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Vier tote Mädchen. Vier trauernde Familien. Ein Killer auf freiem Fuß.
Vor vier Jahren erschütterte der Mord an der siebenjährigen Megan Purvis ganz London. Die Leiche des Mädchens wurde in einem abgelegenen Waldstück gefunden, auf ihrem nackten Schenkel stand das Wort »Sorry«. Zwei Jahre später verschwand Tilly Reid, auch ihre Leiche wurde gezeichnet und im Wald gefunden. Vierzehn Monate danach fand man erneut eine Mädchenleiche. Der Mörder der drei wurde nie gefasst. Und nun ist die kleine Poppy Glover verschwunden ...
Vor vier Jahren erschütterte der Mord an der siebenjährigen Megan Purvis ganz London. Die Leiche des Mädchens wurde in einem abgelegenen Waldstück gefunden, auf ihrem nackten Schenkel stand das Wort »Sorry«. Zwei Jahre später verschwand Tilly Reid, auch ihre Leiche wurde gezeichnet und im Wald gefunden. Vierzehn Monate danach fand man erneut eine Mädchenleiche. Der Mörder der drei wurde nie gefasst. Und nun ist die kleine Poppy Glover verschwunden ...
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2015
45 people are currently reading
3885 people want to read
About the author
Tammy Cohen
25 books450 followersTammy Cohen (who was previously published under her formal name Tamar Cohen) is a freelance journalist. A late starter to fiction - and to other things besides - she has now written four novels. The Mistress's Revenge, The War of the Wives, and Someone Else's Wedding. The Broken was her first pyschological thriller, followed by Dying for Christmas. Her brand new hardback novel, First One Missing is out now.
She lives in North London with her partner and three (nearly) grown children, plus one very badly behaved dog.
She lives in North London with her partner and three (nearly) grown children, plus one very badly behaved dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
August 1, 2015
4.5 Stars
Just finished this about 10 minutes ago and I'm really impressed!!
This is the first book by Tammy Cohen that I have read but I will be looking for more. I thought this was a great psychological thriller. A very sad and chilling story of abducted, murdered girls, the details surrounding the families involved and the investigation to find the killer.
Megan’s Angels was a group for the families of murdered young girls. The group was named after Megan Purvis, who was the first one missing. The group was started by Megan’s mother Helen in hopes that the families could provide support to the each other. The police investigation continues the search for the murderer as the families struggle to face the future without their loved one.
I usually don’t have a problem with multiple points of view but I did find it took me a little while to wrap my head around who was who. However, it did provide insight into the different aspects of how a tragedy like this can affect people differently. We see how the parents, step-parents, siblings and more each handle grief in very different ways. Their thoughts and reactions felt quite genuine. A complex plot with many twists and turns that kept me enthralled as I tried to figure it all out. I really started getting into the story and it pulled me in more and more as I read. But just as I thought I had it all figured out..... NOPE not what I expected at all. Wow really well done.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
Just finished this about 10 minutes ago and I'm really impressed!!
This is the first book by Tammy Cohen that I have read but I will be looking for more. I thought this was a great psychological thriller. A very sad and chilling story of abducted, murdered girls, the details surrounding the families involved and the investigation to find the killer.
Megan’s Angels was a group for the families of murdered young girls. The group was named after Megan Purvis, who was the first one missing. The group was started by Megan’s mother Helen in hopes that the families could provide support to the each other. The police investigation continues the search for the murderer as the families struggle to face the future without their loved one.
I usually don’t have a problem with multiple points of view but I did find it took me a little while to wrap my head around who was who. However, it did provide insight into the different aspects of how a tragedy like this can affect people differently. We see how the parents, step-parents, siblings and more each handle grief in very different ways. Their thoughts and reactions felt quite genuine. A complex plot with many twists and turns that kept me enthralled as I tried to figure it all out. I really started getting into the story and it pulled me in more and more as I read. But just as I thought I had it all figured out..... NOPE not what I expected at all. Wow really well done.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
August 12, 2015
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House UK for giving me a free copy of Tammy Cohen's novel 'First one missing' in return for a honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed her writing style which was free flowing and although the subject matter was very dark and disturbing the novel was very enjoyable. I did get a little confused at times trying to identify the numerous characters but that probably says more about me than anything else. Any book that deals with children's deaths is always going to be at times emotional but I think the author deals with this difficult subject very well. The story is well paced and there is plenty going on with the numerous characters and keeps you guessing throughout. If you like emotional page turners which make you want to keep reading then this is a book for you.
I would recommend this book to other psychological thriller lovers and I enjoyed this book so much that on completing this novel I very quickly searched the internet to find out what other books were available by Tammy Cohen.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed her writing style which was free flowing and although the subject matter was very dark and disturbing the novel was very enjoyable. I did get a little confused at times trying to identify the numerous characters but that probably says more about me than anything else. Any book that deals with children's deaths is always going to be at times emotional but I think the author deals with this difficult subject very well. The story is well paced and there is plenty going on with the numerous characters and keeps you guessing throughout. If you like emotional page turners which make you want to keep reading then this is a book for you.
I would recommend this book to other psychological thriller lovers and I enjoyed this book so much that on completing this novel I very quickly searched the internet to find out what other books were available by Tammy Cohen.
March 11, 2018
I have been a big fan of Tammy Cohen right from her first book and can proudly say I have read them all now. I enjoyed First One Missing although it seemed a little bit different to some of her other books. One of things I like about Tammy's books is that they can all differ, so it's a bit like a surprise package.
There are three things no-one can prepare you for when your daughter is murdered:
- You are haunted by her memory day and night
- Your friends and family fear you are going mad
- Only in a group with mothers of other victims can you find real comfort.
Welcome to the club no one wants to join.
Little girls are being murdered and left all alone. All alone when their families are desperate to have them home again. These special little girls are never coming home. Not ever. Tears are being shed.
Whilst the hunt ramps up for the killer/killers and the police contemplate whether it's a serial killer, two killers, one killer and a copycat one of the mothers of a dead little girl has started a support group, a group where they all can connect and find solace in the fact they have suffered the same loss. But they are not all handling things in the same way.
There are quite a few characters to get your head around in this book, all the parents and the police, so connecting with the characters can be a touch slippery at times. I felt as though I almost got there with most but some stayed behind glass for me, untouchable.
The plot I would say is steady but certainly interesting enough to keep you reading, I finished this book in two sittings and very much enjoyed it. As more little girls are being murdered, emotions, secrets, grief and a million other emotions are erupting within the special support group and tensions start to become apparent.
Do they find the killer/s? How many little girls need to die? Who is gaining from the support group? Is it helping? Just HOW do you manage the grief and torment of knowing your sweet little girl was murdered? Unthinkable.
NOT EASILY, it's quite heart wrenching in places, especially if you are a parent, like me. Can't imagine. Just terrible.
It ramps up to an ending I didn't see coming and is a book you will devour quickly. I did.
4 paw prints from Booklover Catlady for the latest book from the pen of Tammy Cohen, one of my favourite authors. I am eager to see what comes next from her brilliant and creative imagination. Happy reading!
If you want to read more of my reviews come on over and see me at:
https://www.goodreads.com/BookloverCa...
Many thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book via NetGalley to read and review.
There are three things no-one can prepare you for when your daughter is murdered:
- You are haunted by her memory day and night
- Your friends and family fear you are going mad
- Only in a group with mothers of other victims can you find real comfort.
Welcome to the club no one wants to join.
Little girls are being murdered and left all alone. All alone when their families are desperate to have them home again. These special little girls are never coming home. Not ever. Tears are being shed.
Whilst the hunt ramps up for the killer/killers and the police contemplate whether it's a serial killer, two killers, one killer and a copycat one of the mothers of a dead little girl has started a support group, a group where they all can connect and find solace in the fact they have suffered the same loss. But they are not all handling things in the same way.
There are quite a few characters to get your head around in this book, all the parents and the police, so connecting with the characters can be a touch slippery at times. I felt as though I almost got there with most but some stayed behind glass for me, untouchable.
The plot I would say is steady but certainly interesting enough to keep you reading, I finished this book in two sittings and very much enjoyed it. As more little girls are being murdered, emotions, secrets, grief and a million other emotions are erupting within the special support group and tensions start to become apparent.
Do they find the killer/s? How many little girls need to die? Who is gaining from the support group? Is it helping? Just HOW do you manage the grief and torment of knowing your sweet little girl was murdered? Unthinkable.
NOT EASILY, it's quite heart wrenching in places, especially if you are a parent, like me. Can't imagine. Just terrible.
It ramps up to an ending I didn't see coming and is a book you will devour quickly. I did.
4 paw prints from Booklover Catlady for the latest book from the pen of Tammy Cohen, one of my favourite authors. I am eager to see what comes next from her brilliant and creative imagination. Happy reading!
If you want to read more of my reviews come on over and see me at:
https://www.goodreads.com/BookloverCa...
Many thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book via NetGalley to read and review.
June 25, 2015
Megan’s Angels are a support group of families with one thing in common – their young daughters were murdered by the Kenwood Killer, who is still on the loose after four years. First One Missing is told from a number of viewpoints, and some of those narrators are family members all at different stages of the grieving process. They all have very different voices and what I liked about them was their humanity. They may be called Megan’s Angels but they are certainly not “angelic” in their inner thoughts. They come across as very human and fallible. The story begins when Leanne Miller, a Family Liaison Officer has to break the news to “her” family that another victim has been found and everything then unfolds against a background of renewed media pressure on the families, by journalists wanting to hear things from their point of view. In particular, we meet Sally – a fantastic over the top character to read about who really put a smile on my face with her snobbish articles. With her career on the wane, she has to find a way to an exclusive, one that will put her on page one and trying to solve this case will be a real feather in her cap. Leanne herself has to do her job knowing that her ex husband Pete, a fellow FLO, is back on the scene now that there has been another murder.
It is a very twisty turny read. You may think after a while that you have it all worked out, but the author has plenty of surprises up her sleeve, right up until the end of the book as she throws suspicion on different characters left, right and centre. The plot is quite complex, extremely readable and it really kept my interest throughout. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
It is a very twisty turny read. You may think after a while that you have it all worked out, but the author has plenty of surprises up her sleeve, right up until the end of the book as she throws suspicion on different characters left, right and centre. The plot is quite complex, extremely readable and it really kept my interest throughout. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
December 18, 2015
3 1/2 stars from me for First One Missing.
" This time two days ago I was a different person living in a different world and there were no reporters out on the pavement and no policemen in my living room drinking from the mugs that came free with the girls Easter Eggs. And she was here with her newly washed hair and her dog-print pyjamas. And I want it back. I want her back. I want..."
Told from multiple points of view , First One Missing meanders along, tracing the lives of various people connected with the murder of 4 young girls, whose bodies have all been discovered in different parts of Hampstead Heath over a period of time.
There are the parents, all in various stages of grief, and dealing with it in their own ways. Helen Purvis, the mother of the first girl to be murdered, has started a support group for the parents of the murdered girls- Megan's Angels.
And the older siblings, who feel a massive guilt, even though everyone is quick to point out that it was not their fault. So why then is Megan's older brother Rory getting texts accusing him of being a murderer?
Reporter Sally, who has had a brief affair with one of the parents, is a once bright light whose star is fading and will do anything to get a scoop.
Leanne and Pete, once married, but now both in other relationships, are having to work together following the fourth murder.
I got no sense of urgency, no tension, while reading First One Missing. At times I wondered where the book was heading. It was a good read, but nothing outstanding, UNITL THE END! Then wham...I never saw that one coming. Hence the extra 1/2 star.
Worth reading if just for the ending.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the gift of a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
" This time two days ago I was a different person living in a different world and there were no reporters out on the pavement and no policemen in my living room drinking from the mugs that came free with the girls Easter Eggs. And she was here with her newly washed hair and her dog-print pyjamas. And I want it back. I want her back. I want..."
Told from multiple points of view , First One Missing meanders along, tracing the lives of various people connected with the murder of 4 young girls, whose bodies have all been discovered in different parts of Hampstead Heath over a period of time.
There are the parents, all in various stages of grief, and dealing with it in their own ways. Helen Purvis, the mother of the first girl to be murdered, has started a support group for the parents of the murdered girls- Megan's Angels.
And the older siblings, who feel a massive guilt, even though everyone is quick to point out that it was not their fault. So why then is Megan's older brother Rory getting texts accusing him of being a murderer?
Reporter Sally, who has had a brief affair with one of the parents, is a once bright light whose star is fading and will do anything to get a scoop.
Leanne and Pete, once married, but now both in other relationships, are having to work together following the fourth murder.
I got no sense of urgency, no tension, while reading First One Missing. At times I wondered where the book was heading. It was a good read, but nothing outstanding, UNITL THE END! Then wham...I never saw that one coming. Hence the extra 1/2 star.
Worth reading if just for the ending.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the gift of a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2016
Having loved Dying for Christmas and The Broken (both 5 stars ratings from me), I was really looking forward to First One Missing.
As usual it is well written with a great plot idea and well developed characters. However, on this occasion I felt there was something missing or the focus didn’t seem to quite work right for my enjoyment.
As this story is about a number of young girls being murdered, I expected it to feel very dark, but for some reason it didn’t. I felt myself watching this story unfold from a distance, and didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I think because of this, although the outcome was a surprise, I didn’t have enough of a connection with the character to be shocked or truly care that it turned out to be them.
Why didn’t this book affect me more emotionally? I’m not sure. Perhaps I still have my head and heart in India due to my previous read. I felt I wanted to get into the minds of the characters more, see what was going on deep down in those hidden corners.
The majority of my Goodreads friends who have read this have rated it 4 or 5 stars, so I guess this particular book just wasn’t for me or the timing wasn't right. It's a shame, but I can’t love them all. Looking forward to Tammy’s next book.
I would like to thank the publisher, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2018
Two and a half stars
Young girls being murdered ensure this is never going to be a light read. The reader is introduced to the bereaved parents, the detectives trying to track down the killer before another murder occurs, Family liaison officers appointed to help the parents in their grief, the other children of the bereaved families and the journalist out for the next big interview among others. Those others include a paedophile ring. There is also a group Megan’s Angels, set up by Megan’s mother Helen, where the parents can support each other in their grief. It all sounds like something that would be a suspenseful and gripping read, doesn’t it? And yet I struggled with this and not so much in the ways I expected.
