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Chasing Amanda

by Melissa Foster (Goodreads Author)

3.3 of 5 stars 3.30 · rating details · 1,265 ratings · 255 reviews

Nine years ago, Molly Tanner witnessed a young girl’s abduction in the busy city of Philadelphia, shifting her occasional clairvoyance into overdrive. Two days later, the girl’s body was found, and Molly’s life fell apart. Consumed by guilt for not acting upon her visions, and on the brink of losing her family, Molly escaped the torturous reminders in the city, fleeing to...more

Kindle Edition, 408 pages

Published March 22nd 2012 (first published April 12th 2011)

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Dec 19, 2011 Miss Kim rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People that enjoy hitting their heads on cinderblocks.

Shelves: e-book, 2011, horror-or-mystery, she-is-tstl, end-pissed-me-off

This is my reading experience with ‘Chasing Amanda’

10% - This is an interesting premise.

25% - I’m really into this…. *chomping popcorn*

50% - Ignoring the world around me….hmmmm…well this is interesting... there are a few people that are in on the bad stuff.

75% - Annoyance is starting to set in. I want to finish it tonight. I have to know! Wait...suddenly there are ghosts thrown in the mix. huh.

90% - WHAT? Are serious? The end makes no sense. All these extra people are not needed….and end up hav...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Molly's life was turned upside down when she witnessed the abduction of Amanda, but didn't recognize it as an abduction. In an effort to try to save her life and marriage, she moved her family to the small town of Boyds. Everything seems to be getting better until a little girl goes missing. Molly feels compelled to help find her, even if it means destroying the peace she has finally found. Can she find Tracey before she loses everything she loves?

I enjoyed the storyline, but didn't like Molly....more

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May 10, 2011 Jeanette Stingley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was very impressed with Megan's Way as it was Foster's first book. She has a way of drawing you into the world of her story instantly. Chasing Amanda, her newest release, captivated me just as quickly as Megan's Way.

Chasing Amanda covers a subject that is every parent's nightmare: Your child being abducted, never to be seen again. Molly Tanner witnesses an abduction of a young girl 9 years prior to the story taking place. Her life is forever changed as you can imagine after the little girl's...more

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May 21, 2011 Paula Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, must-have-in-2011, read-in-2011

This book was captivating and very intriguing wondering if Molly would be able to solve the missing pieces. Like what happened to Rodney Letts and what secrets the minister held inside her. What made the Boyd house so secretive that no one was allowed in. What secrets Hannah held close to her chest. And who took Tracey and what happened so many years ago with Kate another kidnapped victim and did Rodney hold the secrets or was he to blame. I applaud how Molly was able to percever when she had do...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Doreen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of "Megan's Way" and everyone else

Recommended to Doreen by: recommended this Melissa Foster book to myself

Shelves: there-s-a-psychic-in-my-mystery, mysteries

In "Chasing Amanda" Melissa Foster guides us in helping Molly; wife, mother to a teenage son, search for a missing girl. The young girl has disappeared from their quiet, rural community; a place where things like this simply don't happen. For Molly, it's deja vu. Several years earlier, while living in Philadelphia, she witnessed a similar event. She did nothing at that time, and has been tormented by her inaction ever since.

Molly's special gift, or curse, is her clairvoyance. She can sometimes '...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Judi Coltman rated it 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing twist draws the reader in. An abduction witnessed years ago haunts a woman who has flashes of ESP. She could not help Amanda and it forced her to make a new life somewhere else. Unfortunately her new life gets caught up in another child abduction except, this time, she is determined to find the child. Faced with the jeopardy of losing her husband, she forges ahead, allowing her "sight" to guide her - much to the distress of the local citizens who seem hellbent on hiding a secret. K...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Mishael rated it 5 of 5 stars

So many people have already written plot descriptions about this book, so I won’t bore you with that. I will share my impressions of the book, though.

1) I read this book MONTHS ago, and it’s still inside my head…and that’s a good thing. Really effective fiction (in my view) changes the reader in some way and gets them thinking—and thinking, and thinking, and thinking… That’s what Chasing Amanda did for me, and I love it!
2) It’s a really, really good mystery. I was convinced I knew who the kidnap...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Sass Cadeaux rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone.

