The Missing Years is a thriller set in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands and follows Ailsa Calder as she comes to terms with inheriting half a house after the death of her mother. The other half belongs to her father, a man who disappeared over two decades ago. As Ailsa tries to come to terms with her mother's death and settle the loose ends left behind, she is forced to confront the unanswered questions in her family's past while living in a house that doesn't seem to want her there.
This was a gripping story from start to finish. The writing was dark and evocative, and it had just the right amount of paranormal hints without straying into unbelievable territory.
Ailsa was a fantastic protagonist. She was guarded and not immediately likeable but this changed over the course of the book and I found myself having a strong affinity with her by the end. Her relationship with her sister Carrie was fraught, tense and felt very real. I loved every interaction between them and the ups and downs as they tried to build their relationship.
One of the only downsides for me was the dialogue. While I appreciated the author's inclusion of a Scottish dialect into some of the characters speech, I found it to be a little forced at times. I also found the ending to be rushed. Although it was a satisfying conclusion and almost everything tied up nicely, I would have preferred the finishing sequence to have been extended.
Overall I thought this was a solid thriller. If you'd like something slow-burning and extremely tense with great character insight then I highly recommend you pick this up.
This was a gripping story from start to finish. The writing was dark and evocative, and it had just the right amount of paranormal hints without straying into unbelievable territory.
Ailsa was a fantastic protagonist. She was guarded and not immediately likeable but this changed over the course of the book and I found myself having a strong affinity with her by the end. Her relationship with her sister Carrie was fraught, tense and felt very real. I loved every interaction between them and the ups and downs as they tried to build their relationship.
One of the only downsides for me was the dialogue. While I appreciated the author's inclusion of a Scottish dialect into some of the characters speech, I found it to be a little forced at times. I also found the ending to be rushed. Although it was a satisfying conclusion and almost everything tied up nicely, I would have preferred the finishing sequence to have been extended.
Overall I thought this was a solid thriller. If you'd like something slow-burning and extremely tense with great character insight then I highly recommend you pick this up.