Chris Brennan arrives in a small town in Pennsylvania to teach Government at a high school and be assistant coach for their Baseball team. From the outset it is made clear that Brennan will not be staying long in this role and that he has some dark plans for his time at Central Valley High School. I found the first few chapters of this novel quite challenging as I really had no idea where the story was going. As it develops further it becomes more clear that Brennan is absolutely not what he seems and that his plans may not be either.
I'm a huge fan of books set in small-town America and it surprised me how much this was an element of this book. We get to know the Brennan's fellow teachers at the school and the young people that Brennan teaches and their families. Brennan needs help from one of the young people on his team and he identifies Jordan, Raz and Evan as the most likely to be able to fulfill the role he will demand of them. Each boy has family issues and these are explored through their mother's points of view. Ultimately each mother is trying to keep her family together and do the very best for their boy but each woman is on a different path and this impacts on each boy too.
It's very hard to discuss this novel without giving away the massive twist within the story and it would be unfair of me to do so. Suffice to say that I actually couldn't put this book down. I read it on a recent camping trip and couldn't rest until it was finished. It's a tightly plotted, dramatic and action packed book, with a thrilling denouement. Scottoline weaves the story's web so skilfully. I would highly recommend it..