Skip to main content

Review: Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan


Book: Finding Claire Fletcher

Author: Lisa Regan

Pages: 430

I Read: The Kindle Edition

I Read it in: 4 hours (in one sitting)

Plot Summary: Newly divorced and with his career in jeopardy, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a beautiful woman he meets at a bar. The next morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving nothing behind but an address and a decade-old mystery.
 The address leads to the Fletcher family home where Claire's siblings inform Connor that their fifteen-year-old sister was abducted from a city street ten years ago and is presumed dead. 
During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. 
Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family. 
Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department's consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.

What I Liked: In bullets: 

  • I loved the premise of the book. There are so many tragic cases where young girls were abducted and kept imprisoned for years- Jaycee Duggard and Elizabeth Smart come to mind. {Read our review of their memoirs HERE.} It is unimaginable what they go through- the sadistic torture, rape, the cold fear that if they call attention to themselves or make a run for it, something awful will be done to their loved ones... and of course, the crippling shame. Somehow these girls blame themselves- for either getting in their abductor's path or for not trying hard enough to escape. It is just awful all around. So, when I read the summary of this book, I was tempted to read it.
  • The book provides a very sensitive account of what it is like to be held against your will and how even the most strong-willed person is slowly and systematically 'broken' by their abductors. 
  • I liked Claire's character- her strength, determination, will to survive and making multiple attempts to break free inspite of what her abductor does to dissuade her. 
  • Other characters that were well written are that of Connor- his methods of re-investigating an old case, finding clues and re-interpreting the existing ones were all very well done. 
  • I also liked Claire's family-hired PI (I forget his name now) and her mom. Their relentless belief in her being alive and well is what kept them going for years. 
  • *SPOILER* 
  • I also liked Claire's recovery process once she finds her way back home. How it was difficult for her to open up, the questions her sister had for her, the challenges she faced in "reintegrating" into her old-new life. 
  • The investigative process that led us to the true identity of the abductor was also interesting. It didn't feel too convenient or forced. 
What I Didn't Like: Nothing much, really. The ending was slightly dramatic, but one can forgive that. 

Rating: 4.5/5- this is a good, fast-paced thriller; highly recommend it. 

Comments

Lisa Regan said…
Aww, thank you! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for posting about it. :)
Pooja T said…
Oh hello, Lisa! :)
Hoping to read more of your work! :)

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a