JDCMustReadBooks

By:  Lucy A Hill

ISBN: 9781310866197

Publisher:  Aspendawn Books 

Publication Date:  8/9/14 

Format:  Other

My Rating:  3 Stars  

A special thank you to Aspendawn Books and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

KIDNAPPED FOR AN HOUR by Lucy A. Hill, is a riveting tale of every parent’s nightmare, for the safety of one’s child and secrets which come back to haunt.

An overprotective mother, Melanie married to pediatrician, Jeffrey, lets her guard down at the park for one moment while speaking with a man, and loses her toddler son. Soon after, her husband, and her home, basically her entire life.

Melanie blames herself for her son’s unsolved kidnapping. Unstable in her thinking, guilt ridden, she begins judging every parent, unless they are glued to their child, and justifies in her mind it is a lesson to be taught, by her secret of “borrowing” their child for an hour to scare the parents, (in a God-like act). She returns them safely in an hour unharmed. While in her care, she does not hurt them; however, always dressed in disguise, the police begin looking for this woman.

Her ex-husband Jeffrey has remarried and had twins and all Melanie can think about is only that stranger in park had not swiped away her boy and deleted her future.

Years later she meets Scott, a prosecutor and falls in love, and begins a new life, after realizing her guilt and unhealthy obsession. However, her secrets and past are unraveling, as the truth comes out. As this is happening another shocker surfaces –the truth behind her son’s disappearance, long ago. The cold case of Nicholas Hudson is re-opened, as he was never found, so appears he may still be alive.

A horrifying account of one woman’s perfect life, and sins of her past and others, explode for a complicated, complex, and haunting tale of two people capable of the same act.

The novel reminds me a little of Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson, (a psychological debut thriller),  I recently read, but very different in their own way. I think Hudson had a good set up for an intriguing suspense thriller; however, would have liked to have more depth and emotion, for a more gripping psychological thriller type.

Not sure I can put my finger on where the novel is lacking, except it lacks the maturity of a suspense thriller and proper execution. The ending felt a little rushed, as this part could have used more time. In addition, feel if the novel had been told from different POVs, it would have given the reader a little more emotion from each person’s perspective (like the book I have mentioned above), for example, i.e., Scott, Melanie, Jeffrey, Eric, and Nicholas for a more gripping and powerful novel.