Take Your Breath Away is an extraordinary psychological thriller written by Linwood Barclay. It is an engaging read that will have you guessing right until the very end. This is a must-read for fans of this genre. This book is available now.

When Andrew Mason’s wife Brie suddenly disappears while he’s on a fishing trip, Andrew becomes the primary suspect. The police have yet to gather enough evidence to support this accusation, but almost everyone in their town believes he murdered Brie. In order to gain some anonymity, he changes his name and moves to a neighbouring town.

Fast forward six years and a woman who looks like Brie appears at the couple’s former home with a bag of groceries and asks what happened to her home? A neighbour reports this to the police and also notified Andrew. When the second spotting of this woman transpires for her family to see from a distance a whole series of events cascades and secrets from the past are revealed.

The characters are well-written and for the most part relatable. The story is cleverly disseminated, providing the reader with just enough information at any one time to have them hypothesize the events leading up to Brie’s disappearance. I wanted to finish the book in one sitting.

While there are snippets of violence in the book, it only adds to the drama. As a sensitive reader, I did not feel at any time like I wanted to close the book and walk away. The author is a master of detail and keeps the reader guessing what actually happened to Brie. He writes with clarity such that the plot is easy to follow and engages the reader. I look forward to reading his next book.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.