Thin Lines

The Child Thief #3

by Bella Forrest

"It sounded to me like they've been watching you--watching us--for a while..."

A decades-old conspiracy. A group of mysterious allies. An entire nation out for their blood.

The Compliance Authority does not take kindly to dissidents. Particularly dissidents who have managed to escape their grasp, not once, but twice.

Things are about to get a lot more dangerous for Robin, Jace, and their team. Making it all the more urgent to figure out what, if anything, Nathan is hiding--as well as if their convenient allies are, in fact, allies.

Because there's only one thing Robin can be sure of right now...

The farther they walk along this tightrope of a life they've found themselves trapped in, the thinner the line becomes.

Delve deeper into the world of the child thieves, as Robin and Jace continue their fight for survival--and justice.

Buy now!

*Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts*

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2018

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

BELLA IS BACK!

*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

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Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one book better then the second. Jace took the lead of their little group and he's much more adept then Robin. At least I wasn't ready to kill them all by the end of the book... that's definitely progress. : )

[Tasha Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! So amazing! I never expect anything less from Bella Forrest. You will NEVER be disappointed with one of her books. There is just so much excitement and suspense and love. Her books bounce all over the board, and turn out AMAZING! You would think with there always being new characters and plots that it would get to be too much for you, but in reality you cant get enough! It leaves you with wanting more!!! If you havent read this series yet i would definitely give it a go or better yet ANY of her series!!!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense-filled and compelling, “Thin Lines” the third book in the “Child Thief” series opens with Robin, Jace, their team and the escaped OH+ prisoners on the run from Ministry enforcers. With their every move tracked on traffic cams, the apartments of Alexi, Jace and Zion compromised,
and labelled as terrorists on television the story heats up as the noose of the manhunt tightens while they look for information about Nathan and his organization, Little John and where they might find sanctuary from their pursuers.

Fast-paced and intense the action never slows as Compliance Authority forces draw closer; barely escaping their entrapment by following wolves in the forest, hot wiring scooters and eventually taking the motorcycles found in the basement of Corona’s house. Woven into the main plot is the developing romance between Jace and Robin which deepens as they evade the force that wants to capture them dead or alive. But when Robin has a surprising encounter that arouses memories of her past and her love for the father of her stolen baby her relationship with Jace is strained. Well-written and mesmerizing as the team struggles to find safety and a doctor after Jackie’s injured, the intensity of this page-turner escalates as the plot flows to an explosive confrontation and an intriguing cliff-hanger near the end.

Igniting this plot with excitement and high-energy are familiar faces like the impulsive, impatient Robin and the down-to-earth, protective and astute Jace as well as new faces like the spontaneous, adventuresome, and rebellious Henry and Nathan’s wealthy, enigmatic second-in-command Corona.

I liked “ Thin Lines” the plot thickening as the government uncovers the identity of OH+ members and hunts for them while Robin, Jace and their team escaping multiple times uncovers information about Nathan and Little John.

[Maggie]

I've gone through this book and the last one. I still cannot get enough. These books are the first in a long time to keep and hold my attention. Jace and Robin slowly get closer and learn almost everything about each other. When they wake up in the field, they realize that nowhere is safe now. They have to get out of the country, but can they really leave with so many questions. Robin refuses to flee without her daughter. They have to find L.J. and figure out the conspiracy going on in the background of the government. I love this series, the books capture my attention. I actually find it hard to put it down. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book and the secrets they unveil with the help of L.J.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hanging

This is a great series. I have enjoyed taking the journey with Robin and the gang. I’m hoping that Robin & Jace will get together. Now that Henry has been thrown into the mix, it’s making the growing romance between Robin & Jace much more complicated. I’m worried about Jackie and with the ending leaving me hanging, had me screaming What the .... 4 stars even with being left hanging :)

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are really ramping up! I was going to try and make this one last a bit longer, but then a certain someone from Robin's past appears and I was like "DAMN! I ain't going to bed early tonight, this sh*t is juicy!!"
Although in saying that, I was already on the edge of my seat wanting to know what comes next in this high-stakes series, so who am I kidding, I was going to be powering through anyway! haha

[Megan Amaral · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so badly. I wanted to see how Robin and Jace's journey progressed. I wanted to finally see them kiss...they've been talking about it for so long...but nothing. The ending of this book was honestly the only thing going for it. This was completely a filler book where they just ended up where they started and traveling to the one place I honestly thought was the easiest option. It was my first thought. But no. They had to go on a wild goose chase running from the authority the WHOLE book going form one place to another, honestly not knowing why they chose these places, but that is what I have come to realize about this series. What my first instinct was, is clearly not theirs, and the ideas they come up with are so WILD, that you just have to accept it because somehow they lead them to their final goal. I started this book in the beginning of last month, but after a few chapters, I got bored. I finally decided to pick it up again maybe less than a week ago and wanted to power through it to get it over with. Now it is finally done and honestly, I am going to continue with this series just because of the random recruit they somehow picked up along the way around 85% through the book and how they will definitely help push Jace and Robin finally put some kind of label on things. And I am not saying that they need a label on their relationship, they both know that after everything is all done that they will find a home with one another and he will help find Robin's daughter and he raise her as his own. I think that was my favorite part of this whole book, that even though they weren't making out, their bond grew stronger and stronger that they both just knew that they would stay together no matter what. But I would definitely love to see them finally freaken share a kiss. Hopefully in the next book this new character will push them to finally DTR. I think Jace would definitely benefit from this after being a mope-y mess towards the end of this book. Like Robin loves you...have some faith buddy.

But this book was just a filler and them running back and forth between the forest and different houses, almost every time getting caught by the authority. I thought it was really funny how you knew when the authority was going to chase after them, but it was certain moments where I was like...yeah if the authority popped out of nowhere, this would be a perfect time. I was honestly bored throughout the whole book, only the ending having any kind of excitement. But I will keep on reading because Bella Forrest.

[Elizabeth✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, I have to admit, I was really disappointed in this book. Honestly, I’m starting to be disappointed in this series. I feel like this entire book was the same thing OVER and OVER again:

They are on the run from the authority. No matter what place they go to, they get caught by the authority every time, and every time they escape the authority. It happened about 6X (or MORE) during the book. It was just the same outcome and same running game throughout the entire story. You can only have the same thing happen 2-3 times without it becoming boring and predictable.....

Also, when I was reading, it felt like there was no time to BREATHE during the book, and not in the good way. There was SO MUCH running around, I was tired by the middle of the book of reading it. I wanted sometime for the characters to have some “down time” to expand their characters and relationships more. Towards the end of the chapters/book, that happened, but most of the book was just boring because it was all the same action (just in different locations).

Lastly, the romance/love interest in this series is awful. It is SO SLOW, and it’s disappointing. It’s the 3rd book, and they STILL haven’t had alone time to have at least a 30 second conversation or have anything happen between them to indicate that they have feelings for each other. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING has happened which is really annoying and disheartening for me as the reader (in my opinion and personal preference).

However, the book ended with a pretty interesting cliff hanger. I am interested to get some answers and to see where this story will go. I pray that these last few books are MUCH better than this one.

PLEASE DON’T LET ME DOWN BELLA FORREST 😭

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It sounded to me like they've been watching you--watching us--for a while..."A decades-old conspiracy. A group of mysterious allies. An entire nation out for their blood.The Compliance Authority does not take kindly to dissidents. Particularly dissidents who have managed to escape their grasp, not once, but twice. Things are about to get a lot more dangerous for Robin, Jace, and their team. Making it all the more urgent to figure out what, if anything, Nathan is hiding--as well as if their convenient allies are, in fact, allies. Because there's only one thing Robin can be sure of right now... The farther they walk along this tightrope of a life they've found themselves trapped in, the thinner the line becomes.Delve deeper into the world of the child thieves, as Robin and Jace continue their fight for survival--and justice.Buy now *Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts*

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Child thief 3

I absolutely love this series. It is so interesting. I live how the story flows and how the characters have so many challenges forcing them to be in constent fear and fury within their lives. After waking up in a fied the group goes in search for their next step. Although they left some of the crew behind in what they think is safety their own lives are basically tormented all along the way back . jace apartment is compromise and they excape that just to find that every where they go the authorities are searching for them..Jackie is wounded and she needs help. Luckily where they landed zion is there to welcome them. Totally recommend

[Kasandra Kurutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe Robin and her crew will finally get a small reprieve from the constant chase going on, but then maybe not...Another page turner of non stop action. The Authority is popping up at every turn gets to be a little too much and far fetched at times... but...Love the growing relationship between Robin and Jace but what will happen with Henry back in the scene?? Still love the over all idea of this story and look forward to see where things turn from here on out, keeping up hope that Robin will find her Hope.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella Forrest can tell a spellbinding story

What happened to the children and babies the government has taken from people they seem as to poor to raise them. Where are they....a group of young people trying to figure out what is going on are arrested, some thrown in prison and some escaping getting caught and breaking their friends out ,but not knowing who or what is really going on and how to fight back after the government sends troops after them.

