The Forgotten Child was an enjoyable mystery/horror book. Riley Thomas has been dragged to spend the weekend on Jordanville Ranch, home of the infamous serial killer Orin Jacobs, for a paranormal activity weekend with her closest friends. Riley, who has been hiding her medium abilities, is contacted by multiple spirits at the ranch and becomes involved solving a 40 year old mystery,

I loved the atmosphere of the beginning of this book. The time at the Ranch was easily the best part of the book. It was creepy with the best kind of tension. I liked how the suspense slowly built, while we got to know the characters and their relationships, both the friendships and the adorable love interest. For me the boo slowed down a little in the middle during some of the investigative part of the story. It didn't hold my interest in the same way. However, the ending ratcheted up again, with a return to the creepiest parts of the book. It was a wild ride of the ending and I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more books in this series if it continues. Great paranormal mystery!!

The Forgotten Child is an intriguing Paranormal Mystery and notable debut novel. The description caught my eye because it sounded different and refreshing. And this definitely lived up to my expectations.

The story is about twenty-five-year-old Riley Thomas who has strong abilities as a psychic medium but suppresses her gift because a bad experience when she was young. But after years of avoiding anywhere there might be dead people, Riley’s friends talk her into going to an allegedly haunted ranch. In the seventies and eighties, a serial killer used Jordanville Ranch as his base of operation for abducting, mutilating, and murdering girls. But what really happened all those years ago? And did they really find all the victims?

The story is told in third person, past tense around Riley with a few flashback intervals to the killer. It mostly takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Gila National Forest. The setting could have used a bit more description. I couldn’t tell where it was set until it was spelled out. And more description of the Gila National Forest would have amplified the atmosphere because that is definitely a spooky looking place.

The investigation of the mystery took on a broader scope than I expected, but that kept it from just being a haunted house story. Although the plot is slow burning at times, I was interested the entire time and read most of the book in one day.

Riley is an intriguing character. She is strongly gifted at seeing the dead, but is terrified of them. She’s a little awkward at times and inconsistently suffers from social anxiety. But she is an open-hearted and determined. The cast of characters was diverse and interesting. I wasn’t expecting there to be a romance subplot, but I enjoyed it. It was cute without suffocating the rest of the story. And there was a little steaminess thrown in.

The story does have some dark themes since it revolves around the torture and murders committed by the serial killer. It isn’t salaciously graphic, but there was some violent content. The spooky parts were well done. The only bits that occasionally sounded borderline cheesy were where the characters discussed psychic abilities. But it wasn’t too bad. Obviously a story about psychic mediums requires some suspension of belief. But I thoroughly enjoyed The Forgotten Child. It definitely left things open for sequels, and this is intended to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading more of the series and seeing the author grow.

Thank you NetGalley and Ringtail Press for this arc.

I enjoyed this read... just as I enjoyed the tv program "The Medium". From the blurb, I thought this might be a more comedic / YA kind of book and while it had some of those elements, it really was more. There really was a serious crime here with a lot of loose ends. Riley's "girl gang" may have been a bit over the top, but they seemed like great good friends. Her "romance" with Michael felt a little rushed in the beginning, a little "too magic", but they did have fun (and sex). The first half of the book was a little slow, but that was mostly because of all the introductions to the various characters. The pace picked up steam about half way through and action was fairly non-stop through the end.

I see where this is subtitled A Riley Thomas Mystery # 1 and do hope it's the beginning of a series!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It is set to be a first in a new series titled “A Riley Thomas Mystery” and I tell you what, I am hooked! This is the first book that I’ve read by the author, Melissa Erin Jackson and I was not disappointed. I tore thru this story, couldn’t put it down.

The plot, fantastic. Riley Thomas can connect with the dead. However it is not something she enjoys in the least after a bad experience, one of her first, when she was a young girl. Ever since that situation, she has kept people at a distance, not venturing out too far, being a home body. Until her dear friend, Jade, convinces her to join in a girls weekend excursion, to none other than an alleged haunted ranch. All hell breaks loose....

I highly recommend that you add this book to your list. Publication date scheduled for October 10th, 2018. For being the first in a series, I personally felt this was a well written story, containing strong characters, a great ending and everything in between was pretty amazing as well! Job well done Ms. Jackson!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you Netgally . I just finished The Forgotten Child. IN this book I met Riley Thomas.. She is a Medium who is a bit in denial. She goes with her friends to a haunted tour where she runs into a little ghost boy who needs help. She also meets a handsome and sweet guy Michael ,a scary ghost Orin who murdered bunches of girls and a few little boys. . The rest I will let you read but It is a very good book.

The Forgotten Child follows Riley (a reluctant psychic) as she visits a haunted house, that was once owned by a serial killer. She experiences paranormal activity and as a result, she is thrown into an investigation that will not only put her life at risk her life but those of her friends.

Melissa Jackson has created a story that is fast-paced, easy to read and wonderfully creepy. It is atmospheric from the start, starting with some background information on the villain of the piece. We then meet Riley and her group of friends and the story just takes off from there. What follows is a really intriguing story, where we are rooting for the main character throughout, and easily one of the strongest (and scary) endings I have read this year.

