The Child in the Photo

Hope finds a newspaper clipping that was posted through her door. Intrigued, she looks at it and notices that the baby in the photo has the same exact scar as her. Hope has never seen another scar likes hers -ever. The article states that the baby was kidnapped from the backseat of a car thirty years ago. Naturally, Hope begins to wonder, could the baby in the photo be her?

When questioned, her mother tells her the day she was born was the happiest day of her life. That she is her child. She explains how Hope got the scar and tries to put Hope’s worries to rest. But then she begins to act strangely, leading Hope to wonder if her mother is lying.

If that is not enough, Hope comes home to find a young woman sitting on her doorstep. The young woman tells her that she knows who Hope is and that she was in fact abducted. But can this woman be trusted?

Determined to learn the truth, Hope enlists her best friend Stephen to help her uncover the truth.

This book was a fast no-nonsense read which had me guessing and doing detective work alongside Hope to uncover the “truth” of her life. Readers only know what Hope knows and we learn things as she does. I appreciated that Wilkinson does not use a lot of filler in his books. He gets to the point without being overly descriptive or long winded. What a relief!

This book is not overly shocking. There are some clues and red herrings along the way. There were times when I wanted to yell at Hope “Did you not hear what she just asked you?” I saw some things coming but did not mind them in the least. This is enjoyable escapism reading.

Is there a mystery here? Yes! Will you figure things out? You may! Will you be shocked? I do not think so. But this book is not about “thrills” or “suspense.” For me, this book was about the journey. It is about the truth. It is about secrets. It is about decisions. It is about family. It is about loss. It is about one photo that changed everything.

Even though this book is a bit predictable, it is also very enjoyable. I enjoyed the pace of this book. One could sit down and read this in one day. Again, HUGE props for not being overly descriptive or long winded. Wilkinson has also created a character in Hope that readers will root for. I enjoyed her relationship with Stephen and the support they show each other.

Enjoyable. Escapism. Engaging

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.