Title: Seven Days
Author: Alex Lake
Published: December 2019, HarperCollins
Format: ARC Paperback, 432 pages
Source: Publisher
Summary:
A race against time to save her child…
In
seven days, Maggie’s son, Max, turns three. But she’s not planning a
party or buying presents or updating his baby book. She’s dreading it.
Because in her world, third birthdays are the days on which the
unthinkable happens… she loses her child.
For the last twelve
years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen,
she gave birth to two sons before Max, and on their third birthdays her
captor came and took them from her.
She cannot let it happen again. But she has no idea how to stop it. And the clock is ticking…
My thoughts: I have long been a fan of Alex Lake ever since reading After Anna, the author’s debut novel. Since then I have devoured all this author’s books and this latest one was no exception.
This book pulled me in right from the start and never let up. It is fueled by adrenaline and emotion and it is impossible not to be completely hooked by what is going on. We find out early on who has Maggie, but it’s such a wicked game of psychological suspense, wondering if it will turn out well for all involved. It’s dark and twisted and will absolutely get under your skin, but you will not be able to stop turning those pages until you find out the resolution.
I loved the way this story was told, alternating between the present and the past, and from Maggie’s point of view to that of her parents and brother. We see how her disappearance has impacted their lives, how they are coping with the loss. We also hear from the policewoman, Detective Inspector Wynne, who has been on the case from the beginning and is unwilling to give up until this case is resolved.
This story is brilliantly crafted and the short chapters add to the suspense and truly make it that much more addictive. It is a tense, dark, disturbing tale that you won’t be able to stop thinking of long after you finish the last page – it packs quite the punch in more ways than you can imagine. I’ve loved all of Alex Lake’s books but this might be my new favorite!
