The Red Gondola and the Cova

by Patricia Crandall

Nine-year-old Caroline Wilkes slips away from her brother's ninth grade graduation party to get a free ticket for a gondola ride at Storm Mountain for his gift only to disappear. Clue by clue, the police discover it's no ordinary kidnapping and the suspect may be closer to Caroline than anyone ever realized. During a hike near Storm Mountain, Lester Cranshaw and his dogs, Paddy and Patches, are drawn into the sordid mystery by discovering an injured cat possessing a dark secret only he can make known. At once, Lester finds himself searching for an innocent child and fighting evil forces. The Red Gondola and The Cova, a chilling thriller, stirs the tempest of domestic abuse, opioid abuse, and modern child slavery and sex trafficking. One shining light is an appearance by the Blessed Mother at a Cova to one of the victims. It reveals a world where the most sacred bonds are shattered when a mother sells her child

Genres: Fiction

145 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2020

About the author

www.patriciacrandall.com

Reviews

[Marcia Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, well-written, moving book. Don't miss it!

[Hannah Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was a great read! A little shorter than I was expecting, but because of the shorter length you get to jump right into the plot line rather than having a slow build into things. Focused on some really important issues overall that go on around us without the realization of the community what lies beneath.

In terms of writing, I believe there could've been some slight room for improvement, as some parts of the plot line were not always immediately feasible. With that being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and the story itself.

[Kyra :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great novel to read! By the halfway point, I indeed understood the meaning of the title and thought the connection was really cool. I hadn't put down the book since I started it. I also liked how straightforward the book was and how quickly it built up. Although I didn't particularly enjoy the ending, the depth of the story and the viewpoint on important issues makes you think differently. This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend! Thank you so much for sending me your book from the giveaway, Patricia Crandall.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This felt underdeveloped and rushed. Also, there was a little animal harm (a cat) and I just can't with that. The cat ended up being ok and had a big part in the story, but that soured me from the jump.

I feel bad for not liking it because it was a giveaway prize and I want to support up-and-coming authors, but it just wasn't meaty enough for me.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Red Gondola is a short read but the author packs a lot in this book. It’s amazing how evil can hide I the people of the community. Trigger warning: This book deals with child trafficking. Thank you Goodreads for this book.