My biggest issue was sorting out the parents and the children that belonged to them. I’m not sure if this is just me not concentrating properly or whether there was just not enough personality coming through from the parents that I had difficulty. They all tended to blend together to become indistinguishable. I kept having to check back and remind myself who was who. There also seemed to be a couple of sub plots that didn’t really add to the story except perhaps to try and throw suspicion away from the culprit. These issues and the fact that I never liked any of the characters stopped me from becoming emotionally involved.
I am sure there are going to be a lot of people who will appreciate this story, but I found it was not gripping and didn’t have the tension I would have expected. There are twists and turns intended to keep the reader turning the pages and yet while I finished the book I never found it a compelling read that I simply had to get back to. I never felt the tension and nail biting drama you expect in a story like this. It ambled along. I certainly didn't find it to be,' an utterly page-turning psychological thriller,' as stated on the cover by another writer. I may well be in the minority though.
Young girls being murdered ensure this is never going to be a light read. The reader is introduced to the bereaved parents, the detectives trying to track down the killer before another murder occurs, Family liaison officers appointed to help the parents in their grief, the other children of the bereaved families and the journalist out for the next big interview among others. Those others include a paedophile ring. There is also a group Megan’s Angels, set up by Megan’s mother Helen, where the parents can support each other in their grief. It all sounds like something that would be a suspenseful and gripping read, doesn’t it? And yet I struggled with this and not so much in the ways I expected.
My biggest issue was sorting out the parents and the children that belonged to them. I’m not sure if this is just me not concentrating properly or whether there was just not enough personality coming through from the parents that I had difficulty. They all tended to blend together to become indistinguishable. I kept having to check back and remind myself who was who. There also seemed to be a couple of sub plots that didn’t really add to the story except perhaps to try and throw suspicion away from the culprit. These issues and the fact that I never liked any of the characters stopped me from becoming emotionally involved.
I am sure there are going to be a lot of people who will appreciate this story, but I found it was not gripping and didn’t have the tension I would have expected. There are twists and turns intended to keep the reader turning the pages and yet while I finished the book I never found it a compelling read that I simply had to get back to. I never felt the tension and nail biting drama you expect in a story like this. It ambled along. I certainly didn't find it to be,' an utterly page-turning psychological thriller,' as stated on the cover by another writer. I may well be in the minority though.
June 2, 2015
This book begins with the murder of a little girl, called Poppy Glover. Leanne Miller, a family liaison officer, has to inform Emma Reid, the mother of Tilly, who was also a victim of the man the press have labelled, “the Kenwood Killer.” The name refers to Kenwood House, a place I know well, and all of the victims – beginning with seven year old Megan Purvis (“the original angel”), found four years earlier, then Tilly, ten year old Leila Botsford and now Poppy – were found on Hampstead Heath, near Kenwood House.
Four little girls have been murdered and this book explores both who killed them, plus the devastation that the families feel. Megan’s mother, Helen, has arranged a support group for the parents of the girls, and this novel traces events both through the families, Emma’s liaison officer, Leanne, a journalist called Sally Freeland and even a possible suspect named Jason. Of all the parents, we are most involved with Emma Reid, who has been left with two daughters, Caitlin and Jemima, terrible grief and a husband, Guy, she feel utterly estranged from. The murder of Poppy opens old wounds and, as Helen attempts to offer support, Emma tries to cope with a life which seems to have no meaning. Meanwhile, the crimes are still unsolved and the families are very much under the spotlight of a media which is desperate to keep the story running.
I enjoyed, “Dying for Christmas,” by the same author, but felt this was more tightly plotted and had more interesting characters. I sympathised with Emma, thought the siblings of the murdered girls brought depth to the storyline and found the awful Sally Freeland offered a touch of humour to a plot which was dark and difficult to read about. This is an excellent crime novel and shows that Tammy Cohen has a lot to offer fans of this genre – I will certainly be reading her next book and recommend this one highly. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Four little girls have been murdered and this book explores both who killed them, plus the devastation that the families feel. Megan’s mother, Helen, has arranged a support group for the parents of the girls, and this novel traces events both through the families, Emma’s liaison officer, Leanne, a journalist called Sally Freeland and even a possible suspect named Jason. Of all the parents, we are most involved with Emma Reid, who has been left with two daughters, Caitlin and Jemima, terrible grief and a husband, Guy, she feel utterly estranged from. The murder of Poppy opens old wounds and, as Helen attempts to offer support, Emma tries to cope with a life which seems to have no meaning. Meanwhile, the crimes are still unsolved and the families are very much under the spotlight of a media which is desperate to keep the story running.
I enjoyed, “Dying for Christmas,” by the same author, but felt this was more tightly plotted and had more interesting characters. I sympathised with Emma, thought the siblings of the murdered girls brought depth to the storyline and found the awful Sally Freeland offered a touch of humour to a plot which was dark and difficult to read about. This is an excellent crime novel and shows that Tammy Cohen has a lot to offer fans of this genre – I will certainly be reading her next book and recommend this one highly. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
December 29, 2022
Alternating chapters, good theme. Good plot.
But I felt like I was reading a newspaper.
Somehow some way I yearned to connect with this book like I have her other books.
I did love it, yet, there were reasons and some beyound me to express that I just wanted to feel more.
A child missing, murdered, other kids, parents anguish, yet I was numb and I wanted to FEEL something.
Other reviewers have loved this book others have not so, it comforts me to think I’m not alone.
Would I recommend it? Yes. Because others were thrilled by it.
I just wish that was me.
But I felt like I was reading a newspaper.
Somehow some way I yearned to connect with this book like I have her other books.
I did love it, yet, there were reasons and some beyound me to express that I just wanted to feel more.
A child missing, murdered, other kids, parents anguish, yet I was numb and I wanted to FEEL something.
Other reviewers have loved this book others have not so, it comforts me to think I’m not alone.
Would I recommend it? Yes. Because others were thrilled by it.
I just wish that was me.
December 15, 2015
4.5 stars
Amazing psychological thriller! I struggled a little at first because we get different narrators/POV, but then I just couldn't put it down!
Little girls are disappearing, only to be found dead and leaving a devastating world for their parents and families. Who is taking them? Is it one killer? Two? More? Is it a copycat? WHO?!
The girls' parents get together in a support group named after the first missing girl, Megan Purvis, and for some, is a coping mechanism, but who is to say how to handle life after something that terrible?!
There are many twists and suspects as well. Just when you think you have the right one...
NO, it's not.
But then. you read a little bit more, and you think you've got it right this time...
and NO again!
By the last pages, I got it and I confirmed my suspicions. It was a great ending, but it left me a bittersweet feeling.
Amazing psychological thriller! I struggled a little at first because we get different narrators/POV, but then I just couldn't put it down!
Little girls are disappearing, only to be found dead and leaving a devastating world for their parents and families. Who is taking them? Is it one killer? Two? More? Is it a copycat? WHO?!
The girls' parents get together in a support group named after the first missing girl, Megan Purvis, and for some, is a coping mechanism, but who is to say how to handle life after something that terrible?!
