The next book to be featured on the Jo Whiley Radio 2 Book Club will be Found by Erin Kinsley. It will be released on 25 July and Erin will be on the show on Monday 22 July.
We have an exclusive extract available for you to read, and some discussion questions for your group.
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Found
When 11-year-old Evan vanishes without trace, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare.
Especially as the police, under massive pressure, have no answers.
But months later Evan is unexpectedly found, frightened and refusing to speak. His loving family realise life will never be the same again.
DI Naylor knows that unless those who took Evan are caught, other children are in danger. And with Evan silent, she must race against time to find those responsible…
Selection panel review
The book was selected with the help of a panel of library staff from across the UK. Our readers loved Found – here are some of their comments:
“Wow – a beautifully written book, far more engaging than your typical police procedural/psychological thriller. 11-year-old Evan disappears on the way home from school. There are no clues to what’s happened, and his family – mum Claire, Dad Matt, Grandad Jack and Grandma Dora – are completely destroyed. Police have no clues and eventually the case begins to wind down. Then 9 months later Evan is found alive. He returns home and refuses to speak, traumatised by what has happened. This is a brilliant piece of writing, with the subject handled so sensitively. We don’t hear the detail of Evan’s ordeal, but Kinsley concentrates on the reactions of the family. We see a mother driven to drink, a father incapable of drawing his family back together, a grandfather with a firm belief in nature as a cure for his grandson. Moving, emotional and very cleverly written. Loved it.”
“The author is doing something interesting here, which is to more closely examine the lives and ongoing trauma and recovery of the families and children of kidnappings/human trafficking rings, which sets the book apart from most ‘missing child’ mysteries. The family relationships and experiences are explored in depth, which I appreciated and held my interest longer than a broader ‘whodunnit’ narrative would have done on its own.”
“A gripping and touching family drama, which is more about how to rebuild a family after a tragedy, rather than just a mystery of catching the bad guys. Deeply affecting, will stay with you – in a good way!”
About the author
Erin Kinsley is a full-time writer. She grew up in Yorkshire and currently lives in East Anglia. Now writing under a pseudonym, her previous books were published by Bloomsbury. Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize among other awards, her writing has received glowing reviews across the national press.
A word from Erin
“What’s wonderful about book clubs is that they tempt you out of your comfort zones, expanding your thinking in unexpected directions, and what’s fabulous about libraries is the plethora of authors whose ideas and fantastical imaginations are yours for free. I was a lucky child who was taken to our local library every Saturday, to choose a new set of lavishly illustrated adventures for the coming week. The library habit has stayed with me for life, and I’m still very much a regular borrower, enjoying the privilege of limitless access to those skilfully curated stacks.
No one knows the kinds of books readers love like librarians, so when I heard Found had been chosen by The Reading Agency, I didn’t stop smiling for days! For me, it’s the ultimate compliment. Found’s story is dramatic, and it’s unconventional in focusing on the aftermath of crime in equal measure to the crime itself. There’s plenty of material between the covers to provoke lively book group debate, and I hope readers will find Evan’s journey both compelling and inspiring.”
Get involved
Tune in to Jo Whiley’s show on Monday 22 July to hear a live interview with Erin.
Have you read Found? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter using #Found, and you can also follow Erin.
You can also see what other readers thought or add the book to your group’s reading list.Planning to buy Found for your group? Buy books from Hive and support The Reading Agency and local bookshops at no extra cost to you.
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