Rene Denefeld's first book, The Child Finder, was an exceptional opening in this series. The Butterfly Girl returns the reader back into the world of Naomi Cotter, a woman who looks for lost children, while trying to find her missing sister. Both Naomi and her sister had been kidnapped and held as children in unspeakable conditions, and while Naomi was able to escape, her sister was left behind. A new case draws Naomi in, with a cast of homeless, street children that will hurt your heart. Fans of The Child finder will enjoy this sequel. Hoping for another book in this fine series.

The Butterfly Girl, the second book in the Naomi Cottle series, could be read as a stand alone novel -- but I highly recommend reading The Child Finder first. Naomi is an investigator (child finder) whom desperate parents turn to when they have no other avenues to find their missing children. Naomi continues to search for her sister (they were kidnapped as children, but Naomi escaped) while getting involved in a serial murder case. The subject matter is tough -- focusing on kidnapped, abused and homeless children. This is a well-written and very suspenseful series.

The Butterfly Girl is the sequel to The Child Finder, which I personally thought was a beautiful, eerie and atmospheric thriller. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, but I do love how Denfeld focuses once again on the disadvantaged - the poor, the homeless, the abused - especially when it feels like every thriller is another upper-middle class domestic drama.

Where The Child Finder was predominantly about private investigator Naomi Cottle's search for a missing girl, this one turns its focus more onto Naomi herself, and her search for the sister she left behind years ago. Naomi has very few memories of her time being held captive as a child, but she knows one thing: she had a sister. A sister who didn't make it out with her. A sister she hopes may still be alive.

While the case of another young girl - Celia - becomes entwined with Naomi's search, I think this book lost a little something by mostly being about Naomi's missing sister. The novel was at times oversentimental and heavy-handed, with Denfeld's trademark poetic writing feeling too saccharine for the subject matter. The investigation seemed driven by emotion and instinct rather than logic, too.

Celia's story was far more interesting to me, even with all the parallels that can be drawn with Naomi's story. At twelve years old she has run away from her abusive father and is now living on the streets, exchanging sexual favours for cash. She, too, has a sister she left behind, and she is wracked by guilt that she couldn't and didn't protect her. The complex examination of Celia's guilt, plus the way the author shows how social systems frequently fail at-risk children, offer the most heart-wrenching and effective moments of the novel.

Mostly, I love how Denfeld reminds us of the people society has forgotten; the ones we look away from; the ones who we have failed. She continues to be a must-read author for me.

Fantastic yet eye opening novel. I read through this book in a few hours and could not put it down. Some parts were difficult to read due to sexual abuses references. I would definitely recommend this book, as long as you are aware of the abuse elements going in.

I'm so thrilled that Naomi is back in this sequel to The Child Finder, which was a five star read for me. The Butterfly Girl does not disappoint. Although in many ways an even darker and more disturbing read, Denfeld shows off her remarkable writing talent by crafting gorgeous prose and heartbreaking characters. The homelessness aspect of the plot can be hard to take. For that reason, I would not necessarily describe The Butterfly Girl as a "pleasant" read. But certainly homelessness is part of reality and the author handles it with sensitivity and compassion. I especially appreciated how Naomi's personal story plays such an important role in the novel. The Butterfly Girl is strongly recommended for literary mystery and thriller fans.

In all fairness, maybe I should have read the first book in this series before this one. It was a good enough story but I felt a bit lost. Also there were some distractions for me. The whole butterfly analogy didn’t really hold my interest for the amount of time it was given. I wanted to love it more, but it was just okay for me.

THE BUTTERFLY GIRL is the direct sequel to THE CHILD FINDER and is another beautifully written novel by must read author Rene Denfeld.

It's tells the story of homeless children on the streets of Oregon; how some of them get there and the people who work save them. Make no mistake - this is a book of horror and child abuse. It is sad, yet hopeful.

It can be read as a stand alone novel, but like coming in during the middle of a movie, why would you want to do that? Start at the beginning, and enjoy. Both books are highly recommended.

I loved the child finder, so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of the 2nd in the Naomi Cottle series and it did not disappoint. I loved the character of Celia and am a sucker for a happy ending and a mystery so this fit the bill. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mystery novel about a young woman looking for her long missing sister.

4.5 stars

Naomi Cottle is a child finder. She's often the investigator desperate parents turn to when they have no other avenue left to try and find their missing children, and Naomi succeeds where others have failed. But this responsibility takes a great emotional toll on her.

Naomi can find missing children because once she, too, was a missing child. But she was lucky and was able to escape from the person who had kept her captive, although she had to flee without her sister. Sadly, she had no memories of that time, and all these years later, she can barely remember anything about her sister except vague memories of a field she ran through as she escaped. She is haunted by the fact that she didn't keep her promise to protect her sister.

