Book Review Survivor of the Clan

Title: Survivor of the Clan
Author: Jennifer Ott
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Scottish doll maker Shelby Locke loses everything in one instant. She watches helplessly as motorcyclists assassinate her husband and abduct her daughter. Nagging questions and even confounding reminiscences only exacerbate the problem, and her geneticist father is no help.

In the aftermath of the violence, she discovers not-so-subtle hints, which prompt her to travel to Odessa, Ukraine. Upon her arrival she follows clues laid out by the perpetrators, as if they want to be discovered. What is even more shocking, she discovers her own true identity. Could she be one with those who took away her family?

To unite with her daughter, she must join forces with those bent on nihilism, and submit her loyalty to a man, whose life mission is to rekindle his long lost kin, even if by nefarious means.

Survivor of the Clan is the story of Shelby Locke, a Scottish dollmaker who loses everything in the blink of an eye. Her husband Kyle is assassinated, and her daughter, Amelia, is abducted. The first few chapters, we get a view of Shelby’s family life, and it shows a caring family, albeit with some secrets, and there are hints of mysteries and secret things going on. By the time of the abduction, I already felt a connection to Kyle but to Amelia in particular, and I hated seeing this family ripped apart.

The story really took off from there. Shelby discovers hint that lead her to Odessa, Ukraine. There, she finds even more clues – as if whoever kidnapped her daughter wants her to find them. And when she does, she stumbles upon more secrets than she thought possible, and discovers more about herself than she ever wanted to. To reunite with her daughter, she must join forces with a most unlikely ally.

I really enjoyed the story, the fast pacing, the excellent writing. The characters were well-developed and very intriguing, in particular Shelby. The plot kept me guessing. It’s an entertaining thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat.