4.5 stars.

A cleverly constructed story. Alternating chapters between the years when Sarah and three other girls are kidnapped and held captive in a cellar with the time ten years after, when their captor is about to be up for parole. This way you can 'enjoy' (though that's not the word!) the dark and frightening cellar scenes knowing that they do escape.

But that's not to say the danger is over...

Without delving further into the plot after they escape, Sarah and Jennifer are safety-conscious students, aware of danger and threat but caught anyway (making a silly mistake). Two other girls are also trapped by a very clever and dangerous man. Years later, none have truly recovered, but all must relive their painful memories to keep him locked up and to solve the puzzle of how and why it all happened.

Very tense, very scary, with just enough detail of the cellar years to disgust without being graphic. A shocking story, once the truths come out. Everyone, it appears, has secrets. And a very assured and competent debut. I raced through it in a couple of days, keen to unravel the whole story.

3.4

Okay. So I did like this book but it really annoyed me. We frustrated.

So there's a big build up. Then omg they get caught again. Horrendous. Worst thing to happen. Then they get rescued. Within the same chapter? Felt a little let down.

Other than that I enjoyed it!

Such a good book it keeps you gripped till the end

Meh.

3.5/5

Got ridiculous and predictable at times, but thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Review to come.

This book gripped me from the very first page. I read it cover to cover in just a couple of hours. This is her first novel and OH MY DAMN do I hope she writes something else. I really don't want to give too much away, but I cannot recommend this highly enough to fans of mysteries or thrillers.

DNF at page 50.

This is one of my favorite genres. I love the whole psychological thriller, totally screwed up protagonist thing.

I do not enjoy it written like this.

The author would go into painstaking detail about something...and then in the very next line have the character jump hours ahead. Skipping entire scenes, it felt. It left the book feeling full of holes and very weak. Not to mention confusing.

Not worth the time I was spending going back and forth trying to figure out what I missed.