My daughter’s missing. And the police think I killed her.
Monday, 8 a.m. I go to wake up eight-year-old Bella to get her ready for school.
She’s not there.
My husband Charlie and I put her to bed as usual the night before. We kissed her goodnight. Just like we always do.
Things like this don’t happen to people like us. Not in a quiet little town like Spencer, Michigan.
Detective Anne Briar is leading the case. I know she suspects I’m not telling her everything. I see it in the way her eyes narrow ever so slightly. And she’s right.
No one must ever know what really happened the night Bella disappeared.
Alesha Dykema is a thirty-something-year-old author of thriller novels. She lives in the dreadful Midwest with her strange husband, head-banging toddler son, a neurotic dog, and warden cat. Besides writing, Alesha loves to read (like every other author in the world). Alesha is also a health and fitness junkie and a dabbler in furniture refinishing. She is extremely anti-social and wishes she lived off-grid in the middle of the woods, but her husband hates good ideas and happiness and won’t allow this to happen. Even though she’s pretty anti-social, she still likes to make new friends and have casual chats about people’s childhood traumas.
I’m so glad I chose to read this one even if I hadn’t heard about the author before. It was your typical psychological thriller, but it was one of the memorable ones as well. It’s strength in addition to the suspense was the emotional tone. There was so much pain felt by the characters and it affected me as well. Losing your child is heartbreaking to read about, but not every author manages to make it feel real. I was curious while reading, needing to know what had happened to Bella. And the answer made perfect sense, nothing too OTT but still surprising.
Oh my fluff! First of all, this writing was absolute top notch! Everything flowed smoothly like cream cheese icing on a hot cinnamon bun! For a freakin' debut novel I was all over it like my dog Tink diving for a fallen potato chip. The suspense was insane, the plot was unique and don't get me started on how she keeps you in the dark constantly wondering & gas lighting you.
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Andi and Charlie are living every parents worst nightmare - their young daughter, Bella has just gone missing in the middle of the night. That's the story Andi is sticking to anyways, when she's talking to the detectives because the truth... well, that can't bear thinking about. However, Detective Briar, the lead on the case, has high suspicions about the parents, Andi specifically. While Andi does her best to deter suspicion and keep secrets buried from the police, someone does know something and is intent on using scare tactics and threats that will make it difficult for Andi to keep it all together.
When the tension builds & becomes so thick it's like a sailor trying to navigate stew-like fog, you know that ending & reveal is gonna be a firework. & this was no exception. How she delivered & served me up this flavourful ending left me shocked & gobsmacked. So well done! I need a major hit of caffeine after this to get my brain synapses working again!
Thank you to Alesha Dykema personally for sending me her ARC. Release Date: August 2, 2022
dnf at 33% ↠ there’s nothing really wrong with this book, but it’s taking forever for anything substantial to happen. i can usually handle slower paced books, but this one was too much for me, unfortunately.
Absolute page turner of a book. Hard to believe this is a debut novel it is so well written. Tense, absorbing and addictive. Look forward to more from this author
Well written and deliciously tense, If She's Found, is quick paced and hard to put down. Dykema's debut novel is perfection! I look forward to more from this author!
Loved this! New to me author. It’s a psychological thriller where a couples daughter goes missing and they are the top suspects. The whole story is fantastic!
When's the next book from Dykema being released? I need it now! If She's Found was probably one of the best introductions I've had to a new (to me) author's works.
Hooked from the opening pages, I found found myself flying through the book in several hours. The pace is fast and the intensity and suspense were killing me and added a whole new level of nail biting tension.
As you can imagine it does get emotional with the plot involves a missing child. Although I'm not a parent myself, I can only begin to imagine the pain and anguish this would cause.
Dykema has created some brilliant characters in the Millers, memorable for all the wrong reasons, yet decisively real.
My jaw was literally dropping after almost every chapter. So suspenseful, so unpredictable. But in the way that makes sense and makes the story so rich! The ending was perfect. And idk if this makes sense - but the pace of the book was perfection - the way it flowed to the end felt right. (No books were thrown at the wall at the completion of this book 😂). It was literally like I was watching a movie in my head.
And just the characters and plot in general! Wow!!! Truly brilliant!
