Finding Lucy

by Diana Finley

Every family has its secrets. None more than this one.
Alison’s life has been a lonely one, but now it’s time to change that. With no children in her future there is only one answer – she’ll take one.
She’ll rescue a girl who needs a better home. A better mother. A better life.
It will be the start of a perfect family, and no one will question who Lucy really is. Especially not Lucy herself…
A dark story of psychological suspense, perfect for fans of Kerry Fisher, Liane Moriarty and Linda Green.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Thriller, Adult

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2018

About the author

After working in the NHS with Autistic children and their families for many years, I took a change of direction and returned to an early love - writing! I did an MA in Creative Writing, and spent the following year completing my debut novel, 'The Loneliness of Survival'. Such a joy when Indigo Dreams published it on 29th August 2014!

'The Loneliness of Survival is an emotional, often traumatic read, but also has moments of great warmth and humour. My own mother was a refugee from Nazi Austria, separated from her family and her life in turmoil. The novel is partly based on her experiences, and those of many others in similar circumstances. It covers 100 years of the life of Anna, the main character, from her birth in 1914 to her hundredth birthday in 2014.

As well as writing - and promoting my book - I love to walk and cycle in the beautiful country and coast of my home area of Northumberland and the NE of England. Other interests are reading, films, theatre and music - and travelling when I get the chance.

Reviews

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. My main problem is that I felt no emotion. I didn't feel sorry for the main character, nor did I feel anything for Lucy. Lucy was kidnapped when she was 2 years old by someone that thought she could do a better job raising her than her biological parents. The writing went through a few pov's, Lucy's, Alison, the detective, and the biological mother. I felt nothing for these characters. The writing was very monotone to the point that I was bored. I was being told everything without much emotion put into the words. I also felt that there was too much forgiveness by the characters. If my child had been kidnapped and I didn't see her again till she was in her twenties, well, I would want the person to pay. I'm sure others will enjoy this book but for me, it was boring and lacked in many ways.

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

[Adele Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison Brown was somewhat of a loner and when her mother died she was at a loss and lonely. When visiting her mother's grave she came across the grave of a baby girl named Lucy Brown aged two. Alison came up with an elaborate plan of abducting a little girl, renaming her and moving to Newcastle and start a new life.

This book is written in the point of view of Alison, Lucy (Stacy is her birth name), Shelley (Stacy's birth Mother) and the Inspector in charge of the abuction case. It tells the story of each person's lives and how the actions of one person can change so many people's lives.

Will the truth ever come to light?

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's rare we come across a completely original story in the crime genre and i'm afraid this is another which makes use of the missing/abducted child trope. However, this book views it from a wholly different angle to many others, namely by looking at it from the perpetrators perspective. If you enjoy unpredictability and plot twists, this may not be the book for you. I found that the story was a little too straightforward with a distinct lack of about-turns or surprises. So much so, that although there are very clear crimes being committed here, it still felt a little lacklustre and almost more womens fiction than thriller or suspense. I don't read or enjoy womens fiction/chick lit, but if you do you may wish to give it a go. In my opinion, this is a very tame novel.

The writing leaves a lot to be desired and much of the dialogue was clunky and unrealistic - I certainly don't think it reflects what a "normal" human being would say in the same situation, making it difficult to relate to the characters. With an emotional story such as this you would expect it to tug at the ol' heartstrings, but unfortunately it was sadly lacking in that department too. Also, the ending may be a nice way to conclude the book, but for crime readers it was rather a let down. Crime/mystery/thriller fans are notorious for accumulating questions about the plot in their minds, and as there was such a minute focus on the backstory explaining various aspects of the novel, I found a great many important and major questions were left without reply. I don't wish to be harsh as I know how much work goes into each and every book, but I don't really feel this is a must-read if i'm totally honest.

Many thanks to HQ Digital for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Alison's mother dies, she's alone in the world. The grief over her mother's death and her desperate longing for a child prompts her to do the unthinkable.
She considered the conventional means of having a child, but can't stand the thought of being with a man. She looked into adoption but was deemed unsuitable due to being "judgmental, lacking in empathy and having rigid personality." That's when she devises another plan.

It wasn't as though I had planned the whole thing beforehand, thought it through- not at that stage. The idea grew out of a medley of thoughts that had been swirling in my mind.

After happening upon the gravestone of a two-year-old child-Lucy-she decided to use the deceased child's identity to kidnap a child of her own to raise. After meticulous planning, Alison decided to kidnap a child from a lower class neighborhood. She reasons the child would have a much better life with her than living in squallier with her current family. And thus Lucy is reborn.

There is no doubt that certain types of people do not deserve the privilege of having children. Perhaps some do not even realize that it is a privilege.

On one hand, you could argue that Alison was right in her assessment. What kind of life would a child have in a rundown, lower class neighborhood to a family with too many kids and parents who constantly fight and neglect their children?
On the other hand, who was Alison to make that judgment and assume she would be a better parent? Though she justified her actions, they came from her own selfish desires rather than the needs of the child.

This was definitely an emotional and thought-provoking read, even more so due to being told from multiple perspectives. Not only do we hear the story from Alison's perspective but also from that of Lucy and her biological mother. This helps to showcase the trickle effect that Lucy's kidnapping had on her and her biological family.

[LINDA BOURG · Rating 2 out of 5]

what did i just read. At least i finished the book. I was so looking forward to reading this but it was a let down. I can't say i felt sorry for any of these characters. Lucy/Stacey the victim who was abducted at the age of 2 and a half by a selfish, unbalanced, sick woman, once she finds out does nothing. I can't go into detail without giving away spoilers. But this book had no edge of your seat thrills, suspense, or even something remotely real to me. Needless to say it was a waste of my time, and i won't be reading anything more by this author.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allison needs a daughter. She adopts Lucy, but will Lucy settle in? Or will she change Allison's life for the worse?

A gripping thriller with lots of twists, turns and surprises. I was hooked!

Thanks to Diana Finley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allison and her mother lived a quiet life, isolated, very few friends. Her mother did not encourage her to mix with young people, so when she died Allison was quite alone.

But Allison longs for a child and carefully prepares a diabolic plan to snatch a child. She does this so successfully that people who do vaguely remember a woman with a child describe the infant very specifically as a boy. Allison delves into the history at a cemetery and finds a child matching in age and sex to the child she has snatched and so is born Lucy Brown.

Lucy's life is calm and quiet till one day during a playful hypnosis session pieces of a puzzle begin to unravel. Allison explains it as being an adopted child, the same as she was. It does not ring true however, and when Lucy grows up leaves for university, finds a partner, has a child of her own, the whole thing blows up in the most horrific way forcing Allison to confront her past.

This was a real insight into how far a person could go to take what one wants, without thinking of moral or ethical issues.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise executed in a very ordinary sort of way. There was no suspense, no plot twists and turns at all really! Oddly enough I still found it fairly gripping and read it through in one go, I was just so interested by the idea and curious to know how it would end up - which was, as it turned out, exactly as you would expect it to end up.

Reminded me a lot of The Face on the Milk Carton actually - one of my teenage favourites! But written in a less interesting and dramatic way.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story. Perfect, easy read

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting story, set in the North of England. With its short chapters and compelling story I couldn’t put it down.

[Jayne Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book however I just failed to connect with it. The story line was good but I didn't have any feelings for any of the characters. They all left me feeling a little cold and I struggled in parts to keep reading as the story instead of moving forward appeared to just keep repeating information that I was already aware of.

Alison is obviously a very troubled woman but she is also very clever. She manages to execute the perfect abduction and this goes undetected for twenty years. She clearly has mental health issues but is this enough to forgive her for the crime that she committed. I would have liked to have felt more emotionally involved with her but she was so cold and bland as a character. This was maybe the way that the author wanted to portray her due to the mental health issues but reading it just felt like little wooden. Even when she is faced with terminal illness I still failed to be moved by her.

With the character of Stacey (or Lucy as she became known) I loved the opening sections of the book. Her confusion and the true child like actions and speech were clearly shown and I could feel the little girls distress at having been removed from everything and everyone she has ever know. However, as Lucy grew into an adult and the confusion about her life increases things she is told don't ring true, I really wondered if any teenager would deal with the revelations quite so calmly,

This was an OK read but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Check out my other book reviews at Jaynie's Book Reviews - https://jayneanderson79.blogspot.com

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

1985

Alison Brown, age 40, desperately wants a child. Having just lost her beloved adoptive mother, Alison is so lonely for her. Alison has considered other means of having her own child, but none are acceptable to her.

She moves to a home in Newcastle, furnishing it for herself and a child and meeting her new neighbors. She tells them that she is a widow with a young daughter named Lucy, who will join her soon. Now, Alison goes on the lookout for a child to take and finds Stacy, a two-year-old girl girl in a poor part of town. The child is playing outside alone and Alison just takes her home. The child’s parents are dysfunctional with a number of children some of whom have been taken by the child welfare service. Lucy is happy that she has saved Lucy from that.

It takes some time for Lucy to settle in, but by the time she enters school at age four, she is calling Alison Mummy, yet to herself she wonders who Stacy is. As the years go by, Lucy realizes that her mother is very protective but thinks that’s how mothers are. It’s when Lucy heads to university that she enjoys having new freedom and a chance to grow up without Alison hovering over her.

When Alison becomes gravely ill, secrets come out and Lucy’s world explodes.

This is a mesmerizing book that make readers really think about what secrets that people may be hiding and the state of their mental health. I enjoyed reading the book and found that the author created an amazing character in Alison. Well done!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[pamela o'herlihy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting angle that started with a fairly frightening concept, that of a woman very purposefully setting out to steal a child, targeting that child, and then going ahead with a startling plan. It held my attention because it was unusual, in that something we would all see as quite wrong was being put across as acceptable and workable. And then when the story would appear to run out of road, the author changed direction and once again put in a brave denouement, a new angle that would again seem unacceptable, yet she made it work, made it acceptable. I don't think the ease of ending and tie-ups would work in real life, but this is a book and they are her characters and story!! And she kept the interest because you would wonder how she would deal with yet another very difficult and unusual decision that would normally go right against the grain. This courage and originality kept me reading, and I feel she really handled it well. The only reason I did not give more stars was not because of the lack of writing skills because they are definitely there and the rhythm of the book, but because it was not the ending I would have looked for, so a very personal view. For story content, style, and attention, really excellent and a nice rare find, a book with a well executed and 'lifted' ending. Just too pat and neat for me, but as I say a great book overall and one to keep the attention throughout.

[Angela Mellor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding Lucy is a 3.5 stars as although the storyline is good there were no twists or suspense.
This is a crime thriller written differently then others I have read as this deals with child abduction but from the perpetrators side. Although this was a good idea there were no moments that had you wanting to never stop reading, suspense and no twists to keep the book alive.
Alison has lived a quiet life with her adoptive mother although she did go to university for a short spell she has never done anything without her mother there. Alison’s mother dies and there is a blank space in her life and she remembers her mother telling her to make sure she has a child as she’ll never be lonely so seeing as Alison has never had a relationship she masters a plan to abduct a girl.
The story follows Alison and Lucy’s life, the lies told and the mixed emotions they both feel along the way as well as your own as I did side to some point with Alison in that she mustn’t have been in a good place when she did this and she thought Lucy was better off with her. This book will leave you with mixed feelings and who to sympathise for, Alison, Lucy or the real mother in this.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ Digital for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan O'Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child abductions are often in the news, but what about when they hit closer to home? So, what if it happens not to you, but by you? Such is the case in "Finding Lucy," a complex psychological thriller by Diana Finley.

Alison wants a child, but birth is not in the cards. A grave marker for an unknown child named Lucy gives her an idea. She acts on it by taking a toddler from a front yard. Her rationale is that the child obviously isn't loved or cared for since she was unsupervised and allowed to play near the street.

The child renamed Lucy is now an adult after an frequently gloomy childhood marked by unanswered questions and odd instances. As her mother ages and ails, Lucy finds herself on a quest to discover what her mother continues to hide.

Lucy, Alison and all those who cross their paths, including the birth family and siblings, are built with care and understanding by this talented author. The end result is a heartfelt story about deceit, division and the consequences of yearning to be loved.

ARC provided by NetGalley

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the quite unique premise of this book .. a child abduction told mostly from the perspective of the abductor, with a few narratives from Lucy interwoven throughout. Unfortunately I didn't feel that the idea quite worked in reality as I couldn't take to Alison's character and found her quite cold. Had I warmed to her more, I might have felt more sympathy/empathy for her actions. Maybe other parts of her character could have been explored a bit more in the narrative, although it's clear she's a little unhinged by the end and she did appear to do her best to give Lucy a good life. That said, I was fascinated by the lengths she went to, both in the abduction itself and covering her tracks for many years afterwards. There aren't any real twists or turns and the most interesting aspect is whether Lucy will start to work out what happened. I felt too that the ending was a little too neatly wrapped up given the magnitude of the crime and the effects on so many people.

[Sally Tyrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and found it an easy read.
Subjects such as child abduction, child poverty, mental health and post partum psychosis are all explored and tied into the storyline in a seemless way.
Alison a single middle aged woman who has just lost her mother is desperate for a child but rather than have one in a conventional manner she concocts an elaborate plan to obtain one! Little Stacey is taken from her life of neglect and poverty to a new life as Lucy in a new town with a new lifestyle.The lies and deceit that follow take you on an emotional winding journey especially when Lucy starts to question her identity, roots and family.This is a truely heartfelt read that highlights the magnitude of a woman’s longing and yearning for a child, the repercussions of her actions and the amazing human ability of understanding and compassion.
Thank you net galley for this early read

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book "Finding Lucy" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I did like the story concept but a lot of the story was not believable. Everything just came out great in the end with everyone happy and no one upset - really upset - that a young child was taken. The story just happily went along - no major twists or turns. I want to be kept guessing and trying to figure out what is going to happen - not so with this book. Forgiveness was just too easy for everyone in this book. There could have been some twists with Ryan planning to expose everything? I don't know, I wanted more suspense in the book I guess.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this an easy read with a storyline I have not seen in this type of book before - the story of a child abduction told from the viewpoint of the abductor. A story of secrets and lies, and also of forgiveness. I enjoyed this book and was surprised to find I felt sympathy towards the child abductor even though she had commited a shocking crime. I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. It has a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book concerns the abduction and formative years of a two year old child, Stacey who becomes Lucy, by a woman called Alison Brown. The plot is clever but leaves one feeling a little conned, things that occur can seem slightly contrived, as though the narrative has been “bent” to fit the frame. That said I read it without pause, it’s one of those books you have to read til the end. Not bad, not great, but an effortless read for a rainy day.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book pulled me in right away. I felt so sorry for the little girl and could not believe how Allison truly thought she was doing the right thing by taking her. It was frustrating and so sad to see how this abduction affected Lucy her entire life. I wanted her to find her birth family so badly. Overall, a well written book that kept my interest. I did not like the last several chapters once Allison met the birth family. I did not think their response was at all realistic.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find this book special and great .
The story was about Stacey who was taken away Alison Brown changed her name to Lucy .
When Lucy was about 25 she finds the answers, Alison has cancer .
I read these books a lot because they are special for me .
I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me the ARC

[Sarah MacIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read. A missing child story but definitely different to the many out there. A story told from the perpetrators side. I really enjoyed the well written characters with all their flaws. Touching on mental health and how this affects people through life. A good saga with a thought provoking tale. A good satisfying ending.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So disturbing, I could hardly put it down. The protagonist is completely insane, convincing herself otherwise; psychotic and lost in a never ending tangle of lies. This is a story told through the eyes of a child abductor. My heart ached for the little girl, for her family and in a strange way, for the woman that caused the nightmare. Skillfully written. Bravo!

[Lori Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwrenching!

A perfect read for anyone. So sad that a woman who simply wanted to be a mother, and was refused from adopting simply because she was single went to such lengths. In a world with so many children in need someone willing to take in a child and love it must take this route and leave another family with such grief. Happy things all worked out.

[Mary Jane Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! This is a very complex thriller, and a powerful reminder of just how difficult it is to sustain a lie. This is true especially one the magnitude of Alison's lie!


It was interesting to see her Atty change through the years as she witnessed the damage she has done with her crime.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young woman experiences loss and decides to do something over the top to address her needs. The story is rather predictible, but is an easy read. I can not imagine whatthe parent of the child was feeling, but I can imagine. The story made me want to keep my child tied to me so that nothing could ever happen.

[Shirley Delamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like real life

This novel is just like what you might here about on the news. I really liked the book except for the bad language at times. That part I could have done without.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who am I?

Lucy found out while attending college that she had been abducted by her mother as a child and not adopted as she was led to believe. She had a few years and a time sorting out her identity, but in the end all was well. Kind of a sad book really but a readable story.