What was this book? A child goes missing, years later an identical child appears on the doorstep

[DaisyDreaming]

It’s driving me mad! It was quite a popular book, up to about 20 years ago, maybe 10-20 years ago? A mystery written for adults. A child goes missing (I believe a girl) and the mum grieves. One day a child turns up who is almost identical turns up except years have passed so it can’t be her. I’m sure it ends with the school playground being dug up and a body found under a new building or something. Does it ring any bells?

Cuckoo sister was my first thought. By Vivien Alcock and was a BBC series in the late 1980s.

The Cuckoo Sister sounds similar, I read it in primary school but I don’t remember them digging up anything

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo (1986) but that's a children's book and no bones get dug up. It's a great book though.

There’s an episode of The X-Files with this plot - boy goes missing, turns up years later looking identical. I think he turns out to be a ghost that comes back to protect his older brother from the same fate.

Was it a thriller-y type book? It sounds vaguely like a Nicci French, but not.

It’s also not Brat Farrer but you’ve just made me remember that!

Chuckling at the Time Traveller’s Wife suggestion. The book equivalent of the “what celebrity am I think of, blonde, thin, boobs” and the first answer is Christopher Biggins.

From the OP's description I don't think 'The Cuckoo Sister' would fit. The girl goes missing as a baby - the girl who turns up on the doorstep is the right age to be the missing girl, but doesn't share any immediately obvious family resemblance, and has been brought up in a tough East End neighbourhood in contrast with the wealthy upper-middle-class family who lost their baby daughter.

Great book, though.

Lisa Jewell, 'then she was gone'?

I also thought Changeling but it looks like it was only ever a screenplay, not a book. I watched it a few weeks after DS1 was born - was traumatised for weeks!

@Avarua huh? The time travellers wife?! The clue's in the name.

The snow spider was what came to mind for me but that had a magical element and no bones. In the Cuckoo sister the returning child was older (right age to have been missing and come back)

Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah was a similar theme, as already said. The ending was such a let-down!

I can’t help you OP but has totally forgotten about The Cuckoo Sister! We watched it weekly at school when they wheeled the big television into the hall. Never knew it was a book - going to hunt it down and read it.
Looking back we watched lots of things on a Thursday morning in school. I remember The Secret Garden but there was also a darker programme we watched that I can’t catch my memory to give any clues! Was 1986-1988 if anyone can remember?

@AutumnOrange Moondial?

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey?

@BrambleRoses

Second life of amy archer. It is quite good, although the portrayal of working class people in Manchester is dreadful!

This is the one that sprung to mind for me too. Can barely remember it but the plot sounds familiar.

And now I’m going through the thread adding many of these books to my wish list :o

@ChessieFL

Yes! Moondial! Thank you

@Theskullcupofdoom

I can't think of the name of it, but there was a TV show about 10 years ago with a similarish plot. But she moved into an old haunted house? Can't even remember who was in it!

Can’t remember the plots of either, but two haunted house type miniseries are The Secret of Crickley Hall, and Marshlands, if that helps?

I've read about seventeen variations on this theme.

Also thought of Deep End of the Ocean.

@Clawdy I never finished that , glad I didn't bother now ! Loved 'Then She Was Gone 'thou

@Blogdog

I also thought Changeling but it looks like it was only ever a screenplay, not a book. I watched it a few weeks after DS1 was born - was traumatised for weeks!

Changeling isn't a book. It's a dramatised version of a true story. The wineville chicken coop murders. I knew the history of the murders before seeing the film and its heartbreaking that what they portray in the film is quite accurate although exaggerated a little. They did force Christine to take on a child that wasn't hers and put her in an asylum when she protested. Loads of info about it online, and although the paedos mother said her son was killed at their farm, they never found his body. I believe one of the kids that did escape confirmed he was locked up and abused with Christine's son.

It sounds a bit like a book by Tami Hoag?
Can't remember the name of it though

Haven't they Grown by Sophie Hannah is the worst book I've ever read.

It’s definitely The Second Life of Amy Archer. I remember reading it and thinking what an interesting idea the plot was.

I also thought it was Sophie Hannah's "Haven't they grown"