The School Trip by Miranda Smith has two little girls disappearing during a school field trip to the local pumpkin patch. It is a mother's worst nightmare to have a child go missing. The story is told from Emma, a schoolteacher and mother, and the kidnapper's point-of-view. The majority of the story is told from Emma's POV with little snippets from the guilty party. I like the kidnapper's sections because it gives the reader insights into the kidnapper. I found The School Trip to be a slow starter. The pacing picks up a little when Claire, Emma's daughter, disappears from the pumpkin patch. I found Emma a hard character to like. I understand that she is grieving the loss of her husband, which we are told numerous times. Emma feels that his death is her fault which is another repetitive detail. I liked Emma's sister-in-law, Piper. She was a mysterious character. Piper had some secrets of her own as well as helpful connections. I liked the linear timeline of the story. We follow the investigation from the beginning until the end. The author captured the character's emotions. I did feel the ending was rushed. The story played out in a predictable manner. I was able to identify the guilty party early in the story. I found the story easy to read, but it did not hold my interest. I skimmed through sections to get to the end. I quickly tired of all the repetition (guilt, grief, despair, raising her daughter on her own, husband's death is her fault, etc.). I wanted action, suspense, and intrigue. I appreciated the epilogue. The School Trip is a book that I read, but I did not enjoy.

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