Not Your Child

Thank you to Netgalley and Backlit PR for this ARC of Not Your Child by Lis Angus.

I always promise to give an honest review whether I love the book or not. Frankly, I'm not quite sure about this one. Yes, it definitely held my interest but I just felt it didn't completely satisfy me in the end. It wasn't missing any explanation or details, I just wasn't crazy about this one. However, I do not regret reading it and would still recommend this one to fans of mysteries.

What a crazy ride this was!

Ottawa psychologist and single mother Susan Koss discovers that a strange man has been following her twelve-year-old daughter Maddy. She fears he's a predator, but it's worse than that. The man, Daniel Kazan, believes Maddy is his granddaughter, abducted as a baby—and he's obsessed with getting her back.

The book immediately had the reader hooked. Angus wasted no time in getting the reader involved in the story, picking up the pace as Daniel’s obsession grew. Everything becomes more complicated when a DNA test is done, teasing the reader, making us wonder what will happen next. Maddy comes across as a very strong-minded little girl, and you really feel for her and her mother as well, when you realize how complicated their relationship is. The mothers fear becomes your fear, and I simply had to continue reading to see how it all would end.


Thanks to netgalley and backlit PR for this arc.

Wow! That was kind of a crazy story! I went back and forth on this book, but I did enjoy reading it in the end! The storyline was very interesting it had light suspense, definitely intrigue, and a crazy storyline! I can't say to much about this book without giving to much away, but its definitely worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, The Wild Rose Press, Inc and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A wild ride from the beginning. Most epic twists and turns. Truly enjoyable.

What a ride this book was! Fast paced book that will keep you guessing! ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I’ve been told “DNA doesn’t lie, people do”. But what happens when a mom gives birth to a daughter and 12 years later finds out she has no DNA match??

Psychologist and single mother Susan and her 12 year old daughter Mandy reside in Canada. Daniel claims that Maddie is his granddaughter that got abducted from a car accident that resolved in the death of his granddaughter Hannah’s mom and dad. Susan goes through a DNA test and finds out her daughter has no DNA connection with her. Is Maddy Daniels granddaughter??? Is Susan Maddys mom?? Find out on April 18th @lisangus459 makes her book debut! Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this before publishing date! #notyourchild #authordebut #comingapril2022 #mustread #bookstagram #netgalley #bookreview

Not Your Child by Lis Angus is a mystery novel involving psychologist Dr. Susan Koss, who discovers an older man has been following her 12 year old daughter Maddy. The man following Maddy is Daniel & he claims that Maddy is his long lost granddaughter, who went missing after a horrific car accident 11 years prior.
The premise of this book may seem a bit far fetched, but I was curious to read this because it sounded like it would be extra suspenseful & have lots of twists. Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. I struggled with the choices the characters would make. I just couldn’t process them to make any sense.
Sometimes the way they spoke didn’t feel realistic, but given the unusual & stressful circumstances, perhaps I’m wrong.
I got frustrated many times with characters & their actions. A lot of times things just didn’t quite add up & I know not everyone behaves perfectly all the time but even the professionals in the police force did things that just didn’t seem to gel with what would be proper behavior for the circumstances. There was also a lot of repetition that I felt made the story lose its’ momentum. Overall, this book made me sad & frustrated.
There was a twist that I didn’t expect, which I always appreciate when reading mystery novels. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say I was glad how some things were resolved in the end

Not Your Child by Lis Angus comes out April 18, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley & The Wild Rose Press for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains death, car accidents, baby disappearance, child endangerment, missing child, kidnapping, violence & gore.

2.5 stars

This. Book.Is. Amazing. From the start you are hooked trying to figure out why an old man is creepily watching preteen girls. When you find out why, you question everyone’s motives. You are always trying to figure something out, even when it seems straightforward.

There is no super twist or turn just quality writing with characters and a story you want to get all the answers to. That is what makes this book unique, readable, relatable, and downright un-put-down-able. I really enjoyed the preteen-mom relationship and turmoil that was realistically written. If you are a thriller reader, definitely pick this up when it comes out April 18th.

While some parts of the book are repetitive, I really enjoyed this one! It’s the type of book that makes you put yourself in the characters’ shoes and think how you would feel/react in their situations. Lots of twists and turns, I enjoyed the author’s writing style as well.

Not Your child is the story of man who sees who he believes to be his missing grand daughter on her way home from school. When Susan Koss discovers that a strange man has been following her twelve-year-old daughter Maddy, she fears he's a predator. Daniel follows her home and begins to try to find out more about her. Susan calls and reports that a strange man has been following Maddy. When Daniel believes he is correct he then goes to her house where he tries to tell the mother that she has his grand daughter. Susan realizes that this man is a threat to her daughter, gets rid of him and calls the police again to report he showed up at her house.

The book quickly escalates as the story unfolds as Susan tries to protect her daughter and Daniel’s obsession grows. A DNA test is done, but this test will give the reader more questions than answers. Maddy will disappear adding to everyone's worst fears.

This was a riveting story that was a fast afternoon read. I just couldn't put it down until I was finished. The ending was a surprise that seemed hard to believe but anything is possible with science and DNA.

Susan is an overprotective mother learns that her 12 year old daughter Maddy is being followed/questioned by an older man, Daniel. Daniel lost his daughter in a car crash, and his baby granddaughter was missing from the backseat of the car. He is convinced Maddy is his missing granddaughter. Susan wants to put the issue to rest and volunteers to run DNA tests. The results are shocking -- not only do the tests NOT preclude the possibility that Daniel might be Maddy's grandfather, but even more incredible, the results show that Susan is not Maddy's mother. What? How? Then Maddy goes missing and Susan blames Daniel, who has an alibi. The story is told through the three viewpoints of Susan, Maddy and Daniel and is a fast-paced suspenseful read that does an excellent job of getting into each character's head to show their thoughts and motivations.

From the first page, I was hooked. A fast, engaging read. The plot literally thickens with each page and the different viewpoints narrated have you guessing and hoping for answers. Any expectation I had for this book was far surpassed once I started reading. Full recommendation.

#netgalley #backlitpr #notyourchild publication date 18 April 2022
What a ride this book is, the only not so good thing was that it was a bit repetitive. It is about a grandfather who thinks he has found his missing granddaughter only she belongs to someone else or does she? Overall I enjoyed this book as a nice suspense/mystery 4\5 stars

Identifying a kidnapped child with DNA is routine these days, but this had an unusual technical twist. I was cringing when she gave the results to the stalker (what?). No big surprise ending here!

Thank you NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for an early copy of this captivating novel.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5 ⭐️

This novel was more of a mystery book rather than a thriller in my opinion, although there is a bit of a twist/revelation at the very end which wrapped the story up in a nice bow, so to speak. The author does an excellent job of capturing the readers attention as I found myself struggling to put the book down. I would recommend this book to mystery lovers.

Ottawa psychologist and single mother Susan Koss discovers that a strange man has been following her twelve-year-old daughter Maddy. She fears he’s a predator, but it’s worse than that. The man, Daniel Kazan, believes Maddy is his granddaughter, abducted as a baby—and he’s obsessed with getting her back.
Susan insists on a DNA test to disprove Daniel’s claim, but the result is one she can’t understand or explain: it says she’s not Maddy’s mother.
Then Maddy vanishes. Susan’s convinced Daniel has taken her, but he has an alibi, and two searches of his house turn up nothing. The hunt is on—police are on full mobilization, and Susan fears the worst.

This is a page turning read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

This was the first book I have read from this author, and I certainly would recommend it to others.

The book tells different points of view from the three main characters in the storyline. Daniel claims that Mandy is his granddaughter, Susan is Mandy's mom and then Mandy herself. I found this to be a powerful suspense story, one that the answers aren't always what they seem. I was immediately hooked and couldn't put the book down.

As a diehard fan of suspense thrillers, I must admit that this story exceeded my expectations. The dark intensity of the storyline and the complexity of Susan, Maddy and Daniel's story kept me thoroughly riveted, engrossed, and guessing as the pieces to the puzzle come together. I was definitely shocked by the ending of the storyline tho.

Not Your Child is one heck of an adrenaline rush that is a must-read for the true diehard suspense thriller junkie!

Although the story is unique and in the end there's some suspense, the characters didn't grip me as much as I'd wish.

✨Book review✨
Not Your Child
By Lis Angus

Could not put this one down! Such a great story. The synopsis for this one pulled me in right away, I’m a sucker for a missing child story. It’s my worst fear!

If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about when you get that insane feeling of dread and panic when you can’t place your child, even if for a brief moment. Angus had me feeling that throughout this entire story!

Excellent storyline, well written characters, honestly I started this book yesterday, and today I have no fingernails left. It was a roller coaster ride of thrills.

Add this to your must reads for the summer. This book is out now. Lis Angus is an Author I will be looking to read more of!

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me the ARC! I liked it for the most part but expected so much more. Maddy was a brat and that bugged me for half the book. I rate this book a 2.8

This author is really great. I really loved this book. This tale was highly engrossing and highly recommendable!!

This was a twisted tale of ever mother's nightmare. The main character is a mother who knows in her gut that the stranger following her daughter is up to no good. When the worst finally happens, the love between mother and daughter must prevail in order to save a life. This is a great read for mystery lovers!

This book centers on the life of Maddy and her single mother, Susan Koss. An elderly man (Daniel Kazan), has been following Maddy home from school. Daniel is from Alberta and he has been looking for his missing granddaughter for 11 years. When he goes to sell his aunt’s house, he sees Maddy, and he is certain that she is his missing granddaughter. Is Maddy is missing granddaughter that he has been searching for all these years? Maddy becomes the center of the drama in this story. This story is told from multiple points of view, Susan’s, Daniel’s, and Maddy’s. This story is rich in detail and had plot twists that kept me reading for more. This book kept me guessing up to the very end. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

📚Book Review 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not Your Child by Lis Angus

Daniel sees a girl that is the spitting image of his deceased daughter and he is convinced this is his missing granddaughter that he hasn’t seen since she she vanished 10 years ago. He is determined to fulfill his promise to his wife to find her and bring her home…..the ooooooonly issue is……is it really her?!?

Nothing is as it seems in this twister of a tale!! A grandfathers quest and a mother who will do anything to protect her daughter!! Hang onto your preteen!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Dark psychological thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book. It had more twists and turns than a roller coaster.

Imagine being a single mom and finding out someone has been following your teenage daughter. Then imagine that the person claims your child is not actually yours, but is their granddaughter who was abducted as an infant. You do a DNA test and find out she's not actually your child, and she then disappears. That's the basis of this book and it was a crazy ride of a story. I highly recommend it, the ending will shock you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Angus' novel puts a spin on the stalker/kidnapping thriller genre. Daniel sees Maddy at the park and becomes convinced that she is his missing granddaughter. Within days, Maddy is missing and her mother, Susan, is convinced that Daniel is the one who took her. So begins a slow moving thriller that includes a missing child, a panicked mother, and a grandfather in search of family. This thriller was a little slower pace than I typically prefer and for some reason I didn't find myself connecting strongly with any of the characters. I was hoping for a bit more psychological analysis from Susan as she is a psychologist by profession. However, I did love the twists and turns that do pop up throughout this book. I didn't find them all to be believable, but they keep the book interesting and fun!