unbelievable to read what this family has gone through. After years of attempting to come to terms with what had happened, they continued to be faced with blow after blow which just knocked them down again. This is a long book but is written with so much emotion and passion that you want to keep reading.
I listened to the audio then borrowed the E-book from borrowbox to look at the photographs.
I hope that by writing this book they can finally put Milly to rest and move on with their lives with Milly in their hearts.
This a loving and fitting tribute to her sister.
This is a very passionate, well written account of the tragic events leading up to and following the abduction and murder of Milly Dowler. The first part, describing her childhood and her personality is “lovely” and gives everyone an insight into the very happy and normal family life that the Dowlers had.
What follows is completely heartbreaking and in some parts harrowing and it is quite unbelievable to read what this family has gone through. After years of attempting to come to terms with what had happened, they continued to be faced with blow after blow which just knocked them down again. This is a long book but is written with so much emotion and passion that you want to keep reading.
I listened to the audio then borrowed the E-book from borrowbox to look at the photographs.
I hope that by writing this book they can finally put Milly to rest and move on with their lives with Milly in their hearts.
This a loving and fitting tribute to her sister.
July 25, 2025
Wow this was such a sad read. I remember this case being shown on the tv, the videos of her looking so happy and playing the saxophone this is not just about the Millie case but also about the downfall of News Of The World
April 8, 2024
I won’t lie and say this was an easy book to read. Being a parent I’m sure you can’t even begin to imagine the absolute detestation the Dowler family must have gone through - and Gemma writes about it in detail. It was shocking to see how they lacked so much support when their mental health was suffering. A mammoth of a novel (my eBook version was nearly 600 pages), Gemma details the years long saga of her sister’s disappearance up until her killer’s eventual arrest. I hope she found the of writing the book healing, as I’m sure it was an arduous and emotional process.
August 19, 2017
Complete and utter admiration for the author of this book and her family...
I live in Walton On Thames and have always had massive respect for the Dowler family. Like so many, I know of them through the harrowing events in their life that have been played out in public. I've been sickened by the actions of a local serial murderer, the failure of the police and legal system plus the outrageous way the press added to the family's living hell for their own gain. Having a teenage daughter attend the same schools young Milly went to, I've always empathised and tried to partly understand what they must have gone through, all the while thinking there but for the grace of whatever, there go I.
Although an obviously extremely upsetting story, it brings some warmth to know that Gemma has been able to get her truth out for the public to read. She is able to share how fantastic her young sister was before being so cruelly taken. She demonstrates that their family was clearly one full of love and talent before such an unthinkably despicable individual disrupted everything. Such love was further tested by the way they were let down by the press, police and legal system.
In reading this book, you sense the family are at a better place than many of the darker days they have all been through. Some therapy for PTSD has clearly benefitted Gemma and her mother Sally. The way they have survived the last fifteen years is simply remarkable.
I do hope anyone who is aware of Milly Dowler and her family do read this book to see the reality of what a loving family they have always been.
I live in Walton On Thames and have always had massive respect for the Dowler family. Like so many, I know of them through the harrowing events in their life that have been played out in public. I've been sickened by the actions of a local serial murderer, the failure of the police and legal system plus the outrageous way the press added to the family's living hell for their own gain. Having a teenage daughter attend the same schools young Milly went to, I've always empathised and tried to partly understand what they must have gone through, all the while thinking there but for the grace of whatever, there go I.
Although an obviously extremely upsetting story, it brings some warmth to know that Gemma has been able to get her truth out for the public to read. She is able to share how fantastic her young sister was before being so cruelly taken. She demonstrates that their family was clearly one full of love and talent before such an unthinkably despicable individual disrupted everything. Such love was further tested by the way they were let down by the press, police and legal system.
In reading this book, you sense the family are at a better place than many of the darker days they have all been through. Some therapy for PTSD has clearly benefitted Gemma and her mother Sally. The way they have survived the last fifteen years is simply remarkable.
I do hope anyone who is aware of Milly Dowler and her family do read this book to see the reality of what a loving family they have always been.
September 20, 2019
I'm a true crime fan and have enjoyed books by Ralph and Denise Bulger about the tragic loss of their son, James. I've also read Kate McCann's book about Madeleine. However, Gemma Dowler's book fell short of the mark for me. At 576 pages long, it seemed to go on forever. It certainly needed a good edit and there was a lot of repetition. I have every sympathy with the families of murder victims and utter abhorrence for the likes of Levi Bellfield, but I do question how writing a book like this really helps. I understand about writing being therapeutic, but for a family who despite the British press for its intrusion, I wonder about the motivation to air their version of events in public and proceed to give interviews as they publicise their book. I felt uncomfortable reading this and I frankly found the Dowler family to be a bit weird in their response to their trauma. I'm glad they finally found peace (or did they?) and that EMDR therapy worked for Gemma and her mother, and yes, the criticism of Surrey police's initial reponse to their missing family member was justified, but....isn't there more dignity in grieving quietly behind closed doors?
December 11, 2017
Admittedly it took me a while to read this book, because after some chapters/after reading some parts of it I felt I had to put it down for a day or two to properly process it all.
