Watched by Mickey da Cruz, a small-time gangster, Alice Aron, a young widow, arrives with her two sons on a Mediterranean island. Within hours Alice` s seven-year-old has disappeared, apparently abducted. Lucy Wadham` s riveting thriller was acclaimed on publication for its portrait of a violent place ruled by ancient enmities, in which the disappearance of a child will test a loyalty too far.
“This excellent debut novel hints at the skill of the past masters of the thriller genre such as Chandler and Leonard, both in its text and its texture. Taut and atmospheric, the narrative’s style is pared and disciplined; the plot is bold and intricate, the imagery carefully craft and the author does not flinch from violence. And, in the best tradition, the guessing game continues until the last possible moment… Lost ventures, as the gifted pupil should do, beyond the limits set by the masters it evokes.”
The Times
“As dramatic narratives go, the search for a missing child is one of the more chilling and Wadham’s narrative powers don’t disappoint… every bit as awful as Ian McEwan’s version of the same event.” Independant