Decades after three children are abducted from a rural Ohio town and held captive in the woods, three more children disappear under similar circumstances. Though the abductor in the previous case was killed, Detective Terry Kruthers must deal with local speculation that the two crimes are intrinsically linked. Terry wants to treat this like his typical small town case, but the media puts him into the national spotlight and he is forced to chase an old rumor that two kidnappers committed the original abduction and the survivor is now seeking revenge.
Terry’s gut says this is the work of a copycat criminal, but he must reevaluate his suspicions when he receives riddles mailed directly from the children’s abductor. Each package contains a cryptic message along with a horrifying link to the thirty-year-old case. As the media guesses who committed these unspeakable acts, Terry struggles to answer the more profound question. Why?
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 7 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: While the plot does make use of genre tropes, what makes it interesting here is the tension the author builds and the fast-moving pace. The prologue will grab readers and keep them turning pages.
Prose: The prose is tight and clear, especially in the prologue—and the style changes each time the author goes into the head of another character, which helps create unique voices. However, in some places, there is more telling than showing.
Originality: The plot is not original and will be familiar to fans of the genre. What gives this novel a freshness and captures reader attention is the well-developed tension and conflict.
Character Development: The characters in this novel are decently etched, though there is an abundance of secondary characters, which may confuse some readers. Still, the character voices are distinct and believable.
Date Submitted: July 27, 2018
