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The Riverview Mysteries #3
The Taking
Twenty-four years ago, five-year-old Tori walked into her newborn brother's room in the middle of the night and discovered a figure abducting him.
The only problem was, Scott’s lifeless body was found in the crib.
No one believes what she saw that night. Not her father. Not her mentally unstable mother. Not the police.
Years later, she builds a new life by burying that terrible moment deep in the past. Until another mentally unstable woman is found with her dead newborn ... and she says her "real" baby was taken by a shadowy figure.
Terrible coincidence? Or is there something more twisted and deadly going on?
The only problem was, Scott’s lifeless body was found in the crib.
No one believes what she saw that night. Not her father. Not her mentally unstable mother. Not the police.
Years later, she builds a new life by burying that terrible moment deep in the past. Until another mentally unstable woman is found with her dead newborn ... and she says her "real" baby was taken by a shadowy figure.
Terrible coincidence? Or is there something more twisted and deadly going on?
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2022
93 people are currently reading
2671 people want to read
About the author
Michele Pariza Wacek
63 books1,435 followersA USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and currently lives there after spending nearly 30 years living in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and currently lives there after spending nearly 30 years living in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.
When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 18, 2022
I received notification through my email that Michele PW had a new book on Booksirens and I didn't even hesitate to request it. I was not disappointed; this was a fantastic read!
The town of Riverview seems to have a problem. Two women, some twenty years apart, claim fairies took the babies and left behind dead ones instead. Tori and Missy. Tori, walked into her brother's bedroom just as a black figure turned to her and said "ssshhhh", then took him away. In the crib, a baby that the coroner said, died of SIDS. Missy had her baby and her midwife whisked him away telling her he died, this time the baby died of drug overdose. But both women are reluctant to believe that the babies taken are actually dead. Tori's mother was bi-polar as is Missy, so it's just written off as two crazy women telling tales. But what if something darker and more twisted is actually happening in Riverview? And even worse, could these two events, be connected?
I was able to read this is a few hours. As usual, with all the books I've read by this author, I was not able to put it down. The characters were believable, and the descriptions of these women's stories were really creepy. I love how she was able to weave the fairy story in with the actual truth that comes out once they start investigating. The twist ending is definitely not one that I saw coming. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
The town of Riverview seems to have a problem. Two women, some twenty years apart, claim fairies took the babies and left behind dead ones instead. Tori and Missy. Tori, walked into her brother's bedroom just as a black figure turned to her and said "ssshhhh", then took him away. In the crib, a baby that the coroner said, died of SIDS. Missy had her baby and her midwife whisked him away telling her he died, this time the baby died of drug overdose. But both women are reluctant to believe that the babies taken are actually dead. Tori's mother was bi-polar as is Missy, so it's just written off as two crazy women telling tales. But what if something darker and more twisted is actually happening in Riverview? And even worse, could these two events, be connected?
I was able to read this is a few hours. As usual, with all the books I've read by this author, I was not able to put it down. The characters were believable, and the descriptions of these women's stories were really creepy. I love how she was able to weave the fairy story in with the actual truth that comes out once they start investigating. The twist ending is definitely not one that I saw coming. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
July 7, 2022
Really great book! Intense storyline and well developed characters. Definitely had me reading through the night. A little disappointed with the ending, but all in all worth the read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I would've been completely happy even if I had paid for it! I recommend this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I would've been completely happy even if I had paid for it! I recommend this book!
July 24, 2022
Absolutely brilliant and amazingly written plot. 👏 I didn't read any other book from this series but its a perfect stand alone for me and for every psychological thriller lover. Well developed characters and the story line kept me on my toes through out the story.
August 6, 2022
Disclaimer I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
When Tori was 5 years old, she saw a figure adducting her baby brother, Scott. But when the authorities checked they saw his lifeless body inside the crib. No one believes her, not her father or mentally unstable mother, and was rumored to be the one who killed his brother. Fast forward to a couple of years, Tori changed her identity to run away from her horrid past but the same incident happened to another unstable woman.
I was definitely hooked with the premise of the story as Tori's unstable mother talked about fairies being the culprit in the abduction of her baby. So I was intrigue if the book will take a fantasy turn and would have the same story as the movie Labyrinth. It's amazing how the author weave fantasy elements throughout the story and how it was all unravel in the end.
Although it took a while for me to finish this book as compared to other psychological thriller books. I found myself putting it down a lot of times especially in the first half. There were a lot of mundane parts that I feel was unnecessary. I just found myself not too engrossed as compared to other thriller books that I was on the edge of my seat from the excitement.Nevertheless, I was still invested in the mystery. The story was very well explained that there was not gaps or plot holes once they reveal the twist. The characters felt real. They were unlikeable, had flaws, which makes them more human.
Overall, the book tackles with trauma and greed. The author was able to shed light on mental health both good and bad side. She was able to show how different people have different styles of coping and managing in the face of difficulties. She was also able to capture and write Tori's emotion and project them to the readers in a way that I too was experiencing Tori's confusion, anxiety, and the feeling of on the brink of craziness with the rollercoaster kind of events that was happening to her.
When Tori was 5 years old, she saw a figure adducting her baby brother, Scott. But when the authorities checked they saw his lifeless body inside the crib. No one believes her, not her father or mentally unstable mother, and was rumored to be the one who killed his brother. Fast forward to a couple of years, Tori changed her identity to run away from her horrid past but the same incident happened to another unstable woman.
I was definitely hooked with the premise of the story as Tori's unstable mother talked about fairies being the culprit in the abduction of her baby. So I was intrigue if the book will take a fantasy turn and would have the same story as the movie Labyrinth. It's amazing how the author weave fantasy elements throughout the story and how it was all unravel in the end.
Although it took a while for me to finish this book as compared to other psychological thriller books. I found myself putting it down a lot of times especially in the first half. There were a lot of mundane parts that I feel was unnecessary. I just found myself not too engrossed as compared to other thriller books that I was on the edge of my seat from the excitement.Nevertheless, I was still invested in the mystery. The story was very well explained that there was not gaps or plot holes once they reveal the twist. The characters felt real. They were unlikeable, had flaws, which makes them more human.
Overall, the book tackles with trauma and greed. The author was able to shed light on mental health both good and bad side. She was able to show how different people have different styles of coping and managing in the face of difficulties. She was also able to capture and write Tori's emotion and project them to the readers in a way that I too was experiencing Tori's confusion, anxiety, and the feeling of on the brink of craziness with the rollercoaster kind of events that was happening to her.
July 14, 2022
Tori was 5 years old when she witnessed her new born brother being abducted and a dead baby left in his place, nobody believes her. 24 years later she is still having night terrorise with her memories. This now happens to an unstable Mother and nobody believes her either and just accepts the dead baby is the mothers. Tori goes to the hospital to see Missy and discovers she knew her at school and is seen by Missy's brother, Cole who she went out with in school. He tracks her down and asks for her assistance. During their sleuthing, they rekindle their romance whilst they work their way through the dark secrets.
Although you can see they are going to rekindle their romance and you can get an inkling of the past, it is not like the usual cost mystery's but is a standalone psychological thriller and has many twists and turns and keeps the reader interested. I would have preferred a longer ending as I thought it was a bit abrupt although all the information needed was there but it could be leading to a follow on book.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily .
Although you can see they are going to rekindle their romance and you can get an inkling of the past, it is not like the usual cost mystery's but is a standalone psychological thriller and has many twists and turns and keeps the reader interested. I would have preferred a longer ending as I thought it was a bit abrupt although all the information needed was there but it could be leading to a follow on book.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily .
July 23, 2022
This was a great book! The story really kept me on my toes the whole time. It was the same two possibilities (fairies or human) that were being tossed around throughout the book as the culprit, but it never got boring because of the plausibilities of both sides. There were continuously new tidbits of information that turned that regular cake into a layer cake, and then with new tidbits to the old information it kept adding more delicious layers to the story! I can usually pick "who-dunnit" early on, but this time I had no idea until the end. I'm going to go get all the other books from this series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 19, 2022
THE TAKING By Michele PW
Tori is stuck at a job she hates, living a life she doesn't like, afraid to let people get too close to her. Until a story flashes on the news very close to what happened to her mother 24 years ago.
😊What i liked -
✔ Okay first WOW.
✔ I absolutely loved how the author keeps you on the edge till the very end.
✔ It's a mystery weaved with more mystery.
✔ I absolutely loved how every character made sense in the storyline.
✔ It had me thinking of different scenarios the whole time but each got shot down as the story progressed.
