Review: A Child Lost

Synopsis:

A spiritualist, an insane asylum, a lost little girl . . .

When Clive, anxious to distract a depressed Henrietta, begs Sergeant Frank Davis for a case, he is assigned to investigating a seemingly boring affair: a spiritualist woman operating in an abandoned schoolhouse on the edge of town who is suspected of robbing people of their valuables. What begins as an open and shut case becomes more complicated, however, when Henrietta―much to Clive’s dismay―begins to believe the spiritualist’s strange ramblings.

Meanwhile, Elsie begs Clive and Henrietta to help her and the object of her budding love, Gunther, locate the whereabouts of one Liesel Klinkhammer, the German woman Gunther has traveled to America to find and the mother of the little girl, Anna, whom he has brought along with him. The search leads them to Dunning Asylum, where they discover some terrible truths about Liesel. When the child, Anna, is herself mistakenly admitted to the asylum after an epileptic fit, Clive and Henrietta return to Dunning to retrieve her. This time, however, Henrietta begins to suspect that something darker may be happening. When Clive doesn’t believe her, she decides to take matters into her own hands . . . with horrifying results.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

A Child Lost by Michelle Cox is an intriguing and mysterious read. This novel kept me wondering what would happen with the characters and how it will all end. This is the first book I have read in this series. I can definitely vouch that a reader can follow along without having read the previous books. The pacing was not fast-paced but neither was it slow. There was a lot happening this novel. Tensions with a young girl being left behind by her mother. A mother who left to chase after a man in another country. A man who helped his mom raise the young girl is determined to find her mother. The man was protective of the little girl and the spoke volumes for his character. Then, there’s his lady that he likes that is also interested in helping him and the girl. The story was dramatic and heartbreaking. I felt the characters’ pain and emotions easily. It was hard not to get attached to them. Overall, this book was a great read.