By Jennifer Hanning
A mystery novel packed with intrigue and suspense.
 Carmel Hamilton makes a selfish decision which results in the kidnapping of little Polly. The situation is further exacerbated when another member of the family sustains dreadful injuries. Shunned by her father and elder sister, Carmel sinks to the depths of guilt and misery fearing she will never again be deserving of love. Ellis Towers finds the key to unlock the Hamiltons' deeply buried secrets – but what he discovers could save or destroy the whole family. What Happened to Polly is a mystery drama following a moment in time when the decision of one changed the lives of many. A few years ago, I told my youngest sister how I once tied her to a fairground fence so that I could go on the rides. I thought she would laugh with me but she was horrified and said, “What if someone had've taken me?” That thought haunted me for some time afterwards, imagining her being kidnapped because of my selfishness. An uncountable number of lives would have been affected, some ruined. Thanks for still being there, Kelly. I am one of many living a happy life because I was able to write this story as fiction. 5.0 out of 5 stars – "I really liked this!" January 25, 2012 By Victoria Format:Kindle Edition This is a great book. It kept me engaged - and unhappy when my commute on public transportation was ending each day! I cared about the characters and felt like I knew each of them. The relatively surprise ending added a lot to an already great read. Nice going to the author. This is the first "free" book that I've downloaded, read, and kept on my Fire. Usually I read and delete or else start to read and delete. I can actually see myself reading this again some time. Thank you! 4.0 out of 5 stars - June 16, 2013 By Pat Baldridge (Wichita, KS) I read mysteries daily. Always able to guess the end. Not this one. Great read. I recommend it for a way to spend a lazy summer day. 5.0 out of 5 stars -January 20, 2012 By Lee Format:Kindle Edition An engrossing story full of intrigue. A well thought out plot with the suspense building at a steady pace. I would recommend What Happened to Polly to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a healthy dose of love and action thrown in. 5.0 out of 5 stars – "A really good read!", April 19, 2012 By shopper2010 Format:Kindle I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were fleshed out and the story was very good. You really felt bad for Carmel (and Polly). There was little swearing (that I recall) & not much in the sexual content so if you aren't crazy about that you don't have to worry. Doesn't bother me but I know it bothers some. The characters and the story were very believable (and you can definitely imagine that the family dynamics could be just like this) except for mother/boyfriend story. I know that the story had to come together but what Carmel's boyfriend came up with was a little bit over the top and highly improbable; however, it was really sweet that he did what he did so I tried to overlook this;) I look forward to reading any other books by this author. 5.0 out of 5 stars, January 29, 2012 By megareader Kindle Edition Good book to read, holds interest throughout and surprise ending. Easy to follow the characters and I would recommend to anyone who likes reading a good fictional novel. 4.0 out of 5 stars, December 26, 2011 By JSS - Kindle Edition Just finished reading "What Happened To Polly" and thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written, engaging hard to put down novel. Characters are well developed and believable in an interesting and varied plot. Intuitive, honest but also funny and inventive. A wonderful read. 5.0 out of 5 stars - "Well done Ms Hanning!", February 21, 2012 By Lealea An enjoyable journey, curious to the end. Characters and storyline create interest and a few OMG moments. My suspiscions were only half realised! 5.0 out of 5 stars - March 1, 2012, By M Ward - Kindle Edition I LOVED this book. I found the author by accident and decided to download this book, thinking that if I didn't like it, it would be no big deal since it was on sale. I was so drawn into the story that I couldn't put it down. I downloaded it onto my Kindle late in the evening, but didn't get a chance to start reading until about 11:00. At 1 AM, I finally, regretfully, stopped reading since I had to be up for work in a few hours. I couldn't wait to get home to finish it. I even ordered pizza and brought it home so I could get right to the story. It was an amazing story, very well told and very entertaining. I recently downloaded her other book Moongolly and look forward to reading this one as well. Author Jennifer hanning is one my new favorites. 4.0 out of 4 stars - "Jolly good read", 10 April 2013 By Lady Ottoline Loved this book, gripped you from the beginning. The ending wasn't what I was expecting but was in fact better than my thoughts on what was going to happen. Would definitely recommend this book. Haven't read any other books by this author but will look out for future books hoping for as good a read. 5.0 out of 5 stars, March 24, 2012 By Vicki Lee Format:Kindle Edition Thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to other avid readers of the suspense genre. I was hooked by the first few lines and kept reading until forced to quit. This author has a great voice and excellent style. 5.0 out of 5 stars, April 9, 2012 By Liz (New York) Kindle Edition This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Hanning. It kept my interest from the beginning to the end. I found the book sad but some things in the book really shocked me as well. I really loved the ending. I would definitely read more books by this author. 5.0 out of 5 stars, April 14, 2012 By CASHIER102 - Kindle Edition A book that you just didn't want to put down. Sometimes we all make mistakes, this one will show how kids can put their self before their siblings and then regret it later. 5.0 out of 5 stars "Great book!!", May 24, 2012 By Loves2Read (Kindle Edition) WOW!! What a great book!! I really thought I knew where the story was going....but to my surprise it completely changed!!! I have 3 kindles (3g Touch, Fire, and Keyboard). I will be lending this to my friends!!! I read at least a book a day. I can't get out much, so reading is really my thing! Enjoy this great book!!!!!!!! :) 4.0 out of 5 stars "Finished In A Day", May 26, 2012 By alinleach79 (Kindle Edition) This was a terrific book. I loved that we got to know what happened to the family after the kidnapping of Polly - where she went, what happened to her sisters and mother, and father. I loved the ending, but I saw it coming halfway thru the book. I'd love for a sequel to come out - how the sisters are doing, how their relationships with each other and significant others are going. 5.0 out of 5 stars "I Love This Story !!", June 10, 2012 By Sensian (Kindle Edition) I loved this story and would recommend 'What Happened To Polly' to anyone who enjoys a good read. It flows so well that you get lost within the characters individual worlds, as if you are right in there with them, watching the story unfold. The emotions you feel as you go along are like being on a rollercoaster of the ups and downs to what is a sad story but one filled with hope. T here is everything here that you want from a story and I could not put this book down. Thank you to the author and can we have some more please. 4.0 out of 5 stars "A fast read I couldn't put down", June 18, 2012 By mandalynn75 (Kindle) I enjoyed this book! It was a quick one day read, the characters were easy to relate to and understand. The author kept me interested from start to finish, and actually wondering if there will be a sequel. 5.0 out of 5 stars "Don't let the synopsis scare you!", June 21, 2012 By Iowagirl (Kindle) I love to read reviews and the synopsis of the story but usually just scan them as I don't want to know the WHOLE story. I don't like to read stories where a child is kidnapped or in danger. This book is not really about the missing child but the reaction of her family. I really like how the end doesn't tie it all up in a happy ending. An excellent book-highly recommended! 5.0 out of 5 stars "What a find!", July 18, 2012 By JosMum (Kindle Edition) I'm so pleased I found this author and can't wait to read more of her work. Very easy reading, but beware - very engrossing. Don't start reading it late at night, unless you can sleep in the next day. Loved the plot with it's slightly different slant. Don't want to spoil the ending, but was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't your usual "cops looking for little girl" mystery. Hope this book gets a bigger audience. It deserves one. 5.0 out of 5 stars "Clear the decks for this book!" 26 Jun 2012 By ElaineG, Amazon UK. At the start Carmel is 10 years old and has been entrusted with looking after her 3 year old sister Polly. For just a few short minutes Carmel leaves her unattended and that is all the time it takes for Polly to be snatched. The first part of the story deals with the aftermath – Carmel is shunned by the rest of her family and ostracised at school. As she grows up she is torn with guilt and pain for what happened and misses her sister terribly, all the while never knowing what happened to her. Eventually, she starts a new life and through her own hard work and determination seems to make a success of her life. However, she never forgets the past and never totally comes to terms with what happened, and at the same time builds a huge wall around herself to try and protect herself from further hurt, only letting in her very special friends, including Ellis. And what did happen to Polly? The second part of the book deals with what happened to her and it is a very moving story indeed. At times, there seems to be very sinister, chilling undertones to the story – you are literally kept on the edge of your seat wondering just what is going to happen. The ending was a complete shock to me – and I was left feeling a bit disappointed that I had come to the end of the tale. The book is very well written with great characters, a wonderful plot and dialogue – highly recommended to anyone. 4.0 out of 5 stars "A Summer Read" 14 July 2012 By Suze - Amazon, UK I read this book whilst on holiday and it was very enjoyable. The reader is immediately drawn to the main character and roots for her in her relationships with her odd family, and also in her career. You really want her to succeed after everything she goes through. Whilst I did thoroughly enjoy the book, I was thrown a bit by some of the events and their credibility in the real world. Nevertheless, it is a well-spun story, well-written enough to hold your interest and get involved with the main characters, so definitely worth reading – just suspend your cynicism for full enjoyment! 5.0 out of 5 stars "Ticked all the boxes", 30 April 2012 By Tishminx - Amazon, UK. Another author I hadn't heard of, another book I probably wouldn't have read but is now in my radar. A painful book to read to a certain extent, I felt an overpowering urge to protect the main character (the one that left the girl tied to the fence) and was almost annoyed with the little girl. But thoroughly enjoyed the book, wanted to know how it ended but didn't want the book to end... that's my sign of a good book! Would recommend to others for a bit of mystery with a good story line and believable characters. NB: There are many more reviews for What Happened to Polly on both Amazon US and UK. Liane rated it 5 of 5 stars "A thoroughly good read, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. A very "hard to put down" book. Invoked so many different emotions, loved it." Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars "Highly-recommended A very gripping mystery tale with very believable characters. Definitely worth a read." Dorel rated it 5 of 5 stars "This is the first book I read by Jennifer Hanning. It kept my interest from the beginning to the end. I found the book sad but some things in the book really shocked me as well. I really loved the ending. I would definitely read more books by this author." Karrie James rated it 5 of 5 stars "I loved this book. I found that i was kept in suspense all through the. Did not even guess the ending. Recommend this book to all my friends. Fantastic read." Juniper rated it 5 of 5 stars "Jennifer is a great storyteller. You can't go wrong with this book. A rollercoaster of emotions that you will love." B.J. Burton rated it 4 of 5 stars "This is one of those novels which is very hard to review without giving away important elements of the plot. The title might give the impression that this might be a gruesome account of the sufferings of a kidnap victim, but be reassured – it isn’t. It is a well-written, thought-provoking and involving account of the long-term aftermath of the snatching of a young child. The characters are convincingly drawn. The plot twist at the end came as a complete surprise. Recommended." Eileen rated it 5 of 5 stars "I really enjoyed this book.. The complexity of this family is unreal. The main character is so complex and is a joy to get to know." For a preview and to order, click here: Amazon.com
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