99 Red Balloons: A chillingly clever psychological thriller with a stomach-flipping twist

I almost stopped reading because the early chapters were so disconnected and hard to follow. I found myself going back and reading again to make sense of what was happening. Before I decided to go on to another book, I became absorbed, even though I still found it enigmatic. I had decided it was good, but I would likely give it four stars for that. The closer I came to the end, the more I felt inside. There was something desperately sad, and it touched my core, because I lost a child, I believe. But whatever it was, I read with a hope and concern for the characters that I don’t often feel in the novels I read. When I reached the last page, tears were spilling on my blouse. I wanted the story to go on. Stay with it, and you will find it worth your time.

Two little girls have gone missing but they were taken 28 years apart.Zoe was taken from a sweet shop in the 1980s and 28 years later Grace has been taken…from a sweet shop. Zoe’s grandmother, who has spent the last 28 years in misery wondering what happened to Zoe is shaken by the resemblance of the crimes. And then she is shaken by a picture she sees in the newspaper.Grace’s parents, Emma and Matt are holding on to every bit of hope they have, but the cracks in their relationship begin to widen the longer they wait for news. Emma’s sister, Stephanie is convinced that the mother who gave Emma up when she was ten is the person who took Grace. When Stephanie finally gets the courage to talk to her own mother about it, the answer she gets isn’t anything close to what she expected.With twists and turns that you don’t see coming, 99 Red Balloons by Libby Carpenter is a true thrill ride. About 2/3 of the way through this book, there was a twist that completely changed everything I believed about the story. It literally made me gasp at the shock of it! It is an easy read, but it will also seriously tear at your heartstrings.I highly recommend this book!See my other reviews on my blog, Propensity to Discuss

This novel is a "hot mess." First, why are some chapters titled and some are not? Half of the time, while reading, I didn't know which character was speaking unless the chapter was titled by that character's name. Second, the characters are so weak and so flawed, you reach a point that you just don't care about them anymore. I kept thinking, they all get what they deserve. Lastly, the plot was interesting at first until I quickly figured out the "who done it" part. I then hurried through the book, even skipping some dialogue so I could get to the end because I did want confirmation that my guess as to who the perpetrator is was correct. I was! Sadly, it's a tale of crimes against children and flawed adults. It's an okay read if you are stuck at home due to COVID19 and are looking for something to read.

Eight year old Grace is abducted from a sweet shop right down the street from where she lives. Her family is in a tizzy and can't understand the reason why. Her aunt Stephanie with her cousin Jamie are staying with the family to help them through. Maggie who lives several hours away feels their pain since her granddaughter Zoe disappeared 30 years ago.A story about a child abduction you would think. Yes, but it is a whole lot more. What does a family go through when a child is taken off the street. What lies and secrets are hidden. I found this book a little confusing in the beginning since it goes back and forth between Zoe's disappearance and Grace's. For the 1st half of the book I wasn't really sure which kidnapping was being talked about but after a while the story started to come together. The twist at the the end will surprise some. It was a toss up between 3 or 4 stars and since the book kept my interest I gave it 4.

This book started out with so much potential, but it lost my interest midway through. The way the chapters jumped from one character to the next was annoying and it took too long to get to the gist of what was happening. I actually figured out who the culprit was midway through the book. (Spolier) The ending was disappointing to me because I wanted to actually read about the reunion of the woman with her grandma and dad. Others may have a different opinion than me, so I would still recommend this read.

Wow... where to begin? I normally shy away from books that involve bad things happening to kids, but this book had so many good reviews that I decided to chance it. I’m so glad I did! This book was amazing! I could not put it down. I was so sucked in and did not see the twist coming at all. Seriously, this is the best book that I’ve read in a while. The five star reviews are all well deserved.

Are you looking for a book that will keep you guessing? One that is full of unexpected twists? This may be exactly the book you are looking for. This book had me engrossed from the very beginning. There were so many twists and unexpected events happening in this book. It definitely kept me guessing. It is well written, with characters you will love.That being said, I will say this is one I wish I could have sat down and read in just one sitting. Once I had to put it down and come back to it the next day, I didn't feel like I was as engaged with it as I was the first time I picked it up.

I enjoyed this book. It was written in several points-of-view, which could be confusing at times trying to keep everyone straight. It was also set in Europe so the author used words familiar in Europe, but not familiar in America. It was fun to try to figure out what they meant by using the context. The story was intriguing and disheartening at the same time. Reading about an abducted little girl was hard at times to see the anguish the family went through and what she was going through. The author keeps the reader in suspense with the twists and turns in the story, and the shifting of characters. It made for an interesting read. The story did not end how I anticipated which leaves me wanting to know more. I sense a sequel to this book.

This is a cracking debut novel; Elisabeth Carpenter has really hit the spot with a twisted psychological thriller that explores family ties and lies. The characters are strong and believable characters, the plotting is complex and skilful with pace and tension and she creates a real sense of creeping fear as the story unfolds.It's the nightmare scenario of a missing child, she's vanished into thin air. As the disappearance is investigated, the family cracks start to show and it's clear that there are secrets and lies. But what's really going on? The narrative moves between viewpoints and the story of current events runs in tandem with another disappearance years earlier. The abduction has some parallels and the consequences were devastating.I really enjoy a story that keeps you guessing and this one just keeps the surprises coming. The final twist blew me away and had me thinking after I'd finished the book. Certainly an author to watch. Loved this and my thanks to Avon, publisher, for a review copy via Netgalley

