WHEN IT’S LIFE OR DEATH, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?
Teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when a former student shows up at school with a vest packed with explosives, he springs into action. Thanks to his quick thinking, Richard averts a major tragedy but his moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle…
As events rapidly spiral out of control, Richard is drawn into a tangled web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth, Richard discovers that there’s something dangerously wrong in the town. Everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves.
My thoughts: As soon as I got this, I dived straight in, I knew it was going to be good and I wasn’t wrong.
Starting with a horrific event that could have been so much worse, putting teacher Richard in the spotlight and a misunderstanding with serious and deadly consequences.
Richard is being threatened by an blackmailer, it’s having a terrible impact on him, he knows he’s innocent of the accusation, but how can he prove it, he can’t pay the blackmailer’s demands and he doesn’t want to tell his wife or boss about it. But when they find out anyway, it doesn’t exactly make things better.
Events get steadily worse, and suddenly Richard’s not just a high school English teacher who saved his students, but entangled with dangerous and to be honest, quite stupid, drug dealers and their associates. His family is at risk and instead of going to the police – or at least his detective sister-in-law, for help, he tries to sort things out himself.
I really enjoyed this book and actually talked about it during a discussion with my friends about morality and guilt (we are so cool) as parts of it (no spoilers) definitely dive into that territory. Linwood Barclay knows how to craft a story that hooks you in and keeps you hooked as events twist and turn, he even throws in a discussion about what books people should be reading, which is interesting as well.
It’s excellent story telling and well worth grabbing a copy as it’s out this week in all the usual places.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book to read and review if I wanted to. Which I did!
ramblingmads 