13 anni dopo

by Kerry Wilkinson

Una ragazza fa la sua comparsa in una cittadina inglese dicendo di essere Olivia Adams, la bambina svanita nel nulla tredici anni prima. Quando Olivia Adams, a soli sei anni, scomparve dal giardino di casa, la piccola comunità di Stoneridge venne presa dallo sgomento. Come poteva una bambina sparire semplicemente nel nulla? Tredici anni dopo, Olivia è tornata. Si è presentata al bar di sua madre, Sarah, che non ha avuto nemmeno un momento di esitazione nel riconoscere la figlia scomparsa che non ha mai smesso di cercare. La ragazza sostiene di essere stata rapita, ma dice anche che solo di recente i ricordi del passato hanno cominciato a riaffiorare. Alcuni punti del suo racconto, però, rimangono oscuri: dove e come ha vissuto per tutti quegli anni? E che cosa è accaduto esattamente in quel lontano pomeriggio assolato? Eppure c’è qualcuno che non è felice della ricomparsa di Olivia. Perché quando il passato ritorna ci sono segreti che rischiano di essere svelati, dopo essere stati sepolti per molti anni.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

Recent and upcoming UK releases:
24 October 2023: The Night Of The Sleepover
15 December 2023: After The Sleepover
2024: The Girl On The Side Of The Road
2024: The Missing Body

Kerry Wilkinson has sold more than two million books - and had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.

As well as his Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written a trilogy featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, the Whitecliff series, the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

Find out more at: http://kerrywilkinson.com or http://facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks

Find out more at: his website or Facebook

Reviews

[Kaceey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Traveling Sister read with Brenda!

4.5*

Olivia disappeared from her back-yard garden at the tender age of 6. Gone in an instant.
Her parents ultimately divorced, moving on with their lives as best they could. Her mother Sarah remarried and had a new baby. Her father Dan spiraled out of control and was left a crushed, defeated man.

When out of the blue, Little Olivia simply skips back into their lives as a teenager, some 13 years later, and no one can believe it...or her! Could it really be the same missing girl from so long ago? Or is this an imposter trying to embed herself into the lives of those so vulnerable and desperate to have her back.

Kerry Wilkinson delivers a very taught, twisty thriller that was extremely hard to put down. I was all-in from the beginning. We set aside a weekend to read this book but basically it took just over one day.
(Interrupted only by work)!!

Although I did figure out some of the twists along the way, it certainly didn’t deter my enjoyment of this book at all!! I still hung on every word, even reading beyond the goals we set for ourselves!

My first book from this author and will definitely be on the look-out for more! Highly recommend for all psychological thriller lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For this review and our full traveling sister review please visit Brenda and Norma's Fantastic Traveling Sister Book Blog http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth Kerry Wilkinson book that I have read in the last four months. He has therefore obviously become one of my go to authors. I consider his novels comfort reads, perhaps because he is a terrific storyteller with a writing style that is extremely fluent. He is a versatile author capable of penning stories in several different genres. This book, a standalone, is a psychological thriller.

The novel runs with two major threads. The main arc belongs to Olivia. Olivia disappeared from her back yard 13 years ago at the age of 5. Olivia turns out to be alive and well and has reappeared in her hometown, causing a lot of…well, let’s say interest, amongst the townfolk. Then we have Lily’s story. Lily lost her mom at an early age and is living with her broken dad. Life is not easy for Lily. How are these threads related?

This is an intriguing tale. There are a fair number of characters and not too many are straightforward, including our two narrators. If you like unreliable narrators, this one is definitely for you. It’s tough sorting out who is trustable and who isn’t. There are shocking events that take place and decisions made that make you wonder how well you can really know anyone. In addition, a number of ethical questions are raised that made me wonder what I would really think, say, and do if I were in these particular circumstances. There is a lot to chew on.

I must admit some of the plot stretched the believability factor for me. Sometimes that bothers me, but not so much with this book. I will cut Kerry some slack as when it’s all said and done he entertains me.

I’m not totally sure why I love Kerry Wilkinson’s stuff; I just do. And that’s good enough for me. I highly recommend The Girl Who Came Back to anyone looking for a good piece of intrigue that will make you think.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Traveling Sister Review with Kaceey.

The Girl Who Came Back is a fascinating, gripping and a fast-paced psychological thriller that had Kaceey and I hooked right from start to finish. Once we started, it quickly turned into an afternoon of us messaging each other with our theories and guesses till life needed our attention or I should say someone. Lol Kaceey had her game on with this and we made a pretty good team piecing this one together with Kaceey figuring out the twists. At least I wasn't in left field again with this one.

Kerry Wilkinson does a great job creating an intriguing character here with our main character Olivia the girl who came back. Right from the start we were questioning her return and trying to figure out what secrets she was hiding. We were also intrigued by Lily’s story and the suspense increased as we tried to figure out how she was connected to the story. Kerry Wilkinson does a brilliant job weaving those two stories together and allowing us ok Kaceey to figure out the brilliant twists and keeping us interested right to the end

We really liked how the story came together in the end and were quite satisfied with the ending. In the end we were asking ourselves if “The past is the past and should some secrets remain buried”. We highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for a copy to read and review.

Kaccey’s review and all of our Traveling Sisters Read Reviews can be found on Norma’s and my sister blog:
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...

[Sarah Joint · Rating 4 out of 5]

A parent will always know their own child... right?

Another winner for Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture. Very gripping read, I never wanted to put it down and flew through it quite quickly. His style of writing is easy to read and engaging. It really keeps your attention.

Six year old Olivia Adams disappeared from her garden one afternoon without a trace. Things like that just don't happen in little Stoneridge... until that day. She becomes a cautionary tale, the reason parents want their children home before dark, why they hold them extra close. You don't want to end up like Olivia, do you?

It's thirteen years later and Olivia is back... or is she? She has a strange, sort of vague story about being taken by travelers. She's stingy on the details. She doesn't want to pursue any legal action. But mom looks into her eyes and she just knows her daughter has finally returned to her. Some people just aren't convinced, including her bully of a second husband. Who is right?

Very enjoyable read. I went back and forth as I tried to figure out what was going on. I did figure it out a bit early, but Wilkinson threw some extras in there that made it stay interesting and kept me engaged in the book. It lost a little favor from me when the police were only vaguely interested in her return, I'm not sure if that's realistic or not but it just struck me as a little odd. All in all, another fine book from Bookouture and definitely worth the read!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find all my reviews: http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Well, well well, this one had me unexpectedly gripped from start to finish where I resented moving from my comfy chair to enter 'real life'.

This take place in a small English village, just a little community of people, and whoosh, this child Olivia goes missing. Right from her own back garden.


Of course the village people rally around and go in search the the missing 5 year old.
But coming up to time thirteen years later, Olivia turns up alive and well causing a huge stir among many of the village occupants; as you can imagine.

Her Mother accepts that this girl standing before her is her long lost daughter who she always hoped and maintained was still alive.

The enstranged Father is also a bit apprehensive.

Alongside runs a story of Lily who is living with her Dad, but, how are these two families entwined?

There is an awful lot to digest here which keeps your reading juices flowing and just as you think you are getting somewhere, you are not. Its pleasantly exhausting to be kept on your toes like this.

The words flowed well, the pace I found was good and in between the reader was able to take a small breather before ploughing on.

You never knew who to trust in this book, you thought you did, only to be fooled.

I sat and thought about this subject matter long after I read the last page, really is food for thought.

I received my copy via Bookoutour on Net Galley

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Kerry Wilkinson’s books. Interesting characters and psychological thrillers that slowly build to an exciting end. In this one, Olivia Adams went missing over 13 years ago at the age of 6. Despite an extensive police search, no trace of her was ever found. As the book opens, we see her reappear in the café where her mother works. Her parents are convinced it’s her. Others aren’t as sure. This novel has an interesting structure as unlike many kidnapping novels, it takes place entirely in the future timeline, rather than any of the action taking place when the actual kidnapping occurred, so we’re really seeing the effects thirteen years and the devastation of Olivia’s disappearance have caused on her family and the town as a whole. We also have the POV of Lily, who lost her mother at a young age and lives with her father. The question is… how do these two stories intersect? Some plot points I guessed early on, but there were still plenty of surprises! I liked the way that as the narrative slowly unfolded, the characters developed in surprising ways.

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typically, if a book is dealing with the return of a missing child, the perspective is from that of the parent(s) or others trying to discern if the child is the real deal. Here, the book is told from the perspective of the child.

After 13 years of being missing, Olivia returns to the town of her childhood and finds her mom. Her mom is convinced it’s her, but Olivia’s new stepfather and his brother aren’t. Given that she was five when she was nabbed, it’s understandable that her memories of her early life and abduction are vague. One discussion she has with a childhood friend rang particularly true. Nattie says she's not sure how many of her memories are true or she's heard her mother tell a story so many times the story became a memory. I often feel like this, unsure if something is an original memory or a transplant, so to speak.

Interspersed with the chapters on Olivia are ones about Lilly, growing up with just her dad after her mom’s death. Wilkinson doesn't explain the link between the two storylines and it's a long time coming.

Over the past year, I’ve become a huge Kerry Wilkinson fan. I devoured his Jessica Daniel series. This one was slower to grab me. It's more of a slow burn with this book. There's something off about the whole thing, but you don't know what. That's what keeps you turning the pages. I had my suspicions from early on. And I sort of, kind of got it right.

My thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of this book.

[Melisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I could not put this one down!

This is my second book by Kerry Wilkinson and he once again did not disappoint. This is a seriously clever thriller. And this author is quickly becoming one of my go-to's for when I'm in the mood for some good suspense.

I had a moment at the beginning where I almost stopped reading due to some shady character behavior for which I had to suspend disbelief a bit, but man am I glad I pushed through.

I tore through this one in 24 hours, it was a fast paced, exciting read.

Thank you to Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GIRL WHO CAME BACK is a standalone psychological thriller by bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson. This was a fast-paced read that had me hooked right from start to finish. This is the second standalone psychological thriller that I have had the pleasure of reading by this author, having I thoroughly enjoyed reading TWO SISTERS. It definitely won’t be my last. I have lots of catching up to do.

This novel highlights the drama dealing with the return of a missing child, told from the perspective of the child, with her mother and others trying to determine if she is legit.

Thirteen years ago, Olivia Adams went missing. Now she’s back… or is she? Her mother is convinced it’s her but not everyone is sure. But where has this missing girl been?

When six-year-old Olivia Adams disappeared from her back garden, the small community of Stoneridge, a small English village was thrown into turmoil. How could a child vanish into midair?

And if Olivia is not who she says…who is she and why is she doing this?

But there are some people that believe the past should remain as the past and the secrets remain hidden.

The Girl Who Came Back has a strong plot and well-fleshed out characters. Highly recommend for all psychological thriller lovers!

My thanks to Bookouture via Netgalley for my digital copy.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen years ago when Olivia Adams was only five years old she disappeared from her yard with no trace leaving her parents to wonder just what happened to their little girl. Now a young woman walks into the diner owned by Olivia's mother and approaches the woman with the claim that she is Olivia and she's finally returned home.

Olivia's mother is immediately sure that this is her daughter that has returned to her but others around her are not so sure and demand answers. Olivia's story is one that is believable, she's spent the past thirteen years being raised by travelers and has come to escape them to return. But it's odd that Olivia doesn't want to go to the police so can anyone believe she is who she claims to be?

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson is another very solid thriller that will leave readers guessing up until the very end just where the author is taking them on the journey within the pages. I will say I held back a bit getting connected with Olivia trying to figure out if I should root for her to be the real daughter returned or if she would be an imposter so it took me a bit to get truly invested but the mystery kept the pages turning.

The majority of this story is told by Olivia as she returns home and rejoins her family but there is also a side story throughout with a girl named Lily. The mystery of the two girls slowly unravels throughout the read and as many guesses as I came up with when it was all said and done this was one thriller that I didn't find easy to piece together at all and was quite impressed with how it worked out in the end. Would definitely recommend checking this one out having enjoyed it along with others by this author I've read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Adrian Dooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice premise, the story line had me hooked from the start but as I read on I became a little underwhelmed.

Olivia Adams went missing as a 6 year old. Vanishing from her back garden when her father was minding her, she was never found.
13 years later and Olivia appears back in the village. She has apparently escaped her captors and is reunited with her mother and now stepfather as her parents divorced shortly after her disappearance, her father now turned to alcohol to dampen his guilt and failure. The village is intrigued and mostly delighted to have her back but her stepfather and brother(who are inseparable) are quite cold towards her, even hostile, not convinced she is who she says she is and are suspicious that she's an imposter.
We also have another narrative in the book and the life of Lily and her tragic upbringing. We learn about her mothers death at an early age and her mostly absent father. As the chapters chop and change between the two narratives, the reader must wonder what the connection if any is between Lily and Olivia.

This is my first read of a Kerry Wilkinson book and while a little underwhelming, it probably did enough for me to seek out his other work. The story sounds intriguing from the start as Olivia turns back up. All told from her perspective, we sort of know not to trust her completely as we try to figure out what is and isn't true. She's probably the strongest written character in the book. The rest alas, are either very cliched or just waiter thin. The character of her mother I found especially disappointing and two dimensional. We are introduced to her at the start as Olivia turns up at her Coffee shop and I was expecting some dynamic scenes between the two characters as the book progressed but Olivia seems to spend more time with two new friends who again aren't the most interesting of characters, while the mother flits in and out of the book with no real substance to her at all.

The story was decent if unspectacular. The pieces are put in place a little heavy handidly throughout to all lead to the finale. A finale which seemed to lose the run of itself a little I felt.

Decent but unspectacular would be my best description of this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. A solid three stars but a fairly forgettable read. Still there was enough there for me to want read more of the authors work which I hope to seek out.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel that Kerry always delivers a solid mystery. I love his Jessica Daniel's series. His standalone books aren't his best but you know they're going to be good.

This one begins with a woman who re-enters a life who people believe went missing when she was six. 13 years later--here she is or is it really her? Olivia doesn't need to prove anything to her Mum because mother's know their own children. Right? Other people around aren't so sure though. Is Olivia after something? Money? This is the question. As Olivia settles a little more in Stonebridge and starts to make friends, starts to love a family,......the truth will come out.

Fast paced, good characters, and a solid plot. I expect nothing less from Kerry.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katerina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Μόλις τελείωσα Το κορίτσι που γύρισε πίσω και ακόμη δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω γιατί το χαρακτήρισαν ψυχολογικό θρίλερ. Για μένα ήταν ένα οικογενειακό δράμα με στοιχεία σασπένς.

Από την αρχή σχεδόν κατάλαβα τι γινόταν εκτός από το τέλος που αν και είχε αρκετή δράση είχα βαρεθεί τόσο πολύ μέχρι να φτάσω σε εκείνο το σημείο που με άφησε παγερά αδιάφορη!

Για τους χαρακτήρες του βιβλίου μετά λύπης μου μπορώ να πω πως από τους 20 ζήτημα αν συμπάθησα 3-4 και ειλικρινά λυπήθηκα τον Νταν που οι πράξεις τρίτων του κατέστρεψαν τη ζωή χωρίς να φέρει κάποιο μερίδιο ευθύνης. Φυσικά η ζωή δεν είναι δίκαιη αλλά στο τέλος κατά κάποιον τρόπο μπορώ να πω πως πηρε την εκδίκησή του έστω και εν αγνοία του!
Αυτή που δεν άντεχα με τίποτα ήταν η Σάρα η μητέρα του εξαφανισμενου κοριτσιού και δεν με συγκίνησαν καθόλου οι κακοτοπιές της αφού τις προκάλεσε στον εαυτό της με τις πράξεις της!

Σε γενικές γραμμές μου φάνηκε βαρετό και δεν κατάφερε να κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον μου!

I just finished The girl who came back and I still can't understand why it's described as a psychological thriller. To me it's just a family drama with glimpses of suspense.

I figured out early on what was going on and even though near the end it had many moments of action I was so bored with the story that I really didn't care about them.

Sadly I must confess that I disliked most of the characters with 3-4 exceptions and I really felt sorry for Dan because his life was destroyed by actions of others and no fault of his own but life isn't fair and at least in some weird way in the end he got his moment of revenge although unbeknownst to him.
The character I couldn't stand was Sarah the mother of the disappeared girl and I couldn't feel sorry for her misfortunes since the consequences were caused by her actions!

In general I didn't like the story and found it boring and predictable!

[Diana]

Judging by the book's premise I thought I would be more interested in it than I actually was. I mean, the main mistery when she appears is whether she is Olivia or whether she is a scammer. And while th eidea of a DNA test appears at the beginning, the mother refuses saying it would be hurtful to her daughter to bring this up, I guess it was a way to delay some things, but tbh, I didn't like or feel any of the characters, and I ended up deciding that -sadly- the book wasn't for me and stopped reading.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stand alone thriller from author Kerry Wilkinson.
When Olivia Adams was six years old she disappeared from her back garden in the sleepy village of Stoneridge. Now thirteen years later she returns to Stoneridge but not everyone is convinced she is the missing girl. Why did she disappear? Why is she back? and if she's an impostor what is she trying to achieve?
Not everyone is pleased to see her and may not want the secrets to be revealed.
This is a fast paced suspenseful read that keeps you turning the pages. I was hooked and read it in one sitting wanting to know the answers to the questions. This is a good read.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I read a book and finish it thinking ‘I wish I’d wrote that’ and The Girl Who Came Back is one of those books. I am a fan of Kerry Wilkinson’s Jessica Daniel series (and I really need to get back into it because I am so far behind) and I was excited to read one of his psychological thrillers. Simply for where this story went and how everything ended, it’s probably one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read recently.

The story features a girl returning to the village of Stoneridge where she claims to be the missing girl, Olivia, who vanished when she was 6 years old. As the book opened I felt that everything was quite emotionless. Olivia returns and there wasn’t any great, dramatic, emotional scenes. Everything felt toned down and I was left disappointed at whether the rest of the book would have this muted feeling. However I suppose people react differently and how my family would react to something like this might differ from how someone else’s might but I just wanted more emotion. The plot moves along nicely as we see Olivia meeting her family and old friends and facing those who question whether she really is Olivia. I felt that things stagnated a bit part way through and I wanted things to move on a little bit quicker than they were. That said I enjoyed everything that I was reading, and I was excited and a little bit fearful as the story unfolded and I couldn’t stop thinking about what was to come and which characters I could trust. That feeling of unease is present the whole way through this story and it had me gripped to what I was reading.

As the story progresses there’s plenty of mystery and intrigue, not least when we see chapters featuring another young girl. I had so many different theories running around in my mind and then I was knocked for six with one line and I couldn’t read quick enough to reach the end of the story. As I was reading I wondered just how Kerry was going to end the story, what explanation would be given for everything that had happened up until these final moments and honestly it was just fantastic. I didn’t fully work out what was going to happen, and I was so impressed with how this story ended. There’s so much I want to say about it but the best thing I can say is read this book if you haven’t already. It’s a great exploration of family, friendship, jealousies and what jealousy can drive people to do, and secrets. Most of all secrets. Don’t trust anybody you meet in this story is all I’m saying. Well, they’re not all bad but I’m not naming names. If this is the standard of psychological thriller we can expect from Kerry Wilkinson then I’m excited to read more from him and have his other thrillers queued up and ready to go. Highly recommended.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything Kerry Wilkinson writes - he has such an addictive, page-turning style of writing. And this book is definitely one of his very best! From the first line to very last, this was a superb, mind-blowing read. Everything I thought I knew was turned on its head as I kept reading, every page revealing something knew that made me question myself and the characters. This is the kind of book I love best, where you don't know whom to trust, where every character is flawed yet supremely human, where every page holds secrets. Absolutely loved this engaging, amazing story and I cannot wait for more from this incredibly versatile and talented author.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman has turned up in the cosy English village of Stoneridge claiming to be Olivia Adams who disappeared from her back garden when she was five years old.

Is she Olivia Adams or isn't she?.If she is - then where has she been for the last thirteen years and is she isn't - then why is she pretending to be the missing girl?.

Her mother is convinced that she is her missing daughter but not everyone is so sure.

There are those in the village who would rather Olivia stayed missing.The past is the past and some secrets must remain buried.

The chapters alternate between Olivia and another young girl called Lily.Olivia`s chapters are set in the present while Lily`s start in the past and work their way up to the present day.I enjoyed Olivia`s parts a lot more than I did Lily`s,there was more mystery and intregue in Olivia`s chapters.To be honest the changes in character point of view were frustrating at times because you would get to a really interesting part of Olivia`s story,turn the page and find that the next chapter or two would be about Lily.I honestly groaned out loud a couple of times and was so tempted to skim forward to the next Olivia chapter because I really wanted to know what happened next.

I really liked Olivia despite her faults,she could be really funny and witty at times.The villagers were a mixed bunch of believable,realistic characters,some likeable,some not so likeable.The author certainly likes writing about small communities where everyone knows everyone else's business and gossip spreads faster than the wind through the trees.

It's a well written thriller about families,secrets,lies and how far people will go to feel wanted and loved by others.It's not fast paced but it does have some intense,gripping chapters towards the end.Unfortunately I worked out what was going on quite early in the story but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book and I would happily read some more books by this author in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cor! Kerry Wilkinson strikes again with this absolutely incredible page turner!

Thirteen years ago, five year old Olivia disappeared from her back garden. Now she’s back. Or is she? Her mother is convinced her daughter has returned but not everyone shares her conviction. Is the girl who came back Olivia or merely an imposter?

With The Girl Who Came Back the author has once again delivered a brilliantly executed plot. It is completely engrossing and compelling with tons of complex, and some quite unlikeable, characters. Its slow pace works like a charm, as does the setting of this sleepy village where everybody seems to know everybody’s business. Although maybe not quite because how is it possible that a five year old can just disappear like that?

Slowly but surely family secrets will be revealed and some skeletons will fall out of the closets. And in the middle of all of that, there’s the always interesting topic of nature versus nurture that has you wondering if things might have turned out differently in an alternate universe.

Tension bubbles away underneath the surface throughout the story and there was this subtle threatening vibe that had me on the edge of my seat. There are tiny clues along the way that are sometimes quite easy to miss but when you pick up on them, they’ll have you wracking your brain trying to figure out what’s going on. And just when you think you know, there’s a twist or two that’ll make your head spin.

This is quite a quick read but utterly absorbing. Kerry Wilkinson is an amazing writer whose stories constantly manage to reel me in and keep me hooked. All I can say is, I’d like some more, please.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read anything from this author before but he is now in my list. Olivia has been missing for thirteen years with her family having no idea what happened to her after she was kidnapped when she was six years old. Most of her small town were involved with searching for her, but it was all to no avail. Now she has returned but is this really Olivia? The story is told from two POV's, Olivia and a girl named Lily but who is Lily and what brings these two characters together? Well developed characters and a strong plot, this is quite a gripping read and you will not be disappointed if you take the time to read this book. Again thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πάρα, μα πάρα πολύ καλή αφηγηματική ροή. Το βιβλίο δεν κάνει πουθενά κοιλιά, δεν πιάνεις τον εαυτό σου να βαριέται ούτε για μια στιγμή, ενώ δεν μπορείς να τ’ αφήσεις απ’ τα χέρια σου.
Πολύ ενδιαφέρων ο τρόπος με τον οποίο χειρίζεται ο συγγραφέας την παράλληλη, εμβόλιμη ιστορία της Lily και του πατέρα της, την οποία δεν μπορείς λεπτό να σταματήσεις να σκέφτεσαι, βάζοντας με το νου σου χίλια πράγματα και φτιάχνοντας δεκάδες σενάρια που θα μπορούσαν να δίνουν μία λογική εξήγηση. Κι ενώ φαντάζει εύκολο, τελικά δεν είναι καθόλου.
Πολύ ωραία, δομημένα, άρτια και πλήρη ψυχογραφήματα. Όλοι οι χαρακτήρες είναι αναλυμένοι τόσο όσο χρειάζεται, τόσο όσο θα έπρεπε προκειμένου να τους κατανοήσουμε, να καταλάβουμε τον ψυχισμό τους, το πώς σκέφτονται, λειτουργούν, πράττουν, αλλά και ποια είναι τα εσωτερικά κίνητρα που καθοδηγούν τον καθένα τους, καθώς και το ποιοι είναι οι κώδικες της προσωπικής τους ηθικής.
Η ιστορία αυτή σου προκαλεί μια εσωτερική αγωνία, ενισχύει τους φόβους και τις ανασφάλειές σου, ειδικά αν είσαι γονιός, παίζοντας με το υποσυνείδητό του. Και μπορεί αυτό ν’ ακούγεται κάπως διεστραμμένο, αλλά από ένα βιβλίο αυτής της κατηγορίας, το να πετυχαίνει κάτι τέτοιο, είναι μάλλον σπουδαίο.
Παράλληλα με όλα, σου δείχνει πως η εξαφάνιση αυτή επηρέασε, όχι μόνο την οικογένεια της Olivia, αλλά και ολόκληρη την μικρή τους κοινωνία. Και ειδικά σε μία εποχή που εξαφανίσεις δίνουν και παίρνουν, αυτό δίνει τροφή για σκέψη και προβληματισμό, σε κοινωνικό πλαίσιο, εκτός των άλλων, όχι μόνο μυθιστορηματικά αλλά και πραγματιστικά, φέρνοντας σε παραλληλισμό τη μυθιστορία με την αληθινή ζωή.

(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is pretty straightforward; Olivia Adams comes back home after 13 years, her mother believes that she is who she says she is : her daughter. And there are those who are suspicious. Then there are hidden truths, the family secrets, domestic abuse, people wearing masks. And the main crux of the story who is Olivia?? why has she come back??
As usual, the author, Kerry Wilkinson, has written a fast book with a lot of hints thrown in. He has made a simple story into a mystery read with 20 year old secrets. He has touched upon a lot of sensitive topics, but being a book of suspense, not dealt with any of them.
His book is written in two viewpoints, the main character Olivia and a child Lily. So that gives a lot of hints of where the story is proceeding. Not much in depth development is done of any of the characters. But a lot of description is given to the details of their drinks at the pub.
I picked up the book for the mystery in the title and the blurb but soon realized that there are parts written which are quite slow, does not keep the adrenaline racing. I didn't like any of the characters, they were all flawed but I couldn't find any redeeming points to admire them.
But, all this does not take away the mystery from the story, it has its own fun to read, just not a nail biting one. To me, this was a light weekend read, where I read, wrote my review and didn't go back to book to think about it. Onto my next read....
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher, Bookouture and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was excellent. The story got me hooked throughout and I really liked all the twists and turns. The twist at the end I eventually realised what it was but still I thought it was excellent. There was not a dull bit of the story and I was desperate to find out what happened. This is my first book by Kerry Wilkinson and it definitely won’t be the last. This was a great book to finish off 2018 with.

[Zannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson.

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson is a delightful read. I loved the premise of the story and could not put the book down. Although goodreads.com says it took me three days to read it, I read most of it in one day.

The Girl Who Came Back is a book about Olivia, who “came back” after having been missing for 13 years. She was kidnapped out of her garden when she was 6-years old, and the entire village searched for her, then memorialized her once they declared her dead.

Simultaneously, we also read the story of Lily. Her story begins at the age of 12 when her mother passes away. Her father loses himself in alcohol, and she has to take care of them both.

I loved how Olivia’s and Lily’s stories meld together in the end. I particularly enjoyed reading about Lily.

But back to the village. Oliva’s mother and other villagers are beyond excited to see Olivia. But not everyone is so happy about her return. Namely her mother’s current husband Max and his creepy brother Ashley.

One Flaw.

Kerry Wilkinson’s Two Sisters was a 5-star book for me, and I thought The Girl Who Came Back would be the same. But there was one major thing that was bothering me the whole time.

So we know this story is about a kidnapped girl who came back (or so the title says!). So when she came back, why did the cops barely show an interest when it was such a high-profile case 13 years ago?

Don’t let that flaw dissuade you. After all, I did give it four above average stars. It’s a great book and an interesting story with twists.

I didn’t find Olivia as likable as I thought I would. However, the surrounding characters more than made up for that. I loved her friends, Nattie and Rhys. And above all, I loved her father, Dan. He fell apart after her disappearance and subsequent divorce from Olivia's mother. But he was so delighted upon Olivia’s return, that it was beautiful to see him pick himself back up and become her father again.

Set aside any judgment I made on the police matter; I highly recommend The Girl Who Came Back.

[Ελενη Ηλιαδου · Rating 2 out of 5]

📕📕📕 Η άποψη μου 📕📕📕

Τίτλος : Το κορίτσι που γύρισε πίσω

Ένα βιβλίο που διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα με απλή γραφή. Τα ψυχογραφήματα σε σωστές δόσεις χωρίς να κουράζουν και δίνοντας μας τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία.
Δυστυχώς όμως δεν με ενθουσίασε η πλοκή του βιβλίου, βρήκα μέτρια την υπόθεση που από την μέση του βιβλίου άρχισα να μπαίνω στο νόημα του ποιος είναι το θύμα και ποιος ο θύτης,αυτό μου το έκανε προβλέψιμο ο συγγραφέας δίνοντας αρκετά στοιχεία με τις χρονικές εναλλαγές που έκανε από τ�� παρελθόν στο παρόν !
Κάποιος βέβαια μπορεί να μην τα καταλάβει εάν δεν διαβάζει αρκετά αστυνομικά.Αν και το συγκεκριμένο το κατατάσσω σε ψυχολογικό -κοινωνικό και ούτε καν θρίλερ που περιγράφει το εξώφυλλο!
Οι τελευταίες σελιδες ήταν και οι καλύτερες γιατί περιείχαν αυτό που μου έλειπε σε όλο το βιβλίο..η ένταση δράση και η αγωνία για την κατάληξη των πρωταγωνιστών.
Για εμένα ήταν ένα μέτριο βιβλίο που θα μπορούσε να είναι μόνο 100 σελιδες αλλά και πάλι η ιστορία του δεν θα με ενθουσίαζε.
Του βάζω 2/5
⭐️⭐️

Σύνοψη του βιβλίου "Το κορίτσι που γύρισε πίσω"

Πριν από δεκατρία χρόνια, η Ολίβια Άνταμς εξαφανίστηκε. Τώρα γύρισε… ή μήπως όχι;

Όταν η εξάχρονη Ολίβια Άνταμς εξαφανίστηκε από τον πίσω κήπο του σπιτιού της, η μικρή κοινότητα στο Στόουνριτζ βυθίστηκε στην αναταραχή. Πώς μπόρεσε να χαθεί ένα παιδί καταμεσής ενός ήσυχου αγγλικού χωριού;
Έχουν περάσει δεκατρία χρόνια, και η Ολίβια τώρα έχει επιστρέψει. Η μητέρα της είναι πεπεισμένη ότι είναι εκείνη, αλλά δεν είναι όλοι σίγουροι. Αν πρόκειται για το χαμένο κορίτσι, τότε πού ήταν, και τι της συνέβη εκείνο το ηλιόλουστο απόγευμα;
Αν είναι απατεώνας, τότε ποιος θα τολμούσε να κοροϊδέψει την ίδια τη μητέρα ενός παιδιού, και γιατί;
Επίσης, υπάρχουν κι εκείνοι που θα προτιμούσαν να παραμείνει η Ολίβια αγνοούμενη. Το παρελθόν είναι παρελθόν, και κάποια μυστικά πρέπει να παραμένουν χαμένα.

