Someone to Watch Over Me by Madeleine Reiss

She closed her eyes and he was gone - who is watching him now? When Carrie’s five-year old son, Charlie, disappeared on a Norfolk beach, her world was destroyed. Now, three years on, her marriage crushed by grief and the uncertainty around Charlie’s fate, Carrie keeps herself distracted by running a local gift shop. Persuaded by her mother to visit a medium, Carrie is initially sceptical, but is blown away when he appears to reveal something about Charlie’s disappearance; something that nobody could ever have known except herself.

Single mum, Molly, is worried about her young son, Max. Naturally a sensitive child, Max has been having more of his little ‘accidents’ at school and has recently starting talking again to his imaginary friend. Reluctant to tell his teachers, Molly knows that Max’s problems stem from his very real anxieties about his father – a violent and unstable man – who they are now in hiding from. Carrie is desperate to learn the truth about Charlie’s disappearance and Molly is will do anything to protect Max from danger. Little do the women know that their worlds are about to converge – and both of them will have to face the thing they fear the most. But will the truth destroy them or will love be their saviour?

I couldn’t wait to start Someone to Watch Over Me after I had read the synopsis which was very brief but yet it gave you enough to leave you intrigued.

Carrie briefly drifts off to sleep on the beach and when she awakes her life comes crumbling down around her when she realises that her five year old boy Charlie has gone missing.

Molly’s husband Rupert is changing before her eyes. The one thing she knows she has to do is protect their son Max but when someone is so intent on causing destruction they become impossible to stop.

This is a fantastic debut novel. The emotion that flows in the authors writing really helps us to fall into the delicate and gripping storyline, and feel how the characters are feeling in these heart-breaking situations. At some points in the book there were very chilling moments when you were almost waiting for something or someone to appear, which made it a very tense read and my thoughts began to run away with me thinking of hat else was going to happen next.

The book focuses on loss, bereavement and family domestics all of which are very hard hitting matters to write into one storyline and this author managed to do this perfectly and in her first book so it is quite clear this is going to be an author to keep an eye out for.

All of the characters were really well developed and they also felt very realistic, as did the storyline. Once I had finished this book it did get me thinking that although I had sat and read this book for pure enjoyment, others are actually living these nightmare situations on a daily basis so this isn’t a book that you switch off from once you reach the end.

I often felt as if the book was building up to a big twist but actually what I thought was going to happen never did but there were many unexpected parts in this book that I didn’t see coming. Any fans of Lesley Pearce or SJ Watson will be sure to enjoy this book as the authors writing style felt a little mix between the two. I will definitely be reading any future releases by Madeleine Reiss.

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