There is something about summertime reading that is so nostalgic for me. I feel like it takes me back to my childhood- staying up into the early hours of the morning reading the latest Harry Potter, or packing a few books for the trip to the beach. Either way, the summertime is always a prime time for new releases and I feel like this summer is all about the suspense and thrillers! I just finished Gone Without a Trace, and The Child. Both take place in England, both follow the intricate lives of complicated women and both are physiological thrillers. Let's get down to it...
Gone Without a Trace by Mary Toujussen
Hannah comes home one evening to find all traces of her boyfriend, Matt, gone. Every last image, possession and means of contact are missing. Like he never existed. Hannah becomes obsessed with finding Matt and the book takes you on a crazy journey to discover what exactly happened. There are moments of deceit, betrayal and downright absurdities but I kept reading. And I read it in 2 days, which is a bit of a surprise for me! Although I didn't love Hannah's character (drama, drama, drama), something told me the ending would be worth it. After hearing all the praise for the book I was expecting a few more twists and turns. I loved the fact that it factored in real life elements, for example, the presence of social media, but towards the end, I sort of had the conclusion predicted. Overall? A decent page-turner that had me hooked for a bit. I say a bit because overall I wasn't too enthralled by the ending. I forgot about it a few days later.
The Child by Fiona Barton
The story follows three (or four I guess?) women who are all interconnected by a crime that took place decades earlier. After a workman discovers a baby's remains on a job site, journalist Kate Waters makes it her mission to uncover the crime. Angela hears the news story and figures it's her baby that disappeared in the maternity ward in the 70's, Emma develops a strange case of anxiety and fear from the news story, and Jude, Emma's mom, is thrown into the mix as a self-absorbed absent mother. More lies, confusion and all surround the crime. It took me a bit longer to really get into the story and to, in turn, finish the novel. What I did like was that the chapters are short, it makes it flow nicely (and makes me feel less committed to reading it), and that each chapter follows a different women. I liked having an inside look into each character's thoughts and lives. By the third quatre of the book, I didn't want to put it down.
V E R D I C T
Without a Trace was an easier read, but overall The Child was way more engaging and interesting. The Child's storyline was more complex and although I kinda had the ending predicted it had way more exciting developments. If you had to pick one to read I'd go for The Child. It's more of a commitment but once you get into it, it's well worth the read.
Have you planned out your list of hot, new summer reads? What's on the list?
Both books were generously gifted by Penguin Random House Canada.
