This is a book that evoked the emotions I used to have watching scary TV programs as a kid. The type you just had to watch but, before the days of fast forwarding through the scary bits on demand, you had to watch between your fingers.
Lily, a newly divorced single mother, has an alert on her phone. On her security camera a man is standing in her garden wearing a mask of her daughters face.
Rushing home to meet the Police Lily picks her daughter up from school. Maisie is scared by the policeman but soon settles down.
The next day Lily wakes up with a hangover, but that’s the least of her problems, she’s at home, in familiar surroundings, with all her possessions, except she’s not. Somebody has in prisoned her and Maisie within a complete replica of their own home, and there’s no way out
The only thing that’s different are the photos in the family album. The ones that she and her ex, Ewan, took of Maisie have been replaced by ones taken at the same time, images that show Lily, Maisie and Ewan when the originals were taken.
When The mystery man from the security footage makes contact he tells Lily to obey his rules or she will be punished, and she is. The first time she annoys him he takes Maisie away for a night.
No more spoilers, this is an original and brilliant story.
If I was to liken it to any other writing I’d say it was like a cross between Stephen King and Dean Koontz at their best.
The story follows Lily as she tries to escape and tries to work out whose holding them. She examines her own memories dragging her thoughts back to things she’d rather forget.
I really did read this in two sittings, I really did read this holding my breath for way too long at times, but most of all, I really really did enjoy this book.
Pages: 257
Publishers: One More Chapter, Harper Collins
Publishing date: 24th July 2020
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