Little Ones

The book cover gave me eerie vibes. Not sure if it was the colors or a child standing all alone on an abandoned playground but it definitely did the trick.

“Little Ones” begins with the book cover. During her early morning run, Fran discovers a seven year old girl, Esther, alone in the dark. Fran reunites Esther with her mother, Mary Whitaker, and in the process befriends her. The Whitaker family is odd in their beliefs and way of dressing.

Mary seems vulnerable and completely devoted to her daughter. Esther, on the other hand, is quiet an odd child that initially is not likable at all. Chapters that touch on Esther’s viewpoint make her seem years beyond her age.

As Fran becomes closer to this new family, she starts to be concerned about their welfare, especially when Esther keeps running away.

Then one day, the family disappears. Fran becomes consumed with her desire to find the family while dealing with her own grief.

Although I was able to predict the family’s mystery early on in the book, it did not detract from my enjoyment. The writing flowed seamlessly from chapter to chapter and kept me turning pages up until the end. At some point, some chapters go back and forth between the current timeline and past events, which was written into the story well.

As a regular thriller reader, I really appreciated the freshness of the story. I found myself obsessively turning the pages and smiling as the story began to unfold. The ending tied together all of the characters and pieces of the story nicely.

4.5 stars

This book started off quite slowly but picked up mid-way. I did guess a couple of the twists but that didn't stop it being a solid three star read

Fran is on her routine early morning jog when she finds a little girl, no older than seven years old, by herself dressed in pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress, covered in grass stains and her hair disheveled. Her name is Esther and she says she's waiting for Father, and that strikes Fran as particularly odd.

After Esther is reunited with her mother, Mary, Fran can't stop thinking about this pious child whose imaginary friend is God. Fran's instincts tell her something is very wrong.

Soon, Fran gets close to Mary and Esther despite Fran's husband warnings not to get too close. But one morning, Esther and her family disappear. Where did they go? Why did they leave their furniture behind?

Fran knows in her gut that something terrible is going to happen to that child, and she can't stand by while it happens. No matter the cost.

This was quite an interesting read though it was easy to predict what was going on quite early in the story.

The narration and the characters are well written. Initially the plot was good but once the Whittaker family left and Fran began her investigation, it kind of became unrealistic. I couldn’t relate to Fran’s obsession and her dropping everything to travel to Arizona in search of Mary and Esther seemed slightly far-fetched.

However, the twists at the end were excellent and helped to bring it all together with a great ending.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC!

As a fan of Sarah Denzil I was really looking forward to reading this book. I loved the Isabel Fielding books and had high hopes for’Little One’. Whilst I did enjoy it I found it a little implausible in places - can’t really say why as it would be a massive spoiler!
An enjoyable read nevertheless.

Fran discovered a seven year old girl alone in the dark while she was out for her early morning run. The girl is soon reunited with her mother. Fran makes friends with Ester and Mary but soon Fran gets concerned about their welfare. Then suddenly the family disappear. Fran is determined to find them.

Although the story was a bit predictable, it was also a very engaging read. Fran is still mourning the death of her baby. The characters are intriguing and there's a few twists and turns in this steady paced book. I liked the authors writing style, it flowed seamlessly from chapter to chapter. There's a twist at the end that I never saw coming. The ending was satisfactory.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #VictoryEditingNetGalleyCo-op and the author #SarahADenzil for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank You Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book! This review is based on my opinion.

Fran while jogging comes across a little girl who seemed to be lost. Her mother later on finds her and then introduces herself as Mary Whittaker and the girl as Esther and they both have moved from Tucson, Arizona to the small town of Leacroft. Fran, who lost her child then suddenly becomes a bit protective towards Esther, realizing that the new American family are very religious and Fran suspects something abuse is going on in the house. Esther goes missing again and then after being found, the family pack their belongings and leave the village. Fran is determined to find what happened to the family even if it means going to Arizona...

The story started out pretty good. The story started a bit slow then it got more and more interesting by the middle of the book after the Whittaker family left. However, the story sort of become a bit unrealistic to me towards the end. The writing was good and the author did a good job keeping the reader into the story. Towards the end, you get some unexpected twists and turns.

Overall, it is not a bad book--an OK thriller. Worth three stars!

This starts off with a promising beginning... Fran is on her morning jog when she finds a little girl alone on the side of the road. She befriends the girls family and off we go... it was just ok! I won’t spoil it for anyone

This was a very interesting read! I’ve read lots of books by Sarah and had high hopes for this one which I think were met.

The plot is a good one and quite unique, if not a tad far-fetched in places. However although parts of the story seemed implausible, it was an enjoyable read and it did a great job of drawing me in until I demanded answers! This book is clever in that although there is an element of mystery at the beginning, it does take a while for the narrative to get going but that doesn’t take away from the overall suspense that is created.

I didn’t like the main character, Fran, at first but by the end my view on her completely changed - in my opinion, she started off as nosy and interfering but ended up becoming a bit of a heroine and I like that the heroine is portrayed as a slightly older, plain, unassuming lady rather than the typical beautiful and powerful young woman.

I did find a couple of the twists to be a little predictable but I didn’t mind that I saw them coming, I think I would have felt disappointed if my suspicions weren’t confirmed. This is a decent mystery/suspense novel and I think would appeal to like-minded thriller lovers as it’s a bit different to the usual serial killer/murder mystery plots.

Thank you to NetGalley & Victory Editing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

During her early morning run, Fran finds a little girl standing alone on the street. After Esther is reunited with her family, Fran can't stop thinking about her. She befriends the girl's family, who are very modest and God-fearing. Soon Fran starts suspecting that Esther's father is abusive towards his wife and daughter.
When the family suddenly disappears, Fran decides to find them.


I'm a great fan of Sarah A Denzil, so I was excited to be approved for the ARC of her newest book.
It was a good and enjoyable read with a twist I didn't see coming, but I found the story quite predictable, and not as gripping as I would have liked it to be. There were a lot of similarities to other cult based novels, which I think was the reason the story didn't stand out.
Overall, it was a good book but not one that I would reread.

Review of eBook

Fran Cole, out for her regular early morning jog, finds a little girl standing near the swings. Her name is Esther; she tells Fran Father is coming. But, Esther informs her, Father lives in Arizona. Before Fran can respond to this, Esther’s mother arrives, breathless and worried and in search of the child.

Fran can’t keep from wondering [and worrying] about the child and her young mother. It isn’t long before Fran has invited Mary to come to choir, she’s friended Mary on Facebook, and she jogs past the Whitaker home.

Fran’s husband, Adrian, warns her about becoming so involved with the family, but Fran fails to heed his advice. And then, one day . . . without warning . . . they’re gone.

Fran is certain something terrible will happen to Esther and she vows to do everything possible to save her. But first, she’ll have to solve the mystery of the family’s disappearance.

The story has a continual undercurrent of tension, which keeps the reader on edge [and keeps the pages turning]. Readers are certain to agree with Fran’s assessment that there is something wrong in the family, but the unfolding story holds its secrets close, jealously guarding them, and revealing only bits and pieces to keep readers guessing.

Esther’s mother, Mary, seems quite vulnerable but completely devoted to her daughter. Esther is not a very likable child; readers are likely to find it difficult to relate to the little girl. And when the story focuses on her viewpoint, she certainly seems far older and wiser than the mere seven years she’s supposed to be . . . it’s a bit of a disconnect for the reader since the character’s thoughts and actions seldom typify those of a typical seven-year-old child.

Fran’s almost-immediate obsession with the Whitaker family is difficult to understand; dropping everything to travel to Arizona in search of the family is simply incomprehensible.

There’s a huge plot twist as the unfolding story approaches a particularly compelling situation . . . and the revelation is staggering. Totally out of left field, totally unpredicted; a massive surprise.

It also stretches the willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point, leaving readers rolling their eyes in incredulity. After the obsession, the incomprehensible actions, and the cringe-worthy cult revelations, it’s just a bit too much to ask the reader to accept.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
#LittleOne #NetGalley

I devoured this book in one sitting, a dysfunctional family and One woman's obsession with this family. I thought I knew what to expect when I started reading but I was so wrong. It was so much more. This author certainly knows how to tell a story, she has the knack of drawing the reader in then WHAM you are turned in a completely different direction. Full of twists and turns and a real surprise I never saw coming. Loved it and in my opinion another MUST READ from this author.
Thanks to Victory Editing and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Fran discovers a little girl alone in the dark while on her early morning run. She is quickly reunited with her worried mother. As Fran gets to know the American family she begins to worry the mother and daughter are in danger. Then they disappear one day. Fran starts to become obsessed with saving the mother and daughter and tries to find them. Her quest takes her to America and into a cult. Will she be able to save them from their fate.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of Little One by Sarah A. Denzel. This was a very suspenseful and enjoyable read that kept you guessing and was loaded with surprises. Highly recommend!

I honestly don't know where to start with reviewing this! I can't say that I didn't like it because there were definitely parts that I really enjoyed and I didn't want to stop reading but it was just a bit of a mish-mash.

The first half is incredibly slow-going. We follow Fran, who becomes inexplicably attached to a new family in her village. Some odd things happen with this family, and then one day they mysteriously disappear. Fran then takes it upon herself to FLY TO AMERICA to track down these people who she has known for a few weeks. I get this had to happen for there to be a story but who on earth would do such a thing? From this point though, the pace ramps up massively and the book goes down a new route which I actually really enjoyed once I had suspended disbelief.

Another issue I did have, and have noted a couple of other reviewers saying so as well is that there are some chapters from the perspective of a 7 year old girl and they come across as very articulate and adult, it doesn't ring true as a child's thought process at all.

I've tried to sort my feelings towards this book whilst writing this review and I still can't decide how I felt about it! I don't think I would go out of my way to recommend it, but it wasn't terrible, just a bit odd.

This was a suspenseful story about a woman named Fran who becomes obsessed with a neighboring family after finding their runaway young girl in a park very early in the morning. She introduces herself to the family, who dress in an old fashioned manner and are traditionally conservative and religious. The mother looks to be barely in her twenties and the father is twice her age. Fran prides herself on acceptance of all different groups of people, but she can't help the feeling that something is just...off. Her husband, Adrian, understands her curiosity but tries to keep Fran from becoming too obsessed with this family that seem to be doing fine. After awhile, the family finds themselves scorned by the rest of the village for being the strange outsiders and they soon leave without a trace. Rather than letting it go, Fran becomes more obsessed than ever. Will discovering the truth about the family destroy her own?

Although at times the story moved a bit slow for me, I was drawn to many of the characters and the mystery of the pious family. There's quite a lot of introspection from Fran with many of the same repeated thoughts, which I know makes sense because of her obsessive nature. She has her own issues that she comes to terms with throughout the story, but I think more interspersed action at these times would help to keep the interest of the reader. The book heads in a different direction partway through and at that point it became more of a page turner for me. I can't say more because it's best not to give it away! And pay attention because there is an amazing twist towards the end of the story that came out of nowhere for me - I couldn't believe I never saw it coming! That's what I get for thinking I had it all figured out at that point. This author never lets me down!

When Fran sees the girl in the middle of the village green at 5am she’s hesitant as to what to do. Even at 46 years old she’s unsure what exactly she should be doing to help the girl find her parents, shall she call the police? Luckily the little girls mother shows up telling her she’d disappeared from their house and that they should get back quickly before her husband wakes up.

The meeting unsettled Fran and has her wondering about the new family, the Whitaker’s, that have recently moved to their small village of Leacroft from Arizona. She doesn’t know what it is but something seems odd about them. Not just the old fashioned clothing they wear, there is definitely something else they are hiding.

Wow! I loved this book so much. I couldn’t tear myself away from it. The story really pulled you in and made you want to know more about Esther, Mary and Elijah and where they came from. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes, some I really didn’t see coming at all. A fantastic thriller that I have no doubt will do brilliantly when it is released.

# Sara A Denzil, # NetGally.
Fran is a woman in her 40s who is still mournjng her loss of her baby
When Fran is in park and finds a child ,she then meets childs Mother. The more she knows about them the stranger things get.

Sarah Denzil is a new author for me and I must say her writing is spot on!! This book was the perfect domestic thriller. I really liked Fran, the main character, a lot. Even though she is grieving herself she still has empathy for someone who has recently moved into her neighborhood. After meeting the new family she feels that something is wrong in their family and she wants to help. This is where things really start to heat up and get really twisted. I have read many thrillers so I usually have them figured out early on but not this one!! It will really blow your mind! I highly recommend this book, it is great!!

I've got very mixed feelings about this book.

It starts off well, with the lead character, Fran, finding a child in a park at 0500. Then the child's mother arrives and as Fran gets to know them, she feels very suspicious of their circumstances. Are they being held against their will? What is the secret they seem so keen to hide. Then, the family disappears and Fran decides to try to find them. So far, so good. Unfortunately, for me, this then all gets a bit silly, with Fran dashing off to America to attempt to find the missing family and solve some secret.
Fran is married and she and her husband are themselves grieving.

It's not a bad read, it's a 2* OK read for me. However, I just felt it could be so much more. I won't give anything away, but, I felt very disappointed at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Great book! It's a story about a woman in her late 40s named Fran who is still mourning the loss of her baby. She meets Esther and Mary and is pulled into their mysterious life. Fran is constantly torn between interfering with what she believes might be an abusive marriage and her husband's opinion that she is becoming obsessed with them.
This story is perfect for those who love a good cult read (which I do) and the twist made me gasp out loud. Enjoy!