Cemetery Girl

by Professor David Bell

A missing child is every parent's nightmare. What comes next is even worse in this riveting thriller from the bestselling author of Bring Her Home and Layover.

Tom and Abby Stuart had everything: a perfect marriage, successful careers, and a beautiful twelve-year-old daughter, Caitlin. Then one day she vanished without a trace. For a while they grasped at every false hope and followed every empty lead, but the tragedy ended up changing their lives, overwhelming them with guilt and dread, and shattering their marriage.

Four years later, Caitlin is found alive—dirty and disheveled, yet preternaturally calm. She won’t discuss where she was or what happened. And when the police arrest a suspect connected to the disappearance, Caitlin refuses to testify, leaving the Stuarts with a choice: Let the man who may be responsible for destroying their lives walk away, or take matters into their own hands.  And when Tom decides to try to uncover the truth for himself, he finds that nothing that has happened yet can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

• ISBN10: 0451234677
• ISBN13: 9780451234674
• Publish Date: 4 October 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451234674

Reviews

[Eve1972]

This is the second book I have read by this author in the past week, and both have been fantastic. Abby and Tom's daughter Caitlin goes missing while walking their dog Frosty. Four years later she reappears and we get to see how a family deals with their child's disappearance and subsequent reappearance.

There are some twists and turns, but I wouldn't say it was overly "mysterious" Overall though I really enjoy this one. This author has such effortless writing style which makes his books very readable, and pulls you into the story from page one.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Cemetery Girl was an addictive novel, that kept me up till 3 in the morning to reach the conclusion. Bell weaves a believable tale of a parent’s worst nightmare. He delivers it with an authentic voice in Tom Stuart.

Protagonist Tom Stuart, father of Caitlin and husband of Abby tells this riveting story from his perspective. The story is broken into three parts. The first part deals with events leading up to Caitlin’s disappearance. The second takes us through the aftermath and how it impacts them. In the third part of the book Caitlin returns, thin, dirty and silent. She is changed; gone is their beautiful vibrant daughter. This isn’t how they imagined her return, and Tom is still seeking answers.

This story while fictional could be ripped from the headlines of any news paper. It gives us an in-depth look at the chilling horror of having your child abducted. Tom and Abby are flawed, both as humans and parents. I would be naïve to believe I was a perfect parent. I think we all question ourselves. Bell’s characters show us their raw emotions. They give voice to unspeakable thoughts making this all the more surreal. While this isn’t a Stephen King novel, the tale is so real, so horrible that you will find yourselves checking on your kids in the middle of night.
Cemetery Girl will leave its mark on the reader. The next headline of a child’s abduction will draw you back in and make you think about the unthinkable. I will unquestionably be reading more of David J Bell’s work. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer