Forgotten

Beautifully drawn characters and a tense believable story very well told. Can't say more and I have no criticism at all on this book. I hope the two detectives Ali and Mike make a good partnership so I hope they get to appear together again in another book.

Superb book. So much happening in the book and so many characters and plots but the author is very good at making it all work. I went through many mixed emotions which shows how good this book has been written. Very moving. Very hard to actually explore so many plots and characters. Really looking forward to reading more books from this author. Really recommend.

Oh my word - I so enjoyed this book, so much so that I am actually pretty tired this morning. Yes folks this is another don't start this unless you can finish it, because honestly I didn't want to put this down.

Hailed as the "Australian equivalent to Jodi Picoult" I can see where the similarities lie, both are obviously used to writing family dramas, but I confess I have never read any of Nicole Trope's previous novels. If ''Forgotten'' is any indicator I've obviously been missing out, and I certainly mean to rectify this as soon as I can. For some reason Picoult novels always remind me of being on holiday, and I can picture myself lazing around catching up with Trope's back catalogue - though perhaps I'm fantasising too much considering the three children usually vying for my attention! Anyway, so to the book.

Telling the tale of an abducted baby, ''Forgotten'' is the stuff of nightmares - that split second decision that can have such terrifying consequences. And it is the mundanity of the situation that makes it so compelling, deciding to leave your baby in the car whilst just popping into the shop for a pint (or litre - sorry!) of milk. I mean it's the dilemma most face at some time, especially when you're in a rush or unwilling to wake a sleeping baby. Should you do it? No. Do people do it? Of course. They probably wouldn't after reading this though!

Now I'm a pretty neurotic mother, I can see danger in pretty much any situation, but I felt so on-edge reading this. The fear I have of anything happening to my children is guaranteed to bring me out in a cold sweat, so I totally empathised with Malia and the overwhelming distress she feels on discovering that baby Zach is not safely tucked up in his car seat where she left him. As much as I understood her complete frustration at her useless husband Ian who fails to bring home the milk that prompts this whole scenario. The interactions between each of the characters is so realistic that I could imagine pretty much all of them as neighbours or friends. And it is this realism which dragged me into the book and kept me hooked until the very last word.

The abductor is pretty much as you'd expect - and her mental instability only served to heighten the tension. I believed that they were capable of anything and whilst I was urging there to be a happy ending, I was never completely sure that I was going to get it. I was on this rollercoaster of a read that I was totally enjoying, but at the same time I wanted to get off and watch it make the safe return from afar. The surrounding characters are as rounded and well-portrayed as the main players. The two officers in particular are thoroughly engaging, especially Ali who is trying to come to terms with her own horrific experience.

In fact I found pretty much everything perfection. ''Forgotten'' is totally engrossing, jam packed with tension and drama - totally recommended.

It’s a parents worst nightmare – you turn your back for an instant and your child is gone. You leave your sleeping baby in the car to run into the store to grave something quickly only to discover that during that time, someone has taken your child. Malia is filled with guilt and terror after her child Zach disappears. Detective Ali Greenberg is assigned the case, and even if it brings back some bad memories, she knows she’s the best person for this case. A thrilling mystery that will have readers on the edge of their seats

This book is an emotional rollercoaster that challenges your judgement. It makes you spin between disgust and anger to compassion and heartbreak. It's perceptively & sensitively written and the characters are vividly drawn. I might add here that you also sway from love to hate with a few of them. That's what makes the book so solid and compelling. A careless few moments and Malia is a victim of an opportunist abductor of her baby. This is one of those life-changing moments. I thought the author brought out very well that women can get a raw deal out of life with the experiences of the characters and some narrative. Quote: "We expect too much from women." Apart from rearing children and tedious housework many are forced to hold down a job too.. Men often fail to understand what it's like to care for a baby day after day. I've never heard of forgotten baby syndrome. I didn't buy it as an appropriate defence for Jackie and it beggars belief that prisons release such vulnerable people. It made me gasp when she excused her crime as "one small slip" when it was momentous. I think the biggest message brought out in this book is about how careless we are on judging others. I shall post this review on Amazon and my blog as soon after publication as I can. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it. Brilliant book like the author's other books.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Wow. Nicole Trope did it again. As a mother, I was in a panic for pretty much the entire book. My heart raced with every page and I loved the back and forth between character, and their own lives. It was simply a beautiful, heart wrenching, flawless novel by Nicole Trope. She never disappoints and her books just keep getting better and better. I HIGHLY recommend this book and all of her books.

Malia, a mother looking after three young children takes her eye off the ball for one minute. Zach the baby disappears from the car and what ensues is a fast paced race against the clock to find him before it is too late.
The story is not just about the hunt for Zach, which is primarily what keeps the pages turning, but about the characters and how they have come to be where they are, which at times makes for uncomfortable reading.
In my opinion this was a good book, worth reading.
I received a copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Malia was completely stressed but trying not to show it – Aaron, her five year old son was demanding milk with his cereal, but they didn’t have any. Her three year old daughter, Rhiannon was echoing her brother. Finally in despair she bundled the children - five month old Zach still sleeping –into her car for the quick trip to the service station for the litre of milk. She was going to be late to work, the kids to childcare and school – but what could she do? And when she arrived, Zach was still sleeping; she knew she’d be quick – that decision was to change everything…

Detective Ali Greenberg had only been back at work a month, but she wanted this case. She and her partner Mike were at the service station, along with what seemed like every police team in Sydney. A missing child, especially a baby, tugged on the heartstrings of everyone and brought the police out in full force every time. Ali and Mike needed to move the investigation forward quickly – the weather was scorching; Zach had to be found soon.

With Malia’s parents rushing from Melbourne to be by her side, and everyone trying to help find Zach, Malia wondered if she’d ever feel “normal” again. She was desperately missing her little boy – he was overdue for a feed; was he hungry and thirsty? Was he crying for her? Would someone please just FIND HIM!

Forgotten by Aussie author Nicole Trope is an explosive, fast-paced and emotional race against time. The suspense is breathtaking, the narration is extremely well done - I needed to race through the pages to find out what happened. The author has written another dramatic psychological thriller which shows how one small mistake can have devastating consequences. I loved Hush, Little Bird and Forgotten is up there with it. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley, Allen & Unwin and the author for my ARC to read and review.

What begins as the usual baby snatching story quickly turns into a full-bodied drama that is well written and full of suspense, anticipation, panic, pain, and, ultimately, a way back to wholeness.

When Malia's husband Ian fails to bring home some milk for two of their three children's breakfasts after a night of gambling, the fragile house of cards that is their marriage starts to crumble. Malia gathers up five-month old Zach, and her two older children, ages three and five, and makes a quick run to the local 7-11 for milk, hoping to get all the children squared away at pre-school, school, and day care. And then she makes a terrible mistake. She leaves Zach in the unlocked car, and in the few minutes she's gone, the baby is snatched, by Jackie, a disturbed young woman recently released from prison.

A search ensues, led by police officers Ali and Mike. There's nothing more that I can say without spoiling this well-crafted tale as it unfolds. Suffice to say that while most of the book takes place in the course of one day, it feels like an eternity as emotions rage and time ticks away.

Set in Australia, this book is among the best I've read about baby snatching or kidnapping. I had a feel for all of the characters, from 80-year old Edna who plays an important role in the story, to baby Zach. This is a moving story of people and circumstances that feel all too real. Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Enjoyed this book but I would prefer people stop comparing authors. This is a great book on its own, when being compared to Jodi Picoult my expectations were a bit along different lines of what was given. I will and have recommended this book bit I would certainly not compare the authors.

What a brilliant read! I was totally absorbed in the relatable story about a mother and a terrible incident that occurs in a blink of an eye. This book has it all, marriage dramas, dealing with loss, the struggles and challenges of raising children. Thanks for the chance to read.

This is the first book by Nicole Trope that I have actually read as previous 'reads' were via Audiobooks which I would highly recommend.
These books are always full of high drama, family sagas and told in such thought provoking ways. Forgotten was no different. A wonderful book filled with colour, tension and emotion. Such an engrossing and gripping story, so well told.
One to recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

So, just when I thought I had my book of the month sorted (Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica), another has come along that has completely wowed me and left my decision of which book to pick so up in the air. Forgotten by Nicole Trope has everything I look for in a book – characters I cared for, a plot that kept me turning pages, and an ending that left me holding my breath, praying everything would turn out o.k.

It starts with one of those decisions every parent of a young child has faced I think. They are asleep in the car when your out running errands. Do you leave them sleeping whilst you run into the store (you’ll only be a minute after all) or do you risk a major meltdown by waking them up and taking them in with you? We will all probably say, when asked, we’d do the latter but in the moment, that’s probably not true; there are plenty of us out there that would at least give it a thought I’m sure.

So it is with Malia, who has not one child but three under the age of five, including newborn Zach. It’s been a hard morning when she makes her fateful decision. Her two oldest kids have been testing her last nerve, playing up because there isn’t any milk for breakfast. Zach, is fast asleep, and she wants to keep it that way.

So she leaves him the car whilst she runs into the shop to get milk, thinking she can keep her eye on her car the whole time. Only she can’t, and, when she gets back, Zach is gone and her nightmare begins. Nicole Trope does an amazing job here, creating a character I completely felt for when she was one I maybe should have had little sympathy with given what’s happened.

With a baby to find, local detectives Ali and Mike are called in to start the search. For Ali, a new mother herself, this is a difficult one and, as the story progresses, you see just how much it impacts her. You also see her determination to bring Zach home and her anxiety that she could lose her child. I loved Ali’s caring nature and her passion to support Malia and find Zach.

I got to read feel these first hand in the chapters that told what was happening from her perspective. They alternated with Malia’s but also with the person who took Zach, and Edna, an elderly woman who doesn’t trust her neighbour. And all this happens over the course of one day, meaning the tension rises with the temperature, as everyone begins to think there will only be one ending, and it won’t be a good one.

I don’t think I could have felt more involved in the search for Zach if I’d been part of the investigation. I felt every minute of him being missing and I couldn’t imagine how I would have felt if I was Malia. This book is 400 pages long yet it felt like it was over in no time at all, so engrossed was I in the story.

From all of this, you can probably tell this will be a book I will be recommending. I really can’t praise it enough. Loved it!

Forgotten

Billed as an Australian Jodi Picoult, this was my first book by Nicole Trope and I really enjoyed it, it won't even my last!

With great characters, there is lots in this book that people will find relatable and many subjects that are tackled in a sensitive manner. I loved Nicole's writing style, it makes her book a real page turner! Four stars from purplebookstand.

This was the first book I’ve read by Nicole Trope- I enjoyed her writing style and will definitely look out for more by this author. She writes with conviction , urging you to become invested with the story and keep turning the pages.
This involves every mothers nightmare with a baby going missing. Your heart is breaking and you are hoping this is going to end the way you want it to. A shortage of milk at breakfast has awful consequences and you are taken along with the characters.
The tension builds and you feel nervous throughout- you can feel the emotions of the family and the detective and feel the suspense and emotions throughout.

Forgotten by Nicole trope.
In a single day, a simple mistake will have life-altering consequences for everyone involved.

A moment of distraction, an unlocked car and a missing baby. How on earth could this happen?

All Malia needed was a single litre of milk and now she’s surrounded by police and Zach has disappeared.

Detective Ali Greenberg knows that this is not the best case for her, not with her history - but she of all people knows what Malia is going through and what is at stake.

Edna is worried about the new residents at the boarding house. She knows Mary would turn in her grave if she knew the kinds of people her son was letting in.

And then there is someone else. Someone whose heart is broken. Someone who feels she has been unfairly punished for her mistakes. Someone who wants what she can’t have.

What follows is a heart-stopping game of cat-and-mouse and a race against the clock. As the hours pass and the day heats up, all hope begins to fade.
This was a moving and emotional read. A fantastic read. Bought tears to my eyes. 5*. Netgalley and Allen and unwin.

I have read a few books by this author and have enjoyed them all but Forgotten has to be the best, I thoroughly enjoyed it, was gripped throughout the book.

First book I have read by this author. I have seen her described as an Australian version of Jodi Picoult and there are certain similarities between the two. A sad and somewhat harrowing story involving both the abduction and death of a small child. Not easy subject matter but I felt it was well written with believable characters and it definitely drew me in and kept me turning the pages to right to the very end. Will be reading more from Nicole.

Malia is living every parent's worst nightmare. Needing to duck into the service station shop for a bottle of milk for breakfast she reluctantly made a last minute decision to leave baby Zach asleep in the car within sight of the shop. However, once in the shop she became momentarily distracted by her young daughter and when she got back to the car discovered that Zach was missing.
As the hours tick away without the police finding any leads on who might have taken Zach, Malia becomes more frantic and distraught. DI Ali Greenburg, in charge of the case, has herself experienced the tragic loss of a baby and is determined that Zach will be found. Many mothers will feel an affinity with Malia, struggling to make ends meet, busy with three children and a husband who is distant from the kids and not fully engaged in the household.
The story is told from the viewpoint of four different women, Malia, Ali, Edna - an elderly resident of a boarding house and Jackie - a lost and damaged soul. This works really well in building the suspense and emotion as the race is on to find baby Zach. Another excellent read from Nicole Trope!

A mother's worse nightmare. You just leave your toddler for five minutes, turn around and he is gone. Malia was a dutiful, good mother. She was also seriously sleep deprived, exhausted and at the end of her tether with a husband who was just that in name. Ian did not care for the "looking after" part of kids and with two toddlers and a baby of five months Malia found the whole business of the family on her shoulders.

The parallel story of Ali from the Police who is assigned to the case is also very much part of the story. Having lost a child to SID she is also a mother to a toddler of eighteen months and is paranoid about Charlie. She has never been able to give him to anyone else to look after and having returned to work, Charlie is in a day care with hourly messages to Mum to update her on his status. Unusual day care indeed!

The twists and turns in a case like this where someone who is mentally ill and already a felon, decides to pick up Zach from his car seat and take him home. Jackie believes that having a ready made baby will make her ex husband return to her obsessive arms. Tracking baby Zach is a nightmare as CCTV cameras around the shop are broken, no leads come up despite cross questioning of a series of people and the Police know that the longer the case lingers, the more remote the chances of Zach turning up alive.

Turn on to a home which is run by Robbie for felons out of prison and on parole and we have Edna who is worried over the residents of the home. Worried for her personal safety as well. It is Edna the oldest person in the entire scenario who realizes that things are not quite right with the latest resident and it is with this that a happy result ensues.

I was holding my breadth till the end. This was a good thriller and I am just glad that I got it no sooner I requested for it. It was a recommendation from a fellow blogger.

Review on Goodreads on 3/7/2017. Amazon is not permitting reviews as yet. Review on my blog 4/8/2017.

Psychologically thrilling and absolutely enthralling! Riveting! Captivating!

5☆ Every Mothers worst nightmare.
A Compelling & Heart Pumping Read!

Wow what a story.  Every mothers worst nightmare. Literally had me turning pages as I was desperately praying for a happy ending!

When Malia makes a rash decision to leave baby Zach asleep in her car whilst she popped into the nearest local store..... NEVER in her wildest dreams did she expect to come back to find the car empty and baby Zach gone!

My heart was in my mouth. I know we can all judge Malia but my god does she pay the price!

Malia is a mum of 3 struggling to make ends meet. Her decision to get milk that unforgettable day was because her 2 oldest children were playing her up demanding cereals. She felt no other choice but to go get milk!

I was literally shouting DON'T leave the car unlocked! Why not leave another child with the baby!!!

When Detective Ali Greenburg is given the case to find baby Zach she can relate to Malia's heartbreak as she too has recently lost a child. She is so determined to find baby Zach she isn't about to lose another child.

It really is a frantic search to find baby Zach alive and well.

I think alot of mothers will be able to relate to this story. Although I was annoyed at Malia for leaving Zach I could also see it from her point of view.
It's never ever right to leave a child unattended.

Forgotten highlights the dangers of this and it really hits home a strong scarey message.

Forgotten is a hard hitting, fast paced race against time. That keeps the reader frantically turning the pages desperate for a happy ending.
It's full of raw emotion and realistic characters.


Would I recommend this book.... without a doubt.... Yes!!

