The book starts with a flashback, of two very young, neglected children being taken into care. Once the book “proper” started, I kept wondering how and where the flashback came into the story, and on numerous occasions I calculated the likely ages of different characters to see if they could possibly be one of the children. It is a credit to the author that I was very surprised when the reveal eventually came.
Danny, a hard working, reliable eleven year old, is kidnapped on his way home from school. A ransom is demanded – a sum that seems relatively low for the child of two professional parents. although to the surprise of his mother Martha, there is far less money available in the family accounts than she thought and they struggle to raise the funds, leaving Martha no longer able to trust her husband.
Meanwhile Danny has been transported to a hideaway where he is being held securely and “looked after” by Sally, the drink and drug dependent lady friend of one of the kidnappers, and her son Liam. Danny and Liam strike up an unexpected friendship. At first I thought this was going to turn out to be a story about Stockholm Syndrome but as the story unfolds it is clearly just the natural inclination of teenage boys, both denied their freedom in different ways, to form a close bond in the face of adversity.
That’s about as much as I can say without introducing any spoilers, but the book is a gripping and dramatic read, with lots of twists and heart-stopping moments. Lies and secrets that don’t appear to be connected to the story all slot neatly together by the end, and our view of, and sympathy for, the various characters changes throughout the book.
An exciting, absorbing and moving page-turner.