99 Red Balloons

Elisabeth Carpenter

Aug 2017 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Two girls go missing, decades apart. What would you do if one was your daughter?

Eight-year-old Grace is last seen in a sweetshop. Her mother Emma is living a nightmare. But as her loved ones rally around her, cracks begin to emerge. What are the emails sent between her husband and her sister? Why does her mother take so long to join the search? And is there more to the disappearance of her daughter than meets the eye?
Meanwhile, ageing widow Maggie Sharples sees a familiar face in the newspaper. A face that jolts her from the pain of her existence into a spiralling obsession with another girl – the first girl who disappeared...
This is a gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist that will take your breath away.

Ratings and reviews

I was frustrated at this ending. I was looking forward to the reunion, I feel a bit empty. my anticipation was so built up only to be let down, I wanted to feel the joy As my 5yr old son was taken from me, by his father.

Five year old Zoe went missing 18 years ago and has not been seen since. Eventually her parents divorced. Her mom committed suicide, leaving only her grandmother to grieve daily for her family. Grace is 8 years old. She has now gone missing. There are no clues, no evidence, no ransom notes. She walked out of sweetshop and basically just vanished. Grace's family is falling apart. Her mom and dad, besides being worried to death, are angry at each other. Grace's aunt is trying to hold things together. But what about those emails between the aunt and Grace's father? Where is the grandmother? Taking forever to get there, she seems more interested in her nightly bottle of booze. Is there more to the disappearance of Grace? Does the family know more than they're telling? And what is the link between Grace and Zoe? The story is told in different voices. Grace is very vocal about what is happening to her. Her Aunt tells the story from her viewpoint. Zoe's grandmother has been watching the news and sees a lot of similarities between the taking of Zoe and Grace. And she sees something else that has her wondering.... A very well written novel of what happens when one of the worst things to happen actually happens. Some families cling to each other, but most find the grief too heavy to share and turn away from each other. The wrap-up was good ... and the ending was perfect. Many thanks to the author / Avon Books UK / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are voluntary and unbiased and entirely my own.

This book is amazing! The story line was great and I couldn't wait to turn the next page. I read this book at stop lights, in bed, lunch breaks, during all free time, and in line waiting for fast food! Looking forward to reading your next book!

About the author

Libby Carpenter lives in Preston with her family. She completed a BA in English Literature and Language with the Open University in 2011.
Libby was awarded a Northern Writers’ New Fiction award, and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 and 2016) and the MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015). She loves living in the north of England and sets most of her stories in the area, including the novel she is writing at the moment. She currently works as a book keeper.