"When baby Max is kidnapped during Mardi Gras, Jane and Kyle Madison's life falls apart. What their daughter, Melanie, does next is unthinkable. Max vanished into thin air while in the care of his teenage sister, Melanie. Six months later, the family is a shadow of its former self: Melanie blames herself and is acting out and rebellious; Jane is obsessed with finding Max; and Kyle, a lawyer, struggles to cope with his own grief and a persistent suspicion that one of his cases is connected to Max's disappearance. With her family in turmoil and her marriage on the rocks, Jane thinks things can't get any worse. Then when an affair and an unexpected pregnancy threaten to tear the Madisons' lives apart, an anonymous caller leads to a break in the case. Can a second kidnapping bring their family back together?" Taken from cover p. 4.
(summary from ISBN 1416587497)

This story had a lot of twists and turns in it. In the story you get to witness how each member of the family handled their grief, and with each one it was very different. No one seemed to be able to share with each other their own grief and talk to one another how they were feeling with the loss of little Max. There were times I didn't think there was any hope for this family, but there is always hope. The author did a good job of taking this tragedy, and showing how it affected everyone, and also showing the dark side of some people and what they could do to hurt another person. The age old questions of "why do bad things happen to good people" was once again asked in this story. The way the author dealt with this question was very realistic and honest; sometimes there isn't an answer one can give. A very well written, suspenseful story. ( )

This was my first book by Karen Young. I will admit the book drew me in rather quickly and held me for a long time. There were a few parts that I wonder - does it really happen like that?

But the characters made you love them and care about them and what to know what was next.

This is the story of a family - Jane, Kyle, Melanie and baby Max. Max is kidnapped while Jane, Melanie and some friends are sat Mardi Gras. All feel resposible for Max being gone and they all try to deal with it seperately vs as a family.

There is no way to figure out who did it as that person is brought in fairly late in the book and almost as an afterthought in my opinion.

This book really is about family and how they are all dealing with life, there is a little christian thrown in for good measure but not what I would call a Christian book.

I will not rush out and by another by this author but if one shows up on the sale table I probably would pick it up. ( )

Missing Max is the story of six month old baby Max who is kidnapped during Mardi Gras while in the care of his older sister Melanie. The only thing left behind were his stroller and one shoe. Panic ensues, the police are called and everyone searches frantically for Max. The investigation continues and life goes on for Jane and Kyle Madison their relationship becomes strained to the point of breaking. They are brought to the brink of hope when they are called several different times when a child is found that has similar features of Max only to realize that each child is not theirs. Melanie deals with the loss of her baby brother and the strain of her parents seemingly broken relationship with some explosive, jaw dropping news of her own. Things soon take a downward spiral and everything starts to go wrong.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Young and I enjoyed her writing style. Laural Merlington does an excellent job of narrating this story and the different voices she used for all the characters were excellent.

I thought this book had a very real feel to it. Kidnappings can and do happen everyday. Parents go through the horrors of loosing a child. I cannot imagine a nightmare such as not knowing where your child is. Ms. Young does a great job of relating what the characters are feeling. Their loss, their ability (or inability) to cope with such loss. Their struggle with trying to live as normally as possible and getting through each day. The strain such a traumatic event causes within a marriage and a family. I liked the way this book did not just focus on the mother Jane but gave you a clear understanding of how each family member was effected by the loss of Max. How the choices we make effect others very deeply. How we can be so wrapped up in our pain that we cannot at times see what another family member is going that they are struggling with guilt and asking those if only questions.

You see Jane as she struggles with God and why something like this can occur. And yet as she asks these questions she becomes closer to God and ultimately leans on Him.

I found this book an enjoyable and good read. The suspense keeps you reading. The characters and events are believable. You see that the choices you make have lasting and sometimes irreversible consequences.

I was given this book from Christian Review Of Books. ( )

Wow. What can I tell you about this book, other than I loved it? Well, I can tell you that the author is talented, one that really knows how to draw her readers in to the story completely, wrap them up with the messages and mystery and take them on a roller coaster of a ride filled with many,many emotions. I loved the feeling that brought to me.

I must confess,though, that this book really was an emotional one for me. I am a single mom of two boys who are my entire world and to imagine either of them missing for even a minute, tears my heart to pieces! Once I started reading this story, I didn't want to put this down until I found out about Max. And the poor family. I was praying for them and struggling with their emotions as if it was all happening to me. The true-to-life events that the author portrayed through her words were absolutely fantastic. It is just amazing when an author can completely surround me (or any reader!) with their words and take my heart on an emotional roller coaster to the point of leaving me in utter awe of their work.

Do I recommend this story? Absolutely. Do I give it 5 stars? Absolutely. Do I think you should open your heart first and foremost and ask God to guide your through this book? Most definitely, as the story line, the emotion and the turmoil you will feel through out this book is beyond words. Well done, Karen and I look forward to more work from you! ( )