A year ago, Naomi decided not to take any new cases until she finds her sister. Her search takes her to Portland, Oregon, where homeless teenagers roam the streets by day and night, doing whatever they can to survive. Someone has been kidnapping young girls off the streets, and many are found dead later, floating in the river. Naomi is troubled by this epidemic of violence, and even though she doesn't want to get involved, she can't turn away, especially as she wonders what parallels these kidnappings and murders might have with her sister's case.

When Naomi meets Celia, a troubled 12-year-old who took to the streets after a horrible family situation took a bad turn, she recognizes some similarities with her own life, and she wants to protect Celia like she was unable to do her own sister. And Celia also has a sister to protect. The only thing helping Celia through her ordeal are the butterflies—the beautiful phantoms she sees on the streets, following her and keeping her company. They remind her of a happier time with her mother and her sister, and she wishes she could just fly away like they do.

As Naomi digs deeper into her sister's whereabouts, and Celia tries to right her situation and protect her own sister, they both find themselves being drawn deeper and deeper into an evil web, a web that has the potential to destroy all they love—as well as themselves.

The Butterfly Girl is a beautifully written book about those who are lost and desperate to be found, as well as those who are seen but still feel lost. It's a story about feeling powerless to change situations around you, no matter how hard you fight, and how easy it is to shut others out as you fight your battles. It's also a troubling story of how so many children on the margins can find themselves at risk, with no one to advocate for or protect them.

Rene Denfeld's first two books, The Enchanted and The Child Finder (in which Naomi's character was introduced) were emotional, gorgeously told stories. While The Butterfly Girl started a bit slowly for me, it picked up steam as the book went along, and there is so much poignancy and vivid imagery in this story.

Even though this features the same character from The Child Finder, you could read this book without reading its predecessor. But I'd definitely recommend that you pick that one up, because once again, Denfeld's talent with prose and imagery is something to behold.

This book definitely made me think, and it made me sad for those who have to fight these battles. It once again proves what an amazing storyteller Denfeld is.

NetGalley and HarperCollins provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will be published October 1, 2019.

Thank You NetGalley for the free ARC. This book continues the childfinder story from the last book with Naomi looking for the sister she left behind years ago. As always, the story is heart-wrenching and the brutality in the kids' life is intolerable and unacceptable. So much for living in a "civilized" society. There must be a better system
for us to help children in situations of abuse. Rene Denfield's books make me want to become an activist. Fast read, took me one day to finish.

This is a dark, disturbing novel, a riveting sequel to The Child Finder. Homeless children is not a subject you may want to read about, but it is brought clearing to the forefront as Naomi searches for her missing sister and has refused to take any other case until she is found.

All your emotions will come crashing in when you read this and you may find yourself wanting to close this book and set it aside. Take a break if you must, but return to Naomi’s desperate search and thrilling conclusion that will make you cry.

Highly recommended!

Wow!! The Butterfly Girl is a novel that will definitely stay with me! Having never read Rene Denfeld, I was blown away by her writing! The characters development was fantastic—by the end you feel as if you know these people in real life! The storyline was raw, real, and very chilling! You won’t be able to put this book down and at the same time the hairs on the back of your neck with stand up the entire way through! The Butterfly Girl is 5 star novel isn’t a light read, but it’s a novel that will take you out of your comfort zone and make you think! I have already 1-click Rene Denfeld’s previous novel (The Child Finder) and I’m looking forward to diving into that soon!

i really enjoyed this one, possibly more than the first! absolutely adore Denfeld’s writing. i was very interested in the story, what was going to happen, and i really liked the ending. while it could be read alone, i personally recommend you read the first book beforehand.

I was attracted to this book because of the title and summary, but I could not really get into it. I tried several times to pick it back up and couldn't seem to stay interested. There are many characters in the beginning and I had trouble following how they tied together as well.

Just as haunting and lovely as its predecessor. I was once again blown away by Ms. Denfeld superlative writing and gift for character. The only thing missing for me this time was the dark voice of a villian. The thing that grabbed me so hard about "The Child Finder" was the horrible but deeply sympathetic kidnapper holding Madison. To take such a horrendous ordeal and the kind of person who'd do it and turn that into something so beautiful just blew my mind. That was missing this time around.

I enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Celia and Naomi but felt like the tying up of Naomi's story was just a touch too neat. I certainly wanted a happy ending for her and her sister but somehow this felt a little dishonest.

I will still very happily recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of a deeper kind of thriller and eagerly await Naomi's further adventures should there be any.

Naomi is a refreshingly unique character in a crowded genre and Denfeld's writing is just lovely. Highly recommended for most adult collections.

I was blown away by the Child Finder, Rene Denfield’s first book, so I was delighted to receive a galley copy of the Butterfly Girl. I find myself skimming parts of certain books when authors linger on unnecessary details but Denfield’s writing is like lyrical poetry. Every word had me captivated. Add to this an amazing mystery, a plethora of suspense and an ending that exceeds all expectations and we have another 5 star book. I can’t wait to read more!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Harper and Rene Denfield for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.