What do you think?
Rate this book
De indringer
Journaliste en jonge moeder Claire Cooper leidt aan paniekaanvallen. De meeste van haar angsten lijken irrationeel. Maar op een stormachtige nacht, als haar echtgenoot Sam op zakenreis is, worden haar angsten werkelijkheid. Claire ontdekt een man die de slaapkamer van haar dochtertje is binnengedrongen. Claire smeekt hem: 'Neem míj in plaats van haar.' Als de kidnapper Claire met de auto meeneemt vreest ze voor haar kinderen, maar niet voor zichzelf. De week daarop brengt Claire vastgebonden aan een bed in een motelkamer door, met de indringer als enig gezelschap. Zij denkt na over de redenen voor de aanval op haar gezin. Is dit een toevallige misdaad, of heeft het schimmige verleden dat ze achter zich probeerde te laten haar eindelijk ingehaald?
287 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
862 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Simmons
30 books461 followersMy sixth novel NOT MY BOY debuted January 2021. Booklist compared it to Big Little Lies, and Julie Clark, the author of LAST FLIGHT said it was "impossible to put down." I hope you enjoy it -- and please check out my backlist, Amazon Exclusive standalones and NEW 2025 Crime Collection -- all featuring good women making bad decisions.
Start with my best-selling book, ONE MORE DAY, maybe? Or my first two, a bit more literary in tone -- STANDING STILL and THE BIRD HOUSE, both with unilaterally glowing reviews. (If you like it dark, you might prefer THE FIFTH OF JULY.)
My books have been applauded by bestselling authors like Megan Abbott, Caroline Leavitt, and Sarah Pekkanen. They've been hailed as "great titles for book groups who love strong female characters" by the Library Journal. Publishers Weekly called my first novel, Standing Still "An electrifying debut" in its starred review. Even Kirkus likes me! Maybe you'd enjoy discovering a new-to-you author?
Prefer SHORTER books to binge?
My indie pubbed NEW 2025 Crime Collection includes: THE OFF SEASON, THE SHOULDER SEASON, and THE HIGH SEASON. Great page turning short reads featuring unforgivable crimes in unforgettable locations.
I've visited hundreds and hundreds of book clubs via Zoom, Google Hangouts or in person. I'd love to meet with yours.
For book signing events or more information, see my website kellysimmonsbooks.com. Or friend me on Facebook (kellyatbubble) or Insta (kellyasimmons) or follow me on twitter (kellysimmons) for more giveaways etc etc.
Thanks for being part of the goodreads community!
Start with my best-selling book, ONE MORE DAY, maybe? Or my first two, a bit more literary in tone -- STANDING STILL and THE BIRD HOUSE, both with unilaterally glowing reviews. (If you like it dark, you might prefer THE FIFTH OF JULY.)
My books have been applauded by bestselling authors like Megan Abbott, Caroline Leavitt, and Sarah Pekkanen. They've been hailed as "great titles for book groups who love strong female characters" by the Library Journal. Publishers Weekly called my first novel, Standing Still "An electrifying debut" in its starred review. Even Kirkus likes me! Maybe you'd enjoy discovering a new-to-you author?
Prefer SHORTER books to binge?
My indie pubbed NEW 2025 Crime Collection includes: THE OFF SEASON, THE SHOULDER SEASON, and THE HIGH SEASON. Great page turning short reads featuring unforgivable crimes in unforgettable locations.
I've visited hundreds and hundreds of book clubs via Zoom, Google Hangouts or in person. I'd love to meet with yours.
For book signing events or more information, see my website kellysimmonsbooks.com. Or friend me on Facebook (kellyatbubble) or Insta (kellyasimmons) or follow me on twitter (kellysimmons) for more giveaways etc etc.
Thanks for being part of the goodreads community!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
February 8, 2008
okay--I wrote it. But it's still a damn fine book if I do say so myself!
May 27, 2008
Debut book. Pretty amazing for a newbie. Thought provoking, aggrevating, and moving.
June 16, 2009
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
As I've mentioned before, there's actually a host of different reasons why I might do only a mini-review of a book here instead of a full write-up, besides that the book in question might be of subpar quality (which frankly usually is the reason, which is why people make the mistaken assumption to begin with); take for a good example Kelly Simmons' debut novel Standing Still, which when all is said and done is not a bad book whatsoever, well-written and concerning an interesting subject, with not only a decent sense of pace but a compelling personal style too. But it just so happens that I myself am not a particularly big fan of this type of story, which if pressed for an easy explanation I would say is destined to most appeal to the kind of female audience member also into The Bachelorette, Alice Sebold and the Lifetime Channel; not that I mention any of these references specifically to belittle them, but merely to point out that these too are projects and artists of decent quality that I'm not necessarily into but that others are. As you can guess, the novel is centered around a middle-aged suburban housewife named Claire Cooper, and has a dark premise I was instantly intrigued by, which is why I requested a copy in the first place from this highly active Goodreads.com member; namely, after being kidnapped from her sleepy McMansion near the beginning of the book, over the course of a week she comes to slowly realize that her abductor is actually a better man (ethically, emotionally) than her cold, corporate-embracing white-male-dick husband, with Simmons using a semi-surprising plot to reveal a much more nefarious situation with the husband's day job than Claire had ever been told about.
But be warned that what could've been a fast-paced thriller in another's hands is instead a deliberately slow psychological meditation here under Simmons' treatment, with much of the "action" actually the inner-brain thoughts of Claire as she spends the majority of the book tied immovably to a hotel bed; and also be warned that Simmons sometimes wields her metaphors with all the grace of a drunk hillbilly swinging a two-by-four, such as Claire's regular habit of referring to her unnamed abductor as "Him" and "He" with a capital 'H' (and with all the resulting Freudian daddy/Christ issues such a thing implies). This is why I say that the book is perfect for fans of the Lifetime Channel, for example, because the shows and movies produced by that cable network are known precisely for this, for using patriarchal acts of violence as a way to symbolically explore therapist-worthy issues of how middle-aged women are defined in our society, not only as wives and mothers but also sexually and intellectually; and that's why Standing Still gets today just a little bit higher of a score than I would maybe give it otherwise, because I know for a fact that there are all kinds of people out there who will adore such a book, and wanted to give it a general score that more reflected that. If you're one of those people (and you know who you are), it comes much recommended.
Out of 10: 8.2
As I've mentioned before, there's actually a host of different reasons why I might do only a mini-review of a book here instead of a full write-up, besides that the book in question might be of subpar quality (which frankly usually is the reason, which is why people make the mistaken assumption to begin with); take for a good example Kelly Simmons' debut novel Standing Still, which when all is said and done is not a bad book whatsoever, well-written and concerning an interesting subject, with not only a decent sense of pace but a compelling personal style too. But it just so happens that I myself am not a particularly big fan of this type of story, which if pressed for an easy explanation I would say is destined to most appeal to the kind of female audience member also into The Bachelorette, Alice Sebold and the Lifetime Channel; not that I mention any of these references specifically to belittle them, but merely to point out that these too are projects and artists of decent quality that I'm not necessarily into but that others are. As you can guess, the novel is centered around a middle-aged suburban housewife named Claire Cooper, and has a dark premise I was instantly intrigued by, which is why I requested a copy in the first place from this highly active Goodreads.com member; namely, after being kidnapped from her sleepy McMansion near the beginning of the book, over the course of a week she comes to slowly realize that her abductor is actually a better man (ethically, emotionally) than her cold, corporate-embracing white-male-dick husband, with Simmons using a semi-surprising plot to reveal a much more nefarious situation with the husband's day job than Claire had ever been told about.
But be warned that what could've been a fast-paced thriller in another's hands is instead a deliberately slow psychological meditation here under Simmons' treatment, with much of the "action" actually the inner-brain thoughts of Claire as she spends the majority of the book tied immovably to a hotel bed; and also be warned that Simmons sometimes wields her metaphors with all the grace of a drunk hillbilly swinging a two-by-four, such as Claire's regular habit of referring to her unnamed abductor as "Him" and "He" with a capital 'H' (and with all the resulting Freudian daddy/Christ issues such a thing implies). This is why I say that the book is perfect for fans of the Lifetime Channel, for example, because the shows and movies produced by that cable network are known precisely for this, for using patriarchal acts of violence as a way to symbolically explore therapist-worthy issues of how middle-aged women are defined in our society, not only as wives and mothers but also sexually and intellectually; and that's why Standing Still gets today just a little bit higher of a score than I would maybe give it otherwise, because I know for a fact that there are all kinds of people out there who will adore such a book, and wanted to give it a general score that more reflected that. If you're one of those people (and you know who you are), it comes much recommended.
