A young
woman from a remote village in England is missing. Clare is sent there to
investigate the case privately, under the cover of a photographer interested in
the mountains and woods, she starts to ask questions about Shayna Fowles. All
seem to know something but nobody is eager to talk to the stranger. Shayna
might be hiding from her husband, or her drugs dealer, her parents or even her
doctor. Or she just might be dead. Clare is the best person to uncover what
happened in Blackmore since she herself is on the run from the life she lead
before.
Amy Stuart’s
psychological thriller lives on the setting of the novel. This solitary small
village with its strange inhabitants, the woods which seem to hide lots of
stories and the protagonist who tries to hide her past – these factors put
together create an atmosphere of suspense, danger and just give you the creeps.
I really liked Clare since she combines two opposing characteristics: being
vulnerable and running away on the one hand, being tough and dauntlessly standing
her ground on the other. This makes her not only interesting but shows many different
facets of an authentic human being. The case of Shayna is also convincingly
designed and the solution provided makes absolute sense. All in all, everything
you would expect from a psychological thriller.
