Look Again: A Novel

by Lisa Scottoline

2013

Status

Available

Publication

St. Martin's Paperbacks (2013), Edition: First, 416 pages

Description

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a "Have You Seen This Child?" flyer in the mail, her heart stops--the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. She investigates the story behind the flyer, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life--and that of the son she loves.

Media reviews

Publisher's Weekly
Starred Review. Bestseller Scottoline (Lady Killer) scores another bull's-eye with this terrifying thriller about an adoptive parent's worst fear—the threat of an undisclosed illegality overturning an adoption. The age-progressed picture of an abducted Florida boy, Timothy Braverman, on a have
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you seen this child? flyer looks alarmingly like Philadelphia journalist Ellen Gleeson's three-year-old son, Will, whom she adopted after working on a feature about a pediatric cardiac care unit. Ellen, who jeopardizes her newspaper job by secretly researching the Braverman case, becomes suspicious when she discovers the lawyer who handled her adoption of Will has committed suicide. Meanwhile, Will's supposed birth mother, Amy Martin, dies of a heroin overdose, and Amy's old boyfriend turns out to look like the man who kidnapped Timothy. Scottoline expertly ratchets up the tension as the desperate Ellen flies to Miami to get DNA samples from Timothy's biological parents. More shocks await her back home.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member kelawrence
I thought this book was terrible. The only reason I kept reading it was because I didn't have any other books on my nightstand.
S-L-O-W and predictable, only picking up at the end. Although an intriguing idea for a story, I found some of the plot lines unrealistic. This was not my first book by
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this author- maybe the third. Won't be picking up another one.
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LibraryThing member 2chances
Not much to say here. Lisa Scottoline is an inventive plot-writer, but somewhat weak on characterization. Ellen Gleeson, adopted mother of little Will, finds one of those HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHILD? postcards and realizes the boy on the card is her own beloved child. What to do? Well, if you're an
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investigative reporter like Ellen, first thing to do is to stalk the real parents for a while...and then wait until your author tosses in a few bizarre plot twists. The plot wasn't awfully believable and the characters were a little bit cartoon-y, but I read the whole book with no pain at all and enjoyed the somewhat silly ending. A beach read.
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LibraryThing member Brandie
A fast-paced book that, as a mom, struck me to the core.

Ellen Gleeson is a reporter raising a boy she adopted while doing a story on him for the paper. One day she sees his picture on a flyer "Have you seen me" and she begins to investigate whether her adopted son is the boy who was kidnapped.

The
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book moves quickly and the drama tugged at my heart strings. And it's a good thing, because aside from moving me as a mother - this book probably would have fallen completely flat. It felt to unrealistic in how the story unfolds. It felt very contrived. It felt much like formula fiction.

I know, pretty harsh, and I hate to be harsh. But I think if I wasn't invested in the book as a mother thinking - what if that were me and I was worried about losing my child - I would have walked away from it.

But since I am a mother and it really moved me, I couldn't put the book down. I had to know how it all worked out. I had to know what happened to everyone. My heart was so into this book. But head was not. And for that, I'm grateful she was able to capture my heart's attention!
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LibraryThing member techeditor
Lisa Scottoline's thriller, LOOK AGAIN, tells the story of a journalist who adopts a baby only to discover three years later that the adoption may not have been legal and that the child's biological parents may still be searching for their missing son.

This was my first Scottoline novel, and I
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expected it to be another less-than-thrilling thriller, as I think most thrillers are. So-called thrillers usually spend the first 100 or even 200 pages painting a picture of the thrills to come. Not so with LOOK AGAIN.

As every book that bills itself as a thriller should do, this thriller started the suspense on page one. LOOK AGAIN is one of those rare "not-put-downable" books, and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member cameling
A woman sees a missing child flyer, and notices that the child looks remarkably similar to her 3 year old adopted son. She can't get the picture of the child out of her mind, and starts to do some research, if only to confirm for herself, that her child is not the child that was abducted as a baby
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2 years ago. What would you do, as a mother, if the child you legally adopted, a child you've loved and cared for, a child who has recognized you for his mother as a baby, is discovered to be another couple's child, a child who was abducted when he was a baby? Would you keep the child and pretend you never saw the flyer? Or would you return him to his biological parents, both of whom have not given up hope that their child is alive somewhere, knowing that his return is going to bring you nothing but certain heart-wrenching grief?

