Chad Zunker is great for a popcorn suspense read. This story started off with a bang and moved quickly throughout. The suspense element was there, even though it felt slightly unrealistic.

I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. The dad was wild and not thinking correctly. The mom was a little better. The daughter was a brat that put them in dangerous situations multiple times.

Thus wasn't my favorite book by the author, but I'll give anything that he writes a chance. Thanks to NetGalley & the author for my gifted copy

another absolutely excellent book from Chad Zunker!!! i will read anything this man writes. all of his books are super fast paced and completely draw the reader in. the very first chapter of this book leaves the reader with a jaw dropping gasp!!! soooo good!

Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker was a white-knuckler as the reader tries to figure out who exactly can be behind the death of the Shipley's foster daughter's mother. The foster daughter they thought they were adopting. The foster daughter they were to hand back to her mother. Why did the mother implore them to run and protect her daughter? Who is after the girl? How far will they go to protect her? How far would you go? There are so many unanswered questions to begin this story, and Zunker unravels the web bit by bit as he takes you through the Shipley's flight with the child, and their plans if or when their carefully laid new life unravels. If you've never read any of his books, this is the one! If you have, you will enjoy the journey!

#NetGalley #NotOurDaughter

For me, Chad Zunker is one of those reliable authors – in 2022, I read Family Money – four stars. In 2023, All He Has Left was another solid four star read. Then, last year? The Wife You Know – yep, once again, four stars. So this year, when I had the opportunity to read his latest, Not Our Daughter, in exchange for my honest review (thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley), I jumped at the chance. I love having one of those books that I Just KNOW is going to be well written, entertaining, something that will hold my interest and be a fun experience – not what some call “great literature” or even “literary fiction” – nope, I’m here for a good time. Some of the authors that fall into that category for me are Joseph Finder, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, John Sandford (nearly all the time), and T. Jefferson Parker (most of the time). I’m probably forgetting someone important, but these come to mind – and I have to say Chad Zunker is now on the list (anyone see an unsurprising four star review coming?)

This exceptionally compelling mystery/thriller focuses on a couple, Lisa and Cole Shipley, and their early teenage daughter. Thirteen years ago, they were fostering an infant and had hoped to adp[t her and raise her as their own. Then, all three of their lives were suddenly and frighteningly changed forever when the baby’s birth mother showed up at their front door. After gasping out the words “He’s coming here…for her! Save her,” she bled to death. Terrified, they grabbed the baby and ran.

They landed in a small town in Colorado,now raising a teenager who is suddenly turning into a grownup – and asking questions. They are sure they are being tracked by AT LEAST a relentless FBI agent, but it turns out there is also another threat tracking them.

It’s fun! Scary at times. As a former foster parent, I can attest to the fact that it also captures some of the mixed feelings adults in a foster situation have…as well as the angst of the parents of an early teenage girl who is sure she knows everything and knows the best way to do EVERYTHING. It was so much fun, and while I was fairly certain things would turn out all right, I can’t say I saw the ending coming. Once again, four stars!

First, a huge thank you for allowing me to review this before it's released!

This whirlwind takes you across the country following fleeing fugitives in their quest for safety. The action is from beginning to end and the twist you'll never see coming is the perfect ending to this story. It's my first book by this author, and I'll be sure to read all of the others! I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone who enjoys a good thriller with an unseen twist.

I was issue this book by NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Very interesting book. How far, and what are you willing to do, to protect your family? And, what do you do when things start to fall apart.

This book kept your interest, and lots of twists and turns.

Well done by Chad Zunker.

Thirteen years ago, Cole and Lisa Shipley were fostering an infant with hopes of adopting her. Overnight everything was turned upside down, when the child’s mother bled to death on their front doorstep. Her last He’s coming here…for her! Save her. Afraid, bewildered, and with a baby in their arms, they fled. The longer they hid, the guiltier they looked.

Now in a small Colorado town under assumed identities, they’ve been seemingly safe. But when a tip exposes them and Cole is framed for another murder, they take it on the run again, barreling across the western US—this time with a confused and resistant teenage girl awakening to a terrifying new reality. In the rearview is the relentless FBI agent who has never given up the hunt. And he’s not the only one.

Every frightening mile brings a family closer to the truth about that fateful night thirteen years ago. And to a killer who’s determined to finish what he started.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

I believe the aim of thrillers is to thrill you. Give you an edge on the seat kind of feeling and this book does just that.

A simple decision to adopt a child changes the life of a couple. They become endangered and seek to escape. However, a simple decision also brings them back to the radar of the people they want to remain in their past.

The story is told in such a manner that gives you a present feeling as though you were present when the events unfold.

This was my first Chad Zunker novel and I'm officially a fan! Wow! The intensity of the multiple chase scenes in this book had my blood pressure spiking! Cole and Lisa Shipley are the ultimate definition of people that would do anything for their daughter. What a wild ride! Definitely would recommend this book full of twists, turns, ups and downs that leaves you feeling like you've gone on a rollercoaster! Amazing!

I finished this in four hours! Extremely easy but exciting and captivating read! Nonstop action had me hooked.

The lengths someone would go to to protect their child are stretched in this book. Though the end was slightly anticlimactic, it flowed well and I was overall happy with it.

Thank you to Chad Zunker, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

If you are looking for a mystery or psychological thriller, <i>Not Our Daughter</i> is not going to scratch that itch for you. However, if you are looking for an action thriller - especially one with good-hearted main characters - then this book may be what you are seeking. While I tend to be more inclined to those mysteries or psychological thrillers, I still appreciated this quick read which served as reading material on a recent road trip.

The book opens on the night after Greg and Amy Olsen already had the worst day of their lives. Now, a bit after midnight, Greg opens the door after incessant pounding and doorbell ringing to find the bloodied mother of their foster daughter at the doorstep. She gives the stark warning, "He's coming!" not long before succumbing to her wounds. Thus begins over a decade of living as fugitives for Greg, Amy, and their daughter. Unfortunately, a risk taken to improve the life of their daughter leads to both the FBI and the main "bad guy" being notified of the possible location on the family, and a manhunt begins with the FBI and the villain both racing to be the first to reach them.

The characters - both fugitive and FBI agents - are generally easy to like and are guided by their desire to do the right thing. The foster daughter, now a teenager, definitely acts like a teenager. This makes her a bit less easy to enjoy, but it is a realistic depiction of how a teen in this predicament might react. While the book is an action-based thriller, there is not a lot of overt violence which might be of value to readers who mind graphic or constant violence. There weren't a lot of reveals or surprises, but the good pacing with compelling protagonists who generally rely on their wits to get through their challenges made the book enjoyable.

As a Texas resident who frequently spends time in Austin, I appreciated the Austin references and locales but was also pleased by the descriptions of other locales. The author relied heavily on "stocky" as a description for one of the characters, and I would have preferred a bit of variety of language in that regard.

I look forward to reading other books by the author. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whew!!! What a wild roller coaster ride! This is my first book by Zunker, and I am wowed!! This book is going to be so amazing on Audible, and I have pre-ordered it along with a couple of his other books! I highly recommend this book. It's very fast paced and makes you want to read in one sitting!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

📚 Book Review 📚
Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker
Release Date 2/11/2025

Thank you to Chad Zunker and Amazon Publishing for my gifted copy and NetGalley for the arc!

This was a powerful cat and mouse game! Whew!

Cole and Lisa Shipley flee for their safety when they realize they and their foster baby’s lives are in danger. Someone killed the baby’s birth mother and they could be next.

Thirteen years later, they have been traced once again. Not only from the police but from the very man who is hunting them down!

I really enjoyed this one, racing to get to the finish line. A heart pumping and non-stop action thriller that promises to entertain!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cole and Lisa’s life is turned upside down when their adopted daughter’s birth mother dies on their doorstep, leaving a cryptic warning. Thirteen years later, they’re forced to run again, this time from both dangerous pursuers and the FBI.

The book delivers non-stop action and suspense, but the plot is straightforward with few surprises. It’s a fast-paced, engaging read, though it lacks depth and has some inconsistencies. Ideal for fans of action thrillers, but not for those looking for complex twists.

The premise was so intriguing, I had to request this one. It was a good story dont get me wrong on that. It was so suspenseful and intriguing. It kept me hooked and engaged but it was mostly action throughout which is not typically my go to, I tend to get a little tired of it after a while. But don't miss out it's a really intriguing story and it's a lot of fun!

Cole and Lisa will do anything for their daughter, even if it means spending their lives on the run. After her mother died on their lawn, they’ve been trying to stay under the radar. Moving place to place and never setting down roots. All the while being followed by and FBI agent thinks they are murderers and the actual murderer. Implausible at times, but a good thriller.

"Not Our Daughter" by Chad Zunker tells the story of devoted adoptive parents who become desperate fugitives in a heart-racing novel of suspense. The parents and their teenage daughter are propelled on a cross-country chase, unaware that the actual killer is hunting them all. Although the plotlines are predictable, the book is an enjoyable beach read.

Every FBI Agent probably has that one case that haunts them, the one never resolved, the fugitive never brought to justice. For Agent Burns it’s been thirteen years since the Olsen family disappeared. They’re suspected of murdering the mother of the girl they planned to adopt. Agent Burns is sure they got away with murder. On the opposite side of this scenario imagine being the one listed on the FBI’s most wanted list for a murder you did not commit. The constant moves, new identities, new school, new job, no close friends or neighbors, persistent fear of being found. Two very different sides to the story, what’s the truth, what really happened the night that forever altered lives? I sped through the pages to find the answers with my heart pounding. There were a few implausible situations which didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the plot. It’s a thriller folks! I’ve read many of the author’s books and this one is oozing with tension filled drama and hold your breath action scenes. I liked the characters and felt emotions from both perspectives.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of “Not Our Daughter“ by Chad Zunker, on Sale Feb, 2025. These are my personal honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

A heart pounding action thriller with non stop suspense. They will do anything to protect their daughter even though she isn't really there's. Hiding in disguise with new identities and on the run from the FBI but the danger may be closer to home than you think. This is one of those thrillers that you can easily stay up all night to read and still be processing it long after you have finished reading.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Chad and Lisa finally have a child, a little girl named Marcey until a judge rules that Marcey will go back to her mother. Later that night Chad hears the doorbell and goes to answers the door and finds Marcey’s mother bleeding to death and before he can call anyone she tells him that someone is coming and to take Marcey and run and then the mother dies. Thirteen years later they are celebrating Marcey’s fourteenth birthday and Chad takes money out of an abandoned account to pay for Marcey’s back surgery since she has severe scoliosis (I have it as well and understand the pain). The FBI find out and a manhunt is under way since they believe that Chad and Lisa murdered a mother and kidnapped Marcey. A police officer corners Chad and the officer is killed by the man that killed Marcey’s biological mother. Do the manhunt intensifies and the family has some near misses with getting caught. Special Agent Burns tries to talk to Chad and Chad tells him that the FBI has it wrong and tells them about the man trying to kill them and who tried to kill Burns. Burns figured out that the FBI has a mole and learn that the mystery man is actually a hit man for the Nelson family and Marcey’s biological father is about to a Supreme Court judge and the FBI arrest him and kill the hit man before he can eliminate Chad, Lisa, and Marcey. The family is finally safe and are being taken to somewhere else where they will not get recognized while the lose ends are tied up. And Marcey’s surgery will take place after Special Agent Burns puts in a call for the best surgeon to oversee Marcey’s operation. I think that is so sweet and that the family is able to live in peace after years of watching their backs.