Out of 10: 8.2
February 2, 2011
I loved pretty much everything about Kelly Simmons’ novel Standing Still. It’s always a relief to read something you can be excited about after a couple of mediocre books. Standing Still is just a terrific book: part page-turner (there’s an intriguing mystery at this book’s core) and part meditation on marriage and family and the lives women leave behind in order to have those things.
Claire Cooper, mother of three young daughters, spends a lot of time alone because her husband, Sam, travels for business. One night someone breaks into her house and Claire finds him about to make off with one of her daughters. “Take me,” she tells the man. “Take me instead.”
The man does take Claire and over the week of her captivity the reader has access to Claire’s thoughts about her children and husband, as well as to her growing relationship with her captor, a relationship that proves to be far more profound and moving than you might expect. Their relationship becomes one of intimacy and, dare I say it, friendship. I know there is probably some psychological explanation for what happens between kidnap victims and their abductors, but I don’t think that explanation would actually suffice in this case. Claire is carrying a lot of emotional baggage and for the first time in her life she is forced to confront some of it. It is her time with this unlikely ‘therapist’ that makes healing possible.
On top of all this human drama, Simmons is a beautiful writer. Claire is a fully realized character, fragile and brave. Her unnamed captor is equally interesting - a scene towards the novel’s conclusion where Claire makes the observation that, sleeping next to him will be the last time she’ll ever feel this safe (232) is both ironic and heartbreaking.
I also really loved that Claire is a woman who is trying to reconcile motherhood and marriage with the fact that she was, once, a very successful career woman. I loved her wild past, her ability to fall in love with a man based on a single characteristic, her yearning for that simple pleasure once again.
This was a book I couldn’t wait to get to at the end of the day…and one I was sorry to finish even as I was racing to the end.
Claire Cooper, mother of three young daughters, spends a lot of time alone because her husband, Sam, travels for business. One night someone breaks into her house and Claire finds him about to make off with one of her daughters. “Take me,” she tells the man. “Take me instead.”
The man does take Claire and over the week of her captivity the reader has access to Claire’s thoughts about her children and husband, as well as to her growing relationship with her captor, a relationship that proves to be far more profound and moving than you might expect. Their relationship becomes one of intimacy and, dare I say it, friendship. I know there is probably some psychological explanation for what happens between kidnap victims and their abductors, but I don’t think that explanation would actually suffice in this case. Claire is carrying a lot of emotional baggage and for the first time in her life she is forced to confront some of it. It is her time with this unlikely ‘therapist’ that makes healing possible.
On top of all this human drama, Simmons is a beautiful writer. Claire is a fully realized character, fragile and brave. Her unnamed captor is equally interesting - a scene towards the novel’s conclusion where Claire makes the observation that, sleeping next to him will be the last time she’ll ever feel this safe (232) is both ironic and heartbreaking.
I also really loved that Claire is a woman who is trying to reconcile motherhood and marriage with the fact that she was, once, a very successful career woman. I loved her wild past, her ability to fall in love with a man based on a single characteristic, her yearning for that simple pleasure once again.
This was a book I couldn’t wait to get to at the end of the day…and one I was sorry to finish even as I was racing to the end.
August 24, 2020
this novel is equivalent to the vine where the guy tries to do a kickflip and fails, gets angry, then proceeds to defend himself saying, "i CAN. i did one THIS MORNING."
why does this vine resemble this novel perfectly? because there's a speck of potential in the beginning. you think, this is gonna get really good soon. soon. soon. but then it never does. then the book ends. cool vine, huh?
spoilers, duh
claire was well fleshed out, however, i question her actual thought process versus the author trying to be mysterious. yeah yeah, there's gotta be the big plot twist at the end, but let's make the reader feel like an absolute bafoon while we wonder about things that only benefit the fucking plot twist. its like claire and kelly are leaving me out. i don't like it.
cannot believe i never got the dude's name. i feel like thats the CRUMB we deserved, as we were STARVING OUT OF OUR MINDS. especially at the end, when there was nothing else to hope for.
i liked the daughters, i don't think i've ever read from the perspective of a mother who knew each and every detail about her girls. it was nice to read her memories as she reflected on everything.
the picture and the Box bullshit was annoying. sam was annoying. the boss was annoying. i feel like SO MUCH MORE could've happened. i get the whole "mysterious" vibe with the guy who kidnapped claire, but i wanted more of his backstory, more of what really happened with his wife, maybe what the fuck his actual profession was, yadda yadda yadda. i also didn't enjoy how he was just like "your husband is a drug dealer sorry sweet pea" and then she was just like "omg okay! ....anyways"
like the ENTIRE reason she ended up here is because of sam and the shady shit he did, and we only got like two pages of explanation for all that?
claire was a nice character. the guy was a nice character. i liked how they bonded. there could've been a lot more that would've connected me to these characters and this plot, but it was clearly missing.
i was hooked, your honor! it's not my fault the novel went to shit!
why does this vine resemble this novel perfectly? because there's a speck of potential in the beginning. you think, this is gonna get really good soon. soon. soon. but then it never does. then the book ends. cool vine, huh?
spoilers, duh
claire was well fleshed out, however, i question her actual thought process versus the author trying to be mysterious. yeah yeah, there's gotta be the big plot twist at the end, but let's make the reader feel like an absolute bafoon while we wonder about things that only benefit the fucking plot twist. its like claire and kelly are leaving me out. i don't like it.
cannot believe i never got the dude's name. i feel like thats the CRUMB we deserved, as we were STARVING OUT OF OUR MINDS. especially at the end, when there was nothing else to hope for.
i liked the daughters, i don't think i've ever read from the perspective of a mother who knew each and every detail about her girls. it was nice to read her memories as she reflected on everything.
the picture and the Box bullshit was annoying. sam was annoying. the boss was annoying. i feel like SO MUCH MORE could've happened. i get the whole "mysterious" vibe with the guy who kidnapped claire, but i wanted more of his backstory, more of what really happened with his wife, maybe what the fuck his actual profession was, yadda yadda yadda. i also didn't enjoy how he was just like "your husband is a drug dealer sorry sweet pea" and then she was just like "omg okay! ....anyways"
like the ENTIRE reason she ended up here is because of sam and the shady shit he did, and we only got like two pages of explanation for all that?
claire was a nice character. the guy was a nice character. i liked how they bonded. there could've been a lot more that would've connected me to these characters and this plot, but it was clearly missing.
i was hooked, your honor! it's not my fault the novel went to shit!
February 16, 2010
I'm glad I read this book, gave me a lot to think about. I disliked Claire from the start. The tension in the story did not build for me. It seemed like she welcomed the kidnapping and the "Stockholm Syndrome" was all to convenient and happened too fast. The reveal at the end, though surprising, was not explored enough. Her actions in this scenario gave another reason I just could not relate to her. Some things, especially in the flashbacks, were written with such clarity and detail, other aspects of the novel the author seemed to rush through. I would have liked to have learned more about Claire's "previous" life, explored that more. Seemed like an after thought. I thought it was slow paced but that the plot had a lot of potential, just under developed.
June 2, 2009
This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. Sadly I fell in love with the kidnapper(didn't know that was possible) He was really sweet and did anything he could to make her comfortable and safe.
I felt really bad for her because it seems that she has never felt safe before and the man who took her away from her family was the one person who managed to make her feel safe. I thought after she found out what her husband was doing that she was going to leave him but she didn't she was willing to stay and make it work.
I felt really bad for her because it seems that she has never felt safe before and the man who took her away from her family was the one person who managed to make her feel safe. I thought after she found out what her husband was doing that she was going to leave him but she didn't she was willing to stay and make it work.
January 22, 2012
This book was definitely readable, but I did not love it. A woman with panic disorder has a man break into her home. He is in the bedroom of her daughter, and she says "Take me instead"...so he does. The novel takes place flashing back to the past of the main character, CLaire, and to the present, and her interactions with the kidnapper. THe found the main character to be very sad and depressing. THe thing that kept me going through this book was the fact that it was suspenseful, and I did want to find out what happened. It just wasn't amazing.
May 15, 2016
This book was great from the start and finished with a perfect ending. It kept me interested and focused. Honestly, I wasn't able to work on reading any of my other books while I was reading this one because it was such a fantastic read. Highly recommend. I actually liked this woman's character. While somewhat unusual, in another aspect its not really that unusual at all. Simply because we tend to begin to like people who we spend a lot of time with who are kind and nice to us, who's company we begin to enjoy, despite the reasons we are in their company in the first place.
February 21, 2008
Monterey, California "Our book group chose "Standing Still" for our February selection. We want more Kelly Simmons! Simmons had us from the first sentence and her skillful use of pace kept us engaged all the way through to the uncompromising ending. The plot was unpredictible and intricately woven. We couldn't put it down and savored each well crafted - but not over written - chapter. Our consensus is that it will make a great movie that we'd each love to see."
October 19, 2020
This story was alright but I really didn't see the point of the chapters where she remembered various photos. I didn't quite see a connection between her past relationships with her present anxiety. I don't know, I understand why the big secret was left until the end, but it would have made more sense to me for the remembering to be about her relationship with David which could have been done without the two "big secrets" being revealed too soon.
May 1, 2008
The most surprising thing about this book is that I found myself sympathizing with the kidnapper more than any other character. He, in my opinion, had more morals and scruples than Claire, the main character, or her husband. Very interesting read.
January 4, 2009
Take a deep breath before starting this book....you're going to need it.
July 16, 2015
I read a sample of this on my Kindle & was hooked! Bought the book & am now reading it.
January 19, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I did not expect to like it as much as I did! In my opinion, it definitely deserves a solid 3.5! Great debut novel!
November 15, 2025
Ik vond het echt totaal niet spannend. Eigenlijk was het best saai. “Hoe ver ga je om je kind te beschermen” staat op de voorkant maar in het boek heb ik geen enkele keer het idee gehad dat Claire aan het vechten was om haar kinderen of haarzelf te beschermen. Ze leek het fijn te vinden te zijn ontvoerd. Ze deed echt geen moeite om te ontsnappen. Die dagen in kamer 7 waren dus best wel saai.
Het verhaal is dat haar man Sam een illegale fabriek heeft in Mexico en dat jonge kinderen en vrouwen daar onder hele slechte omstandigheden werken en meubels maken. Er zijn al heel veel vrouwen en kinderen gestorven. Uiteindelijk blijkt dat een van de eerste die stierf, de vrouw van de ontvoerder was. En zij was zwanger. Clair was naïef en wist niks van Sam zn “werk”. Hij ging vaak op zakenreisjes maar daar zocht zij niks achter.
Claire heeft een verleden met veel “slechte” mannen. Ze is ooit eerder getrouwd geweest met David. Hij was aan drugs verslaafd en een dealer. Toen Claire vroeger journalist was en een goede rapportage had gemaakt in Pakistan, kreeg ze aanbiedingen vanuit heel de wereld. Ze ging naar Parijs en ontmoette een andere man waar ze op verliefd werd. Ze geeft de dood van haar vader de schuld aan het feit dat ze snel verliefd wordt op mannen. David werd hier heel boos om en kwam hun in Parijs opzoeken. David en Claire hadden een kind. David wilde Claire doodschieten en hield toen het kind ervoor als bescherming. Uiteindelijk wist Claire niet of Jesse nog leefde of niet. Maar David heeft gezegd dat als ze kinderen krijgt met een andere man, hij hun zou opzoeken en hun kinderen mee zou nemen.
Als de ontvoerder dingen vraagt over David, wil Claire de hele tijd niks zeggen. Maar uiteindelijk is dat dus het verhaal en heeft die David volgens mij niks met die praktijken in de fabriek van Mexico te maken? Ik had wel meer willen weten over haar leven met David. Daar gaat de schrijver helemaal niet diep op in.
Elke keer na een paar hoofdstukken kwam er een terugblik en ik snapte elke keer niet wat dat te maken had met het verhaal in het verleden. Ik had verwacht dat dat later wel duidelijk zou worden, maar dat werd het niet. Ik zag daar de toegevoegde waarde dus niet van in.
Het einde van het boek had echt veel meer potentie dan de uitwerking. Ik vond het een slap einde en lijkt ook niet helemaal te zijn uitgewerkt.
Al met al helemaal geen spanning in het boek en zou het niet per se aanraden aan anderen om dit te lezen.
Het verhaal is dat haar man Sam een illegale fabriek heeft in Mexico en dat jonge kinderen en vrouwen daar onder hele slechte omstandigheden werken en meubels maken. Er zijn al heel veel vrouwen en kinderen gestorven. Uiteindelijk blijkt dat een van de eerste die stierf, de vrouw van de ontvoerder was. En zij was zwanger. Clair was naïef en wist niks van Sam zn “werk”. Hij ging vaak op zakenreisjes maar daar zocht zij niks achter.
Claire heeft een verleden met veel “slechte” mannen. Ze is ooit eerder getrouwd geweest met David. Hij was aan drugs verslaafd en een dealer. Toen Claire vroeger journalist was en een goede rapportage had gemaakt in Pakistan, kreeg ze aanbiedingen vanuit heel de wereld. Ze ging naar Parijs en ontmoette een andere man waar ze op verliefd werd. Ze geeft de dood van haar vader de schuld aan het feit dat ze snel verliefd wordt op mannen. David werd hier heel boos om en kwam hun in Parijs opzoeken. David en Claire hadden een kind. David wilde Claire doodschieten en hield toen het kind ervoor als bescherming. Uiteindelijk wist Claire niet of Jesse nog leefde of niet. Maar David heeft gezegd dat als ze kinderen krijgt met een andere man, hij hun zou opzoeken en hun kinderen mee zou nemen.
Als de ontvoerder dingen vraagt over David, wil Claire de hele tijd niks zeggen. Maar uiteindelijk is dat dus het verhaal en heeft die David volgens mij niks met die praktijken in de fabriek van Mexico te maken? Ik had wel meer willen weten over haar leven met David. Daar gaat de schrijver helemaal niet diep op in.
Elke keer na een paar hoofdstukken kwam er een terugblik en ik snapte elke keer niet wat dat te maken had met het verhaal in het verleden. Ik had verwacht dat dat later wel duidelijk zou worden, maar dat werd het niet. Ik zag daar de toegevoegde waarde dus niet van in.
Het einde van het boek had echt veel meer potentie dan de uitwerking. Ik vond het een slap einde en lijkt ook niet helemaal te zijn uitgewerkt.
Al met al helemaal geen spanning in het boek en zou het niet per se aanraden aan anderen om dit te lezen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2025
De indringer van Kelly Simons
Op de cover staat:" Hoe ver ga je om je kind te beschermen". Als moeder zijnde kan je wel zeggen ik zou dat if dat doen maar je weet het nooit tot er daadwerkelijk iets gebeurd waardoor je beslissingen moet maken. In dit boek laat men een beetje zien wat een moeder zou kunnen beslissen.
Claire Cooper is een jonge moeder en journaliste die paniekaanvallen heeft. Tijdens een stomachtige nacht worden Claire's angsten werkelijkheid. Haar echtgenoot, Sam, is niet thuis omwille van een zakenreis. Die nacht ontdekt Claire een vreemde man in de slaapkamer van haar dochtertje, ze smeekt hem om niet haar dochtertje maar haar mee te nemen.
Zodra de kidnapper met Claire in de auto vertrekt begint ze zich zorgen te maken om haar 3 dochtertjes. Er is niemand thuis om hun te helpen met aankleden en eten te geven.
Een week lang moet Claire vastgebonden doorbrengen met als enige met gezel de indringer.
Waarom is deze man in hun huis ingedrongen? Loopt alles goed ten einde?
De auteur wist alles goed te omschrijven. Ze heeft 2 verhalen in elkaar laten overvloeien, het verhaal van wat zich op dat moment afspeelde en nu en dan word je even terug gegooid naar een vroegere tijd. Deze stukken laten iets meer zien over hoe ze haar leven zag.
Ik vond het een spannend verhaal van begin tot einde. Kan het zeker aanraden
Op de cover staat:" Hoe ver ga je om je kind te beschermen". Als moeder zijnde kan je wel zeggen ik zou dat if dat doen maar je weet het nooit tot er daadwerkelijk iets gebeurd waardoor je beslissingen moet maken. In dit boek laat men een beetje zien wat een moeder zou kunnen beslissen.
Claire Cooper is een jonge moeder en journaliste die paniekaanvallen heeft. Tijdens een stomachtige nacht worden Claire's angsten werkelijkheid. Haar echtgenoot, Sam, is niet thuis omwille van een zakenreis. Die nacht ontdekt Claire een vreemde man in de slaapkamer van haar dochtertje, ze smeekt hem om niet haar dochtertje maar haar mee te nemen.
Zodra de kidnapper met Claire in de auto vertrekt begint ze zich zorgen te maken om haar 3 dochtertjes. Er is niemand thuis om hun te helpen met aankleden en eten te geven.
Een week lang moet Claire vastgebonden doorbrengen met als enige met gezel de indringer.
Waarom is deze man in hun huis ingedrongen? Loopt alles goed ten einde?
