Finding Milly

by Nathan Burrows

Jimmy Tucker is dying. There’s only one person he wants to tell. His daughter—Milly. But when he gets home from the hospital, she’s vanished without a trace.The inoperable brain aneurysm deep within Jimmy’s head could burst at any time—a cough, a sneeze, or a blow to the head could kill him instantly. With the police not interested in Milly’s disappearance, Jimmy takes things into his own hands and begins to look for his only daughter. But it doesn’t take him long to realise that his daughter is not the woman he thinks she is.As he gradually discovers Milly’s shocking private life, Jimmy enlists the help of Gareth Dawson, an ex-crook with a big heart. But Gareth can only help Jimmy up to a point.As the pressure mounts, can Jimmy uncover the truth about Milly’s disappearance before it’s too late—for either of them?

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2020

About the author

Nathan Burrows is a writer based in Norfolk in the United Kingdom. His debut novel, Blind Justice, was published in March 2018.

Nathan's a keen reader as well as a writer. He occasionally runs marathons, has a Norwich City football club season ticket, and is the proud part-owner of a Daschund puppy called Bertie.

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Milly is Nathan Burrows’s third thriller and is centred around Jimmy Tucker who has been suffering from some very severe headaches of late and it becomes so bad he decides to head to the doctors just to ensure there is nothing sinister going on. He is completely dumbfounded when the doctor informs him that he has a huge brain aneurysm, which cannot be treated with surgery, and that he only has weeks to live. He tries to get in touch with his twenty-four-year-old daughter Milly but is unable to do so and so ensues an extremely stressful situation when Jimmy realises his daughter is missing. He wants to tell her what has happened and chat with her in order to come to terms with his terminal diagnosis before he passes on. He ends up registering her as a missing person with the police and hiring lovable rogue Gareth Dawson to investigate her disappearance. But will she be found before Jimmy passes?

This is an emotional, compelling and extremely tense thriller and the poignant side of it elevates it in relation to lots of others thrillers. It’s beautifully plotted and intense with a cast of great characters and an opening chapter that draws you in and holds you captive. His stories are always so believable and relatable and that is part of the reason why once you pick the book up you’re unlikely to put it down until you’ve finished. Well written with vivid descriptions that transport you instantly to the scene, this is a clever and entertaining read and is full of surprises. The mystery of Milly’s disappearance is gripping and the dynamic between the characters is heartwarming to read about. It moves at a steady pace to build up the storyline and despite it being more of a subtle, sophisticated thriller it has it’s exciting moments and never becomes tedious. Many thanks to BOTBS for an ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by the author and certainly won’t be my last.

Jimmy is a widow whose main joy in life is his daughter Milly. If it isn’t bad enough that he has just been told that he doesn’t have long to live, his daughter also goes missing. My heart went out to this man. He comes across as being a bit of a loner and lost soul but what a wonderful character he was.

In fact, this is what I most enjoyed about the story, the characters. Yes there are some horrible ones but the rest, the author really makes you care about them. I loved the bit of banter between Jimmy and some of the new friends he meets in his journey to find out the truth about his daughter. I like how even in just a short time, the bond that develops between them was quite heart warming. It was just nice to know that there are some good guys out there.

Due to the nature of the story it is quite a sombre read and by the end I was actually really emotional which I hadn’t expected. Jimmy is a character that I think will stay with me for a while to come.

Finding Milly is a dark and compelling read. It’s about a father and daughter bond and how far that person will go to discover the truth. Whilst it is every bit a crime thriller, the author, through Jimmy, brings so many feelings and emotions, making this an unputdownable read.

My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A missing daughter and a worried father in search of her, wanting to reach her before the inoperable brain aneurysm bursts open in his brain. Tick tock... Tick tock... A race against time to get to the truth and the secret life of his daughter.

My first book by Nathan Burrows, I quite liked the story. Missing child arc always gets to me, and this book did too. I liked that the father Jimmy never gave up the search. The book had a few eclectic characters and to see them becoming a group with their humor in the midst stress was a soothing joy. The motley group really got to me.

But it was the father who was at the spotlight in this book. His characterization was simply brilliant. He was a bin man; there was an endearing vulnerability around him that touched my heart. A man who was traversing the swampy land of unknown where there was always the danger of sinking, soon found his way, one step at a time. Honesty shone off his character, and I thought all due credit ought to be given to the author.

I read the afterword of the author, I saw the same honesty in his words. 🤔 Some parts of Nathan Burrows were definitely borrowed for Jimmy.

The only niggle I would say was that the inherent anxiety of a father which should have been shown, the desperate need to find the daughter should have come through the words. Many a time, I wanted to poke the father off his drunken stupor to get working. Alas, my kindle got hanged with all the tapping I did.

The second half was amazing. The strategizing of all the key factors and how Jimmy got to the truth was simply a reflection of the author's analytical brain. The subtle strikes of Jimmy's plan made me smile with a wicked glee.

Then came the emotions which struck me when I least expected. Love and acceptance were in the heart of that worried father. Tears and a lump in my throat were felt in me. I could read the last chapter with a blurred vision, my emotions choked me.

Darker underbelly of the society would have been difficult to read, but the author did not use a heavy hand or graphic details. So that made a tough subject easy to course through.

This was supposed to be a short review, but I guess I have been affected by this book more than I thought. Ah well, a great midnight read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by the author and certainly won’t be my last.

Jimmy is a widow whose main joy in life is his daughter Milly. If it isn’t bad enough that he has just been told that he doesn’t have long to live, his daughter also goes missing. My heart went out to this man. He comes across as being a bit of a loner and lost soul but what a wonderful character he was.

In fact, this is what I most enjoyed about the story, the characters. Yes there are some horrible ones but the rest, the author really makes you care about them. I loved the bit of banter between Jimmy and some of the new friends he meets in his journey to find out the truth about his daughter. I like how even in just a short time, the bond that develops between them was quite heart warming. It was just nice to know that there are some good guys out there.

Due to the nature of the story it is quite a sombre read and by the end I was actually really emotional which I hadn’t expected. Jimmy is a character that I think will stay with me for a while to come.

Finding Milly is a dark and compelling read. It’s about a father and daughter bond and how far that person will go to discover the truth. Whilst it is every bit a crime thriller, the author, through Jimmy, brings so many feelings and emotions, making this an unputdownable read.

My thanks to the author for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Milly by Nathan Burrows

What would you be willing to do to find your missing child? What steps would you take? How far would you be willing to go? Jimmy Tucker is on a mission to find his daughter and has limited time to do so. How he goes about the search, who helps him and what he finds out make for an intense and ultimately rather dark read.

What I liked:
* Jimmy: a good man who was dealt more than one hard blow.
* Gareth: another good man who helps Jimmy out.
* Charlotte, Laura, Charlotte and Dave: there to help Jimmy when he needed them
* The bartender and the men that Jimmy worked with
* The conclusion…

What I did not like:
* The wickedness and greed of the bad guys in this book.
* That Jimmy’s diagnosis was a death sentence

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the author who gave me a copy of his book through BOTBS Publicity – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story. Jimmy I s dying but he only wants to tell his daughter Milly. Unfortunately he can’t find her. Will she be found on time. The characters and the plot are perfect together to give you enough action to keep you intrigued.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

The author literally throws you straight in to the story with this one, and I was wanting to give Jimmy, the main character a massive hug after reading the first few pages and I really warmed to him, he was a genuine character that was really well developed.

I thought it was a very well developed story, it was set at a great pace and I really enjoyed the writing style too. 

The book was one I read over a couple of evenings and I found it to be one that really touched me and that was not what I was expecting from the book.  It was a compelling read and this is one I was glad to have been able to read.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it certainly won't be my last - it is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's one thing that I enjoy, it's discovering new authors. Nathan Burrows is certainly a new author to me but I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Finding Milly' but more about that in a bit.
It didn't take me long at all to get into 'Finding Milly'. The synopsis was what attracted me to the book initially and the story inside just sealed the deal as it were. I was drawn into this story from pretty early on and I became so engrossed in the story that I lost all track of time and I lost track of how quickly the pages were turning. The first time I looked up to check on my progress, I was staggered to realise that I had read almost a third of the book. I tried to slow down how quickly I was reading but I was enjoying the book too much to stick to a ration! I read the book in just over 36 hours which is pretty good going for me. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case I wasn't. I had mixed feelings on finishing this book. Don't get me wrong I was pleased to finish because at least it meant that I knew how the story concluded but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines that much that I just didn't want the book to end. I soon cheered up when I realised that I had the first book in the Gareth Dawson series to catch up with.
'Finding Milly' is well written. As I mention above, for me the synopsis was enough to grab my attention initially and then the author enticed me into the story. Once he had my attention, he didn't let it go until the moment I finished the last word on the last page. I can't say that I felt particularly drawn to any of the characters but that's not such a bad thing. There were more twists and turns to this story than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. Just when you thought that you had figured out what was going to happen and when, along came something to send you in another direction entirely. Nathan uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. I found this to be a gripping story which left me on the edge of my seat on a couple of occasions.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Finding Milly' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Nathan's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jimmy Tucker is dying. There’s only one person he wants to tell. His daughter—Milly. But when he gets home from the hospital, she’s vanished without a trace.

The inoperable brain aneurysm deep within Jimmy’s head could burst at any time—a cough, a sneeze, or a blow to the head could kill him instantly. With the police not interested in Milly’s disappearance, Jimmy takes things into his own hands and begins to look for his only daughter. But it doesn’t take him long to realise that his daughter is not the woman he thinks she is.

As he gradually discovers Milly’s shocking private life, Jimmy enlists the help of Gareth Dawson, an ex-crook with a big heart. But Gareth can only help Jimmy up to a point.

As the pressure mounts, can Jimmy uncover the truth about Milly’s disappearance before it’s too late—for either of them?

My Thoughts

Jimmy lives for his daughter Milly and she is the first person he wants to contact when he receives some devastating news.  But Milly is missing and Jimmy is on a deadline to find her with the help of Gareth Dawson - a lovable rogue.

I love that the premise of this novel is a father's love for his daughter. The character development of Jimmy was so well written.  A mild and gentle man without much in his life certainly rises to the occasion when his daughter needs him, despite his own illness and trauma.  I followed his journey onto completely unknown places and felt his despair when he became paralysed with fear and anxiety.  The relationships he develops, particularly with Gareth Dawson, a former crook with a huge heart, made me feel so much better for Jimmy.  

The actual plot relating to Milly's disappearance adds a darker depth to the story and brings a slow burn intensity.  Physical action is not really the aim of this thriller, it's more a workout for the brain whilst piecing together the cleverly woven threads of what happened to Milly. 

A fantastic thriller with an array of emotional aspects and some very strong character development  

I'm also overjoyed to read that here is another Gareth Dawson novel out there so I'm off to find it for my pile.     

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. (I have also preordered the book.) Nathan Burrows has created a story that covers all the bases. There is an intriguing mystery in the disappearance of Jimmy's daughter, Milly and his search for her. There are wonderful characters that come across as people you could pass in the street on your way home from work; and some that you hope to never, ever come across. The dialogue flows easily and naturally. While this is not a shoot 'em up, non-stop action kind of story neither is it dull and boring. There is action; it is just more intellectual and moves at a more cautious pace, even though there are a few instances of all-out excitement. However, the best part about this story is the relationships; Jimmy's love for his daughter, his friendship with his co-workers, his childhood friend, Big Joe who is always there when he's needed, the new friendships Jimmy forges with Angela, Gareth, and Laura. The relationships make this story different. It has heart that isn't found in most mysteries or thrillers, and as such, it made me cry, which isn't hard to do but makes me love a story that much more. If an author can create characters that I bond with to the extent that I am moved to tears, this is a good thing and the sign of a great author. Such an author is Nathan Burrows. If you haven't checked out Finding Milly, be sure you do. And maybe check out Blind Justice. I haven't yet but I most definitely will it. It is the first in this series and I can't wait to read it. Maybe you should, too.

[Anne Kinslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Kinslow.
I pre-ordered my own book and was also give an ARC . This is my review after reading my ARC.

