The Missing by CL Taylor

The Missing

By CL Taylor

‘The Missing’ takes the reader into scary territory from the start. A teenager, Billy, has gone missing and his mother is living every parent’s nightmare.

Claire has no idea what has happened to her son or whether she will ever find him alive. And then to make things worse her mind starts playing tricks on her and she is diagnosed as having experienced fugue states.

As the story goes on, we find out more about Claire and her family and discover that everyone is hiding something. If Claire can work out what is going on, will she be able to find Billy before it is too late?

Claire was a great character, and I found myself empathising with her more and more as the book went on, particularly as some of the things she finds out about the people around her – who are all deeply flawed - are so distressing. The claustrophobic feeling of sharing a house with people who are all distressed and suffering is also very well done.

CL Taylor has made some brave decisions in the writing of this book. I can’t say too much more than that without spoilers, but it is the way the story veers away from what you might expect that gives it an edge and makes it stand out.

I found this a real page-turner. There are so many questions that the reader wants to know the answer to that the story sucks you in and takes you along with it.

A recommended read for those who enjoy intrigue, suspense and mystery.

Don’t miss your chance to read this one!

You can find out more here.

The Lie by CL Taylor

The Lie

By CL Taylor 

This is the follow up to the phenomenally successful and well-received ‘The Accident’, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Here’s the blurb –

I know your name’s not really Jane Hughes . . .

Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She’s happier than she’s ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.

Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.

Jane has tried to put the past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won’t stop until they’ve destroyed Jane and everything she loves . . .

Like ‘The Accident’, ‘The Lie’ works with two narratives in different timescales. In the present day narrative we follow Jane as she realises that something from her past – something very nasty that she’d hoped would stay buried – has caught up with her.

The other thread tells the story of Jane’s past life. A life where she had a totally different identity. A life where she set off for a holiday of a lifetime to Nepal with three friends. A holiday that was to end in fear, disaster and heartbreak.

The two threads work well together. In the present day strand we find out about Jane’s current life working in an animal shelter. Her work provides a perfect setting to the events that unfold and the animals in her care become an important part of the story.

The Nepal strand not only takes us back in time, but also to a completely different and much more exotic location. There are some great details here, which really made the story come to life.

As we move backwards and forwards between the two strands, the tension builds. As we discover more about what happened in the past the danger that Jane is in in the present moves closer and becomes harder to escape.

This is an accomplished psychological thriller and the author does a great job of building a sense of fear, claustrophobia, disorientation and panic as the sinister events unfold. If you enjoyed ‘The Accident’, you’ll love this. And if you haven’t read ‘The Accident’, you should really read that as well.

You can read my review of ‘The Accident’ here.

Thanks very much to the publishers for an electronic review copy of this book via Netgalley.

You can find out more here.

The Accident by C L Taylor

The Accident

By C L Taylor 

I’d been looking forward to reading this book ever since I first read the premise, so I was really excited to receive a review copy. I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Right from the start, the book takes you into a frightening world where it feels like anything could happen and probably will.

Two narratives run alongside each other through the novel. One thread follows the present day story of Sue, whose teenaged daughter is in a coma after deliberately walking in front of a bus. The other is a series of diary entries from Sue’s earlier life which throw light on the circumstances she’s found herself in and, equally importantly, how she reacts to them.

Both narratives are equally strong, and in each the tension, fear and jeopardy for Sue build up towards the climax in a terrifying and foreboding mix.

Sue’s quest to find out what happened to her daughter, and why, is hindered by the lies being told and secrets being kept by almost all the other characters. Unravelling the mystery with her is part of the appeal of the book and ultimately leads to a satisfying conclusion.

This book covers some dark themes, including domestic violence, betrayal and breakdown. In doing so it provides a thought-provoking as well as a challenging and satisfying one.

I’m definitely looking forward to CL Taylor’s next psychological thriller and can’t wait to see what she has in store for her readers next.

I recommend this book to thriller lovers, and now I'm just looking forward to the next one.

Thanks very much to the publishers for a review copy of this book.

You can buy a copy here.