This book is an extraordinary contradiction: beautiful, yet at many times dark, haunting and harrowing. It was heart-wrenching to read about what happened to the Dowler family during and in the years following what happened to Milly - who you come to feel close to as you read all about her, her quirks, her mischief, her jokes, her dancing, her sulks, and everything in between. Gemma Dowler and her family have been so brave - almost heroic - in laying bear their own hearts and innermost feelings, as well as their torments and tortures since that awful day when Milly was taken.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it is an engulfing read, that leaves you feeling furious with the ways and workings of the press and police forces, yet reassured and inspired by the strength, love and resilience of family, friends, and society in general.
This book is an extraordinary contradiction: beautiful, yet at many times dark, haunting and harrowing. It was heart-wrenching to read about what happened to the Dowler family during and in the years following what happened to Milly - who you come to feel close to as you read all about her, her quirks, her mischief, her jokes, her dancing, her sulks, and everything in between. Gemma Dowler and her family have been so brave - almost heroic - in laying bear their own hearts and innermost feelings, as well as their torments and tortures since that awful day when Milly was taken.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it is an engulfing read, that leaves you feeling furious with the ways and workings of the press and police forces, yet reassured and inspired by the strength, love and resilience of family, friends, and society in general.
December 29, 2021
Heart breaking story of how tragic and poorly dealt with case of Milly Dowler. Truly heart felt throughout. What this family went through was tragic enough but the way they were treated was unacceptable.
December 18, 2024
Wow a very thought provoking book that is a very long read more than 500 pages This book takes you into the minds and hearts of the Dowler family during the time of their missing child and sister to the tragedy of her tragic passing a definit
Dowler for taking the time and courage that was needed to write this book
You are an inspiration!
Dowler for taking the time and courage that was needed to write this book
You are an inspiration!
July 12, 2017
Please read this book. There are no words I can say except that nothing can ever extinguish love.
An amazing and courageous family.
An amazing and courageous family.
February 19, 2021
Such a hard book to review. It was the most difficult book I've ever read but also one of the best. It's harrowing and sad but so well written. So much pain in one book of such a wasted life.
October 12, 2023
It was gripping.
I wondered why this book was so long when I picked it up…. Now I wish it had been longer!
Beautifully written and I just didn’t want to put it down!
Heartbreaking with no stone unturned.
Gemma really brings you in - as if you’re on the sofa next to her when Milly first goes missing, when they suffer the agonising trial, the panic attacks, the injustice, the recovery….
This book will stay with me for a long, long time.
I wondered why this book was so long when I picked it up…. Now I wish it had been longer!
Beautifully written and I just didn’t want to put it down!
Heartbreaking with no stone unturned.
Gemma really brings you in - as if you’re on the sofa next to her when Milly first goes missing, when they suffer the agonising trial, the panic attacks, the injustice, the recovery….
This book will stay with me for a long, long time.
July 24, 2024
I hate rating memoirs about true crime but this book is just beautiful.
Yes the writing isn't absolutely amazing, and it did repeat a lot of things but I've never read something so detailed and real about the aftermath of a crime.
I rarely cry at memoirs but this had me in tears multiple times. If you need a real, honest read about the family of a highly publicised case, their treatment by the police and the trail, then this is your book.
Yes the writing isn't absolutely amazing, and it did repeat a lot of things but I've never read something so detailed and real about the aftermath of a crime.
I rarely cry at memoirs but this had me in tears multiple times. If you need a real, honest read about the family of a highly publicised case, their treatment by the police and the trail, then this is your book.
February 23, 2025
I don’t really know what to rate this book given what it’s about. It did take me a while to read, not just because it is physically long at over 600 pages, but because of the horrific details Gemma shares about what happened to Milly and what their family went through for all those years afterwards. You just cannot begin to imagine what it must have felt like for them, it was so heartbreaking & harrowing in some parts that I cried 💔 RIP Milly, you’ll never be forgotten xxx
March 27, 2020
A very emotional read which made me smile in a few places (hearing about Milly's favourite shark!) and cry in a lot. The treatment the family received at the hands of the Police and in the so-called justice system was appalling, and the fact that they managed to come out the other side shows what a strong family they are, even if they lost sight of that for a while. Incredibly brave of Gemma to embark on the project of writing the book, and I hope that the family can now continue to heal, and that Milly can finally rest in peace.
September 1, 2022
Gemma's love for her sister Milly shines through this book, as does her anger at Surrey police at the way her family were treated after Milly's disappearance and murder. This is a hard book to read so it is unimaginable what the Dowler family had to live through. Read this with tissues close at hand!
October 2, 2023
Completely harrowing and heart wrenching. I am absolutely outraged and appalled at what the Dowler family went through, not just because of Milly's killer, Levi Bellingfield, but most notably at the hands of the police and their failure and hesitancy to investigate. I wish nothing but health and healing for the Dowler family.
December 28, 2021
Beautifully written giving a true insight to the girl who we have seen splashed across the newspapers for nearly 20 years. I hope the book brings some peace to the poor long suffering Dowler family and serves as a beautiful tribute to Milly
November 5, 2024
I listened to the audiobook and man, it was brutal. The torment both Milly and her family were put through is heartbreaking. While I had a little bit of knowledge on the News of the World hacking scandal, I didn’t really know about this case. Gemma has done an incredible job narrating through decades of pain to tell the Dowler’s story.
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