When someone releases a debut psychological thriller, I have to admit to reading with more than a little bit of trepidation. This is a very popular genre and standards have been steadily rising, bit by bit, book by book, as have reader expectations. But… Wowsers. I am very happy to say that Elisabeth Carpenter met every one of my expectations when it comes to this genre, and then some. This is a stonkingly assured and gripping debut that I would happily recommend to anyone.Now this is a very hard book to talk about as there are elements of it which kind of put me in mind of the movie, Fight Club. The first rule of 99 Red Balloons is, don’t talk about the plot of 99 Red Balloons. It has an amazing plot that you really want to talk about, but people need to have read the book first, if that makes sense. What you need to know about the plot is very much contained above. Eight year old Grace has gone missing, seemingly taken while on a very short walk home from school. The rest of the story is focused upon her family and the impact her disappearance has upon them and widow, Maggie Taylor, who is emotionally affected by Grace’s story as her own granddaughter went missing many years before. And that’s all I’m saying.This was such a cleverly constructed story. So many secrets being kept, by both Emma and Matt, Grace’s parents. Neither has been entirely honest with the other, both worried that something they have done may have led to Grace being taken. While seemingly rock solid as a couple, they are being torn apart by the loss of their daughter and the way in which the author portrays this feels authentic and at times moving. The shift from anger and determination to absolute despair. They are both strong, but crumbling and in desperate need to support.And this is where we meet Stephanie, Emma’s sister. She is at Emma’s side throughout the whole drama, undeniably close to her sister as her son, Jamie, is with Grace. She is perhaps not as strong as her sister and yet since childhood she has been there to protect Emma. Perhaps half of the story is told in her voice and we are privy to her dreams, nightmares even, and her fears. There is something altogether claustrophobic about Stephanie’s dreams, but we are never quite sure what.Maggie was an interesting character. In her later years, her world has continued to get smaller ever since the loss of her granddaughter Zoe. A widow, she only has one true friend and her mind always turns to Zoe whenever she hears of another lost or missing child. I could really feel a kind of sympathy for Maggie, a woman who has had her life ripped apart and to whom, it appears, the truth may never be revealed. She had a quiet strength about her, a determined nature which kept her on her path, even if the easy option would have been to give in and be with her family. You had to admire her strength.And then there are two more voices – the abductor and the missing child. All four distinct voices, all tinged with their own sadness, their stories unique and yet set to converge in the most shocking of ways. And it is a very clever ploy used by the author here. I kind of had a suspicion about one element of the story, but the way in which is was executed was so skilful, so unexpected, that it truly made me smile. And argghhhh. Give me a nudge when you’ve read the book for yourself and we can have a chat about it.For a debut thriller, this was a cracker and I cannot wait to read more by the author. The pacing was just right, the moments of tension dotted throughout perfectly timed to keep me as a reader on the hook. I had to keep reading. I wanted to know more. I wanted to be proven right (and wrong) and I wanted to be surprised. Most of all, because from the very first page Elisabeth Carpenter had me engaged and invested in the fates of all of the characters involved, I wanted to know everything would work out okay. I can’t say that I loved all of the characters all of the time. Considering a child was missing, some of them were unbelievably selfish in protecting themselves first and Grace second. But you could not help but feel for Matt and Emma, suffering as they did with Grace’s absence, and for the impact that the revelations yet to come had upon the lives of those around them.Elisabeth Carpenter could have taken an easy option at the end. Made everything all sweetness and light, a perfectly happy, Walton’s style ending and yet she chose not to, a very wise move. It made what happened ultimately more believable, more authentic, and all the more heart wrenching for it. Loved it.

This is a gripping book - its great to see some strong characters that are real, gritty and northern! I particularly warmed to Maggie, her struggle and what she has lived through........a character that needed a hug and a cuppa. I wanted a happily ever after ending for Maggie but she again suffers, life is not always fair.As the book progresses more is revealed about the characters - flaws and all! There are complex plot twists and surprising connections made! The cracks in family dynamics begin to widen and there are secrets that threaten to spill out and blow the whole family to pieces.I literally couldn't put the book down - I was willing the main characters to carry on......there is a real pace to the book which is why I read it so quickly!A great read from a new and interesting author - waiting for her next book........

Downloaded this on to my Kindle to pass the time while on a 3 hour train journey. Did the job as I just finished the book (yes, it is that quick a read) when I got to my destination. It's not bad, but (as another reviewer said) - I thought where the story was going was pretty obvious and the big 'twist' was, again, obvious. Still it was quite enjoyable but not good enough that I would want to look out for future books by the author.

I do love a good missing child thriller and thankfully this is a VERY good missing child thriller. Not only that but there are TWO missing child mysteries to be solved here, with both of them proving to be as intriguing as each other. There is obviously a connection between both tales but as the chilling family secrets weave themselves together, the threads start to unravel with some truly shocking and heartbreaking twists and turns.I read a lot of books in this genre (missing children do seem to be a particular favourite of mine!) and I thought that Elisabeth Carpenter did an amazing job of building up the suspense slowly, getting under my skin until every nerve cell was practically screaming for mercy to be put out of its misery! I had an inkling of where the plot was heading but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of journeying along that rocky road to get there and find out if I was correct. The author takes her time cleverly building up her characters, neatly colouring them in and then slowly adding depth until a fuller picture emerges. I had so much empathy for them all and even when things came to a head, I found it so hard to apportion any blame as it was all just so terribly sad!It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel at times as the writing is so accomplished and self assured with a stylish narrative leading its reader seamlessly through the different points of view. I really enjoyed having my emotions manipulated by the author and found 99 Red Balloons to be utterly unputdownable as the threads came together. I think this impressive debut will end up being an instant best seller for Elisabeth Carpenter and a thoroughly well deserved one too!