🤔What could have been better -
✔ I was a little disappointed with the end, I would have preferred a longer end
📚Who Should read :
👶 beginner's
🧒 Psychological thriller lover's
📈My Rating : 4.8/5
P.s - This is my first read by the author and must I say I was blown away by her writing style. Am so looking forward to reading more of her books
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tori is stuck at a job she hates, living a life she doesn't like, afraid to let people get too close to her. Until a story flashes on the news very close to what happened to her mother 24 years ago.
😊What i liked -
✔ Okay first WOW.
✔ I absolutely loved how the author keeps you on the edge till the very end.
✔ It's a mystery weaved with more mystery.
✔ I absolutely loved how every character made sense in the storyline.
✔ It had me thinking of different scenarios the whole time but each got shot down as the story progressed.
🤔What could have been better -
✔ I was a little disappointed with the end, I would have preferred a longer end
📚Who Should read :
👶 beginner's
🧒 Psychological thriller lover's
📈My Rating : 4.8/5
P.s - This is my first read by the author and must I say I was blown away by her writing style. Am so looking forward to reading more of her books
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 23, 2022
I haven’t read the other books in this series but this book works perfectly as a stand-alone, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all. This was a very gripping story and it had great characters as well, I was glad to read that there would be more books coming as there is so much more development to be had for them. It did make the ending of the book seem a little bit abrupt but I’ll take that for some more books. This book really had me guessing the whole way through and I didn’t see the ending coming at all!
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October 19, 2023Twenty-four years ago, five-year-old Tori walked into her newborn brother's room in the middle of the night and discovered a figure abducting him. Except his lifeless body was still in the crib. Or was it?
A standalone psychological thriller in The Riverview Mysteries series.
Available on audio, ebook and paperback on all major retailers.
Direct: https://mpwnovels.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-t...
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book...
Kobo (and Kobo Plus): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
GooglePlay: http://books.google.com/books/about?i...
A standalone psychological thriller in The Riverview Mysteries series.
Available on audio, ebook and paperback on all major retailers.
Direct: https://mpwnovels.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-t...
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book...
Kobo (and Kobo Plus): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
GooglePlay: http://books.google.com/books/about?i...
July 13, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book seemed a bit slow, but it really did have a great build up to the surprise twists at the end … that I kind of had an idea of some of them, but there were still a few that complete blindsided me.
Really good slow burn suspense with some interesting characters and relationships. I really felt myself connecting with the characters in this one.
This is a short review as it is difficult to say too much without giving anything away, I'm a no spoilers kinda reader :)
Well worth the read, and of course sticking with it if it feels a bit slow.
This book seemed a bit slow, but it really did have a great build up to the surprise twists at the end … that I kind of had an idea of some of them, but there were still a few that complete blindsided me.
Really good slow burn suspense with some interesting characters and relationships. I really felt myself connecting with the characters in this one.
This is a short review as it is difficult to say too much without giving anything away, I'm a no spoilers kinda reader :)
Well worth the read, and of course sticking with it if it feels a bit slow.
July 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and plan on reading more by this author. So many twists and turns that I definitely couldn't figure out, and trust me, I usually do! If you like a good psychological thriller, this one is for you!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 14, 2022
Intense and compelling psychological thriller. This book really had me intrigued. Was it a retelling of a macabre fairytale? Was it a thriller? The author kept me guessing almost to the end. Great characters and the using mental health issues to drive the storyline. What memories were fantasy vs reality was superbly done. Highly recommend.
July 16, 2022
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
July 7, 2022
I received an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. Plenty of twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. I couldn't put it down!
July 1, 2022
Michele Pariza Wacek has written a compelling story with well developed characters and an intriguing mystery. As the story developed I became so caught up in it that I had difficulty putting it on hold. I picked it back up every chance I got and finally found myself glued to it and finished about the last two thirds of the book in one final session.
The Taking is a stand alone story in the Riverview Mystery Series. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
I received an ARC of The Taking for which I very much appreciate. This review is left voluntarily and is my honest opinion.
The Taking is a stand alone story in the Riverview Mystery Series. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
I received an ARC of The Taking for which I very much appreciate. This review is left voluntarily and is my honest opinion.
July 19, 2022
This was my first read from Michele Pariza Wacek and it won’t be my last. It did start off slow but quickly picked up pace. It was hard to put down. The characters were well developed and relatable and there was just enough creepy suspense.
Thanks for BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks for BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
July 24, 2022
crazy good
This book was crazy good…OMG…everything you think you figured out will vanish so fast because the twist is so insane it’s like a freight train you never saw coming. This is a stand alone book and it’s totally worth you reading..you won’t be disappointed.
This book was crazy good…OMG…everything you think you figured out will vanish so fast because the twist is so insane it’s like a freight train you never saw coming. This is a stand alone book and it’s totally worth you reading..you won’t be disappointed.
July 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up and read it one sitting. I liked the twists and the fact that I wasn't sure where it was going. I love that it played on the story that a fairy steals a baby and replaces it with a changeling. I loved the town setting and the characters. I loved all the connections that come up. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller. I will definitely be picking up more books from this author
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 1, 2022
A well written story that is easy to imagine yourself in each scene. The dialogue and action flow seamlessly. While the premise is unique, some of the plot twists are a little easy to guess, but it's still an engaging read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received a free ARC and I voluntarily leave this honest review.
I received a free ARC and I voluntarily leave this honest review.
July 1, 2022
A wonderfully gripping psychological thriller. This book drew me in from the first line and I could not put it down. I loved the twists and can't wait for the next riverview book.
June 28, 2022
I received a ARC free from Book SIRENS and this is my voluntary honest review.
Fantastic read! Twisted! Deadly! Amazing!
A wild ride. Riveting!
Wow!
Dramatic! Suspenseful! Mind-blowing! Surprising!
Masterfully written! Original, surprising, interesting plot.
Well developed characters that suck you in. Don't miss.
Enjoy!
Fantastic read! Twisted! Deadly! Amazing!
A wild ride. Riveting!
Wow!
Dramatic! Suspenseful! Mind-blowing! Surprising!
Masterfully written! Original, surprising, interesting plot.
Well developed characters that suck you in. Don't miss.
Enjoy!
June 25, 2022
The Taking is a psychological thriller in The Riverside Mysteries by Michele Pariza Wacek. I thought The Taking was riveting. The characters are well written. I thought the author wove Tess's childhood memories and inner-twined them with Missy losing Jude. Missy and Cole work together to uncover the truth… I was so surprised at the ending. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, The Taking is a book that is nor to be missed. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
June 23, 2022
Riverside sounds like such a peaceful and safe town to live in. Think again, when the rich and powerful let their jealousies over rule their good sense strange things happen to babies born there. You’ll love the characters in this book though I do wish it had continued a bit more about how everyone went on living after the truth was known.
I received an advance copy of this book but it did not influence my review.
I received an advance copy of this book but it did not influence my review.
August 6, 2022
Sacha's Book Reviews Blog
This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it because the blurb piqued my interest.
The Premise
As a five-year-old child, Tori walked into her newborn brother’s room in the middle of the night to see a shadowy figure abducting him, and her baby brother’s lifeless body was later found in the crib. No one believes what she saw that night — which also becomes the case decades later when an old childhood friend of hers also believes her baby was taken by someone. The similarities are uncanny; is there something behind this crazy coincidence? The truth lies somewhere in Tori’s blurry past… can she figure it out, before it’s too late for her friend this time around?
The Pros
This was an intriguing mystery with a relatable female lead. I enjoyed the story and read it fairly quickly. I really liked the plot and found it was original and refreshing. I liked all the characters and the relationships built between Tori and each twin — a somewhat romantic interest with Cole as they conduct their amateur sleuthing investigations, and a begrudging but trusting friendship with his sister Missy.
I also appreciated the supporting character of her grandmother, and her role as one of the gatekeepers of knowledge about the family’s past. Her mother was the one who really stole the show though — what a reveal! As the mystery unravels, the deplorable actions of the past come to light, and it makes for a shocking discovery — nicely done! The novel also made me think a lot about the issue of mental illness, particularly as it relates to women, motherhood, and the general sense of a “fragility of mind” that society often assumes of women.
The Cons
Though I liked the premise of the story and the plot a lot, the pacing of the story was a bit choppy for me — it began slowly, sped up, then tapered off, sped up, and so on, which was quite a shame considering the great material to work with! If it were another genre (say literary fiction or women’s fiction), perhaps I wouldn’t have noticed or minded, but here it felt like there were moments that were bogged down with minutiae in the midst of such a great mystery! I also felt like there was a bit too much signposting from early on as to who the “villain” was; I’d figured out about 75% of the “twist” long in advance.
Conclusion
Overall, this was a great novel that I enjoyed and would recommend to others. I categorised this as a mystery rather than a thriller — mind you, this isn’t a con because I LOVE mysteries, but this isn’t the “psychological thriller” one might expect (from the title and cover), but a mystery with a sprinkle of family drama and a tiny smidge of romance. This seems to be a standalone in a series and I’m not sure exactly how interlinked the books are, but I can confirm it definitely reads quite nicely as a standalone and leaves you satisfied with a full, well-rounded story. It was my first by this author, but I’ll gladly read more.
___________
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December 14, 2023
The Riverview Mystery Series:
Today I’ll See Her - Almost like an original Twilight Zone show with the writing style and story lines. A sad story that holds your interest until the end. 4*
The Taking - It was a bit boring when the redundancies were explained or thought again, which made me lose interest and stop reading, three days to complete a four-hour read. The rest of the story was interesting and intriguing, which had me pick up the book hours later. It is an interesting story of hate, revenge and destruction, with the innocent paying the most. Good twist at the end. Source: BookSirens. 4*
The Riverview Mystery Series end.
Mirror Image - This is a mix of good and bad. While there wasn't much redundancies in this book, there was some silliness that went south for me and I stopped reading in chapter 26. There's a difference between prison and jail. The conversation the twit Linda had with the detective was so unrealistic that I couldn't handle reading any more. There are good supporting characters and the story lines are intriguing but the attention to details was lacking. Source: BookSirens. 3*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series:
Grave Error, prequel - I'm surprised at how interesting this short introduction is, along with the characters and story lines. Unfortunately, I was clueless about the references made about the Redemption Series. 4*
A Wedding to Murder For - I suggest reading A Grave Error first. Interesting characters and story lines but easy to figure out whodunit. 4*
The Murder Before Christmas, #1 - An interesting story complete with a variety of characters and story lines that run amuck. There is a lot on Charlie's plate as she helps the widow of a murdered man. 4*
Red Hot Murder, #6 - The best story I have read so far, which aren't many. The writing style has improved since the first book of the Charlie series. Intentions are mentioned on the romantic side. 5*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series end.
Today I’ll See Her - Almost like an original Twilight Zone show with the writing style and story lines. A sad story that holds your interest until the end. 4*
The Taking - It was a bit boring when the redundancies were explained or thought again, which made me lose interest and stop reading, three days to complete a four-hour read. The rest of the story was interesting and intriguing, which had me pick up the book hours later. It is an interesting story of hate, revenge and destruction, with the innocent paying the most. Good twist at the end. Source: BookSirens. 4*
The Riverview Mystery Series end.
Mirror Image - This is a mix of good and bad. While there wasn't much redundancies in this book, there was some silliness that went south for me and I stopped reading in chapter 26. There's a difference between prison and jail. The conversation the twit Linda had with the detective was so unrealistic that I couldn't handle reading any more. There are good supporting characters and the story lines are intriguing but the attention to details was lacking. Source: BookSirens. 3*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series:
Grave Error, prequel - I'm surprised at how interesting this short introduction is, along with the characters and story lines. Unfortunately, I was clueless about the references made about the Redemption Series. 4*
A Wedding to Murder For - I suggest reading A Grave Error first. Interesting characters and story lines but easy to figure out whodunit. 4*
The Murder Before Christmas, #1 - An interesting story complete with a variety of characters and story lines that run amuck. There is a lot on Charlie's plate as she helps the widow of a murdered man. 4*
Red Hot Murder, #6 - The best story I have read so far, which aren't many. The writing style has improved since the first book of the Charlie series. Intentions are mentioned on the romantic side. 5*
Charlie Kingsley Mysteries series end.
July 9, 2022
3.5 stars
Tori has changed her name and town to get away from a childhood incident that changed her life. When she was five-year-old, she saw her baby brother got abducted from his crib. But when she screamed there was a dead baby there. Nobody believed her when she said the dead baby is not her brother and her unstable mother claimed that faeries took the baby.
After twenty four years, Tori is trying to bury her life in her job which she hates. And suddenly on the news she sees that another mentally unstable woman is found with her dead newborn and she claims that her "real" baby was taken by a faeries.
Is this just a coincidence, or something terrible thing is at work?
When I read the synopsis, I knew I've to pick this book. The book is written from only one POV and in my opinion that's why it dragged a little bit. But on the plus side, it really made me connect with Tori, her insecurities, her confusion. I didn't see the plot twist coming (which I usually do), which was a great thing. Overall I liked the book.
I thank Booksirens for sending me ARC copy for my honest review.
Tori has changed her name and town to get away from a childhood incident that changed her life. When she was five-year-old, she saw her baby brother got abducted from his crib. But when she screamed there was a dead baby there. Nobody believed her when she said the dead baby is not her brother and her unstable mother claimed that faeries took the baby.
After twenty four years, Tori is trying to bury her life in her job which she hates. And suddenly on the news she sees that another mentally unstable woman is found with her dead newborn and she claims that her "real" baby was taken by a faeries.
Is this just a coincidence, or something terrible thing is at work?
When I read the synopsis, I knew I've to pick this book. The book is written from only one POV and in my opinion that's why it dragged a little bit. But on the plus side, it really made me connect with Tori, her insecurities, her confusion. I didn't see the plot twist coming (which I usually do), which was a great thing. Overall I liked the book.
I thank Booksirens for sending me ARC copy for my honest review.
July 20, 2022
When Tori was five, her brother was kidnapped by fairies… How does she know? She saw it happen… or was it her night terrors? Now, 24 years later, Cole's sister Missy loses her baby under eerily similar circumstances. Can Tori and Cole get to the bottom of this twisted fairytale?
Now an adult, Tori has carefully crafted her life to be as anonymous as possible. However, she is also compelled to help Missy and her brother get to the bottom of what happened and the tension between her compulsion to find the truth with her need to protect herself drives much of story. But, what is the truth when you are dealing with children and women who can't take their medications due to pregnancy?
I inhaled this story and am still a little in shock at the twists and turns that this roller coaster lead me down. The author brilliantly wove together Tori's memories of her past with the current events. I enjoyed trying to piece together the fragments of truth out of the multiple unreliable narrators. I can't wait to read the next installment, this story will haunt me for awhile.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Now an adult, Tori has carefully crafted her life to be as anonymous as possible. However, she is also compelled to help Missy and her brother get to the bottom of what happened and the tension between her compulsion to find the truth with her need to protect herself drives much of story. But, what is the truth when you are dealing with children and women who can't take their medications due to pregnancy?
I inhaled this story and am still a little in shock at the twists and turns that this roller coaster lead me down. The author brilliantly wove together Tori's memories of her past with the current events. I enjoyed trying to piece together the fragments of truth out of the multiple unreliable narrators. I can't wait to read the next installment, this story will haunt me for awhile.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 10, 2022
Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book had an interesting and intriguing plot with some twists and turns you will not see coming. Is there something dark going on in the town of Riverview? No one wants to believe the ravings of a small child and her mother. When it appears that the same thing has happened again 20 years later, it gets a little more intense. The author does a good job of weaving the past and present so you can more fully understand the full plot. The end was a little bit of disappointment, but overall the book was interesting and worth reading.
May 9, 2025
The Taking is book #2 in The Riverview Mysteries series by Michele Pariza Wacek.
When Tori was 5-years-old,a dark figure came in and stole her infant baby brother and replaced it with a dead baby. Everybody just accepted the dead baby as her brother and no one believed her. 24 years later, another woman, Missy, has the same experience and nobody believes her either. She is locked away. Are either of these cases true and are they related? Missy’s brother tracks Tori down and asks for her help. This had me on the edge of my seat the whole book.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
When Tori was 5-years-old,a dark figure came in and stole her infant baby brother and replaced it with a dead baby. Everybody just accepted the dead baby as her brother and no one believed her. 24 years later, another woman, Missy, has the same experience and nobody believes her either. She is locked away. Are either of these cases true and are they related? Missy’s brother tracks Tori down and asks for her help. This had me on the edge of my seat the whole book.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
June 28, 2022
I received an advance review copy of The Taking from Book Sirens an I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found this to be a bit slow in parts, but overall it was worth a read. The character of Tori clearly has some deep seated issues after her brother was "stolen" from his crib when she was 5. When another baby goes missing and the mother has a similar story Tori becomes determined to find out what happened. When it turns out the mom, Missy is the twin of someone Tori grew up with the story gets more interesting.
The end was kind of out there and not at all what I expected.
I found this to be a bit slow in parts, but overall it was worth a read. The character of Tori clearly has some deep seated issues after her brother was "stolen" from his crib when she was 5. When another baby goes missing and the mother has a similar story Tori becomes determined to find out what happened. When it turns out the mom, Missy is the twin of someone Tori grew up with the story gets more interesting.
The end was kind of out there and not at all what I expected.
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