Like many people in the UK I have been following this story for a long time and have heard the rumours and conspiracy theories that the McCann's may have actually been involved. Having now read this book I still have no idea either way whether they had something to do with Madeleine's disappearance. Kate comes across as someone who is genuinely grieving and struggling with the loss of her daughter, but at the same time she dismisses vital evidence the Portuguese police found. At one point when she learns of the sniffer dog evidence her friend remarks: 'are the police going to put the dogs in the stand and get them to bark once for yes and twice for no' which I thought was very dismissive and odd. Surely you would be distressed at the possibility your child had died in the apartment, not immediately try to discredit the sniffer dog evidence? I spotted Maddie in Morocco on 9 May 2007 - 10 years later the sighting still haunts me" - Daily Star, 19 Apr 2017 While the subject matter is difficult, the story is important to read. For one thing, it accomplishes its objective, which is to keep Madeleine's name, face, and the event of her abduction, in the public memory, with the hope that someone, somewhere, sometime, will see her, recognize her, and aid in returning her to her family. She then revealed: "I was chatting to Amelie and she said, 'Mummy's sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.'" Keeping busy is the family's way of coping, though it will never fill the void left by Maddie's absence. Kate saying that they had wondered about "having a dinner in the sitting room or veranda" on the night in question, when on a TV interview she said that they had considered going to a restaurant called The Millennium but did not have a buggy - but they had earlier rented a buggy from the resort on another occasion.

Earlier this year, German investigators searched a large section of the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. German prosecutors at the time said the items discovered in the three-day operation might be linked to her disappearance but have not yet been confirmed as evidence. And the book certainly reads well. I actually wanted to read more due its easy writing style. However, it is nothing like her more staccato diary kept at the time. I got the distinct impression it was written by at least two people, possibly more. Kate’s ‘voice’ based on her diary, jumped out and I could actually hear it – including the Scouse intonation. Other passages had a different ‘sound’ – to me, that is.I found this book utterly painstaking to read and haven't finished it, nor do I intend to. And I never leave a book unfinished.

I didn't enjoy the writing style of whoever wrote this. It was reported at the time of publication that JK Rowling lent her assistance, but this has been denied since - with sources saying that the only connection there was that they shared a literary agent. Dr Kate: “At this stage, I was also still giving some credence to the information [sic] we were receiving from psychics, some of whom were suggesting that we should scour nearby territory again”. Dr Martin Roberts: "If Madeleine's pyjamas had not, in fact, been abducted then neither had Madeleine McCann."Ryan is everything Dawn is not. He's open, friendly, and willing to reach out to others for help. While Dawn feels drawn to the stranger and wants to help him, she's afraid that opening herself up will just lead to yet another romantic disaster. With circumstances pushing them closer together, will Dawn have the courage to let Ryan in, or will she hold to her rules and keep all the emotional complications out of her life? The first part of the book is Kate's story of growing up, getting her medical degree and her single life, followed by when she met and married Gerry, the birth of their three children and the lead up to the ill-fated holiday in Portugal. This part of her story is relevant to the events that would ultimately unfold and gives the reader an insight into the person that Kate is and her unconditional love for her family. The second half of the book details the lead up to Madeleine's disappearance and the horrifying abduction itself. The final part of the book outlines the police investigation, media frenzy and the unthinkable mental and emotional torture that Kate and Gerry McCann have endured ever since. Kate opens up about her feelings during this time and how she coped with the constant onslaught of accusations of guilt that were fired at her and Gerry during the investigation. This book has been available for some time and I wanted to read it to see if it would change my mind about the McCanns as parents and as people.

If you knew the evidence we had you would come to the same conclusion as I do but I can’t give you details because we don’t want the accused to know what we have on him – these are tactical considerations,” he told the BBC.

Gerry, a cardiologist who is also a research professor at the University of Leicester, was said to be working in the same hospital at times, although they were "hardly ever" expected to come across each other due to the busy nature of their prestigious jobs. Recently, Madeleine's sister Amelie joined her parents and well-wishes for an anniversary event 16 years on from the disappearance. As none of us know for sure what happened to Madeleine, don't expect any great revelations in this book. It's also quite dated given that it was published five years after Madeleine vanished, she has now (as of 2019) sadly been missing for 12 years.

Speaking in her ambassador role for charity Missing People, Kate said about the twin teens: "They have their own friends and they keep busy and they're really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five.I have never been a fan of Kate McCann, although equally I've never hated her. I tend to lean towards the indifferent if I'm completely honest. That said, I chose to read this book out of a combination of morbid human interest and wanting to form my own opinion of Kate without just relying on the press. This inspirational novella will warm your heart and show you the power of love to change lives. If you are a fan of well-written fast reads that leave you feeling good, this book is for you. In an extract from her 2011 book, Madeleine, Kate said: "There have been many times when I've felt God has deserted me or that He has let Madeleine down. I've occasionally doubted His existence altogether. And yes, I've been angry with Him... For now, though, at least, my anger towards God seems to have subsided. I believe in Him and I still feel His presence." Since the disappearance in 2007, the couple have remained together with the two appealing for international help to find their daughter numerous times over the years.