This book had such great potential, dealing with this issue, and I thought the author did an excellent job in describing the adopted mother's mental torture, wanting to do the right thing and at the same time, not wanting to have to give up her child. Being brutally honest with oneself, trying to do not just the right thing, but more importantly, the right thing for the child is an agonizing process.

But that's where the book then, I thought, went a little pear shaped. The author decided to add a bit of mystery into the story, about the woman who gave her child up for adoption. Or did she? And what really happened during the abduction? I liked the way the adopted mother went about doing all she could to find out the true identity of her child. But just when I thought the author was about to dive into a defining moment, instead of crafting this with a more poignant but more realistic ending, she threw in some unbelievable action stunts and patted it down with a fairy tale ending. The wicked witch and her goblin destroyed, her prince comes to the rescue and all is sunny under the rainbow. I was disappointed with the last third of the book. It could have been so much better if the author hadn't caved to those who need happy endings.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Good story if a bit predictable. Child was a little advanced for a 3 year old - more 4 to 5 verbally.
LibraryThing member teresa1953
A page turning read, but predictable and a bit far fetched in places. This is the first Lisa Scottoline book I have read and I understand she normally writes from a legal perspective. I will give one of her other novels a try to compare the style.
LibraryThing member tymfos
The premise of this book is simple and heart-gripping: pretty much, what would you do if you saw your adopted kid's picture on a milk carton?

Well, I hope I wouldn't handle it the way Scottoline's protagonist, Ellen, did in this book. I found her actions unrealistic and contrived. (What single
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parent, already facing possible job loss, takes time off from work and jets down to Miami to stalk and snag DNA from possible birth parents?) Scottoline painted Ellen with enough skill that her actions were aggravating, but not so much skill that I really bought into the story. And the whole romantic melodrama with her editor was asinine.

There are some good issues brought out in this book. It deals with the nature of parenthood in general, adoption in particular. (What is a parent?) It deals with parental rights, and how adoption law isn't always written in the best interests of a child's mental health. It deals with the fact that parents seeking to adopt are carefully screened to see if they are "worthy" -- but those giving up kids for adoption are barely screened at all, even to the point of making sure that the child they give up is really theirs to give.

This story raises significant questions, but ultimately fails to face the hard realities. (The ending is absolutely not to be believed -- way too neat and tied up in a bow.)

I really did not enjoy this book, and only read it because of a discussion group I'm in.
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LibraryThing member mikedraper
Reporter Ellen Gleeson is raising her adopted son, Will, by herself. One day she sees a flier, "Have you seen this child?" Something makes her look again. The photo looks amazingly like Will. How could that be?

Being a reporter, she investigates. She researches the family looking for the child and
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finds Carol Braverman, who is looking for her son, Timothy.

Somewhat concerned, Ellen checks out the adoption records and everything seems in order. Just to be sure, she calls the attorney who handled the adoption. She finds that the attorney is dead, suicide.

With increased anxiety, she looks at the adoption form and checks with the family of the birth mother, Amy Martin. She also goes to Florida and manages to get Carol Braverman's DNA by following her to a bar and picking up a cigarette Carol had been smoking.

At the home of Amy Martin, she finds a photo of a man, Ellen begins referring to as, the Beach Boy. Amy's mother is surprised that Ellen says that Amy was the mother of the child she adopted. She didn't think that Amy could have children. Shortly after the visit, Amy is found dead. Her friend, Melanie thinks that Amy may have taken tainted drugs. She also tells Ellen that Amy had been dating a guy named Rob Moore who used to smack her around. This was four years ago, just at the time the adoption process was underway.

Now Ellen believes that this Rob Moore was involved in the adoption. She realizes that Will myst be Carol Braverman's son, Tim, and Rob is now eliminating anyone involved in the adoption. Can she stop him before he gets to her and to Will? Must she give up the thing that she loves the most, her son, Will?

A well done, fast moving drama.This would be perfect for the screen and I would look forward to seeing Ellen portrayed by Nicole Kidman or Renee Zellwiger. The author's description of Ellen is so well done, that it feels like Lisa Scottoline actually knew this ficticious person.

Great suspense, constant action, heartaches and drama.
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LibraryThing member caroline123
A fast-paced story about a child adoption gone wrong. A young woman reporter investigates circumstances surrounding her son's adoption. She becomes suspicious due to a photograph she happens upon. Murder, sleuthing, and a romantic interest made this a very un-put-downable book for me.
LibraryThing member adpaton
The American entertainment industry – whether in the form of TV series, books or feature films – constantly reminds us that while justice might be blind, she definitely isn’t fair.

Journalist Ellen Gleeson is disturbed to receive a missing child notification depicting a boy who is the spit
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image of her adopted son: little Timothy Braverman is the same age as her Will, and was kidnapped a few months before the adoption.

Given the startling similarities between the two boys, Ellen can’t help but consider what she would do was she to discover they were in fact one and the same child. But that would be impossible since Will, a sickly child, was legally adopted from his impoverished young single mother Amy.

Uneasy, Ellen tried to contact the lawyer who handled the adoption just to reassure herself, only to discover she committed suicide shortly after the process was completed.

Indefatigable investigator that she is, she tracks down the family of the birth mother – who deny Amy was ever pregnant, and paint an unsettling picture of a wild child who has lost touch with her family.

Now thoroughly unsettled, Ellen decides to collect DNA samples surreptitiously from the Bravermans – her decision is ratified by the news that Amy has been found dead of a heroin overdose, despite being clean for months.

A journalist for a major American newspaper, Ellen has access to the best resources and contacts: however, as a feature writer for the ailing print media during an international recession she is on tenterhooks because posts are being cut drastically and no-one’s job is safe.

One of the lucky ones to remain employed, Ellen appears to have an incredibly light work load and a remarkable degree of latitude: the fact that the sexy new editor from Brazil has the hots for her probably helps…

While author Scottoline has obviously never worked in a news paper office, as a former trial attorney she knows her law and a legal principle lies at the heart of this and many of her other books.

Don’t get me wrong – she’s no John Grisham and look Again is no courtroom drama: instead Ellen and by extension the reader is forced to contemplate what might happen if her son Will is indeed the kidnapped Timothy Braverman.

Although she adopted him legally and in good faith, although she spent a fortune on his medical bills, and although she has nurtured and raised him for many years, if the Bravermans are his biological parents, Ellen will not have a single claim on him.

The book gathers momentum toward the end with a series of twists and counter-twists worthy of a soap opera, but rest assured – I’m afraid this might be a spoiler – it all ends happily as Ellen together her friends and family – plus the sexy editor – celebrate Will’s birthday with a party.

And they all lived happily ever after. Despite the fairytale ending, the somewhat vapid plot and slightly insipid characters, the central issue of possession versus ownership blasts through in its heartbreaking complexity.

Look again at this easy read that appears to vacillate between ‘Women’s Fiction’ and ‘Thriller’ because the truisms it contains are thought provoking – look again because the story is deeper than it initially appears…
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LibraryThing member LaBibliophille
I have not been a tremendous fan of Lisa Scottoline. To me, her books were always sort of formulaic crime dramas. When I read some of the press on Look Again, it seemed a bit different, so I thought I’d give it a try. It is actually quite good.

It’s pretty easy to figure out the true scenario
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long before the end of the novel. Scottoline still takes us on some intriguing twists and turns as her main character, reporter Ellen Gleeson, solves the mystery.

Ellen Gleeson lives in Philadelphia, and is the single mother of a young son she adopted after meeting him while working on a story. One day, Ellen receives a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail. The age progressed photo of a little boy (abducted at age one) looks just like her son, Will. Although Ellen had legally adopted Will, she knows nothing of his biological parents, so she begins to investigate.

What elevates this story above others are the sub-plots interwoven into Ellen’s search for the truth. Ellen is coming to terms with her mother’s death and her father’s plans to re-marry. There are staff cutbacks on the newspaper she writes for. There is a backstabbing colleague, and Ellen has a crush on her boss.

Look Again moves along very quickly and has a satisfying ending. It would make a good beach book.
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LibraryThing member Scrabblenut
Ellen's adopted son looks remarkably like the picture on a postcard that arrives in the mail of a baby kidnapped two years ago, and she starts to wonder about it all. She's a newspaper reporter and cannot resist finding out more. The book is a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. The
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characters are developed and the author makes you care deeply about them. Excellent.
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LibraryThing member susiesharp
This was a different book than Lisa usually writes its not about lawyers.Its a very good book action all the way through.I won't go into the whole story see it above.It was a book I couldn't put down, the story is so engaging its sucks you in from page one and doesn't let up till the end!The twist
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and turns it takes keep you on the edge of your seat.Well written as,you've come to expect from Lisa Scottoline.
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LibraryThing member julyso
Ellen Gleeson receives a missing child flyer about a missing boy who looks remarkably like her own adopted son, Will. Ellen is an investigative reporter and her intuition tells her something is wrong. Ellen is torn between just forgetting all about the flyer and finding out the truth. Ellen begins
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investigating on her own and some unusual things start to happen. Ellen has her hands full between putting her job on the line, a cutthroat co-worker, a romance with the boss, and trying to find the truth out about her son.

The book started a bit slow for me, but soon I was hooked. I loved Ellen, even though sometimes I just wanted her to forget she ever saw that silly flyer! This story has all the right elements...a moral dilemma, a sexy boss, and a likeable heroine. I really ended up liking this story and liked how it all turned out.
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LibraryThing member suefernandez
This is a departure from the usual style of Lisa Scottoline, and my "Target" cover was different...much better...BUT, this was a fabulous read. I couldn't put it down...just when I thought everything had been solved, it was midway through the book...and the "game" changed again. What woud YOU do if
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the son you thought was yours might have been kidnapped before you adopted him? Would you tell? Or leave well enough alone?
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
What would an adoptive mother do if she saw her child on a "have you seen this child" flyer? The desperation that any mother would feel in this situation makes it easy to forgive some of the actions of Scottoline's main character. A page-turner with some clever twists.
LibraryThing member BeckyJG
Ellen Gleeson is a newspaper reporter in Philadelphia and the single mother of an adopted son. On page one of Look Again Ellen glances at a have-you-seen-this-child flyer and both her reporter's and her maternal instincts are set to jangling: the child on the flyer looks exactly like her son. She
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obsesses over the coincidence, begins investigating the missing boy, and can't stop even when her job is placed in jeopardy.

Lisa Scottoline is a former litigator in Phildadelphia, and the author of fifteen previous novels. She writes a good story; the action moves at a brisk clip, the heroine is likably dogged in her quest and reasonably intelligent, there's a drop-dead gorgeous love interest, and every thing's tied up nicely at the end (after a satisfying number of twists and turns, natch). Scottoline's writing is a bit breathless (knocks come suddenly, eyes flash, and the chapters are short and choppy, frequently ending on mini cliffhangers); still, the thrill is there and it moves so fast the stylistic foibles are easy to forgive.
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LibraryThing member caroren
A page turner -- especially for mothers who fear the worst !
LibraryThing member rmpbook
This was an edge of the seat classic. An easy read, but once you start it is very difficult to put down.
LibraryThing member LisMB
Great book! Nice suspense.
LibraryThing member Kathy89
Couldn't put this one down. Adoptive mother sees a "have you seen this child" postcard that looks exactly like her son. She starts investigating the circumstances of the lost boy and thinks that it's her child. Lots of plot twists and surprises as the truth comes out.
LibraryThing member jaeanneking5
Predictable, but entertaining.
LibraryThing member Quiltinfun06
I have never read anything by Lisa Scottoline before, though I knew about her. A friend of mine recommended Look Again and now I will recommend it.
This was a very well written mystery surrounding a news report/mother instincts. Ellen Gleeson has adopted a little boy three years ago. All is
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wonderful until a flyer is in her mail showing a picture of another child that has been kidnapped. Immediately Ellen sees the resemblance and her investigative mind goes to work in search of the truth.
But be careful what you wish for because you may not like what you get.
The book kept you going until the very end when several twists make the story even more exciting. Fast and furious is what Look Again is and I loved it.
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LibraryThing member tanya2009
A woman adopts a sick child and later thinks she sees the child on a missing child flyer. Lots of twists and a very good story. I will definitely look for more books by this author.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2009-04

ISBN

0312380747 / 9780312380748

Barcode

1603162
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