Review: Here and Gone

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haylen Beck's debut reads like the work of a much more experienced writer. Which of course it is, actually being the 8th novel by Northern Ireland writer, Stuart Neville. But neither the author nor the publisher have made any attempt to keep this a secret, and it makes perfect sense being a real departure from Neville's excellent Ulster-set police procedurals.

'Here and Gone' will appeal to readers of Harlen Coben and Linwood Barclay. Like those authors, the story concerns ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. In "Here and Gone', a mother fleeing an abusive husband with her son and daughter is pulled over by police as she drives from New York to the west coast. Arrested for possession of drugs, she is separated from her children and, when she asks about them, the arresting officer answers, "What children?"

It is a great premise for a psychological thriller and the author handles the tension well as the woman's anxiety grows, with the local police, the FBI, the residents of the small town in which she is held and, of course, the media firmly convinced of her guilt in the disappearance of her children.

An almost unbearably suspenseful novel which deserves huge success. Thanks to NetGalley and Harvill Secker/Vintage for the advance review copy. 'Here and Gone' is published July 13. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews