Bump in the Night

by Isabelle Holland

Asleep in a haze of alcohol, Martha Teirney recognizes the phone caller as the headmistress of her son's school, but she understands the message. Jonathan is missing! Martha begins a desperate search for her child, knowing that she will never find him unless she stays sober.

Genres: Mystery

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Isabelle Christian Holland (born June 16, 1920 in Basel, Switzerland — died February 9, 2002) was an author of children and adult fiction. Her father was the American Consul in Liverpool, England during WWII. She moved to America in 1940 due to the war. She wrote Gothic novels, adult mysteries, romantic thrillers, and many books for children and young adults. She wrote over 50 books in her lifetime, and was still working at the time of her death at age 81 in New York City.

Two of her novels have been made into movies:

Bump in the Night, 1991,
The Man Without a Face, 1993

Both of these novels deal with issues or allegations of pedophilia.

Reviews

[Rickard Dahlgren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oerhört tråkig och innehållslös berättelse där ett barn rövas bort utan vetskap från dennes alkoholiserade mor och sin frånvarande far. Nästintill inga miljöbeskrivningar eller någon typ av sympati för karaktärerna ges och frågan är vad författaren egentligen vill säga med denna bok. Att det dessutom finns så många karaktärer i boken som enbart nämns vid ytan och inte ges något djup är riktigt bedrövligt. Inte min cup of tea så att säga.

[Gabby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this was bad. I think this is the first time I've given a book a 1 rating that I actually finished. I finished because it was short (finished in two hours) and I could mark off some BINGO squares in a reading challenge I'm doing this summer.

Mostly, it's poorly written. The points of view are all over the place. There's one place where we meet a secretary and are told two paragraphs about her background, but really it's irrelevant because we never see her again. The plot is boring and simple and not very original. The characters are shallow and cliche. And the setting of NYC is drab and boring. It's one of my favorite cities and it lends nothing to this setting. Book could have been set anywhere.

Oh! And the 8-year-old kids sounded like they were 12. I don't care if they do go to a "prestigious" school and are "educated." They're still 8. Ugh.

And the title ... has nothing to do with anything in the book. It's totally random. Nonsensical.

Do not recommend.

[Michael Phelps · Rating 2 out of 5]

good writing, not a fan of the topic

[Sadie Regnier · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this for $1 at a book sale, and I paid too much. Not much of a mystery and really not a thriller. Definitely not a young adult read like the cover makes it out to be! The only redeeming quality is that it is a short book.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but page turning novel. I wish it was longer however the plot was amazing and it’s written so mysteriously. Great novel, may read again.

[Jessica Ahlros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recension finns på bloggen. https://ahlrosbokigahyllor.blogg.se/

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this book at Goodwill. I think I read it in fall 2021, but can't remember for sure. Predictable thriller about a young boy kidnapped by a pedophile. Not the most original plot ever, and it's been done better in other books. But I read all the way through to the end because I wanted to know if the boy would be all right.

Bump in the Night is a very paint-by-numbers thriller. The characters are all generic and two-dimensional, and I thought the writing style was clunky and awkward. Not an awful book, but I don't think I'll be seeking out anything else by this author.

[Gena Lott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very skillfully written to create suspense right from the beginning. I HAD to keep reading to make certain that the abducted little boy came to no harm!
However, I am not sure how realistic the ending was. I felt it was a little "Too good to be true."
A quick read.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short fictional book about a boy who gets kidnapped by a pedophile. The child's parents are divorced; the mother an alcoholic and a writer father who travels 3/4 of the year.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in middle school, great suspense. I liked it.