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99 Red Balloons  By  cover art

99 Red Balloons

By: Elisabeth Carpenter
Narrated by: Sarah Ovens, Victoria Riley, Maggie Ollerenshaw, Dean Williamson, Paul Tyreman
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Publisher's summary

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 Taylor 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.

©2017 Elisabeth Carpenter (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Libby Carpenter's beautiful writing draws you in immediately. Her characterisation is superb, and she skillfully delivers a pacey, suspenseful plot. 99 Red Balloons is an intelligent, taut and compelling thriller that manages to pack a punch - and still throws you right at the end. It's perfect - I loved every word." (Sam Carrington, best-selling author of Saving Sophie)
"This sharp, poignant domestic noir is like watching a snake slither towards its prey. You want to look away but somehow you can't stop looking. Carpenter emerges as an addictive new talent, climbing inside the characters and opening them up for the reader to devour. What a wonderful debut!" (Helen Fields, author or Perfect Remains)

What listeners say about 99 Red Balloons

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I was waiting for soooo much more.....

I was really excited by all the reviews of this book! i thought it was going to be tremendous. I kept reading about the twists and turns, and the surprises... and there were some surprises... but i wanted so much more. There were so many unanswered questions, and so much that could have been explained more. I think my biggest issue with the book is the character development, I still have no idea who Katherine and Emma are, and after listening to the whole book, I don't understand the dynamic between all of them, or why? I am confused and left unsatisfied ...

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great Twist!

This book was very interesting at first – albeit a little slow paced, but after the twist was revealed it was downright captivating!

I did not see it coming at all; I did not suspect a thing!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book!

Excellent book. I loved how the characters were separated by their own story and slowly linked together. Suspenseful, heartbreaking and joyful The narrators were wonderful.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The climax

Talk about a buildup and then some booze made it all come out in the end

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I LOVED THIS BOOK

spoiler alert!
spoiler alert!
spoiler alert!
spoiler alert!
spoiler alert!
i love books that are unpredictable...... enough said.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Quick read. Good plot.

This book started off slow. It goes back and forth between characters. The narrator's did a very good job. But I found myself going back to remember which character was talking. Eventually I caught on and then I couldn't put it down. Good plot with twist and turns and an ending I did expect. Childhood abduction is difficult to wittness, which makes this book hard to read at times. But I needed to know what happened to these two little girls. I don't regret it. ENJOY!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty Good!

I wish the story of the characters were in depth like Maggie, but overall it was pretty good. Missing the main reason of why the girls were taken. But really not a bad book!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It was entertaining but a tad bit slow

The story itself was well done and included a very interesting plot twist I did not see coming.
A true thriller that is every parents nightmare of your young child going missing.
I purchased a paperback version first and when I realized I wasn’t going to be able to read it in time for my book club I bought the audiobook. The audiobook was a tad bit slow for my liking and I almost switched back to the paper back.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

3 .5 stars. pretty decent book.

as always there will be no spoilers in my reviews
ok. this was a good book. I wanted to like it more but. I found parts if this book sweet the character of Maggie and Jim . steady paced no huge lulls . my only quirk was towards the end the characters were supposed to be in a car and then someone pulled up a chair. odd . I will also said I struggled with the who is who here and there but quickly got back on track.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

99 Red Balloons

What a great book. So bittersweet, so sad too. What a picture in your mind ,as you listen, as though your watching as you listen. This is a good author. Minus language, expressive, but doesn't take away from the book. In its raw expression in adds the human feelings, I guess. Not always necessary though. Thank-you

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