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Christine Campbell
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Searching for Summer Paperback – January 1, 2015

by Christine Campbell (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 58 ratings
Mirabelle’s daughter, Summer, disappears one Friday night, and Mirabelle would dearly love to rewind that day and live it differently. Instead, she is left not knowing if Summer is alive or dead, went of her own accord or was taken against her will.
Casting all other concerns aside - food, sleep, work, relationships - in her desperate need to find the answers, she takes to the streets of Edinburgh in search of Summer.
Searching along wynds snaking behind old buildings, through ancient doors and tiny spiral stairways, showing Summer's photograph to everyone she meets in shops, museums and nightclubs, Mirabelle becomes a reluctant detective, gathering clues, trying to make sense of them in order to find her missing daughter.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Reluctant Detective
  2. Print length
    367 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    FeedaRead.com
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2015
  6. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.83 x 9.02 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    178510487X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1785104879
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ FeedaRead.com (January 1, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 367 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 178510487X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1785104879
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.353 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.83 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Christine Campbell

    Christine Campbell

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Christine Campbell lives in Scotland, in a small village outside of Edinburgh with her husband.

    When she is not distracted by the varied wildlife currently taking up residence in her garden and the field beyond, Christine writes novels for your pleasure and hers - because, let's face it, writing is fun!

    As a self-confessed stationery junkie, Christine has an impressive collection of notebooks and pens, which sit nicely among her many books. In fact, she is almost as passionate about reading as she is about writing.

    You can find all her novels on Amazon Kindle or, if you prefer to read a paperback, they are all available at https://www.feedaread.com/profiles/786/

    You'll also find information about Christine and her books in the following places:

    Pinterest business account

    https://www.pinterest.com/ChristineCampbellAuthor/

    Blog

    http://cicampbellblog.wordpress.com

    Facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/WriteWhereYouAre

    See more on the author's page
  2. Christine Campbell

    Christine Campbell

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
58 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story satisfying, with one noting how it ties up well at the end. Moreover, they appreciate the readability and character development, with several mentioning how the characters have more to say. However, the writing style receives mixed reactions, with one customer describing it as crisp while another finds the Scottish slang difficult to navigate.

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6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the story satisfying, with one review noting how it ties up well at the end.

"...Some questions are left unanswered, and yet the ending feels satisfying even so...." Read more

"...I really appreciated how she tied the story up at the end, but clearly some of the knots are slipknots, as there is clearly more to these..." Read more

"...stars for a great effort at mom/daughter sparring and discovery in a well-written tale. Byron Edgington, author of [...]" Read more

"...That is why this story is so refreshing, with its message of goodness and love offered by our fellow humans...." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a very good read, with one customer describing it as a well-crafted novel.

"...n't feel like this book absolutely needs a sequel, because it reads as a complete book (for which I'm thankful--I like books to feel finished)...." Read more

"...It's a good read! Buy the whole series (three books at this time with the promise of more to come! Yippee) so you can read then in quick..." Read more

"...The writing is crisp, well crafted and engaging, particularly the voices of each character...." Read more

"...that the ending was the best ending for it, because the author respected her readers and maintained the integrity of the characters she had so..." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with some noting that the characters have more to say, and one mentioning that the author maintains their integrity throughout the story.

"...However, I'm glad there is one coming, because these characters have more to say. I look forward to reading it!" Read more

"...Christine Campbell is very good at creating characters that are easy to identify with -- they are ordinary people, with warts and all -- very real!..." Read more

"...writing is crisp, well crafted and engaging, particularly the voices of each character...." Read more

"...for it, because the author respected her readers and maintained the integrity of the characters she had so skillfully developed." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it crisp and easy to read, while others mention issues with confusing narrative italics and difficulty navigating Scottish slang.

"...but I found myself re-reading sentences because of the beauty in the way they written...." Read more

"...Most of the book is written in plain English, and easy to read...." Read more

"...The writing is crisp, well crafted and engaging, particularly the voices of each character...." Read more

"...I found it hard to navigate the Scottish slang at times, but context is clear even when a character has a particularly thick brogue...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This well-crafted novel centers on the disappearance of a teenage girl, and the journey her mother takes to figure out what happened to her. But it's much more than that. Through flashbacks, we see their separate stories as well as their relationship with each other, and we gain some insight into why each behaves the way they do. Some questions are left unanswered, and yet the ending feels satisfying even so. I didn't like the main character (Mirabelle) at first--her scattered personality set me on edge, and I felt sympathy for her daughter who had to put up with such a flighty mother. But as the story unfolded I grew to like Mirabelle more and more. She confronts her weaknesses and tries to improve on them, and that's all we can ask of anyone.

    There are no easy answers when it comes to family relationships, and this book offers none. But it is real and true, and in the end, for some characters at least, redeeming. I found it hard to navigate the Scottish slang at times, but context is clear even when a character has a particularly thick brogue. Most of the book is written in plain English, and easy to read. And a few of the characters are charming specifically because of their speech, along with a dab of sass. Harry is a very minor character, but perhaps my favorite because he actually made me laugh out loud a few times. And one of the bad boys, who we probably shouldn't like, is just cheeky enough to make me understand why he gets away with what he does.

    I don't feel like this book absolutely needs a sequel, because it reads as a complete book (for which I'm thankful--I like books to feel finished). However, I'm glad there is one coming, because these characters have more to say. I look forward to reading it!
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Jjspina
    4.0 out of 5 stars An emotional read!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Searching for Summer is an emotional read that tugs at one’s heart when a young teen leaves home and breaks her mother’s heart. The main protagonist, Mirabelle, can’t understand why her daughter left home without a word. She is tormented daily and spends all the time searching for any sign of her daughter, Summer. She forfeits her job and her love to try and find her.

