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Finding Davey
When six-year-old Davey Charleston is kidnapped in a Florida theme park, the police are unable to find any clues, and with no leads, they soon stop looking. Davey's parents return to England to mourn their loss, but his grandfather, Bray, decides he must take action. Using Davey's imaginary land of 'KV' as a starting-point, and with a trio of misfits as helpers, Bray compiles a series of children's books with the goal of making them popular in America. He hopes that Davey will be the only person who can answer the almost impossible trivia questions, triggering his buried memories...
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Gash
90 books71 followersJohn Grant is an English crime writer, who writes under the pen name Jonathan Gash. He is the author of the Lovejoy series of novels. He wrote the novel The Incomer under the pen name Graham Gaunt.
Grant is a doctor by training and worked as a general practitioner and pathologist. He served in the British Army and attained the rank of Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was head of bacteriology at the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the University of London between 1971 and 1988.
Grant won the John Creasey Award in 1977 for his first Lovejoy novel, The Judas Pair. He is also the author of a series of medical thrillers featuring the character Dr. Clare Burtonall.
Grant lives outside Colchester in Essex, the setting for many of his novels. He has also been published in Postscripts.
Grant is a doctor by training and worked as a general practitioner and pathologist. He served in the British Army and attained the rank of Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was head of bacteriology at the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the University of London between 1971 and 1988.
Grant won the John Creasey Award in 1977 for his first Lovejoy novel, The Judas Pair. He is also the author of a series of medical thrillers featuring the character Dr. Clare Burtonall.
Grant lives outside Colchester in Essex, the setting for many of his novels. He has also been published in Postscripts.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 15, 2018
I have always enjoyed Jonathon Gash's Loveday series and learning about antiques, fakes, and rogues in the antique world. The author had a way of creating characters that were 3D, likeable and amusing. 'Finding Davey' however is a standalone novel and it's a stunner. I really couldn't put it down, it's a page turner and a heart tugger.
Again Jonathon Gash uses his knowledge of antiques and furniture, but this time it's different. Bray is a grandfather who works as a skilled and knowledgeable craftsman who makes beautiful furniture and repairs antiques and makes reproductions from the original plans. his work revolves round his grandson. When his son takes his wife and Davey to a wonderful theme park holiday in America Bray is left behind with Davey's dog. And in America, where where anything can be done for money, Davey is kidnapped. It appears there is quite an industry in kidnappiing attractive children for rich childless couples.
Now this is where I award five stars for the plot and my writer's brain gasps in admiration. We don't see grandfather Bray dashing off to America to find his grandson. He tries to help his son and wife who are falling apart torn by guilt and grief and he plans. And his plan is brilliant, based on the information he gets from medical specialists on memory and what will have been done to Davey to turn him into the couple's little boy.
There's a lot of medical information about what is done to these kidnapped children who are deliberately watched, approved for some rich couple, then snatched. Bray seeks to find out how young Davey's mind will be wiped of memories and works out a method to restore Davey's memory if he can find him. And finding him is brilliant.
Read the book. It's a great read.
Again Jonathon Gash uses his knowledge of antiques and furniture, but this time it's different. Bray is a grandfather who works as a skilled and knowledgeable craftsman who makes beautiful furniture and repairs antiques and makes reproductions from the original plans. his work revolves round his grandson. When his son takes his wife and Davey to a wonderful theme park holiday in America Bray is left behind with Davey's dog. And in America, where where anything can be done for money, Davey is kidnapped. It appears there is quite an industry in kidnappiing attractive children for rich childless couples.
Now this is where I award five stars for the plot and my writer's brain gasps in admiration. We don't see grandfather Bray dashing off to America to find his grandson. He tries to help his son and wife who are falling apart torn by guilt and grief and he plans. And his plan is brilliant, based on the information he gets from medical specialists on memory and what will have been done to Davey to turn him into the couple's little boy.
There's a lot of medical information about what is done to these kidnapped children who are deliberately watched, approved for some rich couple, then snatched. Bray seeks to find out how young Davey's mind will be wiped of memories and works out a method to restore Davey's memory if he can find him. And finding him is brilliant.
Read the book. It's a great read.
April 4, 2010
A lovely story about the lengths a loving grandad goes to in the search for his missing grandson. Sensitive, touching and funny.
November 3, 2024
Loved the main character, 'grampa'. And all the details. Surprisingly I was engaged in how he is going to make his plan work. Wonderful story. Loved Davey too. And the perspective of kids. Recommended.
May 5, 2020
Whilst a little dated, a great read with an interesting concept.
October 26, 2017
I read this back in March 2013. It wasn't something I'd probably normally read but I ran out of books while on holiday (eeeek!!) so picked this up from a second-hand bookstore in Orlando. While I found the storyline intriguing from the cover blurb, the tale, for me anyhow, didn't live up to it's potential.
Bray is supposed to be 53 but had his age not been given I'd have put him 20 years older as I felt his attitudes & character were that of an older generation. I didn't like Kylee....or her language.... & thought the relationship between her & Bray unrealistic. The idea of Bray publishing a book series at the other side of the world, never mind in the time frame given & his missing grandson reading it, well...it's a nice idea but not at all credible.
And to top off the incredibility why on earth offer a piece of antique furniture worth over a million dollars as a prize to a class of 7-8 year olds?
Bray is supposed to be 53 but had his age not been given I'd have put him 20 years older as I felt his attitudes & character were that of an older generation. I didn't like Kylee....or her language.... & thought the relationship between her & Bray unrealistic. The idea of Bray publishing a book series at the other side of the world, never mind in the time frame given & his missing grandson reading it, well...it's a nice idea but not at all credible.
And to top off the incredibility why on earth offer a piece of antique furniture worth over a million dollars as a prize to a class of 7-8 year olds?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews