Starred review from April 1, 2019
At the start of this expertly crafted domestic thriller from bestseller Armstrong (Watcher in the Woods), Aubrey Finch, who has made mistakes in her life, and her three-year-old daughter, Charlotte, meet a little boy and his mother on an Oxford, Ill., playground. Days later, Aubrey witnesses the child’s apparent abduction. Police scour the area and are unable to find any parents with a missing kid, but Aubrey knows what she saw, and her certainty only grows when a Jane Doe matching the mom’s description turns up dead near the kidnapping site. The authorities continue to dismiss her concerns, so she resolves to save the boy herself. Though Aubrey’s old IT skills prove useful, she must be careful; if her estranged, straitlaced husband, Paul, learns about her criminal past, he could take full custody of Charlotte. Aubrey and Paul’s achingly poignant interactions add texture and depth, while clever twists, realistic complications, and a propulsive, present-tense narration catapult the story to a gratifying finish. This is a gripping tale of secrets, lies, and maternal anxieties. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada).