Tom Freeman awakes in hospital with multiple injuries, and no memory of how he got there, just a general memory of the drug and alcohol haze that he knows is his life. In the grip of despair, fate intervenes and he is given a second chance, and ten years later he has a good life with his wife Clare and their daughter Julia.
Although Tom is infrequently plagued with nightmares which he knows relate back to his former life, he is unprepared for the horror to come. At first it is perplexing that his daughter insists that her name is Melanie, but gradually her insistence plunges them all into a nightmare situation. Seeking child-psychiatric help for their daughter, Tom makes the frightening discovery that a girl had disappeared from the exact spot in which he had suffered his last alcohol-binge and blackout ten years before. Did Tom murder this girl? And could the spirit of the dead girl be possessing his daughter?
This was a chilling and fascinating book, with some breathtaking twists and surprises. As an avid reader of crime fiction, I can often see where a story is going, so I just love it when I am taken completely by surprise; and this one really catches me. I was totally unprepared for the twist the book took.
It was also the first book where we have two readers. Now that I have finished
the book, I see why, and how skilfully the audio interpretation has been made
to take into account the passage of time. Full marks to both readers, Tim Machin
for making both the main characters believable, and likewise to Liz Hollis who
fooled me completely. I highly recommend this if you like being on the edge
of your seat, almost too scared to listen to the next tape!
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Lizzie Hayes
This is another author who I only discovered by listening to this audio. I checked
out his web site and he has two other books, Coincidence and The Discrete
Charm of Charlie Monk. Definitely on my list.