There are many twists and suspects as well. Just when you think you have the right one...
NO, it's not.
But then. you read a little bit more, and you think you've got it right this time...
and NO again!
By the last pages, I got it and I confirmed my suspicions. It was a great ending, but it left me a bittersweet feeling.
June 1, 2015
Firstly a huge thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
I need to point out that I am a huge Tammy Cohen fan and so far have loved everything she has written.
This new book does not disappoint either. The author has an incredible talent of getting under the skin of each and every character she creates making them believable and genuine. The storyline revolves around the serial killing of young girls in Hampstead Hearg and hints at paedophilia which is not a easy topic to digest. Tammy Cohen covers this incredibly honestly and doesn't go for the shock factor other authors do when writing about paedophiles. Each characters individual storyline was gripping and I'm not ashamed to admit I even shed a tear at the end.
I need to point out that I am a huge Tammy Cohen fan and so far have loved everything she has written.
This new book does not disappoint either. The author has an incredible talent of getting under the skin of each and every character she creates making them believable and genuine. The storyline revolves around the serial killing of young girls in Hampstead Hearg and hints at paedophilia which is not a easy topic to digest. Tammy Cohen covers this incredibly honestly and doesn't go for the shock factor other authors do when writing about paedophiles. Each characters individual storyline was gripping and I'm not ashamed to admit I even shed a tear at the end.
May 31, 2015
Another brilliant psychological thriller from the pen of Tammy Cohen. Emotional depth a really compelling story and a little twist I did not see coming which means I'd give it 6 stars if I could :) Full review to follow as a New release spotlight in July. Highly Recommended.
December 27, 2015
I'm still in a period of reading where I'm finding it difficult to choose my next book to read and I'm wondering whether the next book will be thrown on the can't-make-it-all-the-way-through, pile, so I was thrilled to find, with First One Missing, that I had picked up another great book. It was such a great book that when I finished reading it I tweeted Tammy and thanked her for writing it because there is nothing like being able to slide into the pages of a novel and escape fully and I have been finding that really difficult over recent months, for whatever reason.
First One Missing is about missing and murdered children, but it's more than that, it's about the effect those terrible crimes have. The effect on the parents, the siblings and even the effect on one of the FLOs of one of the families involved, because Leanne, the FLO we get the PoV from, has been with the Reid's, on and off, for a long period of time and being with a family as they grieve a child is, as we can see, emotionally draining because you can't help but soak up the emotion as you're around the family.
We get to see the police investigation from Leanne's PoV. The investigation runs in the background to the people-centric novel though. You're swept up in the lives of those left behind and this is something that Tammy Cohen does really well.
There are multiple characters and their lives are interwoven through the terrible events of the book. The crime though horrific isn't glorified, it's the basis for the human element that is explored, pain and human spirit and how people cope and come together to support each other.
It is brilliantly written and will have you turning the pages and not wanting to put it down. I adore Tammy Cohen's books and this one did not disappoint.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
First One Missing is about missing and murdered children, but it's more than that, it's about the effect those terrible crimes have. The effect on the parents, the siblings and even the effect on one of the FLOs of one of the families involved, because Leanne, the FLO we get the PoV from, has been with the Reid's, on and off, for a long period of time and being with a family as they grieve a child is, as we can see, emotionally draining because you can't help but soak up the emotion as you're around the family.
We get to see the police investigation from Leanne's PoV. The investigation runs in the background to the people-centric novel though. You're swept up in the lives of those left behind and this is something that Tammy Cohen does really well.
There are multiple characters and their lives are interwoven through the terrible events of the book. The crime though horrific isn't glorified, it's the basis for the human element that is explored, pain and human spirit and how people cope and come together to support each other.
It is brilliantly written and will have you turning the pages and not wanting to put it down. I adore Tammy Cohen's books and this one did not disappoint.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
May 23, 2018
Every scene, and character is utterly believable. Four girls found murdered on Hampstead Heath. It leaves you with a tidal of wave of sorrow.
Tammy Cohen adds the fine detail of a moving examination of loss. Never before has any author written an novel in which makes you care deeply for the families grieving.
The police are looking for a serial killer, but I can promise channeled in are twist that will leave breathless.
Tammy Cohen certainly confirms her place in top flight of psychological thriller, I have loved all of her books.
Loyal psychological thrillers readers this is a must buy, must read.
August 13, 2016
This was my second book by Tammy Cohen and it certainly didn't disappoint. The story, although disturbing, was very compelling and it was very hard to put down. As far as psychological thrillers go, it doesn't get any better than this, with just one minor quibble: there was a severe lack of definition in certain characters which in turn and obviously made the pool of suspects too small. That said, I highly recommend you check out Ms Cohen's work if psychological thrillers are your thing.
October 15, 2015
I've read a couple of Ms Cohen's books before so I knew the kind of thing I was in for.
This, however, felt slightly different in its feel. The story is one of missing young girls found dead over a period of time within a large area of open space in North London. Four families being drawn together by one common denominator.
Just like in real life events, there are families, police, family liaison officers, and journalists all embroiled together in a quest to find some answers. Hence, here there are a large cast of characters to get your head around as we get to meet all those affected by these tragedies. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, mothers, siblings, FLO's and journalists. For me it flowed quite easily as we got into the heads of the different characters. The approach being how grief affects people differently, whether you're a mother or an investigative officer, it gave a realistic insight into how life almosts suspends. It's an emotional read that can actually feel quite draining at times. There's also moments of peaodophilia as one narrative is from the point of a view of a paedophile. It's hard hitting and pulls no punches but handled with deft and care.
I can't honestly say that this is a book to be enjoyed but it is a book that makes for compelling reading as we're sucked into the overwhelming grief of the families concerned. We know this kind of thing happens in real life and we know we all hope it will never affect anyone of us. It almost feels voyeuristic as narratives unburden themselves, looking in through a window of unbearable grief ... but that is what makes it all the more compelling as a read as we want to know what happened to these poor girls. Answers are found in a race to the end, shocking conclusion and I came away fairly shell shocked.
Well written, well characterised, well finished. I don't really know what more I can say....
A big thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Much appreciated.
This, however, felt slightly different in its feel. The story is one of missing young girls found dead over a period of time within a large area of open space in North London. Four families being drawn together by one common denominator.
Just like in real life events, there are families, police, family liaison officers, and journalists all embroiled together in a quest to find some answers. Hence, here there are a large cast of characters to get your head around as we get to meet all those affected by these tragedies. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, mothers, siblings, FLO's and journalists. For me it flowed quite easily as we got into the heads of the different characters. The approach being how grief affects people differently, whether you're a mother or an investigative officer, it gave a realistic insight into how life almosts suspends. It's an emotional read that can actually feel quite draining at times. There's also moments of peaodophilia as one narrative is from the point of a view of a paedophile. It's hard hitting and pulls no punches but handled with deft and care.
I can't honestly say that this is a book to be enjoyed but it is a book that makes for compelling reading as we're sucked into the overwhelming grief of the families concerned. We know this kind of thing happens in real life and we know we all hope it will never affect anyone of us. It almost feels voyeuristic as narratives unburden themselves, looking in through a window of unbearable grief ... but that is what makes it all the more compelling as a read as we want to know what happened to these poor girls. Answers are found in a race to the end, shocking conclusion and I came away fairly shell shocked.
Well written, well characterised, well finished. I don't really know what more I can say....
A big thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Much appreciated.
July 1, 2016
Wow! I am floored! This book is a THRILLER!!! I did not see this end coming at all! Cohen took me on the wildest ride where every character was a suspect.
This is my first book by Cohen and I am definitely going back for more. The various points of views was seamless and really helped in maintaining the thrill and moving the plot along. You cannot believe how well developed the characters were, how fast paced the plot was and just how great the big reveal was.
This is definitely a must read! Thrilling!
This is my first book by Cohen and I am definitely going back for more. The various points of views was seamless and really helped in maintaining the thrill and moving the plot along. You cannot believe how well developed the characters were, how fast paced the plot was and just how great the big reveal was.
This is definitely a must read! Thrilling!
November 15, 2015
Woe is me! And me! And me!!
A child is missing and a serial killer is on the loose, so everyone is fearing the worst. And, indeed, the worst comes to pass. The parents unenviably now have the right to join Megan's Angels – a support group set up by the parents of previous victims. Meantime, family liaison officer Leanne Miller should be contacting the earlier victims to make sure they don't hear about the new murder from TV, but she's busy lying in bed feeling sorry for herself, so can't find the energy to make the phone call. Journalist Sally Freeland, however, is full of energy – willing to do whatever it takes to get a story, including sleeping with one of the bereaved parents. But to be fair, she was drunk at the time...
I hold my hands up – this was the final misery-fest straw that broke this camel's back and has the distinction of being the last of this trend of books concerning murdered children I shall ever knowingly read.
How do you top all the books that have taken us deep into the minds of bereft parents of dead children? Why, by having four sets of grief-stricken parents instead of one! Eight grieving parents, 4 child victims, a gang of scheming paedophiles, two damaged teenagers, one drunken journo and a cop with a mixed-up love life – sing to the tune of the partridge in the pear tree! I'm sorry, but this book drove me over the cliff of misery straight into the sea of hysteria! But really it's the accumulation – book after book after book about murdered children and the reader expected to wallow in the parents' grief. This one is no worse than most and better than many of them. I just can't take any more...
The writing style is OK for the most part, with occasional touches of humour to give it a much needed lift, though with some pretty forced sounding swearing inserted to make it sound gritty... or fashionable... or something. But the characterisation is so clichéd. Did the journalist have to drink and sleep around? Did the female police officer really, really have to be at the centre of a love triangle? So much so, that after four child deaths, when a member of the public tells her the name of a man she thinks is the killer, what does our Leanne do? Get in touch with her boss? Put out an APB? Rush round to interview him before he can potentially kill again? No – she pops outside to phone her boyfriend! Yes, that's why I'm happy to pay my taxes...
The book is half domestic noir from the perspective of the parents and siblings of the victims, and half police procedural via Leanne. The investigation element is practically non-existent. I spent a large part of my time wondering how exactly Leanne filled her days. Every time she was asked to do something, she either didn't do it or sighed as if it was all too difficult. Of course, being sexually attracted to a colleague who happens to be your ex-husband while having an affair with another man must be exhausting, poor little lamb! It's really unfair to expect us women to be able to balance our emotional traumas with doing a professional job, isn't it? Poor woman probably has to decide who to vote for every few years too – shame!
The plot is probably the best part. One of the viewpoints is from a man who is in the process of grooming a child as a potential victim, but there is also a suggestion that a paedophile ring might be involved. There are enough twists along the way to keep the reader guessing and it doesn't go much further over the credibility line than most of these books. However the huge cast of characters meant that I had great difficulty remembering which child had belonged to which set of parents and who was married to whom – there didn't seem enough depth in the characterisation to properly differentiate amongst them all.
Overall, I was expecting much better, having greatly enjoyed Cohen's last outing in Dying for Christmas. I'm aware that my increasing dislike of this trend for misery and dead children means that I'm slamming the book a little more than it probably deserves, but even within the domestic noir field I wouldn't rate this one as better than average. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Transworld.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A child is missing and a serial killer is on the loose, so everyone is fearing the worst. And, indeed, the worst comes to pass. The parents unenviably now have the right to join Megan's Angels – a support group set up by the parents of previous victims. Meantime, family liaison officer Leanne Miller should be contacting the earlier victims to make sure they don't hear about the new murder from TV, but she's busy lying in bed feeling sorry for herself, so can't find the energy to make the phone call. Journalist Sally Freeland, however, is full of energy – willing to do whatever it takes to get a story, including sleeping with one of the bereaved parents. But to be fair, she was drunk at the time...
I hold my hands up – this was the final misery-fest straw that broke this camel's back and has the distinction of being the last of this trend of books concerning murdered children I shall ever knowingly read.
How do you top all the books that have taken us deep into the minds of bereft parents of dead children? Why, by having four sets of grief-stricken parents instead of one! Eight grieving parents, 4 child victims, a gang of scheming paedophiles, two damaged teenagers, one drunken journo and a cop with a mixed-up love life – sing to the tune of the partridge in the pear tree! I'm sorry, but this book drove me over the cliff of misery straight into the sea of hysteria! But really it's the accumulation – book after book after book about murdered children and the reader expected to wallow in the parents' grief. This one is no worse than most and better than many of them. I just can't take any more...
The writing style is OK for the most part, with occasional touches of humour to give it a much needed lift, though with some pretty forced sounding swearing inserted to make it sound gritty... or fashionable... or something. But the characterisation is so clichéd. Did the journalist have to drink and sleep around? Did the female police officer really, really have to be at the centre of a love triangle? So much so, that after four child deaths, when a member of the public tells her the name of a man she thinks is the killer, what does our Leanne do? Get in touch with her boss? Put out an APB? Rush round to interview him before he can potentially kill again? No – she pops outside to phone her boyfriend! Yes, that's why I'm happy to pay my taxes...
The book is half domestic noir from the perspective of the parents and siblings of the victims, and half police procedural via Leanne. The investigation element is practically non-existent. I spent a large part of my time wondering how exactly Leanne filled her days. Every time she was asked to do something, she either didn't do it or sighed as if it was all too difficult. Of course, being sexually attracted to a colleague who happens to be your ex-husband while having an affair with another man must be exhausting, poor little lamb! It's really unfair to expect us women to be able to balance our emotional traumas with doing a professional job, isn't it? Poor woman probably has to decide who to vote for every few years too – shame!
The plot is probably the best part. One of the viewpoints is from a man who is in the process of grooming a child as a potential victim, but there is also a suggestion that a paedophile ring might be involved. There are enough twists along the way to keep the reader guessing and it doesn't go much further over the credibility line than most of these books. However the huge cast of characters meant that I had great difficulty remembering which child had belonged to which set of parents and who was married to whom – there didn't seem enough depth in the characterisation to properly differentiate amongst them all.
Overall, I was expecting much better, having greatly enjoyed Cohen's last outing in Dying for Christmas. I'm aware that my increasing dislike of this trend for misery and dead children means that I'm slamming the book a little more than it probably deserves, but even within the domestic noir field I wouldn't rate this one as better than average. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Transworld.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 24, 2015
I haven’t read anything by Tammy Cohen before so this was my first experience of reading her work but I had heard good things consistently from my fellow book bloggers on Twitter so when I noticed this on NetGalley I thought the blurb sounded very different and it was the perfect opportunity to try a new author!
This was the perfect holiday read. Very easy to read, extremely fast-paced and a real page turner!
I liked the way the novel was written in different threads from the perspective of various characters. I must admit I found it hard to follow at first trying to establish which character the reader was with at the start of each chapter but once I settled down into the story this got much easier. I think this technique in fact added an extra dimension to the novel which meant that I was more involved in the story.
The novel includes a huge range of characters so there will be at least one character who appeals to most readers and obviously this helps the reader to care about what is happening to them and empathise with this horrible ordeal.
What I loved most about this novel is that I really could not guess where it was going. This is SO rare for me and it wasn’t until the last 3% of the novel on my Kindle that the author revealed the real twists of the story and I LOVED that. It really kept the reader guessing right up until the final page which was fantastic and truly unexpected.
This is a great dark thriller and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and thrillers! I will also certainly be keeping an eye out for future novels by this author.
https://sarakettleborough.wordpress.com/
This was the perfect holiday read. Very easy to read, extremely fast-paced and a real page turner!
I liked the way the novel was written in different threads from the perspective of various characters. I must admit I found it hard to follow at first trying to establish which character the reader was with at the start of each chapter but once I settled down into the story this got much easier. I think this technique in fact added an extra dimension to the novel which meant that I was more involved in the story.
The novel includes a huge range of characters so there will be at least one character who appeals to most readers and obviously this helps the reader to care about what is happening to them and empathise with this horrible ordeal.
What I loved most about this novel is that I really could not guess where it was going. This is SO rare for me and it wasn’t until the last 3% of the novel on my Kindle that the author revealed the real twists of the story and I LOVED that. It really kept the reader guessing right up until the final page which was fantastic and truly unexpected.
This is a great dark thriller and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime fiction and thrillers! I will also certainly be keeping an eye out for future novels by this author.
https://sarakettleborough.wordpress.com/
June 11, 2015
This wasn't to my taste. I keep trying with Tammy Cohen's books, but she's just not my type of author, and I have to accept that. She's a good writer, but she doesn't really go for it the way other thriller writers do. I wasn't on the edge of my seat, I wasn't DYING to get to the next chapter, I didn't really care who the perp was because there wasn't enough time spent building UP the perp. The best thrillers, I find, are the ones where we get sneaky looks into the perps life, and while we do get that here, they are too few and far in between, with more time spent on the parents of the kids who died, who are all grieving and going through the motions, but that's not where the action was, sadly. Even the whole evil reporter thing didn't make any sense, because it just didn't go anywhere. She was hardly Rita Skeeter. Not my kind of book, I'm afraid.
July 13, 2015
Great book of a group of people drawn together in very dire circumstances. Very emotional story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 29, 2018
This was a great psychological thriller. The only thing that kept it from being a five star read for me was that there were so many characters. I found it quite distracting trying to remember who was who and even though this wasn't a long book it took me longer than normal to finish it. The unique twists and plot made it worthwhile in the long run.
June 27, 2015
After reading Tammy Cohen's Dying for Christmas last year, I was very excited to get started with First One Missing, especially after reading the book's blurb. First One Missing is a difficult book to discuss without giving some stuff away so as always read on with that in mind. Perhaps because I came to this book off the back of Bear Grylls' new thriller, I found the opening to be a bit, flat? Boring? It took me a while to get to grips with the story, and I found myself for almost the first half of the book wishing things would hurry along a little.
Emma is contacted by her police liaison officer with news that another young girl has been murdered, her own daughter Tilly having been murdered a few years earlier. Emma attends a group named 'Megan's Angels', a support group setup by Helen, the mother of the very first child who was murdered. A story centred around the murder of children can at times be a difficult read, yet Tammy tackles it with real sensitivity, and there's never anything gratuitous about her writing or storytelling.
First One Missing is very much a character-driven story in the beginning, focusing as it does on a number of characters affected by the murders of these young girls. Not only the family members themselves (most of whom I have to say were very well-drawn and believable) but also the liaison officers, and a - in the beginning - very unlikeable journalist. In the back of my mind I was thinking about what each of these characters were going to bring to the story, and with some mysterious chapters following some shady characters I had no idea where the story was going to go.
In terms of the characters attending the support group, it was one of the liaison officers that picked up on my thoughts: the families are all part of a group which you would expect to be somewhat harmonious, to be 'helpful' to each of the people that attend but it can at times be a little acrimonious, some family members not even wanting to be there. Each person has their own personality, just like the rest of us. And as Leanne, the liaison officer says you don't suddenly become a nicer, kinder person simply because your daughter has been murdered. And that's so true because there's a couple of family members who I inherently disliked.
First One Missing is definitely one of those books that I'm glad I stuck with because the latter half of the book was really good, and contained everything that I have come to expect from a Tammy Cohen novel. The actual ending itself, and the twists and reveals that come out towards the end of the novel are brilliant. In terms of who the killer is, it's brilliant but at the same time it left me wondering whether I should have worked it out myself... It almost makes me want to read the book and see whether the clues were there. Overall despite a slow start I did enjoy First One Missing, and definitely recommend it.
Emma is contacted by her police liaison officer with news that another young girl has been murdered, her own daughter Tilly having been murdered a few years earlier. Emma attends a group named 'Megan's Angels', a support group setup by Helen, the mother of the very first child who was murdered. A story centred around the murder of children can at times be a difficult read, yet Tammy tackles it with real sensitivity, and there's never anything gratuitous about her writing or storytelling.
First One Missing is very much a character-driven story in the beginning, focusing as it does on a number of characters affected by the murders of these young girls. Not only the family members themselves (most of whom I have to say were very well-drawn and believable) but also the liaison officers, and a - in the beginning - very unlikeable journalist. In the back of my mind I was thinking about what each of these characters were going to bring to the story, and with some mysterious chapters following some shady characters I had no idea where the story was going to go.
In terms of the characters attending the support group, it was one of the liaison officers that picked up on my thoughts: the families are all part of a group which you would expect to be somewhat harmonious, to be 'helpful' to each of the people that attend but it can at times be a little acrimonious, some family members not even wanting to be there. Each person has their own personality, just like the rest of us. And as Leanne, the liaison officer says you don't suddenly become a nicer, kinder person simply because your daughter has been murdered. And that's so true because there's a couple of family members who I inherently disliked.
First One Missing is definitely one of those books that I'm glad I stuck with because the latter half of the book was really good, and contained everything that I have come to expect from a Tammy Cohen novel. The actual ending itself, and the twists and reveals that come out towards the end of the novel are brilliant. In terms of who the killer is, it's brilliant but at the same time it left me wondering whether I should have worked it out myself... It almost makes me want to read the book and see whether the clues were there. Overall despite a slow start I did enjoy First One Missing, and definitely recommend it.
June 15, 2017
€ 9,99 [D] inkl. MwSt.
€ 10,30 [A] | CHF 13,90*
(* empf. VK-Preis)
Taschenbuch, Klappenbroschur
ISBN: 978-3-7341-0437-4
NEU
Erschienen: 17.04.2017
Zum Buch: https://www.randomhouse.de/Taschenbuc...
Vier tote Mädchen. Vier trauernde Familien. Ein Killer auf freiem Fuß.
Vor vier Jahren erschütterte der Mord an der siebenjährigen Megan Purvis ganz London. Die Leiche des Mädchens wurde in einem abgelegenen Waldstück gefunden, auf ihrem nackten Schenkel stand das Wort »Sorry«. Zwei Jahre später verschwand Tilly Reid, auch ihre Leiche wurde gezeichnet und im Wald gefunden. Vierzehn Monate danach fand man erneut eine Mädchenleiche. Der Mörder der drei wurde nie gefasst. Und nun ist die kleine Poppy Glover verschwunden ...
Meine Meinung:
Ich bin aufgrund des Titels und des interessant klingenden Klappentextes auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden. Von der Autorin hatte ich bisher noch nichts gelesen und war dementsprechend sehr gespannt.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir recht leicht gelungen, der Schreibstil war durchgehend sehr flüssig.
Ich habe dieses Buch aber nur teilweise als Thriller empfunden. Es ging lange Zeit darum, wie die Familien damit umgegangen sind und auch jetzt mit dem neuen Fall umgehen. Interessant war dabei, zu sehen, wie unterschiedlich die Elternpaare mit dem Verlust und überhaupt mit der ganzen Geschichte umgegangen sind.
Es ging erst einmal weniger um die Tätersuche oder Ermittlerarbeit. Das kam erst sehr viel später.
Zum Thema Spannung kann ich sagen, dass diese für mich erst in der zweiten Hälfte aufkam, bei einem Thriller müsste aber von vorne herein mehr Spannung enthalten sein. Ich habe das Buch mehr als Drama empfunden als denn als Psychothriller.
Das Ende war für mich völlig überraschend und hat mich auch sehr nachdenklich zurückgelassen.
Alles in allem konnte mich dieser Psychothriller leider nicht so ganz begeistern und überzeugen, von daher bekommt das Buch 3,5 Sterne von mir.
€ 10,30 [A] | CHF 13,90*
(* empf. VK-Preis)
Taschenbuch, Klappenbroschur
ISBN: 978-3-7341-0437-4
NEU
Erschienen: 17.04.2017
Zum Buch: https://www.randomhouse.de/Taschenbuc...
Vier tote Mädchen. Vier trauernde Familien. Ein Killer auf freiem Fuß.
Vor vier Jahren erschütterte der Mord an der siebenjährigen Megan Purvis ganz London. Die Leiche des Mädchens wurde in einem abgelegenen Waldstück gefunden, auf ihrem nackten Schenkel stand das Wort »Sorry«. Zwei Jahre später verschwand Tilly Reid, auch ihre Leiche wurde gezeichnet und im Wald gefunden. Vierzehn Monate danach fand man erneut eine Mädchenleiche. Der Mörder der drei wurde nie gefasst. Und nun ist die kleine Poppy Glover verschwunden ...
Meine Meinung:
Ich bin aufgrund des Titels und des interessant klingenden Klappentextes auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden. Von der Autorin hatte ich bisher noch nichts gelesen und war dementsprechend sehr gespannt.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir recht leicht gelungen, der Schreibstil war durchgehend sehr flüssig.
Ich habe dieses Buch aber nur teilweise als Thriller empfunden. Es ging lange Zeit darum, wie die Familien damit umgegangen sind und auch jetzt mit dem neuen Fall umgehen. Interessant war dabei, zu sehen, wie unterschiedlich die Elternpaare mit dem Verlust und überhaupt mit der ganzen Geschichte umgegangen sind.
Es ging erst einmal weniger um die Tätersuche oder Ermittlerarbeit. Das kam erst sehr viel später.
Zum Thema Spannung kann ich sagen, dass diese für mich erst in der zweiten Hälfte aufkam, bei einem Thriller müsste aber von vorne herein mehr Spannung enthalten sein. Ich habe das Buch mehr als Drama empfunden als denn als Psychothriller.
Das Ende war für mich völlig überraschend und hat mich auch sehr nachdenklich zurückgelassen.
Alles in allem konnte mich dieser Psychothriller leider nicht so ganz begeistern und überzeugen, von daher bekommt das Buch 3,5 Sterne von mir.
Read
September 13, 2015A stunningly good psychological thriller about four families who are brought together after their young daughters are murdered by a suspected serial killer. I read it in two days, I was so gripped. Tammy Cohen is a hugely skilled writer. There are several points of view and, in the hands of a less experienced author, they could have become jumbled and confusing but Tammy handles them masterfully. The characterisation is rich and fascinating and I loved the contrast between the journalist, the family support officer, the grieving mothers, the son and the paedophile. Each strand of the story is compelling and I felt completely immersed in the story. First One Missing is storytelling at its best and I hugely recommend it.
July 18, 2019
DNF’d this quarter way through. Too many characters that I couldn’t keep straight and the story wasn’t that interesting to me either.
I read a good quarter before quitting as I’ve read and enjoyed this author before.
Just wasn’t doing anything for me, getting bored with it, and after reading a spoiler, I think I made the right decision to quit it. Too much out there to read to persevere with a dull book.
I read a good quarter before quitting as I’ve read and enjoyed this author before.
Just wasn’t doing anything for me, getting bored with it, and after reading a spoiler, I think I made the right decision to quit it. Too much out there to read to persevere with a dull book.
March 5, 2019
2,4 Sterne
Das ist mein zweites Buch von Tammy Cohen, das erste ( Während du stirbst) hab ich „verschlungen“. Das hier war zwischenzeitlich sehr zäh und verwirrend mit den vielen Charakteren und ich war kurz vorm aufgeben. Gegen Ende würde es doch noch spannend und das Ende überraschte mich sehr.
Das ist mein zweites Buch von Tammy Cohen, das erste ( Während du stirbst) hab ich „verschlungen“. Das hier war zwischenzeitlich sehr zäh und verwirrend mit den vielen Charakteren und ich war kurz vorm aufgeben. Gegen Ende würde es doch noch spannend und das Ende überraschte mich sehr.
April 20, 2017
Young girls are being killed and there's a pattern that keeps returning. Is there an evil serial killer behind the murders? The relatives of the girls are devastated and they each deal with this huge loss in their own way. Because of the repeat pattern there's a group with the victim's parents they can join, so they can mourn their daughters together and find support and comfort by being among people who understand them.
The killer hasn't been caught yet. Police and media are on the hunt and by working together they might have a chance to discover who's behind the murders. However, not everyone has the same interest and determination. Will the police be able to catch the person responsible before more little girls will become victims?
First One Missing is an incredibly gripping story that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Tammy Cohen alternates points of view and switches between several different main characters, who are either family, media or police. It's an interesting approach and the voices are easy to distinguish. Because of this the reader gets to see the same story through the eyes of all of the parties involved and Tammy Cohen paints a complete picture of the case this way, which I found compelling and intriguing at the same time.
Tammy Cohen has written a fantastic thriller. I loved the large number of unexpected twists and turns. First One Missing is a book about an awful topic and I was genuinely shocked by some of the characters. The ending is surprising and very good. First One Missing is a well written emotional thriller. I was repulsed by some of the content and think Tammy Cohen has bravely chosen a controversial subject to write about. First One Missing is a great story for readers with a strong stomach.
The killer hasn't been caught yet. Police and media are on the hunt and by working together they might have a chance to discover who's behind the murders. However, not everyone has the same interest and determination. Will the police be able to catch the person responsible before more little girls will become victims?
First One Missing is an incredibly gripping story that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Tammy Cohen alternates points of view and switches between several different main characters, who are either family, media or police. It's an interesting approach and the voices are easy to distinguish. Because of this the reader gets to see the same story through the eyes of all of the parties involved and Tammy Cohen paints a complete picture of the case this way, which I found compelling and intriguing at the same time.
Tammy Cohen has written a fantastic thriller. I loved the large number of unexpected twists and turns. First One Missing is a book about an awful topic and I was genuinely shocked by some of the characters. The ending is surprising and very good. First One Missing is a well written emotional thriller. I was repulsed by some of the content and think Tammy Cohen has bravely chosen a controversial subject to write about. First One Missing is a great story for readers with a strong stomach.
July 2, 2015
In North London we meet Poppy Glover’s mother who is wishing she could turn back time, two days before her daughter was safe, the day before she was only missing, there was still hope, but today she has been found dead on Hampstead Heath the scene of the previous three ‘Kenwood Killer’ murders, named after the nearby Kenwood House.
The same morning Emma Reid wakes up with her distant husband Guy, soon after the day has begun she will receive a phone call from the Family Liaison Officer assigned to them, Leanne Miller who will visit with the terrible news that another child has been murdered by the same perpetrator. Two other families, Fiona and Mark Botsford and the mother of the first victim Helen Purvis will receive similar calls. Meanwhile Sally Freeland, journalist for the Chronical is determined to get an exclusive. She’s well placed having persuaded Helen Purvis to let her write articles in the hope that they would find the killer of her daughter Megan and as Helen has set up a support group for the bereaved parents she has no doubt that Poppy’s parents will soon be welcomed into Megan’s Angels.
So Helen sprang into action gearing her family, teenage son Rory and husband Simon up for a meeting of Megan’s Angels along with the other FLOs and first three families, not something she is looking forward to…
Although I have really enjoyed Tammy Cohen’s previous novels I was slightly nervous about this one with the subject matter of First One Missing being about four murdered young (under-tens) girls, I did wonder what the pages were going to hold. I needn’t have worried, this is a great book, and the wry observational truths lighten the dark subject matter without ever venturing into a dismissive attitude to the crimes being described.
The author has written this book from the character’s perspectives, we get an insight into their lives through their own perspective, as well as the police investigation from Leanne’s and a different viewpoint from the despicable Sally’s as she uses her own contacts to try and beat the police to finding the perpetrator. Although there is a mystery, and a very good one at that, this is a character driven book which gives the reader a great variety of sub-plots that cross the age spectrum. As always with Tammy Cohen, these are realistic people, all flawed which makes for an interesting read and helps when trying to keep straight which girl belonged to each family group.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of psychological novels with a strong domestic bent. The plot was superb with plenty of plausible suspects, and even though I worked this one out (by some fluke) I wasn’t certain enough not to get thoroughly caught up in the tension as the novel hurtled around some tight corners, dodging and swerving towards the finishing line.
I received a copy of this book ahead of publication date in return for this honest review.
The same morning Emma Reid wakes up with her distant husband Guy, soon after the day has begun she will receive a phone call from the Family Liaison Officer assigned to them, Leanne Miller who will visit with the terrible news that another child has been murdered by the same perpetrator. Two other families, Fiona and Mark Botsford and the mother of the first victim Helen Purvis will receive similar calls. Meanwhile Sally Freeland, journalist for the Chronical is determined to get an exclusive. She’s well placed having persuaded Helen Purvis to let her write articles in the hope that they would find the killer of her daughter Megan and as Helen has set up a support group for the bereaved parents she has no doubt that Poppy’s parents will soon be welcomed into Megan’s Angels.
So Helen sprang into action gearing her family, teenage son Rory and husband Simon up for a meeting of Megan’s Angels along with the other FLOs and first three families, not something she is looking forward to…
Although I have really enjoyed Tammy Cohen’s previous novels I was slightly nervous about this one with the subject matter of First One Missing being about four murdered young (under-tens) girls, I did wonder what the pages were going to hold. I needn’t have worried, this is a great book, and the wry observational truths lighten the dark subject matter without ever venturing into a dismissive attitude to the crimes being described.
The author has written this book from the character’s perspectives, we get an insight into their lives through their own perspective, as well as the police investigation from Leanne’s and a different viewpoint from the despicable Sally’s as she uses her own contacts to try and beat the police to finding the perpetrator. Although there is a mystery, and a very good one at that, this is a character driven book which gives the reader a great variety of sub-plots that cross the age spectrum. As always with Tammy Cohen, these are realistic people, all flawed which makes for an interesting read and helps when trying to keep straight which girl belonged to each family group.
I highly recommend this book for lovers of psychological novels with a strong domestic bent. The plot was superb with plenty of plausible suspects, and even though I worked this one out (by some fluke) I wasn’t certain enough not to get thoroughly caught up in the tension as the novel hurtled around some tight corners, dodging and swerving towards the finishing line.
I received a copy of this book ahead of publication date in return for this honest review.
January 5, 2017
I really should stop reading books about murdered children. It really starts getting me down. Especially when all this grieve is so intensely described like in this book. I am a mother myself and although my girls are grown up now I still have this fear inside me that something could happen to them. I don’t think I like to read about this stuff anymore. At least for a while.
This book is very intense which the description of the grieving parents. This really got me and it made me feel quite uncomfortable. But it also shows the quality of the writing. But unfortunately it did not get me as a thriller. The pace is quite slow. A long time there is no clue who is responsible for the killings. We met the parents. They all have their problems with dealing with this unimaginable loss. All characters are very individual and have their flaws which make them very realistic. As I said the writing is very good, very intense. The story moved me in all the right ways but I did not like reading it. And as a thriller it was not gripping enough. I really enjoyed “When she was bad” and I will look out for Cohen’s next book. But somehow this book with its mixture of a deeply emotionally ride and a thriller did not fit together for me. I would give 5 stars for the characters and the way the author describes the personal things. But the slow pace and the unconvincing thriller elements lowers it down to only 3 stars.
This book is very intense which the description of the grieving parents. This really got me and it made me feel quite uncomfortable. But it also shows the quality of the writing. But unfortunately it did not get me as a thriller. The pace is quite slow. A long time there is no clue who is responsible for the killings. We met the parents. They all have their problems with dealing with this unimaginable loss. All characters are very individual and have their flaws which make them very realistic. As I said the writing is very good, very intense. The story moved me in all the right ways but I did not like reading it. And as a thriller it was not gripping enough. I really enjoyed “When she was bad” and I will look out for Cohen’s next book. But somehow this book with its mixture of a deeply emotionally ride and a thriller did not fit together for me. I would give 5 stars for the characters and the way the author describes the personal things. But the slow pace and the unconvincing thriller elements lowers it down to only 3 stars.
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