‘But Lottie is alive. My daughter is alive. She’s tenacious, determined, ferocious. She couldn’t be extinguished without creating a disturbance, a rent in the fabric of the world that I would feel.’
Alex’s three year-old daughter Lottie is kidnapped from a destination wedding in Florida, vanishing into thin air under the negligent eyes of the guests. Sympathy for grieving Alex turns to suspicion as the case progresses.
This story, told from the viewpoints of Alex, reporter Quinn, and a mysterious abductor, takes an unusual approach to the issue of child abduction. Though she loves her daughter dearly, Alex is no saint and struggles with the responsibilities of motherhood.
I thought the first third of the story, which deals with Lottie’s abduction, was the strongest part. We really feel Alex’s horror and desperation as the hours wear on with no sign of her daughter. The situation seems like an impossible one – how could a little girl go missing so tracelessly?
But once we get to the time-skip, the plot abruptly slows down. There are a couple of plot twists in this section, but they are delivered without much suspense so I was not wowed by them. I did like the discussion of Alex’s relationship with her family and her feelings of guilt, though, as I thought it was interesting to see how the impact of Lottie’s abduction radiated outward.
The ending was disappointing. Things clicked into place, but one aspect of the solution to the mystery is so far-fetched I had trouble swallowing it. I think the problem was that the mystery was so built up that it’s tough to get a satisfying conclusion.
As for Quinn – I’ve noticed reviews rarely mention her, and it’s with good reason. For an alcoholic disabled lesbian former war correspondent, she doesn’t make much impression or bring much to the table – she could have easily been cut from the story without much change to anything.
Overall, a decent thriller, but the final showdown drooped.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