It was refreshing to see a female main character who doesn't hate on her female friends and in fact embraces them. There was no girl hate throughout which this story could have easily done due to the content. The love story was lovely to read (if a bit sudden) and I loved that the male character took more of a back seat as Riley tries to make sense of what is going on.

There are definitely some creepy moments, especially when Riley get her dreams and visions, not just relying on blood and gore but a well crafted atmospheric situation which leaves the reader holding their breath.

I loved this book and look forward to more in this series. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

I received this book as an advanced readers copy,I loved this book so much. I could not help but to be hooked and there is a new plot in every chapter which made it such an enjoyable read.

This was a good story. I liked the characters and the dialogue, it felt real. The concept was great and the character of Riley was a good one. Her friendships and developing relationship added depth to the story.

It was definitely creepy. Depending on how you feel about mediums, you will either be totally into it or turned off. I was the former, loved it! The story was a bit long but it all came together with a fantastic ending! I would recommend and read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Xpersso Book Tours for a copy in exchange for a review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is an interesting one. The main character has paranormal gifts that she doesn't want but can't avoid. Overall, this book was a good read. In the beginning it reminded me of the Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris. It started out rather slow but as the book went on it got more exciting. There was a bit of a lag right before the excitement of the end of the book but the suspense kept me reading. The romance part of the book was a bit forced. I couldn't really figure out how they connected so quickly and actually thought he might be a bad guy because he was so interested in her even though they hardly knew each other. If you like Charlaine Harris, books about the paranormal, or romance novels you would enjoy this book.

If you're looking for a spooky book for this Halloween season, this book is for you! I'm just hoping I'll be able to sleep tonight but it was such a great book!

Here's a quick synopsis:
Riley Thomas released an evil spirit from a Ouija board when she was thirteen and ever since, she has avoided anything related to spirits. When her best friend Jade pressures her to spend a paranormal activity weekend at a the infamous Jordanville Ranch where deceased serial killer Orin Jacobs lived, Riley relunctantly agrees. Shortly after their arrival at the ranch, the spirit of a little boy, Pete, contacts Riley. He was reported missing in 1973 and was never found. In order to put the little boy's spirit to rest, she must come to terms with her ability. How can she solve a crime that happened decades before she was even born? Especially since someone who knows Orin's secrets wants to keep the truth buried.

Like I've said, I'm not brave when it comes to paranormal activity but this book had just enough creepiness for me to keep going. I loved how Orin's spirit showed himself to Riley when she first entered the cellar, aka his torture territory. I had goose bumps for hours! She was brave enough to return a few weeks after to finally uncover what truly happened. I would have run for my life and never returned!

Apart from the paranormal activity, I loved the love story between Riley and Michael. They seemed perfect for each other, in their own weird ways.

Overall, the book had everything from horror to romance, ghosts and paranormal. I loved it! It's a perfect read for October! It will be available on October 10th.

Thank you NetGalley, Ringtail Press and Melissa Jackson for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an excellently creepy, really well told story about a young woman (Riley) who is living with a bad experience in childhood that has left her in fear of the paranormal and with a sneaking suspicion that she has a gift as a medium. This scares and intrigues her in equal measure.
Then, her best friend invites her and a few others to a ghost weekend at a ranch, that's got a scary, murderous past and it's not long before Riley begins to experience visions....

I loved the excellent writing that manages to balance the murder elements with the fabulous relationships between Riley, Michael (someone she meets at the weekend) and her girlfriends.
The tree outline drawings that intersperse the chapters and just 'fit' the topic and the flow of the story. I was hooked from the first chapter and it was one of those reads where I so wanted to sit and read in one sitting, but, also (just as badly) really, really didn't want it to end!

Thanks so much to Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley and Melissa Erin Jackson and I wish you all every success with this really great YA thriller, which, for me can be read and enjoyed by anyone who loves a good, suspense filled story.

Please let this be the first in a series of Riley, Michael (and the team) adventures.

5*

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book ahead of schedule but unfortunately I couldn't get into it.

This was a fun read. I liked the mystery. It had some supernatural thrown in, which I was on the fence about going in, but ended up liking it. I would of given it 5 stars but I wanted a little bit more back story and meatier character development, otherwise it was a page turner. I liked how it flashed back to the 80's and the contrast to today. This book had adventure and humor. It was also sad, poor little Pete. I hope he is happy on the other side:) I would definitely read another book in this series.

How to tell someone subtly to read a book? Without spoilers? This is going to be the toughest one yet. I had this book spotlighted on my blog for its coming release, and the synopsis had me so interested that I sent the author a request, let me know if the book is on Netgalley, please?! She did, I requested it, and I got accepted to read it - IN ONE DAY!

I could not stop reading this book once I started, and while there was a lot to the plot, Melissa wrote it in such a way that you keep wanting more. I wished that this book never ended, it was that good. I'm sure that if Melissa wanted, she can write more books about Riley and I will be the first person in line to read every one of them.

This follows Riley, as she learns to accept her gift and make peace with the way in which this will change her life. After pretending she cannot see ghosts for most of her life, her best friend Jade bullies her into going away to a haunted house for a weekend, where this whole mess starts.

We also see snippets of Riley's past and how this shaped her need to hide her gift for this many years, as well as insight into the murderer, Orin - I am happy to say that these were sufficiently creepy and insightful at the same time.

Orin's life, how he got into murder, was fascinating. He didn't see it as murder, but rather a study of human anatomy while his subjects were still alive. This was an interesting take that I don't see often in these types of mysteries. He was intrigued by how things worked from the inside, including humans...

The friendship between the five ladies going on this trip together, Riley, Jade, Pamela, Brie, and Rochelle was so fun to read about. Jade's inappropriate sex jokes had me laughing out loud and fit her personality so well.

Michael, the love interest in this book, was a beautiful, strong, and secure man that gave Riley everything she needed at every moment. He was there for her, without crowding her and made her feel safe. He didn't once think she was nuts (well, maybe at the start for a second, but skepticism is a real thing), and supported her through all of the bizarre things that she had to endure.

There were paranormal investigators (secondary characters) - Nina (she played a slightly bigger role), Derrick, Xavier, and Mario. They were full-rounded characters, not just fillers there to further the plot alone. I like that there was thought put into each character introduced into the story for a reason.

Pete, my heart broke for this boy so much - not saying more about this one...

There was also diversity in the character relationships, while not a major part of the plot, this is great to see - no more hiding behind the stereotypical characters we are so sick of.

Melissa had me hanging onto her words, I couldn't read fast enough, and my need to know how this story end was tangible. I would highly recommend buying this book immediately and binge reading - make sure you have a full day that you can dedicate to this book... For fans of fast-paced thrillers...

Ok this was frightening. Intense and involved. Definitely not a cozy. Reading it before bed actually made me nervous

This book was amazing and I can't wait to read more in this series. This was a book that I did not want to put down and I stayed up WAY to late reading. The characters were very likeable and Riley was a character that I liked from the start. The only thing I think I could have done without was the sexual aspect of Riley and Michael's relationship. I loved seeing them go from not knowing each other to an adorable couple. Would have loved to find out a bit more about both Riley and Michale's families but maybe that will be saved for a later book. This is a book that if made available in hard copy I would add to my shelves.

This was a pretty darned good debut thriller. I docked it a point because the pacing was slightly off. I blame this on the romance, which interrupted and slowed the action. That said, I liked the love story, which felt organic (not tacked on and trumped up as is the case with a lot of romances in thrillers), and featured two entirely likable and believable lovers. I'll be watching for future books in this series.

I really loved this book! Hard to believe this is her first novel. It kept my interest through out the entire book and I kept wanting to know more. I liked Riley's growth in the book and how she handled things. I'm really excited to read more of Melissa's books when they come out.

Riley Thomas has been reluctant about her abilities as a medium since accidently releasing an entity with a Ouija board when she was thirteen. When her best friend Jade pressures her into staying at a haunted dude ranch that was home to a serial killer named Orin Jacobs, she knows nothing good can come from it. Upon staying at the ranch, Riley is contacted by a boy killed at the ranch many decades ago that was never found and no one knew he had been killed there. To help the boy Riley must come to terms with her ability and solve a mystery that happened long before she was born. But there is someone who will do whatever it takes to keep Orin's secrets hidden.

I have read quite a few books where the main character was a medium but this book really stood out to me,. Riley is a very likeable character. She is the kind of person that I could imagine wanting to be friends with. I am the same age as Riley so I felt that I was able to relate to her. It was disappointing when the book was over. I would love if the author continued Riley's story.

I loved the way the book started. It had the right amount of horror and paranormal. The story had Riley, a reluctant medium, forced to spend a weekend with friends in Jordanville Ranch, home of deceased serial killer, Orin Jacobs. There Riley not only met the evil force of Orin, but a gentle spirit, Pete, who needed to be found. His mother was still mourning and waiting for him forty years hence.

Debut by Melissa Jackson started with a bang. I am not generally brave and this seemed like a good book for my foray into horror. The initial part was total fun and scary. I loved the way my fear skittered across my skin like tiny critters in a dark room where only the claws could be heard. I loved the way evil Orin sent his message to the main character, Riley for daring to enter into his territory, there was room rampage, the downing rods burning up palms. Wow!!

I loved the way Riley had to find her courage and go back to solve the kidnapping and murder in 1973. Romance started with the entry of Michael in the horror house, where both of them clicked. Michael was a great male lead, and the interactions between Riley and him were humorous and flirty. Besides he was very supportive. Romance between the two was light and breezy and it felt just right.

Then the book went into investigation and the reveal of a secret which had been kept buried for forty years. Therein started my niggles, I could read the horror in an hour, but the rest of the book took a couple of days. The investigation was slow and hardly any horror, and it felt like a routine mystery book. For me it lost its steam.

Overall the book had everything, horror, romance, mystery, ghosts, paranormal. So it was enjoyable.