I’ve previously read and reviewed Find you First by this author and thoroughly enjoyed it. So when I had the chance to read Linwood Barclay’s latest book, I wanted to see if it was as intriguing as the others.
Thankfully it most definitely did live up to my expectations of a very exciting and thrilling read.
Take Your Breath Away starts with Brie, the wife of Andrew Mason, disappearing without a trace one evening when Andrew and his friend Greg are away on a fishing trip. Throughout the book you are left wondering whether Brie left on her own accord because she was fed up and bored of renovating and moving houses every year or whether she was kidnapped or actually murdered.
The story fast forwards six years, with Brie still missing and the case still unsolved. Detective Hardy has been investigating the case on and off for years and continues to blame Brie’s husband, Andrew Mason for his wife’s demise. However, Andrew has always pleaded his innocence.
After many years of being hounded by Police and paparazzi, Andrew has changed his name, moved away from the town and started a new business. He’s met a lovely woman called Jayne, who is now living with them along with her younger brother Tyler.
Then one day, out of the blue, Andrew gets a phone call from Max, his old neighbour saying he thinks a woman matching Brie’s description just turned up at the newly built house which replaced the old one Brie and he had started to renovate in Mulberry six years ago.
Andrew goes to the old house and notices the new homeowner has CCTV cameras installed and although the images are grainy and inconclusive it starts an emotional roller coaster ride for Andrew and Brie’s family.
The story switches to Brie’s side of the family, whereby her siblings Isabel and Albert, think they have spotted “Brie” from their mothers hospital room in the hospital car park below, however no one gets the chance to speak to her.
That same night, Elizabeth, Brie’s mother ,who is dying in hospital, believes she sees and speaks to “Brie” in her hospital room. Unfortunately, no hospital staff can confirm anything and this leads the nurses and family to think the mother was hallucinating, as the very next day the mother passes away.
In the meantime, Max, the old neighbour has contacted the police and informed them of the situation and as Detective Hardy is still adamant that Andrew killed Brie she starts chasing up the new leads in the cold case.
The detective is not the only one targeting Andrew, as the suspected murderer, Brie’s sister is also out for revenge against Andrew. Throughout the story you get hints that there is more going on than just a missing/dead wife.
The way in which Linwood Barclay leads you to believe that even Brie’s sister Isabel and brother Albert have secrets they are hiding from one another and their partners, is pure genius and makes you think that any one of the characters could have had a reason to harm Brie.
When another character is introduced into the story mid-way, the story becomes a bit more sinister. This character goes by the name of Matt, by day he runs a laundromat but his second job is much more lucrative – a hit-man.
As the story unfolds, and not wanting to give away too many spoilers, the twists and turns that are thrown in throughout this book keep you at the edge of your seat.
Just when you think you’ve sussed out the story, the author throws in another curve ball and you’re back to square one! This is the kind of suspenseful thriller book I love to read, just so unpredictable and intriguing, a real page turner.
Take Your Breath Away has a thrilling ending, right up to the last few pages! This is definitely a really great page turner of a book and I would highly recommend it to my friends. I’ll certainly be reading more books by Linwood Barclay in the future.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and HQ publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this eBook in exchange for my honest review.