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Have You Seen My Son
When her estranged husband disappears with their five-year-old son, Lael Pritcher embarks on a lonely, obsessed search that takes her through the northwestern United States, into Canada, and--finally--to Mexico
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 1, 2016
Audiobook review: 3 STARS (Becket Royce 5 STARS)
I was somehow disappointed in this book, and I've read several books by Jack Olsen, and this book lacked depth. There were tons of boring passages I didn't care about and I'd loved to have gotten the story from more POVs. It's like Ace and his father drowned in Lael's story and I felt I missed a lot.
Becket Royce narrated this book to exellency as she always does, I'm just sorry that the story lacked so much and I felt I could hear that Becket got tired as well at some points. It's probably just me!
*This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.
I was somehow disappointed in this book, and I've read several books by Jack Olsen, and this book lacked depth. There were tons of boring passages I didn't care about and I'd loved to have gotten the story from more POVs. It's like Ace and his father drowned in Lael's story and I felt I missed a lot.
Becket Royce narrated this book to exellency as she always does, I'm just sorry that the story lacked so much and I felt I could hear that Becket got tired as well at some points. It's probably just me!
*This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2018
5 on story, 1on quality, 3 overall
So... 2 parts to this - first, the book review, then the quality.
Just in case you don't make it thru my whole review... It takes place in PUGET SOUND...NOT PU GET SOUND. It's separated into two parts for most of the first part of the book.
BOOK/STORY:
The story was fantastic. I did find myself crying a few times. And in the beginning, I actually could envision this as a true crime story (that's my favorite genre). But then it kind of veered off from there.
I'm sure many readers can relate to the subject of a contentious divorce with children and custody as the main issue, and this book deals with one of a parents worst nightmares: parental kidnapping and alienation.
The fear that an ex wife or husband could just decide not to bring the child back after a visit, and disappear to who knows where. The police call it a "Domestic situation" and refuse to get involved because the temporary separation agreement between you, drawn up by your lawyers, wasn't signed by the judge. You both agreed to it, you both signed it, your attorneys both signed it, and your divorce was to be finalized already, making this order final - except your attorney "forgot" the court date so it had to be rescheduled, giving your ex more time to plan this.
How could this happen? You NEVER denied him time with his son. He never asked for it until recently though! And now, they're both gone and your son needs his medicine. He needs his nebulizer and his allergy schedule. Neither of those went with him.
The only times you've heard from your ex, or have heard about your son, have scared you to death. They've always been health related, and you've pictured your precious child gasping for breath, unable to breathe, choking for air and unable to get any. And the places you HAVE tracked them to have not been good for a child with his degree of asthma. They've been dusty, like the desert, or moldy, or in the woods where the trees on his schedule are in abundance. Doesn't his father know this? Yes, but your mother-in-law always said you coddled the boy...and your ex was a mommas boy, so he's going to listen to her, not you.
The story is VERY COMPELLING and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Now...for the second part of my review...
QUALITY:
Let me explain something first:
When a book is published ONLY in print (mainly older books) and the copyright expires, then whoever holds the rights to it after wants it RE-printed in digital format, it's done via a high quality scanner. But, machines aren't perfect, right? So, a human is still needed to look over the final product to be sure the machine didn't make a mistake.
Typical mistakes made by these scanners can be anything from grabbing 2 or more pages at a time, so the book is missing entire pages, to certain letters not translating over correctly (the most common word I look for is 'comers' which is usually supposed to be 'corners' - because the r n, when put next to each other and scanned, looks like an m), and many times the paragraph breaks are incorrect.
The scanner also picks up small imperfections on the page, which causes letters to not be what they really are.
And...EVERY SINGLE error that happens with a scan-to-ebook happens in this book, making the quality, well...CRAP!!!
It's obvious that the publisher didn't have editors that read the scanned pages before publishing the books. They went directly from scan to publish, the cheap and lazy route. It cost them ZERO to do this as they paid no editors. Everything is profit to them. They took all of the hard work of the editors that was done for the original version, and blew it, making ZERO editors look bad.
I'm an editor for a publishing house, and I take pride in my books having no errors. I'm sure the original editor(s) of this book did also, and to see it now, the editor(s) would be very disappointed.
HERE are some of the errors I found in the book which told me this is a scan-to-digital book without an editor reading it over (this is BY FAR NOT an exhaustive list):
- Buenas dfas (dias)
- Comers instead of corners (1st search/replace I do)
- Pis toleros (pistoleros)
- Incorrect paragraph breaks (ie, no paragraph break between speakers)
- Jwo reed chairs (Should be Two reed chairs...the T scanned as a J)
- Ex of odd characters in odd places: (In Oregon, living on hope and coffee, she had had her :fill of playing the passive mother waiting for the big heroic men to:find her child)
THIS IS ALL ONE ERROR:
ma-
jestic ally (it's all one word: majestically, but notice the breaks?)
I think that's enough to show the types of errors that the scan-to-digital books have when the publisher just scans and doesn't double check it before publishing it. This is a BIG NO-NO in professional publishing! They just wasted all of the money they paid to the editors of the original version, embarrassed, embarrassed the author, and set both of them up for bad reviews and lower sales. Because I'd recommend you NOT PAY for this book.
So... 2 parts to this - first, the book review, then the quality.
Just in case you don't make it thru my whole review... It takes place in PUGET SOUND...NOT PU GET SOUND. It's separated into two parts for most of the first part of the book.
BOOK/STORY:
The story was fantastic. I did find myself crying a few times. And in the beginning, I actually could envision this as a true crime story (that's my favorite genre). But then it kind of veered off from there.
I'm sure many readers can relate to the subject of a contentious divorce with children and custody as the main issue, and this book deals with one of a parents worst nightmares: parental kidnapping and alienation.
The fear that an ex wife or husband could just decide not to bring the child back after a visit, and disappear to who knows where. The police call it a "Domestic situation" and refuse to get involved because the temporary separation agreement between you, drawn up by your lawyers, wasn't signed by the judge. You both agreed to it, you both signed it, your attorneys both signed it, and your divorce was to be finalized already, making this order final - except your attorney "forgot" the court date so it had to be rescheduled, giving your ex more time to plan this.
How could this happen? You NEVER denied him time with his son. He never asked for it until recently though! And now, they're both gone and your son needs his medicine. He needs his nebulizer and his allergy schedule. Neither of those went with him.
The only times you've heard from your ex, or have heard about your son, have scared you to death. They've always been health related, and you've pictured your precious child gasping for breath, unable to breathe, choking for air and unable to get any. And the places you HAVE tracked them to have not been good for a child with his degree of asthma. They've been dusty, like the desert, or moldy, or in the woods where the trees on his schedule are in abundance. Doesn't his father know this? Yes, but your mother-in-law always said you coddled the boy...and your ex was a mommas boy, so he's going to listen to her, not you.
The story is VERY COMPELLING and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Now...for the second part of my review...
QUALITY:
Let me explain something first:
When a book is published ONLY in print (mainly older books) and the copyright expires, then whoever holds the rights to it after wants it RE-printed in digital format, it's done via a high quality scanner. But, machines aren't perfect, right? So, a human is still needed to look over the final product to be sure the machine didn't make a mistake.
Typical mistakes made by these scanners can be anything from grabbing 2 or more pages at a time, so the book is missing entire pages, to certain letters not translating over correctly (the most common word I look for is 'comers' which is usually supposed to be 'corners' - because the r n, when put next to each other and scanned, looks like an m), and many times the paragraph breaks are incorrect.
The scanner also picks up small imperfections on the page, which causes letters to not be what they really are.
And...EVERY SINGLE error that happens with a scan-to-ebook happens in this book, making the quality, well...CRAP!!!
It's obvious that the publisher didn't have editors that read the scanned pages before publishing the books. They went directly from scan to publish, the cheap and lazy route. It cost them ZERO to do this as they paid no editors. Everything is profit to them. They took all of the hard work of the editors that was done for the original version, and blew it, making ZERO editors look bad.
I'm an editor for a publishing house, and I take pride in my books having no errors. I'm sure the original editor(s) of this book did also, and to see it now, the editor(s) would be very disappointed.
