So I started reading this book on Sunday and I was hooked. I got to 70% and thought to myself how are they going to wrap this up and bloody hell they did. I couldn’t stop reading and that cliff hanger at the end!! Like why!!! I have soo many questions and I want to continue reading the series to find out what happened to Anna.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Gritty, hard-hitting and addictive, M A Hunter’s Ransomed kicks off what promises to be a fantastic series for crime fiction aficionados: The Missing Children Case Files.

Driven by a haunting secret that has tormented her for most of her life, investigative journalist Emma Hunter had found herself becoming a best-selling author after she had written a shocking expose that had brought to light the many horrors and degradations suffered at a children’s nursing home. Having any kind of notoriety had not been something Emma had ever planned for, but using her platform to shame and expose the cruelty meted out to vulnerable and underprivileged children drives her to use her platform to ensure that justice is served for those who abuse their power and waive their duty of care. With her intense workload and the distressing nature of her work, Emma is looking forward to returning to Weymouth for a much needed rest amidst the bracing sea air. Yet, Weymouth is far from being an idyll for Emma as it is a place full of disconcerting secrets and unsettling memories.

When Emma finds herself embroiled in yet another case, it looks like she will once again have to forego the rest and relaxation which she had planned for. However, Emma knows that she must listen to her gut, use all her intuition and keep her eyes and ears open as she finds herself getting entangled in a terrifying search for the truth where nothing is quite what it initially seems. A little girl has gone missing and Emma will pull out all the stops to find her. However, this quest won’t be without its difficulties, especially as Emma finds herself confronting ghosts from the past and persistent demons that have tormented her for longer than she cares to admit. As she gets closer to the truth, Emma unearths yet more scandal and abuse, but will the past ever be laid to rest? Will this case ever be solved? Or will Emma have to suffer as brutal enemies continue to avoid the long arm of the law?

A spine-chilling crime thriller that will keep readers gripped throughout, Ransomed is a shocking, twisted and creepy page-turner that is certainly not for the faint-hearted. M A Hunter has written a tense and terrifying tale that leaves readers hanging onto their every word. With twists readers will simply not see coming, heart-pounding suspense and jaw-dropping revelations, Ransomed is a scary rollercoaster ride guaranteed to leave everyone breathless.

This book was a great read and I'm excited it's a series! Emma is a journalist whose book about about abuse at a foster home has garnered much support for her. Now a wealthy man wants to hire her to investigate his young granddaughter's sudden disappearance from a birthday party. But Emma is more concerned about her own sister's disappearance/abduction years ago. But her agent encourages her to take this case and when she does she finds many inconsistencies; who could be behind this and what really happened? Don't even attempt to guess; it's a wonderfully convoluted story that kept my head spinning! So good!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

The first in a series about missing children. I am not keen on stories solely focussed on children taken and though this was a good story, it was not for me.

My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

Great thriller that kept me turning the pages. Great story, great writing and characters. Really enjoyable and would read this author again.

This book has been sat on my Netgalley shelf for too long. Probably one of the first books i requested, and now i am asking myself why? This book was a FANTASTIC, gripping read. From beginning right until the very last word with the biggest cliffhanger i have ever read.

The story mainly follows Emma, in her quest to find her sister but more prominantly the Hilliards in trying to find their missing daughter who went missing a year earlier. The case is closed, the police couldnt solve it, so why can Emma Hunter? Well to find that out you definitley need to read the book, but what i can tell you is Emma Hunter is an AMAZING character, she is very intelligent, and will not stop until she finds the answers she needs, but she is quiet and introverted. A best selling author and hating fame. Such a relateable character especially for us bookworms who are more often than not introverted and very socially anxious.

The book was written incredibly well – i had no idea where the story would go or that anything could be amiss with any of the family members until it hit me slap, bang in the face with the words. Shocked was an understatement. I was speechless. I couldnt believe it, and how Emma came to the correct conclusion out of nowhere still baffles me.

This book had a steady pace throughout, constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat – until the end. The last 5% – Sheesh i’m not going to lie was the best 5% i have read in any book. It is shock after shock and then THE END. Such clever writing because although i enjoyed the book anyway and would definitely look into the following books in the series now i HAVE to. I NEED to know how the rest of it works out.

An absolutley amazing book that i would 100% recommend to any thriller fan.

Really enjoyed this book!! The chapters were a good length, the writing was easy to read and the plot was intriguing. Have to admit I’m so annoyed at the ending, not in bad way, because it’s a serious cliffhanger that just leaves you with so many questions - fingers crossed the next book helps to tie up some of those loose ends. Definitely looking forward to book 2.

I loved it, this was a great thriller, tense, exciting and thought provoking. I can’t wait for more by this author.

Emma Hunter is a best selling author of a hard hitting expose into child abuse within a social care facility. When tasked with finding a missing girl, this hits so close to home as her own sister disappeared when she was a child. Can Emma get to the bottom of missing Cassie?
Wow this was a cracker! It felt so packed and I was surprised when I hit the end as I was drawn into it. Off to start the second one now! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ransomed by M.A. Hunter is the first book of the Missing Children's Case Files, and it is a most impressive start. Fans of crime fiction will simply devour this.

Emma Hunter is an investigative journalist who has suffered a childhood trauma of her own, making her all the more empathetic as she tells the stories of missing children. When little Cassie Hilliard is abducted, her grandfather approaches Emma with a desperate plea to investigate. Emma is determined to find Cassie before it is too late, but must simultaneously grapple with the memories that are conjured of her own sister's disappearance more than twenty years earlier.

M.A. Hunter has set the bar high for subsequent additions to this series, and I look forward to following along.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

I loved this book. The characters were all well written and complex. The story line was fascinating and took more than a few twists and turns. I was pleasantly surprised.

Loved this one! So easy to read and lots of twists and turns along the way. Definitely a quick read and one I recommend.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Emma Hunter has written a non-fiction book about the abuse that children who stayed at a local children’s home experienced. Suddenly everyone thinks they know her and an older man approaches her to ask her to solve the mystery of his kidnapped granddaughter.

What ensues is an investigation with some false leads and a few twists that will keep you reading to the wee hours. Emma’s character is flawed and struggling over her own personal loss which encroaches on her investigation in many ways.

I did figure the book out well before the ending but it was still a good read. I found that the author spent a lot of time describing a drive in the car when it didn’t pertain or affect the outcome. The ending was a cliffhanger in some ways so you can’t just read this book and be content. You will have to continue with the series.

The first book in the Missing Children Case Files is fast-paced and intriguing. Emma is a high profile investigative journalist who gains celebrity status after a successful investigation of historic child abuse in a boy's home.

Asked to investigate another cold case involving the kidnap of a young girl, Emma nearly refuses, triggered by a traumatic event in her past, but she needs to help and find out the truth. With access to the case files and the support of a police detective, the investigation begins.

The main protagonist is well crafted and likeable, with clear motivations for her actions. The story's emotion and unexpected twists add to its authenticity. Emma and Jack's relationship dynamic is interesting. The story ends well but with unanswered questions too.

I received a copy of this book from One More Chapter via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Best selling author and investigative journalist, Emma Hunter should be on a high from the success of her latest book. But its subject rankles - an expose of horrific crimes carried out at a boys home. Her empathy to the victims, her tenacity to tearing the long buried case apart, and getting justice, shows just how good Emma is at her job. But she doesn’t want the life of celebrity, notoriety and recognition that she finds suddenly thrust upon her. She wants to settle back down in her seaside flat in the town of Weymouth, and continue to work on her own case that keeps her tied there. Instead, she finds herself drawn into another cold case. A missing child, a ransom gone wrong and more to the case than it seems. Especially when it seems like all is resolved.

I devoured this story. The ending left me hanging and wanting more, and upon finishing this book I was immediately delighted that this was The Missing Children Case Files: Case 1, and I went straight onto Case 2 for more of a fix! The story pulls you in and keeps you wanting more.

This author was new to me when I started this book. I really enjoy this genre but was a bit hesitant with the focus on the children. I quickly realized that the way it was written was quite different and would offer a completely different take on solving cases and especially cold cases.

There are things I connected with Emma, the investigative journalist we get to follow, and things I didn't quite like. However, it was those qualities I didn't like that made me realize how dynamic and human this character is. Every single person has flaws, they just vary.

I enjoyed the dual tone of Emma uncovering pieces by piece and s getting to flashback to watch it unfold. It was this unique telling that kept me hooked and wanting to keep reading. The way Emma pieces the story together was choppy but that made the slower pace all the more exciting in my opinion. For everything to always fall smoothly would read so quick and boring.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter) for the copy.

Love a new series and I’m so pleased that although I’m late to the party on this one I’ve already bought the next one, Isolated, and am about to jump straight in.
Emma Hunter is a great believable character with her own interesting harrowing back story, which I am sure we will be to hearing more about. Her story opens as she is the reluctant recipient of applause on her best selling book exposing abuse in a local care home. Very soon she’s tasked with finding out what happened to the six year old daughter of an extremely wealthy family on her way home from a school mates party. Jack a young DC is tasked with being her police contact in this old case and so begins a great tale and pairing