Ένα συναρπαστικό και καθηλωτικό ψυχολογικό θρίλερ, που θα σας κρατήσει με κομμένη την ανάσα μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα.

Συγγραφέας: Wilkinson Kerry
Κατηγορία: αστυνομική λογοτεχνία
Ημερ/νία έκδοσης: 29/11/2017
Εκδότης: Μάτι
Σελίδες: 352

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente un thriller psicologico decente. I due che ho letto lo scorso anno non erano un granchè. Almeno smonta, per ora, il fatto che questo tipo di thriller non mi piaccia. Questo era davvero bello.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very competent little suspense story, which benefits from being set in a claustrophobic small English village. I'm not sure I agree with reviewers who talk of a final surprising twist (it's sorta obvious what's coming), but it's all played out efficiently.

I would have rated this more highly, but I couldn't reconcile myself to an incident revealed near the end about the narrator; it was not only gratuitously nasty, but also out of character & unnecessary.

[Jackleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars

A very good psychological thriller. The style of writing and how the book was presented just worked for me. A proper page turner.

[Mohikanos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Αυτή τη φορά θα αρχίσω λίγο αντίστροφα την αξιολόγηση μου, κάνοντας αναφορά στην εξαιρετική δουλειά των εκδόσεων "Μάτι" που στεγάζονται στην Κατερίνη, τόσο αναφορικά με το πάρα πολύ ωραίο εξώφυλλο όσο και με την επιμέλεια του βιβλίου και γενικότερα τη συνολική εικόνα του.
Στα του βιβλίου τώρα, έχουμε να κάνουμε με μία ιστορία η οποία αναφέρεται στην εξαφάνιση μιας εξάχρονης και στην επιστροφή της 13 χρόνια μετά. Ουσιαστικά πρόκειται για την καταγραφή περίπου μιας εβδομάδας από τη ζωή της πρωταγωνίστριας, από τη στιγμή της επιστροφής της στην οικογένεια της, μέχρι την αποκάλυψη της αλήθειας πίσω από την ιστορία αυτή.
Μολονότι το βιβλίο είναι καλογραμμένο, η καταγραφή της δραστηριότητας της πρωταγωνίστριας σε ημερήσια βάση περιλαμβάνει πολλά γεγονότα που δεν βοηθούν ιδιαίτερα στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας, δεν αυξάνουν την αγωνία του αναγνώστη, αλλά χρησιμοποιούνται για να κατανοήσουμε περισσότερο τις σχέσεις που έχουν αναπτυχθεί μεταξύ των κατοίκων του χωριού, με αναφορές σε ιστορίες του παρελθόντος.
Από αυτήν την άποψη, θα μπορούσα να πω ότι το βιβλίο είναι περισσότερο κοινωνικό παρά ψυχολογικό θρίλερ. Η αγωνία για να μάθεις την εξέλιξη της ιστορίας δεν καθιστά ένα βιβλίο θρίλερ• άλλωστε και για το "Παρά Πέντε" είχαμε αγωνία να δούμε που θα καταλήξει, αλλά δεν μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί θρίλερ...Ακόμα και το τέλος χάνει αρκετά σε ένταση, από τη μια γιατί η ιστορία οδηγείται από μόνη της σε ένα τέτοιο κλείσιμο, και από την άλλη γιατί ο συγγραφέας δεν καταφέρνει ούτε να κλιμακώσει την ένταση για να φτάσει την ιστορία στην κορύφωσή της, ούτε να μας εκπλήξει με την αποκάλυψη της αλήθειας.
Επαναλαμβάνω ότι είναι ένα καλογραμμένο βιβλίο που, αν πέσει στα χέρια σας, διαβάζεται ευχάριστα. Αν δεν πέσει όμως, μην το ψάξετε ιδιαίτερα... (6/10)

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't think this was a gripping phycological thriller found it a bit boring. The best was the beginning and the end it just droned on I ended up skipping some pages and where was the police,they asked a couple of questions then left that wouln't happen.I didn't like the ending even though it was lily. The only one I felt really sad about was little Olivia that was going to be left and forgotten about. It was only a page turner for me because I just wanted to get it finished.