An excellent story from an author I had not read before. A simple split second decision has nightmare consequences. Nicola Trope writes in a very similar way to Jodi Picoult and would appeal to all of J.P's readers.
I will definitely look out for more work by this author.

I was excited to read this book because the author, Nicole Trope, was compared to Jodi Picoult, whose very cerebral novels are some of my favorites. This book started off a bit slow and, as the narrative comes from four different characters, it took some time to figure out how their stories were going to come together. Once the plot began to open up, the story took an exciting turn. Trope can weave a good tale. My only complaint is that sometimes, it was a bit tedious bouncing back and forth between the four storytellers. Other than that, it was a good read.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of FORGOTTEN in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a page turner from the very beginning. I rated this book a 4 star, rather than 5 simply because the writing style was not my favorite. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the story itself. It held my interest beginning to end and really hits home with any mother. I found myself relating to the chaos, and sympathizing with her predicament. And, we even get a glimpse into the kidnappers perspective to boot. Left me with goosebumps!

This is a brilliant story, it's very intense and full of drama. I read the whole book in a day. Malia is a young mum she is married to Ian and they have three young children, Aaron age 5, Rhiannon age 3 and Zach age 5 months. Malia is a working mum and appears to look after the kids 24/7 when she is home. Her husband Ian is a car salesman. He works long hours with little to show for it. One morning, harassed Malia has to go to the shop for milk. She has to take the kids in the car. Zach is sleeping when Malia and the two other children go into the shop, as she only intends being a minute she lets him sleep. On their return to the car Malia eventually realises that Zach is gone! So begins the hunt to find him and everyone is under suspicion! Read on!

I loved this book... the second I've read from this author.. I couldn't put it down!!!! So wonderful!!!

I found this a really tense and well written book - I could feel the heat rise and tension build as we neared the conclusion of the read.
I found the older lady a little irritating and not quite as developed as some of the other characters, but it was overall an excellent read.

La chiamano "la Jodie Picoult australiana", Nicole Trope, e a ragione; anzi, benché siano passati molti anni dalla mia ultima lettura di un romanzo dell'autrice americana, posso affermare di apprezzare maggiormente la Trope per il realismo più spiccato e la capacità di dar vita a personaggi che sono piccoli universi, tanto minuziosa è la loro caratterizzazione.
Universi femminili, a dire il vero, perché in Forgotten, così come in Blame, sono le donne a farla da padrone, mentre gli uomini restano per lo più sullo sfondo, importanti a volte ai fini della storia, ma mai protagonisti.

Nucleo di questo romanzo è il rapimento di un bambino, Zach, che la madre, Malia, ha lasciato per qualche minuto in auto mentre si affrettava a comprare il latte per i due figli maggiori. Una donna immeritevole, ingrata, incauta... molti sono i commenti che potrebbero fioccare a causa del suo gesto - che è, sì, senza dubbio quanto meno poco saggio - eppure sin dalle prime righe della storia la Trope ci descrive una donna stressata, oberata dal lavoro, lasciata sola da un marito di cui non abbiamo ancora letto la parte peggiore, una donna, insomma, in cui qualunque altra potrebbe immedesimarsi, o che almeno potrebbe essere profondamente capita.

La scomparsa del bambino apre il sipario ancora su altre donne, Jackie che l'ha preso, Ali che lo cerca, Edna che lo guarda alla tv, Garnet che pensa di averlo con sé.
Ognuna di queste donne, insieme a Malia, ha perso qualcosa, ma, a differenza della madre del piccolo Zach, per nessuna di loro c'è più alcuna speranza.
Ognuna ha una storia diversa, e un diverso modo di affrontare la perdita.
Ho trovato commovente il personaggio di Edna, un'anziana donna che vive in una camera in affitto, senza più marito e senza mai aver avuto figli, che ancora ricorda gli insegnamenti del padre, ma ha alla fine il coraggio di andarvi contro e fare la cosa giusta.
Controverso invece il personaggio di Jackie. E coraggiosa, direi, l'autrice, nel descrivere una madre che odia così tanto la sua bambina da mettere in piedi un piano che chiamare mostruoso è poco. Certo, c'è la sua infanzia orribile, la presenza certa di una psicosi, ma è impossibile empatizzare con la donna o provare pena per lei. Le pagine in cui Jackie fa da narratrice sono molto difficili da mandar giù, ed ho apprezzato molto il lavoro dell'autrice che è stata capace di farmi provare dei sentimenti tanto forti.
E poi c'è Ian, il padre di Zach, l'incubo di ogni moglie, e non perché sia un assassino o un adultero, ma semplicemente per la sua indifferenza verso la propria famiglia e per il suo egoismo che raggiunge vette davvero elevatissime. Un uomo normale, che non si farebbe fatica a rintracciare tra qualcuno dei nostri conoscenti.

Forgotten è un romanzo sulla fragilità umana, sulla maternità, sulle scelte, su ciò che è realmente o volutamente dimenticato - forgotten, temine che viene usato più volte all'interno del romanzo, e di cui ho apprezzato soprattutto l'utilizzo nel finale -. E' una storia che impegna emozionalmente e tiene col fiato sospeso fino alla fine. L'ho amato ancora più di Blame, e mi auguro che venga presto tradotto in italiano, così da poter essere conosciuto anche da chi non mastica l'inglese.

Wow, loved this book. Malia has three young children and a pretty useless husband! One morning he doesn't bring home milk for his children's breakfast. Sounds pretty harmless if annoying. However, because Malia then has to leave the house with 3 children she makes a mistake that almost costs her her sanity. She makes a snap decision to leave baby Zach asleep in the car when she gets to the store. After all, what can happen? She can see the car and she is only going to be quick. She is distracted by her daughter smashing a jar and when she gets back to the car after a matter of minutes the car is empty. Jackie has lost her child and her husband and has just been released from prison. A brilliant heartfelt book of family life, snap decisions and loss.

This was a really gripping thriller, with lots of twists and amazing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be eager to read others by Nicole in the future

This is the third novel by Nicole Trope I have read and I have to say this was just as good as the others. There are plenty of stories out there about children being snatched but this one is an interesting change, although perhaps not the best I have come across, as it shifts between the family of the stolen baby and the woman who stole him. There are characters you will warm to, a lonely old woman called Edna being amongst them, and those you don't and I was really driven to race towards the conclusion to discover whether or not a happy ending would pronounce. All in all sound 4* read.

Wow! This book was definitely a day in a mother's worst nightmare... how one small decision can change everything. Perhaps during a pregnancy is not the best time to read a story about a baby being abducted, but once I started I couldn't not go on. The story is fast paced and yet it manages to pull on all your heartstrings and literally had me crying at times. It is also really well written and as a Jodi Piccoult fan I will highly recommend this book to others who enjoy her type of stories as this one is right up there with the best of her's. So good! I will definitely look for more books by Nicole Trope. She's got me hooked!

Thanks to Net Galley & Allen &Unwin for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This book is about four woman.
Malia, who leaves baby Zach in the car as she pops into the shop with her other two children to buy milk, when she returns to rhe car little Zach is missing,
Ali, who is one of the detectives investigating the missing baby and who lost her first child to sudden infant death.
Jackie, who has recently been released from prison having been found guilty of the manslaughter of her infant daughter and
Edna who is a widowed pensioner living in a rented room in a boarding house.
This is an emotional story told by all four woman about the urgent hunt to find and return baby Zach to his mother and family and the pages turn themselves.

5* Harrowing Stars

From the first page anxiety presents itself and just when you think it could not get any worse it escalates into full blown panic and becomes every mother/parents worst nightmare.

This story has it all, mental illness, selfishness, angst and addiction and when under pressure the truth comes out!

This story is told from 4 female voices, each having their own chapter and going between their past and present. I enjoyed this perspective as it gave us the background to these women and contributed to a well flowing story.

This was a fast paced anxious read! It was very well written and realistic, and the characters were very believable. I especially enjoyed Edna, she was a, “breath of fresh air”, in this nail-biting read. You will be captivated throughout this page-turner of a read.

The epilogue was perfect and rounded up the story perfectly.

This was my first read by Nicole and I will definitely be reading her stories again.

Thank you NetGalley, Allen & Unwin and the author for allowing me to read and review Forgotten.