Child of Mine

by V.J. Chambers

A teenage girl found strangled to death, tied up, and posed.

Lorelei Taylor’s autistic son, Simon, is a suspect. But he didn't even know the girl. Did he?

Simon is sixteen, vulnerable, and diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Lorelei knows her gentle son could never harm another person.

But then she finds Simon’s camera full of photographs of the murdered girl, and her certainty begins to waver.

As the police circle in on her son, Lorelei has only one choice—to solve the murder and exonerate Simon. But does she know her teenage son as well as she thought she did?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2017

About the author

V. J. Chambers writes about being inexplicably attracted to the dangerously alluring. Her works span mundane settings and fantastic ones. She writes about serial killers, cult leaders, werewolves, witches, for-hire assassins, zombies, space pirates, and regular everyday people.

She lives in Shepherdstown, WV, with her boyfriend Aaron and their cat Isis.

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many problems for one story to hold

Oh my goodness. I'm not sure where to start. I at least finished the book. First of all I guess we can talk about the typing errors that appeared almost on every page throughout this kindle version of the book. Very distracting. But the story line just held way way way too many problems. From a teenager with ASD to alcoholism, to sleeping with a serial killer, to transgender issues, to crazy moms. Too much, too many bad decisions by someone who was supposed to be an FBI profilers. Just not believable

[nessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dud

The most convoluted story I have ever read. Do not waste your time. X x x x x x x

[Judith Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story of a mother's doubts about her challenged son

An ex-FBI agent's 16 year old Asperger challenged son, Simon, is taken in for questioning about a murdered girl. The only detective in town and an ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, has an adamant hatred for his mother, Lorelei. When she can't get any satisfaction with the treatment by the police, she contacts another ex-boyfriend and FBI agent, Isaac. Simon's best friend, Jordan, is a mixed up boy forced to live as a girl. Jordan's mother, Mia, is the owner of the resort where she, Jordan, Lorelei and Simon all live and Lorelei's boss. Simon's father, Ross, is a serial killer that tricked Lorelei into an affair before he was found out and arrested. She was so mortified when she discovered that she was pregnant that she quit the FBI and moved out of state. After many twists and turns, does Lorelei figure out who committed the murders and save Simon or is this nightmare another in a long line of nightmares?

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This psychological thriller was right on the edge of being too intense for me without ever quite crossing the line. I'm always a sucker for Asberger's characters, and the serial killer angle was nicely done. Good growth for the heroine too, with twists I was not expecting.

[Pamela Faust · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much to hate about this book. Loralei is a former FBI profiler/current alcoholic bartender raising an autistic son who is suspected of murder. She was really bad at her FBI job for reasons that included starting an affair with a major person of interest in a murder investigation and masturbating at work. She was very judgmental and wishy-washy taking almost no time to believe what she wanted to believe. Her intolerance at people struggling with gender identity was so severe that she was just a couple of steps away from calling the poor child “it” instead of he or she. Every time I thought that the stupid tangents the author threw in were done, she prattles on for pages about a sorority girl’s frustration with shaving her bikini area. Since curiosity about the definition of irony is kind of my gig, the constant throwing in of presumed ironic situations was maddening. A friend once defined irony as follows: the ONLY instance of irony is if your fear of flying causes you to choose to take a car and a plane crashes into the car while you’re in it. Everything else is just a coincidence.

[Yani Daniele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primero voy a aclarar algo, la puntuación que le doy a los libros es más que nada en base a si me ha gustado o no, pero también intento ser justa con el autor, y no bajarle la calificación solo por un gusto personal. ¿Por qué digo esto? Porque un final en mi caso, puede arruinar todo el entusiasmo que tenía por la historia, como me ha pasado aquí, pero como lo he dicho antes, quiero ser justa y por eso le he dado 4 estrellas.

Aclarado lo anterior voy a dejar mi opinión sobre esta larga lectura. Larga, porque como lo he dicho antes, leer en inglés me da sueño, si hubiera estado en español, probablemente me hubiera devorado la historia en unos pocos días, ya que logra atraparte enseguida. Sin detalles excesivos, solo los justos para lograr entrar en la atmosfera de los acontecimientos, lo que hace que la lectura sea amena y fluida.

Lorelai, es la protagonista, será atraves de sus ojos y sus pensamientos que podremos ir siguiendo lo que está ocurriendo. Su hijo Simón, de 16 años que tiene Aspergerh será acusado de homicidio, a partir de ese momento, la trama gira en tratar de descubrir si Simón es inocente o culpable.

Lorelai no es una madre cualquiera, tiene un millón de defectos pero es ex perfiladora del FBI y es aquí en donde tengo muchos problemas con este personaje que como son spoilers voy a ocultar.

Más allá que me molesta que siempre está diciendo "intento ser la mejor madre que puedo" pero se la pasa borracha, mi primer problema fue que dudara de su hijo, siendo ex perfiladora y cuando su hijo tiene 16 años, desconfía de él solo por el tema de quién es su padre. Segundo problema, como puede ser que todo el mundo la haga dudar sobre todos, basta que le dijeran algo y puf ella ya desconfía. Tercer problema como puede ser que en 16 años nunca se diera cuenta de lo trastornada que estaba Mia, en cuanto mensionó que Mia no quería cambiar a los bebés juntos, me saltó la alarma de que algo raro había

Son esas pequeñas cosas, que hacen que el personaje no me convenza demasiado, además de no simpatizarme. Más allá de estos problemillas que tuve con la historia, tengo que reconocer que lo que más me ha gustado es el hecho de que hasta que no llegué a un 73% no tenía ni idea de quién era el asesino.

En cuanto al final fue creíble, en cuanto al responsable y sus motivaciones, lo que me molestó fueron las páginas finales que dieron el broche a toda la trama. Y ES QUE ODIO LOS FINALES FELICES, TO MUCH HAPPY FOR ME, la vida no es tan perfecta, las historias no terminan tan maravillosamente, esas páginas finales para saber que pasó con Lorelai, su hijo, Jordan, Isaac y Mia, me parecieron muy disney, vivir juntos felices y comieron perdices...

En definitiva las 4 estrellas fueron por: historia original, buena trama y buena acción. El libro cumplió su objetivo que fue entretenerme.

[Marbea Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome and so many secrets and mysteries. I really related to Lorelei character because I also have a son whose now twenty who was diagnosed at a young age with Asperger's Syndrome ""Aspie". It's not easy at all as a single mother, and Simon's character is exactly like my son's when he's was a teenager. My son's high functioning as well on the spectrum. His autism is genetic his father has another child autistic and nonverbal with speech issues he's 14yrs old now doing well. This story touched my heart and had me at times just as confused as Lorelei! But the ending of the story was justifiable, but the p.s ending was the kicker!
Here are some interesting highlights the story had that I agreed with in terms of Autism and The Spectrum:

Child of Mine
by V.J. Chambers
Read between January 08 - January 19, 2020

"Autistic kids often seemed to lack empathy, but their self-centered-ness was rarely cruel or violent, simply oblivious. No one wanted to label their child violent or dangerous. Lorelei could see why the child had been misdiagnosed. nowadays, Asperger’s had been taken off of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, so no one got officially diagnosed with it anymore. So, it was really six in one hand, half a dozen in the other."

"...He said exactly what was on his mind, even if it offended people. That was all part of his Asperger’s."

“You should never ignore it. The human brain is capable of much more than we even know. Its power may very well be unlimited, if we could learn how to access it. It’s only that society places so many boundaries on what we can and can’t think and we’ve trained ourselves to ignore the subconscious, to call it a gut feeling, something unreliable, but it’s only unreliable because we try to interpret it improperly and—”

[Garth Mailman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seldom do we think about the effect the crimes they investigate have on law enforcement personnel. Lorelei is an ex FBI profiler who attempts to cover her recurrent nightmares with alcohol. When a local cop interviews her sixteen-year-old son regarding the murder of a local girl that world comes crashing back into her consciousness. Simon is a high functioning victim of Asperger’s Syndrome. Is his evasiveness symptomatic of something more sinister or just Simon being Simon.

So a psychological who done it. Is Simon just a rebellious teen with a single mother or is something more sinister at play. What are he and the daughter of Lorelei’s best friend up to and how much should she be sharing. If she pries too much will she alienate her son or should she be concerned about protecting the community from a potential killer.

--Spoiler Alert--

The plot thickens. Be sure your sins will find you out. Lorelei has several exes. When the local cop she jilted arrests her son she calls another ex, an FBI profiler like herself she once dated. When he sees Simon he not only knows she was telling him the truth when she averred he was not the father but to his horror recognizes him as the spitting image of the serial killer she’d allowed herself to be seduced by, the trauma that had her leaving her job. And the hits keep on coming.

After stringing us along the final chapters wind the story down in even more confusion. Then we get a Hollywood ending.

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was enticed by the idea of this story and having a son with Asperger’s I have some experience similar to one of the subjects in the story. Unfortunately I did not enjoy reading this novel. I felt that the characters were poorly drawn and situation was quite ridiculous. The main character was not likeable at all, so I had no empathy for her. I felt that the writing was amateurish, stream of consciousness but not in a good way. It just made me think that the book has not been through the rigour of a good editing process because there were holes and poor English expressions throughout. It din’t make me confident that any research into Asperger’s or FBI personality profilers had been conducted because they were so superficially treated and seemed inaccurate. One bad book doesn’t always put me off an author but in this case it has.

[Alfred J. Coscia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Worthwhile Read With Good Flow 4 1/2 stars!

The book starts to unfold quickly with Lorelei, a former FBI profiler who left for a quiet life at a remote resprt to raise her son, Simon. There is a murder of a female classmate of Simon's and quickly secrets roll out that make Lorelei question herself about all she thought she knew. Her best friend and employer Mia is supportive and her daughter Jordan, remains loyal, too.

Then the action, secrets, lies and poor decisions move the book at light speed. I really enjoyed it, but I thought there was a bit much coincide and deus ex machina, IMHO. But, overall it was a pleasure to read.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if your child was accused of killing someone? That’s the question Lorelei made to her best friend, Mia. Her son, Simon, found himself in that very position. Accused of murdering a classmate and possibly two more that are missing. Simon couldn’t possibly have been involved, Lorelei thought. He was a good kid with functioning Asperger’s and incredibly antisocial. That is, until she decided to do some investigating herself and found that Simon wasn’t as antisocial as she thought. His girlfriend, Jordan, who happens to be Mia’s daughter, swears Simon is innocent. But Jordan has been keeping things from them that soon come to light. There’s suddenly more than meets the eye.

[Laurie Hanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am torn between giving this 3 and 4 stars. It held my attention but not to the point of being compelling. Unique concept for a plot. The characters are multi-dimensional. Interesting relationships between the two mothers and their teenage children. Several scenes seemed to be leading up major action, then fell flat. The police and FBI procedures - or lack thereof – are so inept they’re out of the realm of possibility. Lots of unexpected twists that shine the light on various suspects. I guessed the culprit early on, but wasn’t totally sure till the end.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in 2 days! Couldn’t put it down. It’s full of twists & turns, had me on the edge of my seat & anxiety ridden (not sure if that’s good or bad). I felt so bad for the main character, she was so confused & didn’t know who to trust, I didn’t either!
I didn’t give it 5 stars because as others reviewers have said, it had many typographical errors that were hard to over look. Must be self published or something, can’t imagine a publisher not proofreading it. Not sure how I feel about authors being able to self publish, this isn’t the 1st book I’ve read with many errors like that.

[Eirlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thriller Indeed

I enjoyed this book because it was puzzling at times and kept me guessing along the way. The characters were interesting and I liked them. I liked Lorelei and her son Simon. I liked the way that she highlighted how people make judgements about individuals because they are 'different'. A grey story and a good read.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

*insert sarcasm* well, I never saw that coming

2d characters. Even our damaged heroine had little depth. I appreciated the twists and turns, until about 2/3 the way through... Then they just went from the sublime to the ridiculous. I could see the outcome before the last 4 twists. The wrap up was just that, a quick happily ever after, before planting the seed for a sequel. Won't be sitting on the edge of my seat for that.

[Agnès · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining story as opposed to a really good one but very predictable in terms of guessing whodunit. Wayyyyy too many different life issues thrown into that story I, completely unnecessary. On a good note, I did enjoy the hint of humour once in a while, especially from Isaac. However, the main character Lorelei was pretty rubbish when it comes to being a profiler; they could have hired me, haha :))

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As murder mysteries go, this was an easy read. Even though I figured out who the murderer was early on it took longer to figure out why and it was more the underlying story of the teenagers that kept me reading. The story is more about them and their relationships with there parents than it is about anything gory ...though really there were a couple of nights I decided it might be better not to read before going to bed.

[Kimbelry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of times, when I read a book, I get sucked in. This one was like watching a B movie on the DVR. I could hit pause and come back later. I felt nothing toward any of the characters. No sympathy, no connection, nothing. They were there. The story was there. I knew “who done it” by mid-book. Too bad, it looked good. I hoped for a little more than I got.

[Janina s. Asselin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash

Sorry for those who enjoyed this book. I found it completely predictable on all " surprises". The main character suffered from lack of character and if I read 1 more time now important her son was to her, as she drank to drunkenness, I was ready to scream. Very shallow characters on all fronts. Didn't care for any of them.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Child of Mine:a psychological thriller

Very entertaining storyline about two FIN profilers who once had a relationship that fell apart when one left the bureau. Now a series of murders seems to be bringing them back together but the identify of the killer or the circumstances surrounding the murders destroy their relationship again ? Great suspense and baffling characters.

[Roberta Breyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading and didn't stop until the book was finished

I just couldn't put this book down. Kept changing my mind about who I thought did it. Very well written but not edited well. Many grammar and spelling issues throughout. Didn't change my rating, but a plot this fine deserves perfection.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking

This is the story of Lorelei who used to be an FBI profiler. It has many twists and turns and leaves you guessing all the way throughout the book. There is a small amount of very bad language and some sexual content, both could have been left out without affecting the story. Rated R

[Donna White · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally do not read mystery novels so don't think I can't properly make a review. I thought the book was a bit weird it perhaps well written


if someone likes mysteries and or murders
then they would more than likely enjoy reading this one. Perhaps good book but just not my type

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me although others may enjoy it. I felt the characters were far fetched. Of the four main characters, the most normal was the Aspergers teenager. The main character made so many mistakes, reacted so stupidly to events and was just downright annoying. I skipped a lot of it just to see if I had guessed the perpetrator correctly. I had; about 20 percent through the book.

[Staci Muir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly I was kind of drawn to this book because of one of the main characters being diagnosed as aspergers (my son is asd) that being said the book was a good read that held my attention and was also recommended to a friend once I'd finished (who's also enjoying it)

[Starletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

I couldn't put this book down. Definitely a page turner. I enjoyed the thrill of trying to figure out who the killer was and what the deal was with Jordan. Awesome twist with that character, by the way.

[Jean Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well thought out

The plot was well paced and I did not figure out who the killer was until very near the end. There were some twists that I thought were nicely added to the plot.

[LaVenice Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guessed correct

This book turned out to be really good. I guessed the killer and actually guessed correctly. Tons of twists and turns and it really does keep you guessing. Can't wait to read what happens next

[Nancy Mikos · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 nights to read

I thought pretty early on who the killer might be and I was correct. Some sequences I am not quite sure why they were there. Parts were a bit unrealistic but still held my interest. Does the ending mean there’s a follow up book?

[Ms Rita Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vhi

Good enough story but it was lacking something.
I knew the killer half way through n felt author put too many issues in the story not to make the culprit but to bulk the story out