Linwood Barclay really is a thriller writer who leads his field! This book is fast-paced and exciting. It keeps the reader on their toes and has many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

Paul Davis, a college professor, encounters a colleague, Kenneth Hoffman, on his way home one night. He falls in behind Hoffman’s car. But his colleague's car is weaving and seems unsteady. Paul follows him to a parking lot, where he sees the other guy put something heavy in a dumpster, then drive away. Paul decides to continue following Hoffman, eventually flashing him to pullover because one of his tail lights is out. But when Paul gets out of his car to speak to Hoffman, he sees two dead women in the boot of his car. Rather than drive away (which would have been my course of action), Paul freezes, then asks Hoffman who they are and what he is doing. Hoffman smashes Paul over the head with a shovel, leaving him for dead.

But Paul doesn’t die. Eight months later, he is seeing a psychologist, Dr Anna White, and he wants to write about his experience to try to combat his PTSD that the attack caused. His wife, Charlotte, buys him an old fashioned typewriter for inspiration. And then, the weird things begin to happen. The type writer keys are being struck in the night when Paul and Charlotte are both in bed. But only Paul hears them. Notes start to be typed, and Paul begins to think they are messages from the two dead women. Are they real? Is that possible? Or is Paul losing his mind and typing the notes but having no memory of it?

I really enjoyed this book! It is clever, creative, interesting. It’s also exciting, and it will keep you guessing and marvelling until the end.

People who enjoy psychological thrillers. Mystery lovers. Anybody who love a great, suspenseful ride of a story.

The twists! So freaking clever.

Read another Linwood Barclay. But I won't because I'm in the middle of the 52 in 52 challenge.

Tense. Fearful. Hooked. Excited. Awestruck (okay, maybe that's a bit much).

Linwood Barclay. From Amazon: "Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for The Toronto Star and the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 Sunday Times (UK) bestseller. He lives near Toronto with his wife."

It's fab!

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Created May 03, 2025 at 4:57am • Submit your own review...