Beth hasn't seen her ex-best friend Flora for 12 years. Then one day, she happens to be driving her son to a football ground that's near Flora's house and finds she can't resist driving past the house and trying to catch a glimpse of her. As she parks outside the open gates of Newnham House, she watches as Flora gets out of a car with her two children, Thomas and Emily. But something is terribly wrong. Flora looks the same, only older (as one would expect), but... it's the children. When Beth last saw Thomas and Emily 12 years ago, they were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. How is that possible?
I'll be honest, I went into this book thinking that it sounded absolutely crazy. I just couldn't see how there was any way for this plot to be resolved in a believable way. However, Sophie Hannah is clearly the queen of the impossible mystery because, although the conclusion to this book was extraordinary and somewhat convoluted, it never felt like it had wandered into completely impossible territory for me.
I loved the characterisation throughout. In fact, I think it was the characters that really elevated this to a great read for me. Beth had her misguided/irritating moments, but I could also completely sympathise with her need to know. In general, she is very likeable and I really wanted her to find the answers she so desperately needed. The other side characters were also great, especially Beth's teenage daughter Zannah, who takes it upon herself to help Beth with her investigation. Despite only being 16, she is hilarious and very perceptive, and I felt she really helped to drive the plot along in some of the slower parts.
Overall, I really can not recommend this one enough for those who like a twisty mystery/thriller. I couldn't solve the puzzle at all (despite thinking I'd worked it out several times!), and found the book gripping from start to finish.
I'll be honest, I went into this book thinking that it sounded absolutely crazy. I just couldn't see how there was any way for this plot to be resolved in a believable way. However, Sophie Hannah is clearly the queen of the impossible mystery because, although the conclusion to this book was extraordinary and somewhat convoluted, it never felt like it had wandered into completely impossible territory for me.
I loved the characterisation throughout. In fact, I think it was the characters that really elevated this to a great read for me. Beth had her misguided/irritating moments, but I could also completely sympathise with her need to know. In general, she is very likeable and I really wanted her to find the answers she so desperately needed. The other side characters were also great, especially Beth's teenage daughter Zannah, who takes it upon herself to help Beth with her investigation. Despite only being 16, she is hilarious and very perceptive, and I felt she really helped to drive the plot along in some of the slower parts.
Overall, I really can not recommend this one enough for those who like a twisty mystery/thriller. I couldn't solve the puzzle at all (despite thinking I'd worked it out several times!), and found the book gripping from start to finish.