De auteur wist alles goed te omschrijven. Ze heeft 2 verhalen in elkaar laten overvloeien, het verhaal van wat zich op dat moment afspeelde en nu en dan word je even terug gegooid naar een vroegere tijd. Deze stukken laten iets meer zien over hoe ze haar leven zag.
Ik vond het een spannend verhaal van begin tot einde. Kan het zeker aanraden
March 28, 2021
This book was completely ridiculous, and I loved every minute of it. From the super nice kidnapper who runs bubble baths, and knows our MP's clothing style and preference for tea over coffee.
To the share apathy of our MP who COULD get away at any time, has her 'but nah, I feel like that would be too much work- oh crap well there goes my chance to escape' attitude. Then names her kidnapper the same type of J name she names her children.
To the fact that her husband was successful in negotiating her random down to what he believes is a reasonable price. I loved every moment of this insane book, with no plot.
four stars.
To the share apathy of our MP who COULD get away at any time, has her 'but nah, I feel like that would be too much work- oh crap well there goes my chance to escape' attitude. Then names her kidnapper the same type of J name she names her children.
To the fact that her husband was successful in negotiating her random down to what he believes is a reasonable price. I loved every moment of this insane book, with no plot.
four stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2020
Like so many other reviewers, I found myself siding with & liking the "bad guy"
Her husband almost fit the villan role better than he did.
The mother seemed a little to okay with being taken, it felt almost staged and that's sort of where I thought the book was going to take me.
Chapters were short & it was a quick read.
The jumping back and forward from past to present tense was sort of easy to follow.
Her husband almost fit the villan role better than he did.
The mother seemed a little to okay with being taken, it felt almost staged and that's sort of where I thought the book was going to take me.
Chapters were short & it was a quick read.
The jumping back and forward from past to present tense was sort of easy to follow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2019
I thought this was a decent first book by the author. It's the story of a codependent, anxiety prone mom who is kidnapped b/c of her husbands (accused) work sins. It shows how this panicky mom begins to rely on her kidnapper for affection & emotional support. Yes, a bit messed up, but as I read this I thought...yeah, I've seen people behave like this.
September 27, 2020
Een indringer wil een kind ontvoeren, de moeder neemt de plaats van het kind in.
Zachtjesaan groeit er een mooie verstandhouding tussen ontvoerder en slachtoffer.
na elk hoofdstuk volgt er een flashback, die ik persoonlijk lastig vond in het begin van het boek. Tot ergens halverwege het verhaal in elkaar begon te passen.
Zachtjesaan groeit er een mooie verstandhouding tussen ontvoerder en slachtoffer.
na elk hoofdstuk volgt er een flashback, die ik persoonlijk lastig vond in het begin van het boek. Tot ergens halverwege het verhaal in elkaar begon te passen.
February 7, 2018
Wow kelly!!! I must say this book was darker than the other 2 I read. All 3 page turners. All 3 having done mystery. I still am not sure what is true and what is in her mind but this book was page turning great. Enjoyed it!
January 24, 2020
Terrible, or I just didn't get it. It was somewhat suspenseful at first but by they time I realized what a WASTE it was I was halfway through. Couldnt quit then. I plugged along to an unsatisfactory ending to a lousy book. It got 2 stars only because I finished it.
July 2, 2022
Easy quick read. I really liked the story until the ending, but I hate when authors don't tie up loose ends, leaving the reader to guess. I thought the book was climatic, and secretive, but the reveal was just meh. Felt there was not a conclusion. A disappointment.
October 30, 2025
I liked this book and wasn’t sure I would. The writing style was appealing. I’d love more details about Sam’s work and what changed with that after Clair was taken. But that’s just me. Good story line.
February 5, 2018
I really liked this book and read in less than a day. We're you have given it 5 stars, but I think the book ended too quickly. Also, I would have liked to know more about Claire's previous life.
April 13, 2020
Amazing. Thrilling. I read it in 2 days, I didn’t want to put it down!!! The love of a mother, fighter. The panic and anxiety is relatable. Great read!!!
April 10, 2021
I read it because I met the author and I'm a counselor. The subject of anxiety and panic attacks interest me. 3 1/2 - 4 stars. I only give 5 stars to books that enthrall me.
January 21, 2022
Boek was ok. Flashbacks waren even wennen. Gek genoeg was mijn favoriete karakter de ontvoerder. Einde was er ineens heel snel wat ik jammer vond.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews