LOST YOU

A woman risks everything for her child in Beck’s (Here and Gone, 2017) latest.

Libby is enjoying a well-deserved vacation with her 3-year-old son, Ethan, to celebrate her book contract. At the resort, she can pamper herself and enjoy spending time with her little boy, things that have been hard to do since her husband left them when Ethan was a baby. It was a long, difficult path to motherhood for Libby, and in the end, Mason just couldn’t deal with it. But she has Ethan now, and he is all she needs to feel complete. But when Ethan disappears while Libby literally has her back turned, her worst nightmare comes true. Because Ethan isn’t abducted by just anyone, but by someone who knows him and who calls him “Little Butterfly.” What is the true story of Ethan’s parentage? What secrets has Libby buried deep in the past? And who is willing to do anything to get revenge? There is a lingering sense of unease established in the very beginning of the novel—because the reader knows it’s a thriller, yes, and so something is going to go wrong—but even more because of Libby’s personality. She’s established as an overstressed single mom desperately worrying about everything. Her tight hold on Ethan can’t end well for either one of them—but the truth is completely mind-blowing. No spoilers here: The twists and turns are not only masterfully paced and layered, but so is the emotional impact. Once another perspective is offered within the narrative, this other character captures the reader’s sympathy—but it’s also true that while we may not always like Libby, she has our understanding, too. Beck plays both characters off one another until close to the end, unspooling tension to an almost unbearable breaking point.

An adrenaline-pumping, anxiety-inducing thriller built around a core so sentimental it just might make you cry.