I often think that I live on

Blurb:

Reeve LeClaire was abducted when she was twelve years old and help i captivity for four years. Now in her twenties, she has a fragile stability.  With the help of her psychiatrist, she had started to build a life of independence.  But she will never shake off the terror and memory of the monster she believes is behind bars.

When Tilly Cavanaugh is rescued from a basement having suffered a similar experience, her parents call Reeve and ask her to help their daughter rediscover a 'normal life'.  But when two more girls go missing, the police confirm that there is a serial abductor at large.

Reeve knows that she alone has the knowledge which will help to find the perpetrator - but can she overcome her demons to discover the truth?

Review:

I loved mystery thriller novels even before the advent of the rather lacklustre Gone Girl.  (Why that book got loads of attention was rather beyond this reader’s comprehension). 

Rather than focusing on the victim, as many novels of this genre does, this novel is different in that is deals which what happens to victims after then have been rescued from their ordeal and how they handle life afterwards with their ongoing issues.

This novel is told from two differing points of view – that of the killer and that of Reeve who, because of her experiences, has been called in to help another hostage victim (because of her unique experience).  Not only does she help but she also becomes embroiled in the investigation of the current killer.  Yet, unlike many females in these novels she calls the police in at the first opportunity, even if they dismiss her as a nutcase.

The characters drawn by this author are complex and fascinating enough for you to want to continue to read past this first novel.  This novel is a compelling and tense thriller with complex twists and turns that keep the reader turning the pages.  The plot is fast paced and stays with you long after reading.  Reeve so wants to be normal but the scars of her past experience are preventing her from being so.  Yet somehow she finds reserves of spirit and determination that help her catch the killer.  It also shows the close bond Reeve had formed with her psychiatrist Dr Lerner.

Although the subject matter of child sexual abuse, may put some readers off everything else is handled well and in particular the experiences of the kidnapped girls.  So please put your fears behind you and grab this book with both hands and don’t let it go until you are finished. 

I loved how she (Reeve LeClaire) got involved in the story I became so invested in her that I cannot wait to discover her forward journey.  No one can really comprehend what Reeve went through during her captive years but watching her forward journey will be extremely interesting.

This novel is this author’s debut and if she starts like this I am sure she will have a long a fruitful career.  I for one will be following this author’s journey.

I rated this as 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars).