With Child: A Novel

Written by Laurie R. King

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

THE THIRD BOOK IN THE KATE MARTINELLI MYSTERY SERIES

In Laurie R. King's With Child, adrift in mist-shrouded San Francisco mornings and alcohol-fogged nights, homicide detective Kate Martinelli can't escape the void left by her departed lover, who has gone off to rethink their relationship. But when twelve-year-old Jules Cameron comes to Kate for a professional consultation, Kate's not sure she's that desperate for distraction.

Jules is worried about her friend Dio, a homeless boy she met in a park. Dio has disappeared without a word of farewell, and Jules wants Kate to find him Reluctant as she is, Kate can't say no--and soon she finds herself forming a friendship with the bright, quirky girl. But the search for Dio will prove to be much more than both bargained for--and it's only the beginning.

When Jules disappears while taking a trip with Kate, a desperate search begins...and Kate knows all too well the odds of finding the child alive...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jan 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781427251480

Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Kate Martinelli novels and the acclaimed Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mysteries, as well as a few stand-alone novels. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first in her Mary Russell series, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of the Century’s Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A Monstrous Regiment of Women won the Nero Wolfe Award. She has degrees in theology, and besides writing she has also managed a coffee store and raised children, vegetables, and the occasional building. She lives in northern California.

Reviews for With Child

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reeling from her lover Lee's decision to visit an aunt she's never met in order to rethink their relationship, Kate is drifting and drinking too much. When her partner Al's soon-to-be stepdaughter Jules Cameron comes to her with a problem, Kate reluctantly decided to help her out.Jules has recently met a homeless boy named Dio in the park by her home and they have become friends. When Dio disappears, she can't get anyone to help her find out what happened to him. As Kate searches, she and twelve-year-old Jules become friends. Jules is having issues with her mother and some new information about her life. Kate provides a safe haven where she can think about something other than her problems. Kate's efforts to find Dio do have a positive outcome. She locates him in a squat in San Francisco with a bunch of other boys and a Fagin-like character running them all. When she finds him, Dio is sick with pneumonia and in the rescue attempt, Kate is bashed on the head and spends some time in Intensive Care where she dreams about her relationship with Lee.Once Kate gets out of the hospital, she is still dealing with the aftereffects including migraines. She has also come to realize that she needs to fix herself before she can fix her relationship with Lee. Fixing herself includes buying a motorcycle and motorcycle leathers.Jules asks to spend the time her mother and Al are on their honeymoon with Kate. Kate decides that the two will go on a road trip and maybe stop in to visit Lee. Things are going well on their road trip when Kate is hit with one of her migraines and they need to stop for the night sooner than they had planned. The next morning Jules is gone. She has disappeared and it is feared that she is the next victim of a serial killer who is targeting her type.But Kate isn't so sure. Fearing that Jules is dead, Kate decides to investigate the possibility that Jules left for some reason of her own. She begins asking countless questions of Dio who knows something he's promised not to tell and many, many others. The details of her investigation are what makes this story a police procedural. I was fascinated by the variety of things Kate tried as she searched for Jules all the while believing that she was likely dead.This was another excellent story in the Kate Martinelli series. The characters are complex and intriguing. The mystery was twisty and filled with tension. The narrator did an excellent job with both the characters and the pacing of the story.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Plus a half star. Very competent mystery thriller with a nice variety of pace.

[sageness · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars. It was a 4 up until the last fourth of the book, when, well, it seems like editorial deadlines reared their head, which is a shame because the first half of the book is full of gorgeous writing and vivid detail. It was engaging enough that I read it in one sitting, hence my disappointment at not being able to give 4 stars.

[purlewe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always.. I think Laurie R. King hits it out of the park writing wise... She just has the ability to see, write, and create mysteries in such a natural way. It feels effortless. And I know it can't be.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. King doesn't follow a formula for her novels, which is refreshing. The main mystery in this novel only begins halfway through the novel. Up to that point, Ms. King is developing character and setting the scene and really, setting up a dozen different possibilities for dramatic plot lines. The relationship between Kate and Lee continues to unfold. I really enjoyed watching Kate's mind work as she fit disparate pieces together to figure out the mystery.

[jeannemarkert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great King book. A twelve yr old Jules Cameron come into Kate Martinelli life. Subquently she disappears & Kate looks for her

[meredith47 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is set in contemporary San Francisco. The characters are as vividly drawn and as immediately likeable as those in all of Laurie King's works. Ms. King also brings us inside several contemporary issues without preaching at us or being annoying. And my usual warning: there will be places where you will NOT be able to put it down!

[markatread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I tried to give this one a higher grade. And I think if I had read the first 2 books in this series I probably could have, but I haven't read those books and the truth is this one is slow when it starts and broods along at a very slow pace for quite a while. There is a story where Kate Martinelli looks for a boy that has gone missing, but it is a very thin plot line and it is obvious it is not really the heart of this story. When the book does pick up the pace, the crime happens out of her jurisdiction and Kate has only some fringe involvement. The pace picks up because to some degree the heroine does something she probably should not have done, take a 12 year old kid with her on a personal trip to see some one that has told her she does not want to see Kate. But Kate decides to take the 12 year old girl with her and go see her friend anyway. Then the girl, Jules, goes missing.The strength of the book is the character development that occurs for Kate and Jules (to a lesser extent the same can be said for Kate's boss who is getting married). This part of the book for those who have read the first 2 books already is probably very important. But for those of us who have not read those first 2 books, there is some difficulty relating to any of the characters as they move so slowly and secretively at times. I will say that the character developement is well done, I just didn't know the characters well enough to feel attached to what, for Kate in particular, is a very painful place.

[siubhank · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The second book in the Kate Martinelli series. After her serious accident, Kate's lover has decided to go off alone and rethink their relationship. Kate is devastated, because the accident was caused by Lee's involvement in one of her police cases and because she was totally barred from the decision making process. The relationship is explored mostly in Kate's musings and anesthesia induced dreams, following an attack by a felon. In the midst of all this angst, Kate's detective partner is planning his wedding. His almost step-daughter is estranged from her mother and strangely enough turns to Kate for companionship, strange because Kate does not consider herself at "kid person'. There is other police and two missing teen-agers,but the heart of the story is the void left in Kate's life.

[krsball · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great author, great book.

[acommonreader_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

#3 in Martinelli Series. Liked the comeraderie of Kate and the partner's daughter-in-law... Middle to end was kinda -eh-...

[melwil_2006 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the nice things about resolving to read books that I haven't read before, means I'm reading in genres I haven't really explored before. Despite the fact that I'm a fan of King's Mary Russell books, I've never read any of her other stories. I'm a little shocked about that now.With Child is the third Kate Martinelli book - telling the stories of the San Fransisco detective who seems to be notorious for reasons outside of work. Her partner, Lee, has gone away for a while - leaving Kate alone with her work and a quiet house. Then she finds herself getting closer to Jules Cameron - a 12 year old, bright child who has befriended a young homeless boy, and is concerned when he disappears.The first part of the story deals with Kate's search for the young boy, feeding into the second part when Kate and Jules go for a small holiday and Jules goes missing. I found that the first part of the book dragged a little for me while I was reading it - but as I finished the book, I knew that it was necessary. This was a gripping story which I kept reading through a very boring work shift - putting it down when customers came was a real struggle. I'm looking forward to reading the other books.