I cannot wait for the next one from Alesha Dykema!!
Synapsis: This thriller follows Andi and Charlie Miller as they live through every parents worst nightmare, the disappearance of their daughter Bella. Or is it? Detective Briar is hell bent on finding out what happened to Bella, even if it means unraveling years of carefully kept secrets.
You will not be disappointed in Alesha’s debut book! I am already chomping at the bit, ready to get my hands on her second one. Eeek!!
Holy freaking crap! I stayed up way to late reading this because I could NOT put it down!! Like seriously! I don’t usually read thrillers. And let me tell you there were times while reading this that my heart was beating out of my chest. As a first book, holy crap, amazing! Can not wait to read another one from Alesha!
Easily a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 star read for me! The plot has me guessing throughout it, and even though I did figure out some of it, it was still a great read. No spoilers, just a good, solid read.
Alesha Dykema’s If She’s Found is a heart-wrenching yet utterly gripping psychological thriller that will resonate deeply with readers, especially parents. The story dives into every parent’s worst nightmare with emotional intensity, while delivering a series of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.
What sets this book apart is not just the story but the way it’s told. Dykema employs a unique narrative style that adds a fresh perspective to the genre. The writing is immersive, pulling readers into the characters’ emotional turmoil while maintaining the suspense that keeps the pages turning.
The buildup is perfectly paced, with each twist hitting harder than the last. The emotional weight of the story never feels overdone; instead, it heightens the stakes and deepens the connection to the characters. It’s a story that’s as devastating as it is riveting, making it impossible to put down.
If She’s Found is a standout thriller—emotionally charged, masterfully written, and filled with unexpected surprises. Alesha Dykema has crafted a must-read for fans of psychological suspense, delivering a story that lingers long after the final page.
First, I want to thank Alesha Dykema, Joffee Books and Zooloo Book Tours for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
DANG!!! Alesha Dykema debut psychological thriller If She’s Found is every parent’s worst nightmare come true and thensome! It was insanely intense, gripping, thrilling, twisted, shocking and most of all heartbreaking. For me I found it to be a fast paced, totally addicting one day binge read. I could not put this book down! This is the first book of 2025 (I have read 7 so far) that I would rate a 5 on. Plus, this is her first book and she says she can only get better from here? Count me in as a fan of hers! I would gladly read her next book! Great job Alesha! All your hard work paid off!
Nick Castle needs to be commended for his beautiful graphics on the cover of this book! It just pulled on my heart strings along with the cover I needed to see what the book was about.
If She’s Found pulled on my heart strings hard for who would take sweet young Bella in the middle of the night? This is unlike any missing person story you have ever read before-trust me! Alesha thought way outside of the box with this one! There were wicked twists, turns, thrilling ups and downs, hidden secrets, heartbreaking scenes, revelations that will blow you away.
I thought it was ironic in the book when the couple were watching Unsolved Mysteries when there was an unsolved mystery waiting to be solved!
Many scenes played out in my mind like I was watching a scary movie and was glad I had my lights on!
Alesha does address some important issues in the book that involve some of the characters.
Here’s my review of If She’s Found by Alesha Dykema.
This psychological thriller is both heart-wrenching and utterly gripping. The story centres on Andi, a wife and mother whose life is thrown into chaos when her eight-year-old daughter, Bella, goes missing. As the search for Bella unfolds, Detective Anne Briar begins to suspect that Andi might be hiding something, creating a tense and suspenseful narrative packed with twists and turns.
What I loved about this book was its emotional intensity. It dives into every parent’s worst nightmare in a way that feels raw and genuine, while keeping you guessing about what’s really going on. The pacing is excellent for the most part, with plenty of unexpected developments to keep you hooked.
If She’s Found is a compelling, thought-provoking read that explores the lengths a mother will go to for her child. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, I think you’ll find this one hard to put down.
The blurb
Meet Andi. Devoted wife. Adoring mom. Killer?
My daughter’s missing. And the police think I killed her.
Monday, 8 a.m. I go to wake up eight-year-old Bella to get her ready for school.
She’s not there.
My husband Charlie and I put her to bed as usual the night before. We kissed her goodnight. Just like we always do.
Things like this don’t happen to people like us. Not in a quiet little town like Spencer, Michigan.
Detective Anne Briar is leading the case. I know she suspects I’m not telling her everything. I see it in the way her eyes narrow ever so slightly. And she’s right.
No one must ever know what really happened the night Bella disappeared.
Thanks to @zooloosbooktours @joffebooks and the author for letting me review this book.
The twists just kept coming in this one! I was hooked, needing to know what happened to Bella. I listened to this one in a day! Such an addicting listen. The narrator, Alex Picard did a wonderful job portraying Andi and her husband. The tones and inflections used were great. I could feel the range of emotions that the parents were feeling with their child missing. I just didn't see any of the twists coming.
A very special thanks to Podium Audio for the gifted audiobook.
I’ll start by saying that the narrator did an amazing job portraying Andi and all of her emotions!
The book itself was done really well. The way it was written, you could feel the genuine heartbreak of parents who lost their child. I think that this is one of the top thrillers I’ve read this year, so definitely add to your tbr.
I didn’t see the twist coming, and I love a good unpredictable book!
This was my first read by this author and so I wasn't sure what to expect - but I could tell from the cover, that this was going to make me a little emotional!
Anything to do with children does this to me!
Well, I wasn't wrong!
When Andi and Charlie wake up to find their daughter gone, they're plunged into every parents worst nightmare!
To make matters worse - they can see that the police don't believe that they're not involved - and to be honest, I was very suspicious too!
The characters were really well presented and I could feel their fear right from the start.
I was immediately suspicious and could feel that there was more going on than we were being told and the tension really built up as the story unfolded.
This was packed with twists and turns and I was completely gripped throughout, not wanting to put this down and desperate to find out what really happened.
Each time I thought I'd grasped the events though, something else would send me off in another direction.
This was brilliantly worked through to keep the pace raving forward and to keep us completely hooked right until the last page.
I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future and can't wait to see what's next.....
Great job at keeping you guessing about what had happened and what’s going to happen. I enjoyed the book very much but left me a bit unsettled. Definitely memorable, definitely would recommend, but also definitely a bit unsettled.
I’d like to thank Joffe Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book is so good and by a writer who has only written 2 books! The other book is good as well. In this one we have a missing child and the actions of the parents is certainly suspect. As we learn the truth, it is shocking but believable! I loved it!
I only wish these authors would learn that distance is “farther” not “further”!!! It’s so obvious! It happened at least 10 times in this book!
You don’t often read a book that the killer reveals themselves in the first chapter and you know exactly who it is. Andi and Charlie’s daughter Bella is missing, or that is what they tell the police. The police and public mount a search effort but Andi and Charlie are clearly playing along. I enjoyed Andi and Charlie’s characters because they felt real feelings as parents while still doing what had to be done no matter how hard it was. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers that will keep you guessing.
Parents worst nightmare comes true as Andi and Charlie's 8 year old Bella goes missing.
The author did a good job in character development but also not giving too much away. The plot seemed to smoothly flow with enough tension build that you want to keep reading.
This book was intense and as you start to think ahead and consider who actually committed a crime and who is telling the truth sends you spinning.
If she's found by Alesha Dykema. I did like the cover and blurb of this book. I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from page one. It was very twisty and gripping and full of suspense. For a debut, this was really good. I will be keeping an eye out for this author. I would recommend this book.
Charlie and Andi have an 8 year old daughter, Bella, who goes missing in the middle of the night. They do what they can to make it appear they are cooperating fully with the police, but things begin to unravel as the detective working their case grows increasingly suspicious and starts looking into Andi’s traumatic past. “The moment her eyes meet mine, I can tell she thinks I’ve killed my daughter.”
The main focus is on the missing daughter and what could have happened to her. Did Andi and Charlie have anything to do with her disappearance? If so, why?? And if not, why are they keeping information from the police? “I glance over at the tub where drops of water still sit on the ledge from our morning showers and feel a stab of anxiousness. I forgot to bleach the tub.”
Andi’s past is only hinted at and brought up in vague terms for the first part of the book. As the book progresses, you learn more about her traumatic past and losses. Will her past catch up with her and how will that impact the search for her missing daughter.
Add in a possible stalker and this book was full of twists and turns. Some of the twists I partially guessed, some of which surprised me, and some which blindsided me. I loved that there was always something that left me guessing what would happen next and questioning what I would do in that situation.
Final thoughts when I finished this book: “Well, that was f*cked up!” (In the best way)
This may be the first book I have read by this incredible author but it most certainly will not be my last!!
Wow!!!! Just flipping wow!!!! What an absolutely epic page turner!!! Well done Alesha!!! How on Earth have I never read any of your books before? Absolutely smashed it!!!!!!!
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading the next book, and the previous one in this series.
I have absolutely no idea how this is the first time I have read one of this incredible author's books but I am so glad I have rectified that problem and I cannot wait to get hooked into more books by Alesha. I cannot wait to go back to read her previous two books which are called 'Everything She Has' and 'Without You' while I am waiting for her next book to be released! Thankfully that will not be long either as it is available to preorder now ready for publication date of March 25th!! That book is called 'Everything I Wanted' and I will definitely be reading that too! I best get a move on with so many books to read that I have sadly missed but considering I can guarantee they are all amazing even if they are just half as good as this book they are guaranteed to be epic which means I will fly through them like I did with this book!! In this absolutely gripping book we meet Andi and Charlie whose young daughter Bella is missing. The police are determined to find her and discover who took her but this book has one of many unique twists. One of those is that Andi and Charlie know exactly where Bella is and what really happened!! Will the police discover the truth? Did Charlie and/or Andi kill Bella? Well, that's all I am going to say about this gripping storyline so if you want to find out more you will just have to grab your copy today. I promise that you will not regret it!! With an absolutely gripping and captivating storyline ram packed with mystery, drama, action, twists, death, secrets, family, lies, deceit and so, so, SO MUCH MORE !! What on Earth are you waiting for??? It truly is an absolutely addictive, nail biting, page turning, heart racing and compelling storyline that will keep you hooked throughout!! From the moment you read the first chapter Alesha keeps you needing more constantly until you get to the end and even then I was left wanting more of her incredible story. It has so many layers of mysteries and crimes for the reader to be kept guessing throughout. This fantastic thriller is absolutely packed with twists, turns, shocks, crime and red herrings throughout. I had no idea who did what until the end. This is an achievement in itself as it is definitely getting harder to surprise me with the amount of crime and psychological novels I've read so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALESHA!! . There was so many explosive bombshells in this book that I actually lost count on how many times I was shocked which I didn't think would be possible!!! The plot was unique and realistic and Alesha's brilliant descriptions brings absolutely everything to life in front of your eyes. It started straight in the action and kept you going on a roller-coaster ride of suspense throughout. There were several occasions when my heart was in my throat and I the hair was raising on my arms but I won't mention those as not to spoil it for future readers. It is so hard to not say too much without giving anything away to future readers but I'm sure once people have read it they will know exactly what I mean. Well done Alesha you did absolutely amazing and everything was tied up perfectly. The twists and turns in this book left me going from one chapter to another!!! I completely devoured it in one sitting as I just could not put it down. Prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride!!! I just could not put this book down and I cannot wait to read more books by this extremely talented author!!
Before you start this make sure you clear your schedule because once you pick it up you are not going to want to put it down!!!!
The characters were very realistic, multi layered and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. The descriptions gave a really good in depth view of how the characters were feeling and what they were thinking. The characters were complex and each seemed to be hiding their own secrets which leaves you questioning who is telling the truth and who can be trusted. they had their own unique personalities with individual flaws, quirks, secrets, strengths and weaknesses!! I don't want to say too much about the characters though and I will leave you to read this amazing book and work them out yourself. I could literally go on and on about this absolutely explosive page turner but I am going to wrap it up here so I do not bore you too much! Each of the characters were well developed, unique and thanks to Alesha's fantastic evocative writing skills they all came to life before my eyes. That is all I will say as I don't want to run the risk of dropping any hints or spoilers. However, whether you love or hate these characters, they all have their own strong unique personalities and they all bring the story to life playing their roles perfectly.
Congratulations Alesha on a fantastic and gripping success and here's to your next explosive success!!! This is exactly why I would like to welcome you to my favourite authors club!!!
Overall an absolute must read, pulse racing, addictive page turning psychological thriller that will keep you on edge and addicted.