“The sadness was inside him always. A dull pressure against the front of his chest, a bitter taste in his mouth, a hovering sigh, just beyond his next breath. Most of the time he could pretend it wasn’t there, he’d grown so used to it over the years, but the second he felt his focus shift from the immediate on to the important there it was again, like the creature lurking beneath the bed. Deep, unchanging sadness.”
Lost
by S.J. Bolton
While that paragraph describes the feelings of 10-year old Barney, it could very well be a description for what some of the other characters in Lost are facing, in particular police detective Lacey Flint. After her last case undercover, Lacey is in a fragile state and doesn’t know if she’ll return to the police force so mainly keeps to herself but when the bodies of two boys are found she is will inevitably be drawn into the investigation.
Barney is Lacey’s next door neighbor. He’s a very smart young boy but he’s also very lonely. His mother left him and his father when he was a toddler and his father is so busy with work that Barney spends most of his nights alone. With all the spare time he has, he is drawn into the mystery of the boys’ disappearance and he’s following clues on Facebook and others until he has his own very scary idea of who the killer is.
Lacey is really trying very hard not to get involved but she won’t be able to resist especially when Detective Mark Joesbury needs her help. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series it is helpful to know that Mark and Lacey have worked before and the two are drawn to each other but their relationship is complicated, of course.
I found myself wanting to yell at Lacey for being less than honest and cooperative with her therapist. And, not to mention that she seemed to be just turning away those who can and want to help her but I have hopes that Lacey’s situation will have improved in the next book.
What I loved about this book, and maybe all of the S.J. Bolton books I’ve read, is that I am always surprised by the endings. I had no idea who the killer was and was starting to doubt everyone in this story. A very entertaining read but I do recommend that if you want to read this one you start off with the first in the series, Now You See Me.
Source: Library copy
Consider me interested!!!
Oh, that’s a good book when you can be surprised by the ending!
Surprise endings are extra special for those of us who always seem to figure out the ending long before they happen. I’ve wanted to read this series for awhile now. Hopefully sooner than later.
I have an ambiguous relationship with Bolton. Love the suspense, boy, can she keep the reader on edge, but sometimes find things a little “out there” and the conclusions a bit rushed. Not that it keeps me from returning time and again to see what new scary ride is available. Is Dr. Evi Oliver in this one? I liked having her included in Dead Scared.
An author I will read one of these days… There are just so many series out there that people recommend!
I haven’t read Bolton, but my husband has, and he likes the books very much. They sound fun to try!
Lacey is such an interesting character–isn’t she? She is certainly not perfect but very likable for all her shortcomings. I am looking forward to reading this. I ended up buying a used paper copy from the UK since I keep checking out library copies and returning them unread!
Yay! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed this one! I am such a fan of this author!!! And I loved that I was doubting everyone by the end of the book. It was just crazy! I cannot wait for her next book to be released…I will be dropping everything to read it 🙂