3.5⭐️

Three-year-old Harry Monroe was taken from his home by someone dressed as a clown as the recording from the baby monitor reveals. His disappearance shocks the small town of Tall Oaks. Jess, Harry’s mother frantically searches for her child and follows up with the police for information on the investigation by day while driven to self-destructive behavior with a series of one-night stands and drunken episodes by night. Jess is separated from her husband Michael who has never shown much interest in his child and has indulged in a string of extramarital affairs throughout his marriage to Jess. As the narrative progresses we meet an interesting cast of characters, all residents of Tall Oaks and known to Jess among whom are Jim, a law enforcement officer investigating Harry’s disappearance, Elena and her teenage son Manny who is a fan of Stallone’s Rocky movie series and fancies himself a “gangster” which leads to some genuinely hilarious moments and Elena’s daughter Thalia who was a friend of Harry, Jerry who works in a photography studio while caring for his terminally ill and controlling mother, Roger and his wife Henrietta who a lost their child shortly after his birth, Jared who is romantically involved with Elena and is a newcomer working in a car dealership and many more. Needless to say, most of the residents have their share of secrets and deceptions which slowly rise to the surface as the narrative progresses.

Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker has a lot to offer. The author explores themes of love, family, marriage and fidelity, loss and grief, second chances, teenage love and angst and self-acceptance among the residents of a small town. Though the novel revolves around a missing child, the author injects a healthy dose of humor to offset the grim overtones of the novel. The ending was a shocker that I did not predict which is always a plus point for me. However, I felt that the multiple characters and their storylines were difficult to keep track of and distracted from the core mystery of the missing child. Though the multiple tracks were somewhat linked, most of the characters (and their issues) were of no consequence to the main plot and though all the sub-plots are wrapped up nicely in the end, I was left feeling as if I had just read a collection of interlinked short stories rather than a complete novel.

Overall, Tall Oaks is a well-written and engaging read but I did not find it quite as impressive as Chris Whitaker’s We Begin At The End which was among my favorite reads of 2021 . ( )

I’m not sure there is an adequate way to describe exactly this book.
There is a kidnapping of a 3 year old boy
And
There is a town where everyone is quirky, crazy, or insane and all are hiding something.
One minute you are laughingstock the next minute something cringe worthy takes place.
Yet it is a really good book. ( )

What a cracking book this is. On all counts! From the description of the characters that makes you feel like you have known them forever, to the gruelling mysterious disappearance of 3 year old Harry.
Harry’s mum, Jess, struggles with her own demons as she tries to do everything in her power to find Harry.
Police officer Jim, tries desperately and obsessively to find Harry and help Jess get out from the hole she has dug herself into.
Meanwhile, everyone in town go about their lives with the constant reminder of what happened to Harry.
We learn everything about themselves, and we end up suspecting quite a few of them; but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepares you for the twisted ending.
Do not miss Tall Oaks. It shakes you to your core. ( )

I really enjoyed this easy to book
Based in a small rural town called Tall Oaks
This book reads more like a Soap Opera with all the different characters and their own secrets.

The main story running through this book is Harry Monroe a 3 year old boy goes missing from his bedroom his Mother Jess is frantic and is desperate to get him back, she has already split with Harry's father and her husband Michael.
Jess throws herself into trying to find Harry and also blocks out the pain by running and going off with dodgy men.

Other main characters are Jim the Police detective who is determined to find Harry.

Manny a wantabe Gangster who falls in love with an Iraqi girl called Furat.

Mannys Mum Elena who is in love with a mysterious man called Jared that Manny doesnt like.

Jerry an overweight under acheiver who lives with his ill Mum and works at the local Photo shop.

Henrietta and Roger a middle aged couple who are just going through the motions of life.

Anyone of these people could be the one who took young Harry.

Book keeps you guessing all the way through.

Spoiler alert

It was Jess she was determined to win Michael back she also couldnt cope with Harry's crying, I think Jess had Post natal depression, she decided to hide Harry in remote woods to win Michael back and then be a happy family all 3 of them again. It didnt work she accidently smothered Harry.
Jerry accidently photographed this when he was hiding in the woods trying to find a rare Woodpecker. ( )

This is the second time I have tried to read this book. The first time I gave up after a few chapters. This time I did skip/skim through to the end. It has a sort of breezy tone, even when describing horrible things and that doesn't suit me.

I'm giving it 2 stars, but I think if it's to your taste it would probably merit a higher rating. ( )