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Missing
The lady sat open eyed, a wooden stump provided the base, staring out into the clear cut, looking but not seeing. A mindless gaze caught all flickers of motion across the alien landscape. Crass medieval surgery performed upon once noble and imperial trees, no longer reaching for the moon, now lying fallen, their life juice seeping away, destined for a tabloid newspaper to be scanned and discarded. She could almost feel her fear mirrored in those neighbouring trees, knowing their time was to come, resigned to this inglorious calling.
Where in Grizedale Forest was she? Light was falling, shadows lengthened as the sun lost its fight against gravity, where was Octavia?
Octavia Hill disappears while on a walking holiday in the Lake District with her mother, Danielle Hill.
A detective, David Locan, is assigned to investigate the missing youngster, with Danielle appearing to be the prime suspect for her daughter’s disappearance. While Danielle is in custody she has drug-induced episodes in which she sees Octavia linked to images of an oak tree across time.
The themes of fire, ice and Norse mythology run through the story, with Teddy and Ferdinand climbing in a tectonically active region, and the portrayal of George Benet’s final desperate polar journey. The symbolism of the oak tree and time itself are reinforced as a mother desperately tries to find her daughter.
Cover art by Rhys Phillips.
Where in Grizedale Forest was she? Light was falling, shadows lengthened as the sun lost its fight against gravity, where was Octavia?
Octavia Hill disappears while on a walking holiday in the Lake District with her mother, Danielle Hill.
A detective, David Locan, is assigned to investigate the missing youngster, with Danielle appearing to be the prime suspect for her daughter’s disappearance. While Danielle is in custody she has drug-induced episodes in which she sees Octavia linked to images of an oak tree across time.
The themes of fire, ice and Norse mythology run through the story, with Teddy and Ferdinand climbing in a tectonically active region, and the portrayal of George Benet’s final desperate polar journey. The symbolism of the oak tree and time itself are reinforced as a mother desperately tries to find her daughter.
Cover art by Rhys Phillips.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2017
11 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Robert James
19 books2 followersI enjoy reading as a means to take you off and away on a telepathic ride with the author, to share the world that they have created and the highs and lows for how those within the story presented ride out the challenges, drive the plot being unveiled.
I took my first steps in scripting short stories over a decade ago now, the genres I favour are fantasy, fast-paced adventure, science fiction and fiction underpinned by modern science.
My enjoyment of writing stems from hearing my characters share their voices, thoughts, hopes and aspirations as they interact with and impact upon the world they inhabit.
I took my first steps in scripting short stories over a decade ago now, the genres I favour are fantasy, fast-paced adventure, science fiction and fiction underpinned by modern science.
My enjoyment of writing stems from hearing my characters share their voices, thoughts, hopes and aspirations as they interact with and impact upon the world they inhabit.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 28, 2024
Book 144 - Robert James - Missing
With several different threads…this one took a while to get my head round..
1. A girl goes missing in a forest on the moors..her Mum is blamed
2. Tree cutters in the US choosing which ones to cut and how to avoid the bears
3. Two teenagers… sorting out out post GCSE choices…that will go against parental wishes
4. A group of scientists battling the snow and low temperatures in isolation
Over a third into the book and the pattern of each chapter taking each story a little further continues. And then the strangeness starts…
The tree fellers come across an ash tree…the size of a Redwood…but with seemingly no age to it and the GPS suddenly stops working…
Teddy and Ferdinand, the teens, think through Nordic lore and the legend of the 9 worlds…
The scientists in the Antarctic discover that their samples are behaving in an ever changing…ever evolving state…
And no matter how much searching…the girl remains missing…the chief suspect, her Mum, steadfastly refuses to accept the girl is gone and the police are running out of time for holding her as a suspect…
Shared dreams permeate this strange novel…dreams involving the President…the founder of the National Trust and messages that are to be passed on but others that must never be spoken of…
The 9 realms of Nordic myth are central to this tale…it veers into the supernatural and science fiction…there seems to be a good story hiding in the depths of the pages…sadly this story just meanders to a dead end with little explanation…such a shame. Some great ideas but none really fully formed and due to the style of storytelling…we reach the end rather abruptly. It comes across as one that could have been the start of a series…but I won’t be going on that journey.
With several different threads…this one took a while to get my head round..
1. A girl goes missing in a forest on the moors..her Mum is blamed
2. Tree cutters in the US choosing which ones to cut and how to avoid the bears
3. Two teenagers… sorting out out post GCSE choices…that will go against parental wishes
4. A group of scientists battling the snow and low temperatures in isolation
Over a third into the book and the pattern of each chapter taking each story a little further continues. And then the strangeness starts…
The tree fellers come across an ash tree…the size of a Redwood…but with seemingly no age to it and the GPS suddenly stops working…
Teddy and Ferdinand, the teens, think through Nordic lore and the legend of the 9 worlds…
The scientists in the Antarctic discover that their samples are behaving in an ever changing…ever evolving state…
And no matter how much searching…the girl remains missing…the chief suspect, her Mum, steadfastly refuses to accept the girl is gone and the police are running out of time for holding her as a suspect…
Shared dreams permeate this strange novel…dreams involving the President…the founder of the National Trust and messages that are to be passed on but others that must never be spoken of…
The 9 realms of Nordic myth are central to this tale…it veers into the supernatural and science fiction…there seems to be a good story hiding in the depths of the pages…sadly this story just meanders to a dead end with little explanation…such a shame. Some great ideas but none really fully formed and due to the style of storytelling…we reach the end rather abruptly. It comes across as one that could have been the start of a series…but I won’t be going on that journey.
December 3, 2017
I enjoyed this book as it didn't just follow one character and there was lots of twists and turns right to the very last page. An interesting fantasy/mystery and i can honestly say you will not expect/see coming what you read in the last chapters.
March 2, 2018
Chilling concepts, beautifully and vividly told. As Jaime says- lots of intertwined stories and layers. Definitely recommend this book as I loves reading it-
Unpredictable and emotive.
Unpredictable and emotive.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews