lokroma reviewed Snap by Belinda Bauer
Review of 'Snap' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A psychological crime thriller squarely in the tradition of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James, and long listed for the Booker in 2018. Strong writing and a great story. Especially engaging is Jack, the adolescent boy protagonist whose mother leaves him and his younger sisters in the car while she goes in search of help for her disabled car and never returns. His devastated dad leaves home and Jack turns to crime to support his little family. But his motives are pure and he inspires loyalty from those who get to know him, including the reader.
My complaint (and it's not a minor one) is that one of the characters, after her house was burgled while she is in it, with the thief leaving a knife and a note "I could have killed you" on her night table, opts not to tell either or husband or the police. This is a …
A psychological crime thriller squarely in the tradition of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James, and long listed for the Booker in 2018. Strong writing and a great story. Especially engaging is Jack, the adolescent boy protagonist whose mother leaves him and his younger sisters in the car while she goes in search of help for her disabled car and never returns. His devastated dad leaves home and Jack turns to crime to support his little family. But his motives are pure and he inspires loyalty from those who get to know him, including the reader.
My complaint (and it's not a minor one) is that one of the characters, after her house was burgled while she is in it, with the thief leaving a knife and a note "I could have killed you" on her night table, opts not to tell either or husband or the police. This is a plot device that permitted the rest of the story to unfold, but it's not believable. Still, the rest of the story is so good that the author must be forgiven I think.