Out of Reach

by Elizabeth McGregor

The truth is always just out of reach…Kate McCaulay thinks she has rebuilt her life. She has a job as a local newspaper reporter, a flat above an antiques shop in a village by the sea, and a close group of friends.But one day her carefully erected existence collapses when tragedy explodes back into her life.Ten years ago Kate’s eight-week-old baby, Jamie, was stolen.The loss destroyed her marriage and still haunts her dreams with guilt and longing.And now letters have started arriving on her doormat, anonymous letters that read, ‘I know where he is…’Tragedy strikes again when her colleague and close friend, Maggie, is found, dead.Kate is torn between running once again or finding out who sent the letters so she can finally have some answers.She enlists the help of Johnathon Reeve, a psychiatrist, to help her work through her issues.He seems to be exactly what she needs – someone who listens, understands, and is willing to help.Kate soon comes to the realisation that she must put her fear to one side and find the truth behind her son’s disappearance.Even if the child will always remain just Out of Reach...

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Paperback

First published August 11, 2015

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Elizabeth McGregor is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Cooke. She also writes as Holly Fox.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn't happen often, in fact I can't remember the last time this happened but I gave this book a good innings. I read it until the halfway mark, with a struggle I might add!

I really couldn't grasp the characters, the jumping, the actual layout of the book.

Now I realise this was in a different cover years ago and now been re-introduced I'm even more mind boggled. Maybe it wasn't just the cover that needed looking at.

I don't mean to sound harsh as lots of time and attention go into writing a book. But for me, this story needs to be rewritten to make sense and be more of a gripping flow of a read.

Thank you to Endeavour Press via Net Galley

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be finding a lot of these British stories lately, thanks to all the freebies from Endeavor Press, but lately I’m actually enjoying these. Not like loving them, but there is a kind of subdued enjoyment to it. And I’m pretty sure it’s mainly due to its Britishness, it reminds me of BBC shows tone wise. And it’s usually pleasantly dated too, this one came out 21 years ago. So here’s a story about a woman whose baby boy disappeared 10 years ago and she’s since resigned herself to a quiet solitary life, but then certain loud things occur with her at the center of it all and suddenly it’s time to make decisions, possibly crucial lifesaving ones even. A very quiet story, though, there are murders, which usually results in suspense, but for a thriller it’s very mild and the plot twist is very predictable, but the ending is interesting, not the easy ready made solution, but something realistically complicated. Nothing mind blowing, but decent enough. Very quick read too.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I thought this was a really good psychological thriller. The story was really well done and there were alot of possible suspects. I highly recommend this book!

[Marbea Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a very thought provoking novel. I'm not sure of how I would feel if I found my child after ten years abduction, but she did harbor resentment when he was kidnapped for her baby beforehand. Maybe it was easier to feel the guilt, hit rock bottom and let it go after all. I'm like Jack they don't deserve a happily ever after I don't care if they got other kids or not, they should've tried ivf before kidnapping other people babies! Maybe Jamie gets put in the system, maybe he gets to stay with the Charles family relatives until the prosecution or trial is over and whatever happens will happen. But it isn't her final decision because she put in the extra investigation work to say keep my son I'm not going to call the police. She can't make the decision for Richard right off the bat despite him having another family. This story is very sentimental and all but I just don't think it's realistic. There's just no way Merry ass shouldn't be prosecuted period! Then the father went along with all the illegal stuff took him across borders and all wow yall wrecked a family and got extra kids while a woman's life was ruined. Now let's get into the psychological part with Johnathon and his crazy murdering self. I believe his mother is the reason he's like he was, and the reason Isabelle didn't care too much for her sister ways is because she probably knew it was going to create a sociopathic serial killer. I would've cut all ties to that part of my family to, especially those that bring nothing but negativity in your life never love. All I have to say is for all Jack's worth he better get the girl if you wrote his character to love her that much.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. Many. Typos.

Oh, you think one person is talking? Nah, the first person finished their sentence and the second person is just responding at the end of the same paragraph. Not confusing or frustrating at all! This book was hard to read because of it. So many formatting issues and so much missing punctuation. It really affected the quality of my read.

On top of that... honestly, nothing felt tied together. At the end, Jonathan's responsible for everything and that's that: neat little bow tied on top. It didn't work for me. And the progress of Kate's manipulation - she went from someone independent (and yes, I get that she had major issues)
to someone that just walked right into it. Maybe it was a perfect cocktail of a manipulating sociopaths and a woman with PTSD, but it felt too fast and too easy.

I expected more of a search for Jamie, more of a background on Isabelle... We had these main characters who got so little time and backstory.

Anyway, decent idea, but the book needs to be gone through with a toothbrush and fixed up.

[harplady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley, and I am very late writing a review, for which I'm very sorry!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it fits my parameters of lots of suspense with little gore and violence. Occasionally you find a book where an author throws in a rare complication or disease or something similar that always makes me wonder if they have that condition themselves. I've encountered this occurrence in several novels. In this particular novel, McGregor introduces "synesthesia," a condition where a person sees words as colors or objects. Made for a very interesting narration.

Claire's child has been abducted through a lapse for which she is responsible, and she has been living in a hell ever since. For ten years the slim hope she has retained that he is still alive has been repressed.

A very good mystery which I had a hard time putting down.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

well done suspense novel which reminds you that things aren't always what they seem. Kate is extremely sympathetic - you'll be struck by how hard she's worked and what she has to deal with. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and to Endeavor Press for reissuing this book, which was originally published in 1999. As always when I read a reissue mystery/suspense novel, I wonder how the plot details would have differed in 2016 with all the technology we gained. The bottom line, though, is that Kate's pain would be the same.

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and a great plot

To suddenly and unexpectedly have your baby taken. Leaving you with a vacancy that you are unable to fill. Your life becomes a void as you try to continue on when all meaning and purpose are gone.

That is how this story made me feel. The tragedy, the loss and the numbness that is left.

Well written story that is a bit sad, edgy and a touch of mystery. I wasn't sure I would like it in the beginning, but the book and the author lived up to my expectation of a good read.

I recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a mystery.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst the story was fairly gripping in parts (mostly the last 40 percent or so), some other parts felt so far fetched and unbelievable. I found myself skipping through character monologues that were way to dreary whilst other parts of the interweaving story lines could've done with more fleshing out. There were some story lines that made so little emotional impact on not just myself but apparently the characters that then later turned out to be significant to the plot...

[Kim Bamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley.
ELIZABETH MCGREGOR's novels are always thrilling. "Out of Reach" is a keeps your nerves frayed and your eyes wide open throughout every page. I love the cover and the story of all of her novels!

[marylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Once I got into the book I couldn't put it down nor was it predictable. There were many things going on that kept me intrigued. I will have to read more of this author.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of reach by Elizabeth McGregor.
A good read with some good characters. I found this slow but I still read it. 3*.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of reach by Elizabeth McGregor.
A good read with some good characters. I found this slow but I still read it. 3*.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enjoying this and I'm deleting at 21%. It also has too many mistakes and is all a bit too poetic and flowery for me.
I hadn't realised upon download either, which is annoying with e-books, that it was actually written 20 years ago !! Amazon let you believe it's a brand new book and advise the Kindle's publication date only.
A lot of punctuation and words got missed from sentences, too. Words like them/key, punctuation like speechmarks and fullstops. Then 1 was used in place of I, and mg (??) instead of rug.
I wasn't much liking Kate and George was giving me the creeps. The poetic language was all a bit much, too-"...she felt them falling through her head and into her mouth like needles".....describing raindrops while she's inside a car. I couldn't be doing with it !!

[Jody Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this story was a bit confusing as there were many characters that were introduced to tell the story. About half way through the book every thing started to fall into place and I found myself hoping the character would see what was really happening and run....run far far away. Eventually, of course, Kate begins to realize what is happening.

Overall, I enjoyed this book once I got past the beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing my with a ARC to read and give my honest review.

[VeronicaMarie1986 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Kate McCaulay has spent the last several years attempting to rebuild her life. Just when she thinks she has, everything goes amiss. Kate finds herself in the midst of a thrilling mystery and the author of this book does a wonderful job of building suspense and drawing the reader in. I highly recommend this book to fans of mystery and suspense or anyone just looking for a great read.

[Fleurtje Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a creepy set of male characters in this book! I felt uncomfortable to read what was on the minds of Jack, Johnathon and the landlord with the antique shop. But, like The Ice Child, this was a well written story and very layered.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this author's style of writing and would read her books again.