HERE are some of the errors I found in the book which told me this is a scan-to-digital book without an editor reading it over (this is BY FAR NOT an exhaustive list):
- Buenas dfas (dias)
- Comers instead of corners (1st search/replace I do)
- Pis toleros (pistoleros)
- Incorrect paragraph breaks (ie, no paragraph break between speakers)
- Jwo reed chairs (Should be Two reed chairs...the T scanned as a J)
- Ex of odd characters in odd places: (In Oregon, living on hope and coffee, she had had her :fill of playing the passive mother waiting for the big heroic men to:find her child)
THIS IS ALL ONE ERROR:
ma-
jestic ally (it's all one word: majestically, but notice the breaks?)
I think that's enough to show the types of errors that the scan-to-digital books have when the publisher just scans and doesn't double check it before publishing it. This is a BIG NO-NO in professional publishing! They just wasted all of the money they paid to the editors of the original version, embarrassed, embarrassed the author, and set both of them up for bad reviews and lower sales. Because I'd recommend you NOT PAY for this book.
July 29, 2015
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through AudioBookBlast dot com in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Lael and Mike Pritcher are the parents of a five year old boy named Alex, but they call him Ace. Ace is a product of their eight year marriage.
Unfortunately Lael and Mike have been separated for the past four months. Lael has custody, but she encourages Mike to see Ace as much as possible. Despite their differences, Lael does not want to deprive Ace of the experience of having his father in his life.
Mike has always been self-centered. He never took Lael or her business seriously. Despite her success in owning and operating a flourishing organic herb farm, he has always referred to the farm as “her little hobby.” He belittled Lael constantly and even went as far as to call her “frigid” if she didn’t consent to having sex every night of the week. Mike cared only about himself and his aging mother who lives close-by and who is way too involved in her married son’s life. Mike is what you would call a “Mama’s Boy.”
Divorce between Lael and Mike was inevitable and when creating the Separation Agreement and the upcoming divorce, the two were able to come to amicable terms on every issue except one: the custody of their son.
When Mike realized that Lael would more than likely be awarded full custody of Ace in the divorce, he went crazy.
Lael thwarted an attempt by Mike to spirit Ace away and things between them calmed down for a few weeks. Then came every mother’s nightmare: Ace is kidnapped.
Lael was determined to get him back. She is a mother and she loves her child. Anyone who has ever given birth will understand the fierce feelings of protectiveness that mother’s feel for their children. (Yes, I know, fathers feel protective of their children too.) Mike was able to spirit Ace away and planned to never return.
As days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, Lael starts to wonder if maybe Ace is gone forever. But, she refuses to give up hope. She takes it upon herself to find her son and to bring him home where he belongs.
This audiobook is expertly narrated. Beckett Royce has a terrific voice and her pacing is sheer perfection. She is able to infuse her words with just the right amount of emotion and emphasis. She does not ‘over-act’ which is sometimes an issue with audiobook narration. I rate the narration of this audiobook as 5 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As for the content of the audiobook I enjoyed it, but I did find that it felt a bit too drawn out at times. Some of the less dramatic scenes could have been eliminated. However, I believe that the author wrote it that way for a reason. I believe she wanted to convey to the reader that searching for a missing child is not easy and that there are days when the searcher despairs of ever finding her child alive.
This audiobook took multiple twists and turns. Listeners will alternately hope and despair along with Lael as she chases down every lead with relentless determination.
I would have liked to have had an epilogue at the end of the audiobook to neatly wrap up a few of the details, and it might have been interesting to have a few chapters written from Mike’s perspective to allow the listener some insight as to what he was thinking.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Words: the neutron bombs of marriage.”
To see the full review along with author and narrator photos visit:
https://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Lael and Mike Pritcher are the parents of a five year old boy named Alex, but they call him Ace. Ace is a product of their eight year marriage.
Unfortunately Lael and Mike have been separated for the past four months. Lael has custody, but she encourages Mike to see Ace as much as possible. Despite their differences, Lael does not want to deprive Ace of the experience of having his father in his life.
Mike has always been self-centered. He never took Lael or her business seriously. Despite her success in owning and operating a flourishing organic herb farm, he has always referred to the farm as “her little hobby.” He belittled Lael constantly and even went as far as to call her “frigid” if she didn’t consent to having sex every night of the week. Mike cared only about himself and his aging mother who lives close-by and who is way too involved in her married son’s life. Mike is what you would call a “Mama’s Boy.”
Divorce between Lael and Mike was inevitable and when creating the Separation Agreement and the upcoming divorce, the two were able to come to amicable terms on every issue except one: the custody of their son.
When Mike realized that Lael would more than likely be awarded full custody of Ace in the divorce, he went crazy.
Lael thwarted an attempt by Mike to spirit Ace away and things between them calmed down for a few weeks. Then came every mother’s nightmare: Ace is kidnapped.
Lael was determined to get him back. She is a mother and she loves her child. Anyone who has ever given birth will understand the fierce feelings of protectiveness that mother’s feel for their children. (Yes, I know, fathers feel protective of their children too.) Mike was able to spirit Ace away and planned to never return.
As days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, Lael starts to wonder if maybe Ace is gone forever. But, she refuses to give up hope. She takes it upon herself to find her son and to bring him home where he belongs.
This audiobook is expertly narrated. Beckett Royce has a terrific voice and her pacing is sheer perfection. She is able to infuse her words with just the right amount of emotion and emphasis. She does not ‘over-act’ which is sometimes an issue with audiobook narration. I rate the narration of this audiobook as 5 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As for the content of the audiobook I enjoyed it, but I did find that it felt a bit too drawn out at times. Some of the less dramatic scenes could have been eliminated. However, I believe that the author wrote it that way for a reason. I believe she wanted to convey to the reader that searching for a missing child is not easy and that there are days when the searcher despairs of ever finding her child alive.
This audiobook took multiple twists and turns. Listeners will alternately hope and despair along with Lael as she chases down every lead with relentless determination.
I would have liked to have had an epilogue at the end of the audiobook to neatly wrap up a few of the details, and it might have been interesting to have a few chapters written from Mike’s perspective to allow the listener some insight as to what he was thinking.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Words: the neutron bombs of marriage.”
To see the full review along with author and narrator photos visit:
https://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.co...
July 30, 2015
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through AudioBookBlast dot com in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Lael and Mike Pritcher are the parents of a five year old boy named Alex, but they call him Ace. Ace is a product of their eight year marriage.
Unfortunately Lael and Mike have been separated for the past four months. Lael has custody, but she encourages Mike to see Ace as much as possible. Despite their differences, Lael does not want to deprive Ace of the experience of having his father in his life.
Mike has always been self-centered. He never took Lael or her business seriously. Despite her success in owning and operating a flourishing organic herb farm, he has always referred to the farm as “her little hobby.” He belittled Lael constantly and even went as far as to call her “frigid” if she didn’t consent to having sex every night of the week. Mike cared only about himself and his aging mother who lives close-by and who is way too involved in her married son’s life. Mike is what you would call a “Mama’s Boy.”
Divorce between Lael and Mike was inevitable and when creating the Separation Agreement and the upcoming divorce, the two were able to come to amicable terms on every issue except one: the custody of their son.
When Mike realized that Lael would more than likely be awarded full custody of Ace in the divorce, he went crazy.
Lael thwarted an attempt by Mike to spirit Ace away and things between them calmed down for a few weeks. Then came every mother’s nightmare: Ace is kidnapped.
Lael was determined to get him back. She is a mother and she loves her child. Anyone who has ever given birth will understand the fierce feelings of protectiveness that mother’s feel for their children. (Yes, I know, fathers feel protective of their children too.) Mike was able to spirit Ace away and planned to never return.
As days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, Lael starts to wonder if maybe Ace is gone forever. But, she refuses to give up hope. She takes it upon herself to find her son and to bring him home where he belongs.
This audiobook is expertly narrated. Beckett Royce has a terrific voice and her pacing is sheer perfection. She is able to infuse her words with just the right amount of emotion and emphasis. She does not ‘over-act’ which is sometimes an issue with audiobook narration. I rate the narration of this audiobook as 5 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As for the content of the audiobook I enjoyed it, but I did find that it felt a bit too drawn out at times. Some of the less dramatic scenes could have been eliminated. However, I believe that the author wrote it that way for a reason. I believe she wanted to convey to the reader that searching for a missing child is not easy and that there are days when the searcher despairs of ever finding her child alive.
This audiobook took multiple twists and turns. Listeners will alternately hope and despair along with Lael as she chases down every lead with relentless determination.
I would have liked to have had an epilogue at the end of the audiobook to neatly wrap up a few of the details, and it might have been interesting to have a few chapters written from Mike’s perspective to allow the listener some insight as to what he was thinking.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Words: the neutron bombs of marriage.”
To see my full review including pictures and author information, please visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Lael and Mike Pritcher are the parents of a five year old boy named Alex, but they call him Ace. Ace is a product of their eight year marriage.
Unfortunately Lael and Mike have been separated for the past four months. Lael has custody, but she encourages Mike to see Ace as much as possible. Despite their differences, Lael does not want to deprive Ace of the experience of having his father in his life.
Mike has always been self-centered. He never took Lael or her business seriously. Despite her success in owning and operating a flourishing organic herb farm, he has always referred to the farm as “her little hobby.” He belittled Lael constantly and even went as far as to call her “frigid” if she didn’t consent to having sex every night of the week. Mike cared only about himself and his aging mother who lives close-by and who is way too involved in her married son’s life. Mike is what you would call a “Mama’s Boy.”
Divorce between Lael and Mike was inevitable and when creating the Separation Agreement and the upcoming divorce, the two were able to come to amicable terms on every issue except one: the custody of their son.
When Mike realized that Lael would more than likely be awarded full custody of Ace in the divorce, he went crazy.
Lael thwarted an attempt by Mike to spirit Ace away and things between them calmed down for a few weeks. Then came every mother’s nightmare: Ace is kidnapped.
Lael was determined to get him back. She is a mother and she loves her child. Anyone who has ever given birth will understand the fierce feelings of protectiveness that mother’s feel for their children. (Yes, I know, fathers feel protective of their children too.) Mike was able to spirit Ace away and planned to never return.
As days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, Lael starts to wonder if maybe Ace is gone forever. But, she refuses to give up hope. She takes it upon herself to find her son and to bring him home where he belongs.
This audiobook is expertly narrated. Beckett Royce has a terrific voice and her pacing is sheer perfection. She is able to infuse her words with just the right amount of emotion and emphasis. She does not ‘over-act’ which is sometimes an issue with audiobook narration. I rate the narration of this audiobook as 5 out of 5 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As for the content of the audiobook I enjoyed it, but I did find that it felt a bit too drawn out at times. Some of the less dramatic scenes could have been eliminated. However, I believe that the author wrote it that way for a reason. I believe she wanted to convey to the reader that searching for a missing child is not easy and that there are days when the searcher despairs of ever finding her child alive.
This audiobook took multiple twists and turns. Listeners will alternately hope and despair along with Lael as she chases down every lead with relentless determination.
I would have liked to have had an epilogue at the end of the audiobook to neatly wrap up a few of the details, and it might have been interesting to have a few chapters written from Mike’s perspective to allow the listener some insight as to what he was thinking.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Words: the neutron bombs of marriage.”
To see my full review including pictures and author information, please visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
May 2, 2015
I liked “Have You Seen My Son” to a certain point. It was a good story told in first person but I felt it was drawn out with too much inconsequential information. Lael’s son Ace has been kidnapped by his father and it seems the story was more about Lael and less about Ace. For the length of the story, it would have been much better had there been alternating chapters with Ace and his father as well as Lael and her lawyer, adding more depth to the overall finished book.
Adding another point of view would have made this journey much more intriguing and less monotonous for me. The story started out good and while it’s morally wrong, it’s sadly not always illegal to snatch your own child when there’s no custody order in place. It should be. When a parent has temporary custody, said parent should be protected from this. And sadly, in many cases, the victim parent’s only recourse is to snatch the child back which in itself is illegal if the parent is caught trying to do so. Family law is tricky in this department and unfortunately it is usually considered a domestic dispute.
Overall, this was an interesting story but about halfway through it felt flat and one-sided for me. I wanted to hear more suspense and perhaps Mike’s point of view as well as Ace. I would still recommend this audiobook. It’s definitely not bad. Just a little lengthy with a single point of view.
Becket Royce did a terrific job narrating this book. She kept the story moving forward with great voice inflections. She’s the reason I kept listening. I like her style and she’s proven to be a very skilled voice actor. I would hope to hear more from both her and Jack Olsen in the future.
Audiobook gifted in exchange for review.
© 2014 crystalzen © Teresa W.
Adding another point of view would have made this journey much more intriguing and less monotonous for me. The story started out good and while it’s morally wrong, it’s sadly not always illegal to snatch your own child when there’s no custody order in place. It should be. When a parent has temporary custody, said parent should be protected from this. And sadly, in many cases, the victim parent’s only recourse is to snatch the child back which in itself is illegal if the parent is caught trying to do so. Family law is tricky in this department and unfortunately it is usually considered a domestic dispute.
Overall, this was an interesting story but about halfway through it felt flat and one-sided for me. I wanted to hear more suspense and perhaps Mike’s point of view as well as Ace. I would still recommend this audiobook. It’s definitely not bad. Just a little lengthy with a single point of view.
Becket Royce did a terrific job narrating this book. She kept the story moving forward with great voice inflections. She’s the reason I kept listening. I like her style and she’s proven to be a very skilled voice actor. I would hope to hear more from both her and Jack Olsen in the future.
Audiobook gifted in exchange for review.
© 2014 crystalzen © Teresa W.
July 16, 2016
“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”
This audiobook by Jack Olsen, was originally published in the 1980's. After I found this out, the lack of technology in the storyline made much more sense. A soon to divorce couple have settled everything peacefully with the exception of custody of their 5 year old son Alexander aka Ace. Lael has given Mike unlimited access to Ace, but as court hearing closes in Mike picks up Ace for an over night visit and absconds with him. Lael tracks him and gets the boy back. She lets down her guard and Ace is snatched again.
The story follows Lael over the next year as she chases leads in and out of the country. A bit of a romance may or may not develop between Lael and her lawyer. We see the lengths a mother goes to find her child. There are many supporting characters you must figure out if they are good or bad.Oh! Did I forget to mention Alex has severe asthma, that his dad doesn't believe needs treatments, but actually does.
The ending seemed to come to a screeching halt. At first I thought sequel, but 30 + years have passed so I guess the reader must create their own.
The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Becket Royce provided a wide range of voices and dialects to satisfy the listener.
This audiobook by Jack Olsen, was originally published in the 1980's. After I found this out, the lack of technology in the storyline made much more sense. A soon to divorce couple have settled everything peacefully with the exception of custody of their 5 year old son Alexander aka Ace. Lael has given Mike unlimited access to Ace, but as court hearing closes in Mike picks up Ace for an over night visit and absconds with him. Lael tracks him and gets the boy back. She lets down her guard and Ace is snatched again.
The story follows Lael over the next year as she chases leads in and out of the country. A bit of a romance may or may not develop between Lael and her lawyer. We see the lengths a mother goes to find her child. There are many supporting characters you must figure out if they are good or bad.Oh! Did I forget to mention Alex has severe asthma, that his dad doesn't believe needs treatments, but actually does.
The ending seemed to come to a screeching halt. At first I thought sequel, but 30 + years have passed so I guess the reader must create their own.
The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Becket Royce provided a wide range of voices and dialects to satisfy the listener.
April 7, 2015
I read this book in audio format via audible.com. I always go for the audio books first because the narrators have a way of breathing life into the stories! Audio books also allow us to read and still get things done such as work, chores, walking and driving. they make a great companion for those long road trips!
This book is a suspense thriller about a marriage gone dead and a custody battle of a five year old boy. Dad child-snatches his son and takes off for parts unknown. Mom is hell bent on finding her son and getting him back. Over the course of a years time, mom searches the US and Mexico looking for her boy. Read along with the book to see how events unfold and what lengths each parent will go to and how the law reacts.
The author, Jack Olsen did an awesome job writing this book. The plot is excellent. I was on the edge of my seat hoping for a good ending. There is one spot in the book that had me gripping the arms of my chair! that would be on the river, at the falls. The narrator did an excellent job delivering this story to us. With multiple voices and accents, along with raw emotions! What a story!!! Good job to you both! A definite 5 star read!
This book is a suspense thriller about a marriage gone dead and a custody battle of a five year old boy. Dad child-snatches his son and takes off for parts unknown. Mom is hell bent on finding her son and getting him back. Over the course of a years time, mom searches the US and Mexico looking for her boy. Read along with the book to see how events unfold and what lengths each parent will go to and how the law reacts.
The author, Jack Olsen did an awesome job writing this book. The plot is excellent. I was on the edge of my seat hoping for a good ending. There is one spot in the book that had me gripping the arms of my chair! that would be on the river, at the falls. The narrator did an excellent job delivering this story to us. With multiple voices and accents, along with raw emotions! What a story!!! Good job to you both! A definite 5 star read!
April 17, 2016
What can I say? I just really REALLY liked this book. I love the story of the desperate mother who will do anything to get her missing son back.
I found myself feeling for her every time she got close to cornering her ex-husband and her kidnapped son wanting it to be the end of her story with her getting her son back and her fugitive ex-husband going to jail. I can only imagine the anguish that a desperate mother must go through in something like this.
I loved the narrator as well. She did a fantastic job of relaying all of the emotions that this woman felt as she chased her son across the country and down into Mexico. There were really only two male voices; the ex-husband and the lawyer who was trying to help her, and Beckett Royce gave each of them a distinct, male sounding voice.
I love this book. I just wish I had listened to it earlier.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I found myself feeling for her every time she got close to cornering her ex-husband and her kidnapped son wanting it to be the end of her story with her getting her son back and her fugitive ex-husband going to jail. I can only imagine the anguish that a desperate mother must go through in something like this.
I loved the narrator as well. She did a fantastic job of relaying all of the emotions that this woman felt as she chased her son across the country and down into Mexico. There were really only two male voices; the ex-husband and the lawyer who was trying to help her, and Beckett Royce gave each of them a distinct, male sounding voice.
I love this book. I just wish I had listened to it earlier.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2015
Free audible copy for review **
Considering this book was published in 1982, it should be seen as an example of the reasons we have new laws to protect children, even (especially) in the middle of custody battles.
Lael is very passive for a woman whose husband stole her asthmatic son in the middle of their divorce and custody proceedings. Of course, she does everything she can to get him back, which, at the time was very limited.
Because of that, the story seemed to lag a few times, her character making the story passive. However, you just can’t help pushing on as she does just to find out if she does get her son back. Having said that, you must understand that even though I found this a very passive story (not the heart-stopping thriller I thought it would be) there were a few times I gasped aloud. For an author to be able to do that makes it worth the listen.
Considering this book was published in 1982, it should be seen as an example of the reasons we have new laws to protect children, even (especially) in the middle of custody battles.
Lael is very passive for a woman whose husband stole her asthmatic son in the middle of their divorce and custody proceedings. Of course, she does everything she can to get him back, which, at the time was very limited.
Because of that, the story seemed to lag a few times, her character making the story passive. However, you just can’t help pushing on as she does just to find out if she does get her son back. Having said that, you must understand that even though I found this a very passive story (not the heart-stopping thriller I thought it would be) there were a few times I gasped aloud. For an author to be able to do that makes it worth the listen.
January 22, 2016
I found myself frequently feeling frustrated with Lael while listening to this audiobook. Her actions and behavior often didn't make sense and didn't seem
very believable or realistic. The story did grab my attention, however, and hold it right up to the rather abrupt and unsatisfying ending. I did appreciate
the northwest setting of this story.
If it weren't for Becket Royce's excellent performance, I'd probably give this book a pass as just an average romantic suspense. Becket voices the characters
well and handles the accents and foreign language without a stumble.
If you can tolerate silly behavior in the characters and enjoy romantic suspense with emphasis on the suspense, you'll probably like this story.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
very believable or realistic. The story did grab my attention, however, and hold it right up to the rather abrupt and unsatisfying ending. I did appreciate
the northwest setting of this story.
If it weren't for Becket Royce's excellent performance, I'd probably give this book a pass as just an average romantic suspense. Becket voices the characters
well and handles the accents and foreign language without a stumble.
If you can tolerate silly behavior in the characters and enjoy romantic suspense with emphasis on the suspense, you'll probably like this story.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
August 9, 2016
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.com
One thing I enjoyed about this book was how the main character's emotion was portrayed. It painted what I assume to be a realistic picture of what it must be like to lose a child.
I struggled with the fact that there were a number of loose ends by the end of the book. There were a number of things that happened during the book that were never resolved or ever addressed again after they happened. It seemed like it was written to be the first book in a series, but I don't believe it is.
The narrator fit the main character well. She did a nice job voicing the emotion of the character dying dialogue.
One thing I enjoyed about this book was how the main character's emotion was portrayed. It painted what I assume to be a realistic picture of what it must be like to lose a child.
I struggled with the fact that there were a number of loose ends by the end of the book. There were a number of things that happened during the book that were never resolved or ever addressed again after they happened. It seemed like it was written to be the first book in a series, but I don't believe it is.
The narrator fit the main character well. She did a nice job voicing the emotion of the character dying dialogue.
April 25, 2015
I was so lucky to recieve this audiobook in return for an unbiased review.
This is the best book I have listened to this year!!
The story is every mothers/family's nightmare , the father decides to abduct their son, even though he already has unlimited access. the fact that the father doesn't take the son's astma seriously starts making the situation even more dangerous.
Right from the start this story grabs you and the suspence doesn't let go until the very last sentence. You really feel Lael's struggle and frustrations throughout.
really great narration by Becket Royce.
I can't reccomend this book enough, 5 well deserved stars from me.
This is the best book I have listened to this year!!
The story is every mothers/family's nightmare , the father decides to abduct their son, even though he already has unlimited access. the fact that the father doesn't take the son's astma seriously starts making the situation even more dangerous.
Right from the start this story grabs you and the suspence doesn't let go until the very last sentence. You really feel Lael's struggle and frustrations throughout.
really great narration by Becket Royce.
I can't reccomend this book enough, 5 well deserved stars from me.
May 1, 2015
This novel takes you through the desperate flight of a mother trying to find her son stolen by her son's father. It keeps you on the edge of your seat at each close encounter and builds on a wonderful character arch that keeps you listening for more.
The narrator. Becket Royce, was wonderful to listen to. Her narration was perfectly spaced and has rich tones that are well suited to the ears. She truly brought each character to life adding in superb character inflection exactly when needed.
This book was given in exchange for an honest review.
The narrator. Becket Royce, was wonderful to listen to. Her narration was perfectly spaced and has rich tones that are well suited to the ears. She truly brought each character to life adding in superb character inflection exactly when needed.
This book was given in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2016
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
I've read several of Jack Olson's books and I've never been disappointed. However, this one I kind of struggled with, a tad. I struggled to get through the beginning, but once I got pass the first few chapters it got better and I was hooked. Good read! narrator did a good job at keeping the listener attentive, I appreciated that.
Jack Olson, never disappoints.
I've read several of Jack Olson's books and I've never been disappointed. However, this one I kind of struggled with, a tad. I struggled to get through the beginning, but once I got pass the first few chapters it got better and I was hooked. Good read! narrator did a good job at keeping the listener attentive, I appreciated that.
Jack Olson, never disappoints.
June 22, 2015
Five year old Alexander,Ace to his mom, leaves with his dad for an overnight stay.The next morning comes and dad and Ace are long gone.This starts the long,drawn out story of one moms search for her missing son.While the story was good,it could have been more enjoyable shortened by an hour or two.
Becket Royce did a wonderful job narrating this book.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com."
Becket Royce did a wonderful job narrating this book.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com."
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