This book is a must read!!
It tells a story of a father who has just been told that he has a large inoperable brain aneurysm that could burst at anytime. He goes home to tell his daughter Milly (aged 24 who lives at home with him) the bad news but, she is not at home.
He rings her and gets no reply so, leaves a message for her to call him. He tries calling her and leaving messages over the next few days as she hasn’t been home since he came home from the Hospital with his bad news and he is now starting to think that something has happened to Milly as she always keeps in touch with him.
He decides to go to the Police Station and report her as a Missing Person. Because of her age, they weren’t too concerned.
From here on in, this story pulls at your heart strings and emotions throughout the rest of the pages as the situation unfolds as Jimmy Tucker tries to find his daughter Milly. He worries that he may die from the Aneurism at any time now and may never see his daughter Milly again.
I must admit, I shed many tears reading this book as I connected to Jimmy and his feelings of concern and love for his missing daughter Milly, as well as fearing for her safety.
Reading this story, I went through every emotion possible with Jimmy, on his journey to find Milly with the aid of a few friends.
This book is a well written story of circumstances that is believable of Incidents that happen in Society today. I highly recommend this book.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Can Jimmy uncover the truth about Milly’s disappearance before it’s too late—for either of them? “
Jimmy lives with his 24 year old daughter Milly. His wife died ten years ago and he and Milly are close, but not that close that he knows what she does every waking hour- she’s a grown woman after all. Jimmy has been suffering some devastating headaches and finally decides to get it checked out. When they tell him he has a massive aneurysm which means he potentially only has a few weeks to live as surgery is not possible, understandably Jimmy’s world changes. He decides the first person he will tell, of course is Milly. For a while she doesn’t answer her phone which is not unusual, but as the hours turn to days he begins to worry and involves the police, registering her as a missing person. Jimmy’s clock is ticking and he needs to find Milly before it is too late. Oooh! This quickly drew me in and kept me there. I liked Jimmy. Slightly rough around the edges but with a heart of gold. The type of person you would want on your side knowing he would do anything for you as long as you were in his good books. A wonderful read and one to keep you within its pages. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to more in the future. A very entertaining read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

[Robert Chamness · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Nathan's first story, 'Blind Justice', this book will intrigue you in the same manner. The story basically is about a blue-collar worker who wakes up one day, heads to the doctor and finds out he has only months, if that, to live. Making matters worse, he returns home and realizes his young 24-year-old daughter is missing. You can feel this man's despair and hopelessness. The story follows him as he puts aside his own fear of dying to search for the only thing in life that means something to him - Millie.

I must say that I like this author as his stories are so believable and so clean. You will be lucky to find a single typo or error in his whole book. You will be impressed!

So, will you like this book? A profound YES is the answer. If you haven't read any of his previous work, this is a great book to start with. It is a story unto itself and no background from other stories is required. If you have already read his prior work then order it now - you won't be disappointed!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! 😢😢 What a heartbreaking opening. Despite knowing (from the blurb) that Jimmy had a medical life sentence, I felt so emotional reading those first few chapters. I could totally sympathise with Jimmy and his reaction to his diagnosis.

The characters Burrows has created are great. I love the banter between Jimmy, Robbie and Big Joe. The lengths this trio go for each other. But then the willingness and camaraderie of Gareth and Dave, people Jimmy had know a matter of days made me feel all warm and fuzzy at the thought of the kindness of a stranger. It made me believe in that in this world of consumerism and self-satisfaction (which I admit I’m guilty of at times), a stranger would be willing to extend a helping hand

But don’t get me wrong, this may appear to start off as a very unassuming read about a mis-per for a while but withput warning, the tension grew inside of me and oh the emotional finale 👏👏👏Nathan Burrows has written a cracking read about the lengths a father will go to for his daughter.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great read from Nathan Burrows who is proving to be an extremely capable writer across several different genres, he has written the 'Rub-a-dub-dub' series of humorous mysteries a military thriller, 'Man Down' and a legal thriller in 'Blind Justice', and although they are very different stories, they all have three things in common, believable, well written and developed characters, great plots and a very skilful way of representing human nature and behaviour, and making it convincing and credible.
In this book he has all these attributes in spades, but also runs the gamut of emotions, in turn it is sad, hopeful, despairing and desperate, but there is also an undercurrent of love and friendship which makes it feel very authentic.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an intelligent, emotional thriller.
I did receive an advance copy of the book, but this honest review has been voluntarily written.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Milly - This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Well done storytelling along with well thought out storylines and characters and dialogues made this a difficult book to put down. I felt like I was reading Grisham, Follette or Ludlum.

The fast pace matched the intrigue and the gamut of emotions and the variety of personalities. The father searching for his missing daughter receives help from various sources, all of them interesting on their own. A gamut of good characters with problems of their own.

There are moments of suspense, which is difficult to find nowadays with Indie writers, and no Hollywood formula used here. The reader knows the brain aneurysm will defeat him at some point, but how he proceeds in his search for his daughter while fighting to survive the odds during his quest keeps the pages turning until the end. I found this book on Booksprout. 5*

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers in my review and you also need to know that I initially received an ARC of this book and I enjoyed it so much, I purchased a finished copy. This book pulls you in from the beginning and follows an undaunted father in search of his missing daughter. There are many characters integral to the story and they mesh and interact well and each one adds to the well-written plot. This book is not a shoot-em-up or graphic, but gripping none the less.
The story has humor injected at appropriate places and is, to put it simply, enjoyable and emotion-evoking. If you haven't read this author's books before, this will make you want to go back and look them over, I haven't read any books by Mr. Burrows that I haven't enjoyed. Well worth your time.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a ARC of this book, and this is both an honest and voluntary review.

Other reviewers and the blurb give you a rundown of this book, so I won't repeat any of that. The story is very good, however, I did have some trouble in 'getting in touch' with the main character, Jimmy. His traits tended to fluctuate on some occasions, hence the 4-stars. But don't worry, this doesn't take away the fact that this is a gripping story exposing a criminal act that is likely a common activity that we don't hear much about, from a great author.

Recommended read.

[Sharon T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is normally not a book that I would enjoy, but the regional phrases and the descriptives drew me in. But then Mr. Burrows always does that. The underlying truths in this story were well done and brought together quite well. The book was a revelation of how a parent thinks and how far they would go to take care of their children. I'm very glad to have received an advance copy of this book.

[Velma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It made me cry at the first and at the last but it was an awesome story. Nathan Burrows can describe the scenes so well it's like I can see it. He has a wonderful gift for inspiring strong feelings in the reader. Having a cancer victim in my family brought the story home to my heart. Five stars for sure! Finding Milly is a really good book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2020
Format: Paperback
I found this to be an intriguing story of a father and his search for his missing daughter. The lengths he went to in order to find her and the characters and activities along the way made for an excellent story. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Milly is my first but certainly not my last read by this author. This was a great read. Some very likeable characters and others I didn’t like. The author hooked me with the mystery running through the story. The feelings I felt surprised me while reading it.

I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future. Great storyline with interesting characters.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Milly is the second book in the Gareth Dawson Series and is an intriguing read.

The characters and their relationships are pivotal to this story. The storyline is well written and engaging from start to finish. Will Gareth be able to find out the truth about Milly before Jimmy draws his last breath?

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.

[Sylv.net Sylvia Kerslake PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have heard about Nathan's books, this was the first time I have actually read one, and one that I would definitely recommend, in fact, I am looking forward to reading the first in the series.

A well written book and if you are looking for a good thriller with a twist and turn during your read, then Finding Milly is the book for you.  I can't wait for the 3rd book in the series.

[Carol Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a heart breaking tale.

The characters are very compelling and I wish there was an audio version of all of Nathan Burrows’ books because they are so hard for me to put them down and if there were an audio version of this book too I would have gone back and forth and probably not slept until I finished the book….

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Millie was such an interesting book to read. I found it difficult to put it down as I couldn’t work out what was going to happen next. This is the first book I have read by Nathan but it won’t be my last - highly recommended.

[NL Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really hard to put down and I read till the wee hours. This is the second book I've read in this series and I am looking forward to the next one! I love how this author writes and brings his characters alive and makes you care about them. I really enjoyed this.

[dianne berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

Just finished another of this authors books as always a great read waiting for the next one to be published

[JAMES LINDSAY · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another page turner. I didn't know what was going to be the ending but certainly did not expect that. Now on to book number 3. More please.

[Brian Springett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book