    During this time Summer is doing whatever she wants unaware of how hard her mother is searching for her and how much she is suffering. Will Mirabelle ever find her daughter and get on with her own life? Will Summer come back on her own terms?

    This story takes the reader through all of Mirabelle’s daily searches and details her emotions so deeply that the reader can feel her pain. It is heartbreaking to see her as she sacrifices everything for the love of her daughter.

    An emotional read that is hard to put down.
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  • Deborah W
    5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend The Reluctant Detective series!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and getting to know Mirabelle, the main character. It was easy for me to identify with how finding her daughter, Summer, became her only goal in life. My heart ached right along with hers as she struggled to come to grips with the fact that she might never find her or what happened to her. I felt her excitement every time she thought she found a clue and when that hope was snatched away again and again, my heart again ached right along with hers. Christine Campbell is very good at creating characters that are easy to identify with -- they are ordinary people, with warts and all -- very real! I really appreciated how she tied the story up at the end, but clearly some of the knots are slipknots, as there is clearly more to these characters stories! I was grateful that the next book in this series "Traces of Red" had already been published and I was able to download it to my tablet and immediately continue the story!

    I highly recommend this series! I also appreciate that her books are 'clean' -- and while Christine Campbell does delve into some serious and somewhat dark topics, she manages to get her point across and to keep the story moving along without it getting too dark and heavy. At the same time, I never felt like she glossed over anything or gave an inaccurate picture of the very real situations her characters find themselves dealing with.

    It's a good read! Buy the whole series (three books at this time with the promise of more to come! Yippee) so you can read then in quick
    succession,.
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  • The SkyWriter
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mother loses daughter; daughter loses mother; both find themselves
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Here we have a mother loses daughter, daughter loses mother, both find themselves in a shared search kind of book. When Mirabelle and daughter Summer ‘have another row,’ as they say in Scotland, Summer disappears, not even taking clean knickers. The absolute certain sign of a hasty, mysterious departure in these modern times, Summer leaves behind her phone charging cord! This is not good. Mirabelle feels a strange foreboding. As well she might. It seems Belle’s own past includes random arrivals and departures, by lovers and mates and by her own mysterious father, who disappeared from her life early on.

    The writing is crisp, well crafted and engaging, particularly the voices of each character. Many exchanges were a bit hard to decipher, as this yank suffers from the dilemma of being separated by a common language. After a while I started reading aloud with a wee bit of a burr. I couldnae help meself. The plot is a bit of a stretch, as I say. Edinburgh is not that big, so it’s tough to see how a flame-red haired lass might stay hidden from her mum for a year, especially when certain friends spill the beans and announce that she’s out and about.
    Technically, the formatting needs work. At least on my Kindle reader the contractions were awkward and the words strung out for some reason. The use of italics in the narrative was confusing, until it was used for Summer’s approach-avoidance tactics at the ice rink and the ballet.

    But the author’s use of foreshadowing is great, such as her inner dialogue about the washhouse, and Mirabelle’s mental musing about her history with Summer. The snow globe analogy describing Summer’s bedroom is spot on. My very own wee lass once kept her bedroom topsy turvy like that.

    Three stars for a great effort at mom/daughter sparring and discovery in a well-written tale.
    Byron Edgington, author of [...]
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • K. Francis
    5.0 out of 5 stars The first in a brilliant series of books.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book in the reluctant detective trilogy (so far). I have now read all three in the series, and I enjoyed them immensely. I love the way the author develops the different characters throughout the story. Searching for Summer is the story of a teenage girl going missing, and her mother's frantic search for her, mainly in Edinburgh. It has a lot of 'edge of the seat' moments, and for this reason I found it very difficult to put the book down. A wonderful story that evoked in me many different emotions. There were scenes that made me cry, and others that made me laugh out loud, which was slightly embarrassing as I was on a crowded train at the time. 😊 I highly recommend this book, along with the following two in the series. And something most unusual for a good book these days is that there is no bad language, sex or graphic violence.
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  • Alison
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend!
    Reviewed in Australia on October 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This fantastic book took me on an incredible roller coaster journey of emotions and discovery.
    The story is about Mirabelle and her search for her daughter who disappears without warning. The mother and daughter relationship described in the book is real, is true to what a lot of people know, and I could immediately relate to Mirabelle’s despair and desperation. The story of Mirabelle’s own experiences as a child run as a good parallel, adding to the emotional upheaval caused by her daughter’s disappearance.
    The descriptions in the book were so good I often stopped to re-read them. I loved the way I could easily imagine what was happening in the book; seeing the people and experiencing the city of Edinburgh along with the characters.
    I don’t want to spoil the story for others, so all I’ll say about the ending is I was left happy and satisfied.
    Mirabelle is a great character and I look forward to meeting her again in the next book!
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  • Vintage_Venturer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping but a bit gritty.
    Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It's not a cozy mystery; I was expecting something more along the lines of that. There are some references to drugs and prostitution, but not in a graphic way. The story was very engaging, and I couldn't put it down, but it is not a light read.
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  • mjimac
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book! It's full of heart string pulls and many twists and turns. Roll on the next book in the trilogy... I can't wait!
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  • Lynne
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous and enjoyable book with many twists and turns.
    Reviewed in Australia on January 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    What a find! I’m so glad this series was recommended to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Searching for Summer. I would catch myself thinking about the storyline as it would visualise in my mind during the day making me look forward to each night when I’d read some more. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and Christine Campbell’s other books. Thank you for a great read.
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