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When seventeen-year-old golden girl, Hayley McWaid vanishes without trace her family are devastated and the community fears the worst, especially as weeks soon turn into months with no clue as to her whereabouts. With that as a backdrop, TV reporter Wendy Tynes is determined to expose men who prey on children and she's happy to resort to entrapment if that's what it takes to bring them to justice. Unfortunately for Wendy, in the case of social worker, Dan Mercer, fooled by her into thinking he was meeting a troubled teenager, the judge isn't convinced by the evidence she'd gathered and throws the case out. Wendy's employers aren't happy with the coverage the case gets and she loses her job. When Dan Mercer tries to convince her of his innocence, her certainty in his guilt starts to waver but almost immediately, things take an unexpected and dramatic turn, and Wendy is pitched headlong into a case with as many twists and turns as a maze. For me, Wendy Tynes isn't one of Coban more interesting or likeable characters, although I did warm to her as the book progressed, and she started to come to life when her back was against the wall and she was fighting to protect her own position. The theme of the book was very much one of guilt and forgiveness, which did become a little laboured at times, especially when the focus was on Wendy's own unwillingness to forgive the woman who had been responsible for the death of her husband while she was driving while drunk. But in all other respects the book made an enjoyable and gripping read. Coben's usual supporting cast of characters that often step out of the pages of his other books to make guest appearances was as vivid as ever. Celebrity lawyer Hester Crimstein did a very good job of almost eclipsing most of the other characters with her sharp wit and ability to wrong-foot any opposition. Her part in the unfolding story was one that did a very good job of keeping me guessing, almost to the last couple of pages. I was also pleased to see Win, otherwise known as Windsor Horne Lockwood III, make an appearance. I was less convinced by Wendy's eccentric father-in-law, Pops, but her relationship with her teen-aged son was more convincingly drawn. The book did a very good job of keeping me guessing and I very much enjoyed the final reveal, which I hadn't managed to predict. § Linda Wilson is a writer, and retired solicitor, with an interest in archaeology and cave art, who now divides her time between England and France.
Reviewed by Linda Wilson, March 2011
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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