[Purvi.joshi08yahoo.in · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story line!

After reading every book from the Shade series I have been hook by Bella Forrest's writing. Fiction that becomes your reality. Living vicariously through each character and story. In this series I was only disappointed with one person point of view. I was hopping to get the thought process and experiences of the other characters as well. Just like it was in The Shade series. However, still loved this read. Cannot wait for book 4.

[Adriana Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

And once again Bella gives me so much suspense! I can’t seriously get enough of this story hux and Robin are beyond my favorite i can’t wait to read the next book i stood up all night reading this book stay! If you like mystery and actions books this is the right story for you. BELLA FORREST YOU ARE AMAZING!

[nat _lovestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

So intense!!! 😳🙈

OMG what just happend???... This book was so intense with all that persecution and running and hiding... And then Henry's reappearance and helping them out escaping... And then all that people disappearances... And then that ending... My heart can't take it... Dying for the next book!!! 🤪😩😰

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella always keeps me guessing. Just when I think I have her figured out, she throws me for a loop and brings in characters that I seriously thought surely had disappeared from her plot line. I couldn’t put this one down and stayed up until 2am reading. I’m excited to see where Little Lies takes this little group next.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD

I just couldn’t put this book down. As always, Bella has us on the edge of our seat with this one. It’s so suspenseful I definitely wouldn’t read it if you’re trying to relax ;) so so good!

[Chelsy Lyles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good series but this book was a hard read

I expected to learn a lot more in this book but it really dragged. I am looking forward to the next book though to see how things pan out with Robin and Jace

[Janice Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense, fastest book I’ve read because I couldn’t put it down’

On the edge of my seat throughout the entire book! If you like mystery, suspense, government conspiracy, and hope, this is your series! I loved this last installment!

[Chris Knight-waechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing!

I placed a reminder on my calendar for the day this book came out. Stopped what I was reading and immediately took off on the next adventure! I can’t relay how much I enjoy Bella’s books. Fast, great stories and amazing characters!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

This series just keeps getting better and better! I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book! Just when you think they're safe something else comes up! Because of how the book ended I just can't wait for the next book to come out!

[Rebekah Elerick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cliffhanger of an ending!

Third book in the series... Dystopian books have become a "thing" for me... now I find myself IMPATIENTLY waiting. I waited for THIS book to be released and after that ending; I wait for 11/10/18!

[Aston Chee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic novel

When I started the child thief journey, I was hesitant and unsure if this book was really something I would get into. However, true to form the writer has the ability to draw me in, with enough action, drama, love and corruption.

[Lavyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hooked on this series and can't wait to see what happens next! I listened to the audiobook while commuting and have found myself looking for projects to complete in the house so I can keep listening! Let's just say the laundry is caught up and closets are cleaned out! Downloading book 4 now!

[DeAnna F-S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running for their lives

This book follows Robin and friends trying to escape from the crazy pursuit from the authority. How many more places are there to hide...
Great story and writing as always from Bella

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but needs work

I enjoyed the book and how the story is progressing, but there are quite a few typos, grammatical errors, and continuity issues that need to be corrected.

[Kelli Pizarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want it to end

So much has happened from the end of book 2 to the end of book 3, and I am not ready to part with the characters I've bonded with.
That's the problem with Bella. She always makes me grow attached to characters!!! <3

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one will transport you as the chase continues

The group is still trying to figure out what’s happening and why the government is taking children. Also why is the government making people disappear now?
This book is a fast paced adventure and now, on to Book 4!

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

More

This had more action, more adventure, and of course, more cliffhanger. I'm more invested in the story and the characters. Definitely ready to start getting some answers. For this book I give it a solid 4 stars.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Interesting

This story is still dragging, but getting more interesting. I’m still only here to find out what happens to Jace & Robin.

I also find the name that refer back to Robin Hood interesting. I think I would have played that up more.