Publishers Weekly
07/29/2019
High school senior Anna Montgomery, the heroine of British author Barber’s taut first novel, lives a quiet, devout life in Florida with her widowed mother. When Anna and her boyfriend, the local pastor’s son, decide to sneak off to Astroland, the state’s biggest theme park (where she’s never been), for her 18th birthday, she discovers Astroland is strangely familiar. Meanwhile, in London, teenager Rosie Archer and her parents must come to terms with the 15th anniversary of the kidnapping of her sister, Emily, which occurred during a trip to America when Rosie was just a baby. Despite having little hope of success, Rosie resolves to do something, and she begins by reading all the conspiracy theories and stories about the kidnapping online. Her research uncovers a few promising leads, one involving a well-known reporter. As Rosie fights for the truth, Anna seeks her own, and soon both find themselves in danger. Barber creates a fast-moving tale of good and evil, obsession and sacrifice—all in the name of love. This gifted storyteller is a writer to watch. Agent: Luigi Bonomi, LBA Agency (U.K.). (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"A dark, addictive read, with a real heart at its core. I loved it." -Amy Lloyd, bestselling author of The Innocent Wife
"[A] nail-biting page-turner."-Woman's World
"Readers will quickly know the "who" of the story-it's the "why" that's the focus, and Rosie's and Anna's dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna's story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the Archers' heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional intensity... A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent's worst nightmare."-Kirkus
"Barber creates a fast-moving tale of good and evil, obsession and sacrifice-all in the name of love. This gifted storyteller is a writer to watch."-Publishers Weekly
"As convincing as it was gripping, a fabulous debut thriller."-Sunday Mirror
"A compelling read that's itching to be made into a TV two-parter."-RED
"One of those thrillers in which it is almost impossible not to flick ahead."-Alison Flood, Observer
"Provides a clever, unexpected solution, by way of some fine writing."-The Times
"It's the big emotions this book evokes that make you keep reading."-Good Housekeeping
"Barber has created characters with sufficient appeal to fuel real suspense."-The Guardian
Kirkus Reviews
2019-07-01
On the 15th anniversary of her sister's disappearance, a young woman launches her own investigation in British author Barber's U.S. debut.
Rosie Archer was only a baby when her 3-year-old sister, Emily, disappeared at Astroland, a Florida amusement park they visited while on vacation from England. Her parents haven't given up hope that Emily is still alive, but Rosie and her younger brother, Rob, have largely borne the brunt of the fallout. The high profile of Rosie's famous music producer father has ensured that everyone knows who Rosie is. It's not the kind of celebrity she wants, and her parents are understandably overprotective; Rosie chafes at this situation with risky behavior. Fifteen years haven't blunted the guilt and blame that cycle between Emily's parents, and while it's obvious they've done their best by Rosie and Rob, the siblings' lives have been irrevocably shaped by the sister they never knew. When Rosie finds out that the trust set up to fund the search for her sister is about to run out, she decides she's going to find out what happened to Emily and hopefully get closure for herself and her family. Meanwhile, in Florida, 18-year-old Anna Montgomery lives with her reclusive, ultrareligious mother, Mary, and is ecstatic to be heading for the forbidden Astroland with her boyfriend, William. It's there that she flashes on some disturbing memories, and a letter hand-delivered to her mailbox calling her by another name causes Anna to question her entire existence and do a little digging (literally) of her own. Readers will quickly know the "who" of the story—it's the "why" that's the focus, and Rosie's and Anna's dual narratives lend intimacy and emotional resonance. Anna's story often veers into Carrie territory, and Barber renders the Archers' heart-wrenching plight with realistic emotional intensity. While it stretches credulity a bit that a teen, even a clever one like Rosie, would have more luck than all those Scotland Yard investigators and private detectives, readers willing to just go with it will find a lot to enjoy.
A page-turning look at the aftermath of a parent's worst nightmare.