Recommended to Sass by: A friend

Shelves: top-ten

Judging by the cover and first few pages, I initially thought Chasing Amanda was a story about a mother searching for her lost child.

That is not the case! It’s about believing in yourself and never giving up when you know you can make a difference.

Chasing Amanda is an inspiring story. It’s filled with just the right amount of twists and turns. Most of the characters held specific (well needed) roles, and not once did I find myself bored or questioning the authors thought process.

The lesson was c...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Dana Griffin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Chasing Amanda was a well written story. The protagonist, Molly, was guilt ridden from seeing a young girl named Amanda kidnapped, who is later found murdered, and doing nothing about it. After several years of living with her crippling remorse and moving to a new area hoping for a fresh start, another young girl, Tracey, is kidnapped. Molly inserts herself into the investigation vowing to not let another child suffer the same fate as Amanda. This causes problems in her marriage. Her husband fee...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Emma Meade rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't imagine the guilt Molly must have felt when she failed to recognise that an abduction was taking place before her eyes. Ten years or so later, Molly is still chasing Amanda, and refuses to turn a blind eye when a local child, Tracey goes missing. Neither the police or her husband are thrilled when Molly starts doing her own investigation. While I understood Molly's frustration with her husband's lack of support, I did understand where he was coming from. Molly discovers a necklace that p...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Lisa Martinez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Author Melissa Foster is a rising star! Soon her name will be mentioned in the same breath as all the other talented and prolific women authors of our day. An inspiration, she has done it again. Chasing Amanda, her second novel, hooked me right from the start. I didn't want this book to end.

The characters were more than just descriptions on a page. They jumped out and pulled me, willingly, hungrily, into their lives. I resisted putting this book down, night after night. I not only wanted to find...more

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May 15, 2012 James Hatch rated it 5 of 5 stars

I usually like to let a story simmer a bit before writing a review, but this time I am making an exception because Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster is exceptional. What a marvelous and uplifting story. The writing is superior to nearly all novels I have read, and the editing left few issues to trip over as I traversed the story.

Molly is the Chasing Amanda heroine, a woman plagued by complacency guilt. Her “gut” told her to intervene in a potential child abduction eight years past, but she lacked...more I usually like to let a story simmer a bit before writing a review, but this time I am making an exception because Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster is exceptional. What a marvelous and uplifting story. The writing is superior to nearly all novels I have read, and the editing left few issues to trip over as I traversed the story.

Molly is the Chasing Amanda heroine, a woman plagued by complacency guilt. Her “gut” told her to intervene in a potential child abduction eight years past, but she lacked faith in her own feelings and hard facts on which to act. After the child, Amanda, is murdered, Molly blames herself. Consumed by guilt, she becomes so depressed and dysfunctional that she nearly destroys her marriage and family. In an attempt to rebuild her life, she and her family re-locate to Boyds, MD. Over several years, she manages an incomplete and a shaky recovery, but is then confronted with a similar situation when another little girl, Tracy, is kidnapped. Once again, Moly is confronted with “The Knowing”, paranormal visions that enable her to feel and “see” the terror experienced by the missing child. She vows not to fail Tracy, as she had Amanda, and is determined to follow the powerful seizure-like visions that grip her body when The Knowing overtakes her. The police and her husband believe she’s losing her mind, but her son has faith in her … and visions of his own.

The writing is superb; the novel is spellbinding. I especially enjoyed the dialog between Moly and her son because Melissa Foster nailed it. The vernacular is current—the exact phrases and expressions one would expect from a young man. I also enjoyed the third person presentation that enabled me to know what each character was thinking. I could literally feel Tracy’s terror as she was dropped into the “bad spot”, a deep hole that her abductor covered with plywood and dirt as part of a behavior re-shaping program. That scene still makes me shudder.

I will not give the plot away, but I will say two things about it. First, I had no idea who the perpetrator was until near the end of the story. I thought I did, a couple of times, but I was wrong. Somehow Melissa Foster managed to cast a cloak of suspicion over lots of innocent people. I did not feel intentionally misled, but I wouldn’t want to play chess with Melissa Foster either. Second, the story is an emotional roller-coaster. If tears don’t slip down your cheeks several times as you read Chasing Amanda, especially near the end, then you probably need professional help.
Chasing Amanda has an intricate and well-developed plot, and the characters are so vivid they could be real. I give this book a strong five-star rating; I’m delighted to have read it.

James L. Hatch
Author of "The Substitute"
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Feb 19, 2012 Norma Budden rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like reading fiction books about psychic abilities

Recommended to Norma by: the author

Typically, I do not read books pertaining to clairvoyance or psychic capabilities - so why is it that Chasing Amanda drew me in so completely? I believe in having a sixth sense, to be sure, but feel it has to do more with having a certain feeling about a situation or something one is about to do/say, not necessarily seeing something unfolding.

Even so, for the sake of a fiction story, I was willing to read Chasing Amanda and was pleasantly surprised by the story line. The characters were rich and...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Sylvia Mcgrath added it

Wonderful and well-written book. I could not put it down! Story line was fantastic and the author shared just enough to keep you wanting more.
This is the second book I have read by Melissa Foster. I love a great Mystery and she has the gift of drawing you into her stories within the first pages. It amazes me that she has hit it 'right on' with both!
Chasing Amanda is such a different story than the author's first book so I was not sure what to expect. It had me from the second page and in some i...more Wonderful and well-written book. I could not put it down! Story line was fantastic and the author shared just enough to keep you wanting more.
This is the second book I have read by Melissa Foster. I love a great Mystery and she has the gift of drawing you into her stories within the first pages. It amazes me that she has hit it 'right on' with both!
Chasing Amanda is such a different story than the author's first book so I was not sure what to expect. It had me from the second page and in some instances; I could not turn the pages fast enough. The story was very interesting, not a subject matter you read about often. There are not many books out there where the characters have the gift of clairvoyance. This is a story that you can truly immerse yourself in, know that it could be real and keep thinking about it for days after you have finished the book. I am truly a fan of this writer her two books will certainly not disappoint her readers.
As I have come to expect from Melissa Foster's books, there is much more going on than what shows on the surface. This book is a very well written thriller, a mystery that does not stop surprising you until the very last word of the book. You will think you have it all figured out by the 10th page of the book, but boy will you be wrong. The ending is thrilling and unexpected, the story never falters, and it has a fast-paced urgency that will keep you reading well into the wee hours of the morning. You will love every single minute of it.

Melissa Foster writes intelligently, and shows utmost respect for the intelligence of the reader as well. Her stories have surprising twists and turns and are thought provoking. In Chasing Amanda, nothing is what it seems and the author reveals nothing until the very end of the story, she keeps you guessing and reassessing your guesses as the story develops. Her characters are strongly developed and have very defined roles within the story. Nothing is left to chance.

I am so glad I read this book and cannot wait for the author's next book...keep them coming!
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Dec 17, 2011 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: never-read-again

I have mixed feelings about this book. I honestly thought that this was written by a teenager in high school. As I finished the last page I thought, that wasn't too bad for high school level. Next thing I know, I'm looking at a picture of a 40-something-year-old woman. And here I find out it's won awards...? I am completely confused. Did I read a different version of the book than everyone else?

PROS:
Plot: This book is definitely a page turner. Melissa Foster is quite good at creating a mystery....more I have mixed feelings about this book. I honestly thought that this was written by a teenager in high school. As I finished the last page I thought, that wasn't too bad for high school level. Next thing I know, I'm looking at a picture of a 40-something-year-old woman. And here I find out it's won awards...? I am completely confused. Did I read a different version of the book than everyone else?

PROS:
Plot: This book is definitely a page turner. Melissa Foster is quite good at creating a mystery. And it was the only, ONLY, thing that kept me reading.

CONS:
Characters:
I couldn't help disliking Molly. Her character just didn't ring true to me. The cast of supporting characters wasn't that great either. They don't act like real people in my opinion. Molly's moods are so all over the place that I kind of got the impression that she is bipolar.
If there is one word to describe all of these characters, it is MELODRAMATIC.

