"Carmel Wakeford becomes separated from her mother at a local children's festival, and is found by a man who claims to be her estranged grandfather. He tells her that her mother has had an accident and that she is to live with him for now. As days become weeks with her new family, 8-year-old Carmel realises that this man believes she has a special gift...
While her mother desperately tries to find her, Carmel embarks on an extraordinary journey, one that will make her question who she is - and who she might become."
This was completely not what I expected from a story surrounding a kidnapping - in fact, I don't think anything in this story was what I was expecting. This was a haunting, heartbreaking novel of loss and discovery - and is difficult to review without spoilers. What I will say, is that Kate Hamer has created some truly stunning characters, with the power to evoke the strongest emotions. Carmel broke my heart over and over, as did Beth, and "Gramps" made me feel uncomfortable to the point of nausea in some places.
While I wouldn't say that this is your typical "thriller", it kept me gripped from the first page to the very last, and if you are looking for a story with an unusual plot and strong, well-written characters, that you will be completely unable to put down, then The Girl in the Red Coat comes highly recommended. A perfect book club choice.
The Girl in the Red Coat is out now and you can get it here:
*I received an ARC through the publisher and Netgalley*
This is on my amazon wishlist. Thanks for an interesting review.
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