I suppose it is natural to place the care of children at the heart of a thriller as, unless you are a particularly hard-hearted reader, it’s a good way to get you, the reader, to care quickly about the characters. Here are three books considering the relationship between mother and child.
My Name is Anna by Lizzy Barber
In Florida, Anna is eighteen and just starting to rebel against her extremely strict Mamma, who is obsessed by cleanliness and purity and God. She has never been allowed to visit Florida’s biggest theme park so why, when she takes a forbidden trip there, does it seems familiar?
In London, Rosie was just a baby when her older sister was stolen on holiday. Fifteen years later her parents are still trying to find their child, whilst Rosie has to deal with the being an object of curiosity and the toll the search has taken on her parents marriage. She decides to uncover the truth herself…
Okay, so you don’t get any prizes for working out the connection here! But this is a fast paced and interesting exploration of the lives of two teenagers in very different circumstances, alternate chapters being each girl’s story, and written in the first person present, giving that real feeling of the spontaneity of teenagers. Both girls are struggling with their identity as they grow towards adulthood and the pain and confusion of being in the shadow of events that happened before you can remember is keenly felt.
A gripping read and, if the ending feels a little contrived, still thoroughly enjoyable.
Century/Penguin Random House hb £12.99
The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl
Here is the book for the lovers of Scandi drama.
In an idyllic small Norwegian town, Cecilia seems like the perfect wife and mother, just waiting to pick up her girls from swimming before getting to home to a cool glass of wine in her elegant living room. But when she reluctantly agrees to do a simple favour and drop a small boy home, her life is turned upside down and her past threatens her well-contrived life.
Cecilia is a great character. A true anti-heroine who has everything controlled from her decor, to her children, to how much affection she permits herself to show her husband. She is really quite unlikeable but her actions throw her life into confusion and we start to see different sides to her. The narrative switches between Cecilia, Tobias the little boy, and the historical diaries of Annika a drug addict. Cecilia is the strongest voice, the others feel like a device to help us as readers uncover the plot but they are the weakest part of the book, which is otherwise absolutely gripping, unsettling and unpredictable as we find out exactly what lies beneath Cecilia’s perfect life.
HeadofZeus pb £7.99
Gone By Midnight by Candice Fox
In tropical Queensland, four young boys are left alone in a hotel room whilst their holidaying parents dine downstairs. But when a parent checks on them at midnight, one of the boys has disappeared. The boys swear they didn’t leave the room, the CCTV shows no sign of him. There is no trace of the boy or his body.
The boy’s mother calls in detective Ted Conkaffey and his unconventional boss Amanda to help the search, much to the dismay of the local police chief. But both Ted and Amanda have histories of their own that might impede the investigation.
This is the third outing for Ted Conkaffey and this has all the hallmarks of a great easy-to-read thriller. A detective with a troubled past, an eccentric sidekick, a difficult relationship with the local police, and a great mystery at the centre. Lots of fun with twists and turns, problems solved as soon as they arrive by helpful friends and sometimes enemies. All in all implausible but well written in a fast paced style. A great one for a holiday. Just keep an eye on the kids….
Century/Penguin Random House hb £12.99