Dialogue:
One of the biggest hurdles that writers face, is giving characters their own voice. Melissa Foster hasn't even come close to jumping that hurdle. In fact, she's not even on the running track yet. Every character talks exactly the same. The dialogue is either bland or packed with so much "flavor" that it turns your stomach.

Writing:
The writing in this book is downright atrocious. When it comes to "tell vs show," Foster is without a doubt a "teller." In that, she directly /tells/ us what the characters are feeling, instead of /showing/ us through their actions. Instead of simply saying, "Molly was annoyed" a billion times, it is much more effective to show us her annoyance with a sigh or an eye roll. Molly has no mannerisms, she simply has states of being. I think this is the biggest reason why I disliked her character so much.
There is a lot of filler content in this book. The never ending pointless descriptions made me put it down more than once. The professionalism of her writing is on par with Stephanie Meyers'. Who, in my opinion, is one of the worst published writers to emerge in the past few decades.

Overall, the book was okay. It would have been a good first draft, and whoever decided to publish it at this level should be ashamed.
In a way, I'm glad I read it. Now I see more clearly what I do wrong in my own writing.

2.5 stars (less)

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Nov 14, 2011 AJ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels, fiction

Again, a 99 cent deal. I think I have to stop with these!

I really liked the original premise of this book, and think it would have been a great way to delve into some really deep and interesting psychological moves. The main character witnessed an abduction 10 years before, though she didn't realize it as it happened. When she found out that the girl she saw being put into a car was later murdered by the man she saw, she deals with incredible guilt and a wish to atone. Then, when a girl goes mis...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Donna McBroom-Theriot rated it 5 of 5 stars

It has been a long time since I have read a book that truly held me captive. Chasing Amanda is a very well written book. The story line continuously delves deeper and deeper into a community of people and takes one surprising turn after another. Just when you think you have it figured out, wham! Another twist is revealed. It is not until the end of the book that the entire plot and cast of characters and their hidden secrets are exposed.
The book begins with child abduction, one that Molly has...more It has been a long time since I have read a book that truly held me captive. Chasing Amanda is a very well written book. The story line continuously delves deeper and deeper into a community of people and takes one surprising turn after another. Just when you think you have it figured out, wham! Another twist is revealed. It is not until the end of the book that the entire plot and cast of characters and their hidden secrets are exposed.
The book begins with child abduction, one that Molly has had visions of happening. Unable to hone in on the specifics of her vision, she is unable to help the child. Years later, the past seems to be unfolding before her eyes when another child disappears. Even with the risk of destroying her marriage, she is drawn into her visions and her quest to help find the missing child.
I began reading the book anticipating a simple storyline – child abducted, woman finds child through visions – but was pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded. The only analogy I can think of to describe Chasing Amanda is to picture the story line as a maze of intertwining vines leading downward to one stalk. There were a lot of surprises and twists and turns and entanglements with one discovery leading to another, each one more surprising than the last.
Being quiet in tuned with my own sixth sense (in my own life) I have always been intrigued with books involving the sixth sense. Molly and her son, Eric, share this trait. While sometimes tugging at them, it proves to be a bond between them in the end. It is Eric, who finally convinces Cole, Molly’s husband and Eric’s father, that the visions are real and that Molly was in need of help.
The use of Molly’s visions does not consume the book. The book also depicts the difficulties of having special abilities on a family, especially when family members do not want to believe or acknowledge the gift. Molly’s marriage is repeatedly pushed to the brink of collapse because of her gift.
The loyalty displayed between some of the characters was impressive. It is very hard to find such loyalty and as a person who values loyalty, I appreciated this part of the story line. Chasing Amanda was also a story of understanding our human traits and idiosyncrasies, and learning to respect our differences.
I could tell you a lot more about the actual story – but that would spoil the reading of the book. The book blurb tells you enough about the story, I hope my review seals the deal and makes you want to read the book.
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Aug 19, 2011 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: american-life, available-on-kindle, award-winning-author, child-abduction-adoption, death-and-dying, family-dynamics, favorite-woman-thriller-suspense-wr, latest-reads, paperback-i-own, paranormal, reviewer-book, woman-writer

Without cracking open a page, I knew "Chasing Amanda" was going to be a great book. I had recently read Melissa Foster's "Megan's Way" and was so wrapped up in her writing style, that I knew she wouldn't disappoint. She didn't, in fact, I found it difficult to decide which book I loved more!

"Chasing Amanda" is a book about regret, redemption, "gifts", the balancing of family and doing what's right, and so much more. Melissa is a master storyteller who can lead us masterfully from the horrors of...more Without cracking open a page, I knew "Chasing Amanda" was going to be a great book. I had recently read Melissa Foster's "Megan's Way" and was so wrapped up in her writing style, that I knew she wouldn't disappoint. She didn't, in fact, I found it difficult to decide which book I loved more!

"Chasing Amanda" is a book about regret, redemption, "gifts", the balancing of family and doing what's right, and so much more. Melissa is a master storyteller who can lead us masterfully from the horrors of a child's abduction to the resolution of another's with the finesse of a writer whose work is far beyond her years. She will have you drawn in like a lamb and have your emotions twisting inside of you before you know what's hit you!

Characterization is key in this novel and it is achieved to such a fine point that each person is "living" and breathing in our minds. My favorite, of course, is Molly who has to live with seeing and not helping with a child's abduction. Molly's paranormal gift of "seeing and knowing" help her in her journey to understand many things, but it also makes some things in life more complex. As we are drawn into the complexities, and we're given different perspectives through the stories of different people that Melissa sets up, we struggle to sort out who the real villain is!

Ms Foster's ability to keep the ending a secret from the reader is a lot of the powerfulness of her novel. The suspense will kill you! In a good way... One of the fascinating elements of the novel is Molly's relationship to the small town she finds herself in. We can understand this small town mentality...the secretive ways that so many townspeople hold dear...and the barriers to newcomers they put up. To live with the resistance of these people lends a tension to the story that works.

Melissa is at the top of her game in writing this suspense thriller. It's great fun to read, engrossing and exciting with many characters that will grab you and claim your attention. The element of not knowing who the "bad guy" is until Molly finds out in the end, is wonderful because it keeps us working on the mystery.

There are lots of women mystery/suspense writers, not so many with the element of paranormal...and not so many who come close to writing as well as Melissa Foster. "Chasing Amanda" has already won several awards for best women's novel, suspense/thriller, paranormal. You better check it out, soon!

5 stars for a great book and an author with a great future!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

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Jul 28, 2011 Webbweaver Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Molly Tanner has a wonderful life…now! She has a lovely husband who she adores, a son off to college with a bright future and she lives in a close-knit community in a great area…now. But things were different for Molly nine years ago. When a young child went missing in Philadelphia, Molly had visions she did not act upon and the child was found murdered. Guilt ridden, her family moved to Boyds Maryland and things got better.
Now, a seven-year-old girl has disappeared and Molly cannot ignore it. N...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Caroline Clemmons rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Molly Tanner’s is cursed/gifted with clairvoyance, which she call Knowing. For the most part, she’s kept it hidden for fear of rejection. But her life fell apart nine years ago when she witnessed a child, Amanda, being abducted from a parking lot and didn’t question the man who said the girl was screaming because he wouldn’t buy her a doll. Molly saw in her visions what happened to Amanda, and has lived with debilitating guilt since then--to the point of almost losing her sanity. To help her, Dr...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chasing Amanda is a complex novel full of characters wearing the mask of one life and living the turmoil of another.

Molly Tanner seems to have it all. Married for many years to her husband Dr. Cole Tanner, they are still in love and extremely happy. Her son Erik has gone to college, but phones regularly and remains close to his parents. However, Molly struggles with the gift (and curse) of "the Knowing". She can see and feel things that have happened or are going to occur. Nine years prior she i...more Chasing Amanda is a complex novel full of characters wearing the mask of one life and living the turmoil of another.

Molly Tanner seems to have it all. Married for many years to her husband Dr. Cole Tanner, they are still in love and extremely happy. Her son Erik has gone to college, but phones regularly and remains close to his parents. However, Molly struggles with the gift (and curse) of "the Knowing". She can see and feel things that have happened or are going to occur. Nine years prior she ignored her ability and a child named Amanda lost her life. Unable to live with the guilt, Molly's family moved to the small town of Boyd's to start fresh. Now this seemingly safe community has been rocked by the abduction of a child. Molly's past comes back to torment her and her family as she begins to have visions of the missing child. She struggles to determine what she is really seeing and what is still haunting her from the past. As we follow Molly through her race to find the child we also see the development of many other residents of Boyds who harbor their own secrets.

Chasing Amanda is told from various character viewpoints, but is never difficult to follow. Each character gradually reveals a vital part of the mystery while adding another shocking detail to their life. I was initially worried that there may be "too much" happening, but it seemed to be just right. Each character was developed so fully that I felt like I knew them personally. I routed for them and feared as I read on that a character I had grown to love was going to be guilty of a heinous crime. As each of their stories grow so does your understanding of why they have made the choices that are now ruling them.

The mystery has so many twists and turns that it was impossible to figure out who was guilty of what. Heck, for awhile I wasn't even sure what they were doing to know what they could be guilty of. It all comes together beautifully in the end, but it had me guessing the entire time. As soon as I was sure that I knew what was happening another bombshell exploded. I was hooked from page 1.(less)

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Jun 08, 2011 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: current_issues, mystery, paranormal, relationships, suspense

An intriguing novel with a middle-aged female protagonist, Melissa Foster’s Chasing Amanda, blends a contemporary abduction mystery with touches of the paranormal to create a tale that’s both scary and absorbing. Molly Tanner has never quite forgiven herself for not trusting her visions and saving a young girl she once saw abducted. But years have passed; she’s recovered from the depression that kept her unavailable to husband and son, and now she’s settling into that disjointed time when the ne...more

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May 30, 2011 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chasing Amanda
Author: Melissa Foster
Reviewed by Fran Lewis

Observations and noticing small details and remembering them can often make all the difference in the world when an investigation is ensuing or reporting the news. But, how often do we discount the sounds of a child, the screams of a temper tantrum as trying to get someone’s attention because they did not get what they want or just a child who throws tantrums. Reliving and revisiting events can be the difference between solving cases or n...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Amber Frangos rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is my amazon review.
This book has failed on so many levels. Throughout the book all of the characters nodded, stood, blood rushed, jumped, sat, walked, bent, responded, spat, hissed, retrieved, limped and so it goes. Clichés abounded that made the reading boring, dull. I read the positive reviews before I purchased the book and while reading it I kept thinking "did they read the same book?" I asked unabashedly (adjective courtesy of author). It's sad that the storyline was blocked by the p...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Laurie Carlson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-novel, a-story, abduction, child-abduction, psychic-abilities, character-female, child, children, author-giveaway-in-return-for-a-rev, contemporary-fiction, ebook, fiction, husband, marriage, memories, mother, mystery-thriller, paranormal-mystery-thriller, secrets, small-town, sons, suspense

“Chasing Amanda”by Melissa Foster

It is now eight years ago since Molly witnessed the abduction of a little girl in a Walmart parking lot. Molly has had the hardest time getting over this traumatic situation, as she felt she could have done more to help this little girl. Molly, her husband Cole, and her son, Erik, decided to move away from Philadelphia, the town where this occurred eight years ago, to a new town, called Boyd, for a fresh start for Molly. Here they are making a new life with new p...more “Chasing Amanda”by Melissa Foster

It is now eight years ago since Molly witnessed the abduction of a little girl in a Walmart parking lot. Molly has had the hardest time getting over this traumatic situation, as she felt she could have done more to help this little girl. Molly, her husband Cole, and her son, Erik, decided to move away from Philadelphia, the town where this occurred eight years ago, to a new town, called Boyd, for a fresh start for Molly. Here they are making a new life with new people, a new home, and new surroundings. Molly wasn’t running away from what happened, but it was a part of her and of the families healing, as it had affected them, as well, with Molly’s distress.
A local Pastor, Pastor Lett, has also helped Molly work through the traumatic situation Molly witnessed. Pastor Lett called Molly’s recovery process, ‘cleansing the chaos from her mind’. Molly could live with that, and her visits were getting less and less with her. Molly was making progress. However, Molly still had visions. Molly called them “The Knowing”. These visions Molly had were not happening very often at the moment, thankfully
Every morning Molly goes for a run through the woods. This one morning she had a vision of a little girl named Tracey being abducted. When Molly returned from her run, she found out it was true, and “The Knowing” was back. The visions were back.
This book takes us through all of the search efforts to find Tracey. No one could find her, and Molly continued having “The Knowing” haunting her. She kept getting visions of Tracey over and over as to what was happening to her, but couldn’t quite make the details out clear enough. Molly was being hard on herself about seeing the abduction back in Philadelphia again, and made a pact with herself this time she was going to try to help more with this abduction of Tracey. This time she was not going to keep so quiet about what she saw and knew.
The visions kept coming to her. She couldn’t make them out clear enough yet to be able to tell exactly what and where Tracey might be.
Molly did eventually go to the police and told them a little bit of what her capabilities were. She was laughed at by some, but taken more seriously by one of the Officers.
This story twists and turns and goes in every different direction than what you might expect it to go through. I thought I knew who the abductor was, and how the entire story plays out. I was completely fooled and shocked as the story unfolded and all the answers came out.
Melissa Foster’s masterful writing talent weaves a story that pulls you in and keeps you reading right to the end. You can’t ‘just’ put her books down because you want to know how everything unfolds. This book ‘IS’ a “Can’t Miss” read!
Melissa Foster’s other book she has written, “Megan’s Way” is being made into a movie at this moment. I can’t see why this book has not been chosen to be made into a movie as well. Melissa Foster is an author to watch. Her masterful writing abilities result in amazing stories. I look forward to reading more of what she writes. I can’t wait to read her next book
I received this book for “FREE” from the Author, Melissa Foster, in exchange to read this book and write a review about it. It is NOT required for my review I write to be either positive or negative, but, “of my own opinion.” I was NOT provided with “ANY” monies to accept this book, “NOR” to read it, NOR were “ANY” monies given to me to write the review for this book. All that was ‘expected’ of me was to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it. Again, the opinions expressed for and about this book are ‘of my own opinion’. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa... Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Jul 07, 2012 Lynda Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: deleted

This sounded promising. It's about a woman that witnesses the abduction of a little girl not realising it was the case till the girl's body was discovered. Her guilt almost tears apart her marriage and in the end they relocate for a new start. Nine years down the line and a little girl goes missing in their new town. This time Molly takes it upon herself to ensure this one is saved.
It was long-winded and jumped about quite a lot without saying if it was going forwards or backwards and not in sep...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Lewis Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lewis by: No one

For anyone interested, this is a review of Melissa’s first novel which encompasses a huge learning curve. I reviewed it with that in mind. I have no doubt that she will grow as her career continues but her talent is obvious despite the presence of imperfection however that can be quantified.She gets 4 stars because I have no doubt she'll get better.

In “Chasing Amanda,” Melissa Foster creates a world of surprises, relentless emotion and uneasy terror that this fellow writer completely disappeared...more For anyone interested, this is a review of Melissa’s first novel which encompasses a huge learning curve. I reviewed it with that in mind. I have no doubt that she will grow as her career continues but her talent is obvious despite the presence of imperfection however that can be quantified.She gets 4 stars because I have no doubt she'll get better.

In “Chasing Amanda,” Melissa Foster creates a world of surprises, relentless emotion and uneasy terror that this fellow writer completely disappeared into at the onset. The conflicted nature of her chief protagonist, Molly, is evident immediately along with enough background material to set the reader’s curiosity juices on edge. On page one we learn that Molly is a mother, that she’d made an emotional move from Philadelphia to a small town in Maryland due to the death of Amanda, that she is somewhat angst filled for reasons to be discovered, and that she is also very human as exhibited by her self-conscious thought process and her longing for the time when her son, Erik, was a youngster. In a succinct way the reader learns that this is a character with complex personality traits and we have just met her. That’s as effective an act of setting the hook as can be accomplished. Other characters in the book are also imbued with their own equally intriguing qualities that are also well explained as the mystery unfolds.
Particularly appealing to this reader was the novel’s wording. Melissa Foster did what I strive to do when I write, and that is make the words flow effortlessly so that they don’t get in the way of the story. Simply put, writers can sometimes forget that they are creating for an audience that wants more than anything to disappear into a good story and forget the world around them. I’ve been reminded by certain readers to remain unnamed both subtly and otherwise that no one cares about your “writer’s” vocabulary if it doesn’t fit the story and make it better. Melissa nailed it in “Chasing Amanda.” My only complaint (this is a review and not my personal I admire Melissa party after all) was that I wanted more fleshing out of some of the scenes in the book, particularly towards the end where there was a slight feel of rushing. I realize this was probably due to editing which is a writer’s bane. I know that word and page counts are a necessary evil but as a reader I don’t ever care how long a story is if it’s a great one, think Ken Follett and his thousand page manifests. Simply put, Melissa, you are a great story teller and I wanted more.
In the area of developing character relationships is where Melissa shone most in my opinion. Molly and Cole’s tension-filled interactions are the highlight in this area, but Pastor Lett and Rodney get equal care as do all the other personalities involved. All of whom are relevant and central to the plot which keeps the intrigue and suspense building percolating as the reader wonders how all of this will be tied together in the end. It’s a very real and effective treatment of the tender subject of the personal loss and grief caused by child abductions in a world that is too often unfeelingly callous and unforgiving.
Besides being an engaging, heartfelt tale, “Chasing Amanda” was embedded with enough twists and plot surprises to make the story unpredictable like real life which is the point. I won’t give away too much by rehashing major events because I don’t enjoy reviews that do that and take away the joy I get reading a particular work and discovering for myself. (There are enough reviews on Amazon and elsewhere that will give anyone looking more of an outline if that’s what they want) What I will say to the potential reader out there is that Melissa Foster is a writer with imagination, skill and the ability to get inside her characters and shape a story. She’s already a star and in my opinion will become an enormously larger one as her writing career progresses. I will be reading her other works as well so I can contrast them, but mainly to enjoy what she’s created. Fabulous (first) work Melissa.
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Jun 29, 2012 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars

I expected more out of this book. Basically, the main character, Molly, is ridden with guilt when she witnesses a child being abducted, does nothing to stop it, and the child, Amanda, winds up dead. Then, years later, another little girl in her new hometown goes missing, and feeling very obligated to be involved in this one's rescue, Molly pursues the task of finding her with no abandon--risking her safety and her marriage. I was certainly intrigued by what looked, in the mid-beginning, like an...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Rachelle Ayala rated it 5 of 5 stars

How many times have you been a bystander to a situation that felt uncomfortable, where you wondered if you should have done something to intervene, but you stood back for fear of offending someone or seeming to be a Nosy Parker?

Molly witnesses a man struggling with a girl in the parking lot. The man explains that the girl didn't get a doll she wanted. Later on, she learns the girl "Amanda" was kidnapped and murdered.

Chasing Amanda is the story of Molly's triumph over her repressed guilt to solve...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Stacy Eaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Intriguing, suspenseful, emotional and fulfilling. That is what this book was to me.

Author Melissa Foster took a subject that is intense in nature alone and made it into an emotional intriguing story from start to finish. The plot line of this book was intricate and carried many twists. Normally I can figure out the "who done it" pretty quickly, but Ms. Foster kept me guessing on this one. Although as I look back on it, I wonder how I didn't see it. She did a great job hiding it.

This story is w...more

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In-depth book review of "Chasing Amanda" including more info. about Melissa Foster	1	13	Feb 15, 2012 03:18pm
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About Melissa Foster

"What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately. This is psychological suspense at its most chilling. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked." International bestseller, M.J. Rose

"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"--Author Jennie Sh...more

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