The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson

Thirteen years ago Olivia Adams went missing. Now she’s back… or is she?

When six-year-old Olivia Adams disappeared from her back garden, the small community of Stoneridge was thrown into turmoil. How could a child vanish in the middle of a cosy English village?

Thirteen years on and Olivia is back. Her mother is convinced it’s her but not everyone is sure. If this is the missing girl, then where has she been – and what happened to her on that sunny afternoon?

If she’s an imposter, then who would be bold enough to try to fool a child’s own mother – and why?

Then there are those who would rather Olivia stayed missing. The past is the past and some secrets must remain buried.

Review

This is my third book by Kerry Wilkinson. Like his previous books, this was a character-driven story. At the heart of the story is Olivia, a nineteen year old girl who went missing at the age of six. Olivia is recently back in town and reunited with her family but there are a lot of questions. Where has she been? Who took her? Is she really who she claims to be? Does someone in the small town know more than they were letting on? There were so many questions.

As it so happens in small towns, this book has an array of diverse characters. There is Olivia’s mum and dad who understandably are still dealing with the devastation of losing their child. We get to know how their lives changed after the disappearance. There were some dark personalities with sinister motives who I immediately disliked. I won’t say much about the other characters apart from that they added to the tension and intrigue of the story. And of course, there were many secrets. At some point, it felt like everyone had something to hide and they were determined to ensure that the secrets remained buried. This made me suspicious of everyone including the MCs.

I felt like the pace of this story was slow especially in the first chapters. It could be because of the fact that the story was more focused on the characters. However, the author still managed to maintain the suspense and hence make it an enjoyable read. The secrets had me guessing and I couldn’t wait to get answers. In addition, there were a few chapters that provided a second story-line. I couldn’t wait for the two plot-lines to intersperse so that answers could be provided. And I was pleasantly surprised in the end because I couldn’t   guess the final twists. The Girl who came back by Kerry Wilkinson is perfect for fans of this genre. It will keep you guessing and searching for answers. I think fans of character-driven thrillers will enjoy this even more.