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Snap
On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long.
But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.
Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.
Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.
But the truth can be a dangerous thing ...
But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.
Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.
Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.
But the truth can be a dangerous thing ...
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2018
About the author
Belinda Bauer
18 books1,883 followersBelinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,250 reviews
July 25, 2018
This is on the Man Booker Prize Longlist!!!
Belinda Bauer weaves a dark, atmospheric and bleak crime story in the style of the darkest of fairytales, set in the West Country in Somerset. It is inhabited by a Goldilocks burglar, a child so traumatised, that he is drawn to homes with their pictures of happy families, living their lives of security and love, the antithesis of his own sorrowful, despairing and traumatised life. He is known for sleeping in children's beds of the homes he breaks into. On a sweltering day in 1998, 11 year old Jack, his younger sisters, Joy, and toddler, Merry, leave their broken down car to see what is keeping their pregnant mother, who had set out to phone for help. There is no sign of their mother, until days later when her discarded body is discovered stabbed on the side of a road. The impact on the family is harrowing, unbearable and devastating, the father descends into a pit of pain and grief that he loses his job, losing his bearings that he cannot cope with looking after his children, and never returns home after leaving to go to the store.
The burden of looking after his siblings falls upon Jack, as he schools his sisters to pretend that their father is still in their lives in an effort to avoid being split apart by being taken in by social services. It is 2001, and Jack is now 14 years old, tasked with trying to feed his sisters, and handle the outside world. Their home is filled to the rafters with walls of newspapers, amidst which the children burrow and live. The hairless saviour, fence, thief and liar, Louis Bridge proves to be an invaluable help to the young Jack, as Jack finds himself living on the edges of society, surviving and providing for his family by acquiring the skills of a cat burglar. That is until the day he sees the incriminating knife that he is convinced killed his mother in the home of the pregnant Catherine While. Jack doesn't care about being caught, he wants his mother’s killer to be arrested much more. DCI John Marvel has been banished into the wild backwaters of Taunton Police after transgressions committed in the London Met. He is certain he can return to his former life if he was to succeed in solving high profile murders. He sees his path to glory by solving this cold case murder and makes a deal with Jack. The two join forces as they chase down the maker of magical knives in their search for evidence to bring down the big bad wolf, a ruthless killer.
It takes a little while before the multiple threads in the narrative begin to connect, so please persevere because this a story you do not want to miss. Bauer writes a hugely compelling novel, impressively plotted, with original and eccentric characters from Louis Bridge to the unassuming character creating the unique magical knives that clients hunger for. At the heart of it all is a family, drowning in misery and unrelenting pain, their future crushed by the inhuman act that deprives them of a loving mother and wife. The courageous and brave Jack holds his family together against all the odds, driven by a fury and determination to see justice for his beloved mother. A brilliant and beguiling read of a quest to nail a killer and keep a family and its sanity together. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Belinda Bauer weaves a dark, atmospheric and bleak crime story in the style of the darkest of fairytales, set in the West Country in Somerset. It is inhabited by a Goldilocks burglar, a child so traumatised, that he is drawn to homes with their pictures of happy families, living their lives of security and love, the antithesis of his own sorrowful, despairing and traumatised life. He is known for sleeping in children's beds of the homes he breaks into. On a sweltering day in 1998, 11 year old Jack, his younger sisters, Joy, and toddler, Merry, leave their broken down car to see what is keeping their pregnant mother, who had set out to phone for help. There is no sign of their mother, until days later when her discarded body is discovered stabbed on the side of a road. The impact on the family is harrowing, unbearable and devastating, the father descends into a pit of pain and grief that he loses his job, losing his bearings that he cannot cope with looking after his children, and never returns home after leaving to go to the store.
The burden of looking after his siblings falls upon Jack, as he schools his sisters to pretend that their father is still in their lives in an effort to avoid being split apart by being taken in by social services. It is 2001, and Jack is now 14 years old, tasked with trying to feed his sisters, and handle the outside world. Their home is filled to the rafters with walls of newspapers, amidst which the children burrow and live. The hairless saviour, fence, thief and liar, Louis Bridge proves to be an invaluable help to the young Jack, as Jack finds himself living on the edges of society, surviving and providing for his family by acquiring the skills of a cat burglar. That is until the day he sees the incriminating knife that he is convinced killed his mother in the home of the pregnant Catherine While. Jack doesn't care about being caught, he wants his mother’s killer to be arrested much more. DCI John Marvel has been banished into the wild backwaters of Taunton Police after transgressions committed in the London Met. He is certain he can return to his former life if he was to succeed in solving high profile murders. He sees his path to glory by solving this cold case murder and makes a deal with Jack. The two join forces as they chase down the maker of magical knives in their search for evidence to bring down the big bad wolf, a ruthless killer.
It takes a little while before the multiple threads in the narrative begin to connect, so please persevere because this a story you do not want to miss. Bauer writes a hugely compelling novel, impressively plotted, with original and eccentric characters from Louis Bridge to the unassuming character creating the unique magical knives that clients hunger for. At the heart of it all is a family, drowning in misery and unrelenting pain, their future crushed by the inhuman act that deprives them of a loving mother and wife. The courageous and brave Jack holds his family together against all the odds, driven by a fury and determination to see justice for his beloved mother. A brilliant and beguiling read of a quest to nail a killer and keep a family and its sanity together. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
May 9, 2018
“A single person is missing for you, and the whole world is empty.”
― Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking
It's 1998 and the opening scene sets the tone for this gripping storyline, with 11 year old Jack and his sisters, Joy, and baby Merry waiting in their broken down car while their pregnant mum Eileen walks off to phone for help - but she never comes back. Some days later her body is found - she'd suffered a single stab wound but it was enough to cause a fatal injury.
Three years later and Jack's father has left the family home, unable to cope with his grief, giving Jack no option but to turn to crime to provide for his young sisters. He's actually quite skilled at what he does, (breaking and entering) but he only strikes when he knows the householders are away - less risk that way! He also makes himself at home while he's at it - cooks himself a meal, sleeps in the family's beds, and then trashes the house and leaves! He earns himself the nickname 'Goldilocks', and manages to evade capture every time, much to the chagrin of the local police dept.
Detectives Reynolds and Marvel are the investigating officers for both the burglaries, and the ongoing search for Eileen's killer. Reynolds and Marvel are completely different characters - Reynolds is meticulous in every aspect of his life, not one to push the boundaries. Marvel however, doesn't just push the boundaries, he demolishes them! It's a difficult working relationship but a joy to witness, with some laugh out loud dialogue from Marvel.
Jack's story is an extremely emotional one, where the loss, the grief, and the weight of responsibility that he feels, displays itself in constant outbursts of anger and destruction. However, he is about to make a surprising discovery that will once again alter the course of his young life.
This was a terrific read, with a gripping yet moving narrative. The characters were brought skilfully to life, and although Jack's loss was difficult to witness, there was lots of light relief in the form of Reynolds and Marvel. Wonderful, just wonderful!
*Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*
― Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking
It's 1998 and the opening scene sets the tone for this gripping storyline, with 11 year old Jack and his sisters, Joy, and baby Merry waiting in their broken down car while their pregnant mum Eileen walks off to phone for help - but she never comes back. Some days later her body is found - she'd suffered a single stab wound but it was enough to cause a fatal injury.
Three years later and Jack's father has left the family home, unable to cope with his grief, giving Jack no option but to turn to crime to provide for his young sisters. He's actually quite skilled at what he does, (breaking and entering) but he only strikes when he knows the householders are away - less risk that way! He also makes himself at home while he's at it - cooks himself a meal, sleeps in the family's beds, and then trashes the house and leaves! He earns himself the nickname 'Goldilocks', and manages to evade capture every time, much to the chagrin of the local police dept.
Detectives Reynolds and Marvel are the investigating officers for both the burglaries, and the ongoing search for Eileen's killer. Reynolds and Marvel are completely different characters - Reynolds is meticulous in every aspect of his life, not one to push the boundaries. Marvel however, doesn't just push the boundaries, he demolishes them! It's a difficult working relationship but a joy to witness, with some laugh out loud dialogue from Marvel.
Jack's story is an extremely emotional one, where the loss, the grief, and the weight of responsibility that he feels, displays itself in constant outbursts of anger and destruction. However, he is about to make a surprising discovery that will once again alter the course of his young life.
This was a terrific read, with a gripping yet moving narrative. The characters were brought skilfully to life, and although Jack's loss was difficult to witness, there was lots of light relief in the form of Reynolds and Marvel. Wonderful, just wonderful!
*Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*
September 29, 2022
4.5 STARS
Yes, yes, ALL OF THE YES. This book was exquisite! It's been a hot minute since I've read a book by Belinda Bauer, so clearly I had forgotten that she is a crime writing queen meant to rule all of the land. In a sea of novels claiming to provide "a twist so shocking you won't see it coming", she quietly places a superior story that doesn't rely on gimmicks or tag lines in front of us and patiently waits with neatly folded hands until we're through reading. Seriously, this book is such an excellent blend of the various sub-genres that make up crime fiction as a whole, which kept me turning the pages late into the night. It's been a 3 cups of coffee kind of morning, one of the few I welcome gladly.
The blurb gives you a good handle on what you need to know going in, but you could also do as I did and skip the blurb and just dive right in. Never has a character study of many working parts felt so much like a thrilling, plot driven experience in all my years of reading. Perhaps this one fell into my lap at just the right time, or maybe it really is that good, but either way I appreciated the complexity of the various threads that, although seem very disjointed and separate at first, slowly gather together to tie in a wicked good ending. Picture a cat tumbling its ball of yarn, but in reverse; in the beginning it feels as if we have individual strings that we come to realize have been from the same segment all along. It's a satisfying feeling for the reader, as I'm sure it is to the author who has created such a feat.
If you've enjoyed Bauer's previous novels, I can't imagine you not taking to this one as well. I found that Snap is best devoured when you're in a reading rut and can't stand to stomach another cliche, done-for-the-millionth-time novel, because this one is very straightforward, yet still highly entertaining. It does not claim to have an epic twist, but I still found myself gasping and guffawing at a few choice places that, due to the lack of tip off, caught me off guard. Highly recommended and I hope you enjoy Belinda's latest masterpiece as much as I did.
* Review copy received via NetGalley.
Yes, yes, ALL OF THE YES. This book was exquisite! It's been a hot minute since I've read a book by Belinda Bauer, so clearly I had forgotten that she is a crime writing queen meant to rule all of the land. In a sea of novels claiming to provide "a twist so shocking you won't see it coming", she quietly places a superior story that doesn't rely on gimmicks or tag lines in front of us and patiently waits with neatly folded hands until we're through reading. Seriously, this book is such an excellent blend of the various sub-genres that make up crime fiction as a whole, which kept me turning the pages late into the night. It's been a 3 cups of coffee kind of morning, one of the few I welcome gladly.
The blurb gives you a good handle on what you need to know going in, but you could also do as I did and skip the blurb and just dive right in. Never has a character study of many working parts felt so much like a thrilling, plot driven experience in all my years of reading. Perhaps this one fell into my lap at just the right time, or maybe it really is that good, but either way I appreciated the complexity of the various threads that, although seem very disjointed and separate at first, slowly gather together to tie in a wicked good ending. Picture a cat tumbling its ball of yarn, but in reverse; in the beginning it feels as if we have individual strings that we come to realize have been from the same segment all along. It's a satisfying feeling for the reader, as I'm sure it is to the author who has created such a feat.
If you've enjoyed Bauer's previous novels, I can't imagine you not taking to this one as well. I found that Snap is best devoured when you're in a reading rut and can't stand to stomach another cliche, done-for-the-millionth-time novel, because this one is very straightforward, yet still highly entertaining. It does not claim to have an epic twist, but I still found myself gasping and guffawing at a few choice places that, due to the lack of tip off, caught me off guard. Highly recommended and I hope you enjoy Belinda's latest masterpiece as much as I did.
* Review copy received via NetGalley.
January 26, 2019
👩🏻Have you ever made a snap decision you regretted?🚘
Snap by Belinda Bauer is a captivating, emotional and gripping read about tragic loss, grief, snap decisions and their devastating, longterm impact.
The opening scene of this one grabbed hold of my heart and never let go. 11yr. old Jack Bright and his sisters Joy and Merry are sitting in their stifling, broken down car on the side of the road on a hot August afternoon. They are awaiting the return of their pregnant mother. She was last seen over an hour before, walking away on the shoulder of the road towards a payphone to get help. She told the children to stay in the car. She told them she would be right back. Unfortunately, none of that was true. Jack, Joy & Merry would never see their mother again after that fateful day.
Snap is told via various voices and storylines as we find ourselves thrown into Jack, Joy & Merry's life three years after the tragic loss of their mother. Life has been anything but kind or easy for these children in that time. This mama wanted to reach right in the book and rescue the Bright children! Jack, now age 14, was left with the care of his two little sisters after his grief stricken father went out for milk one day and never returned. How can 3 young children survive on their own? Jack resorts to doing whatever is necessary to keep his family together and away from social services. Jack's story was truly an emotional one filled with anger, grief and his overwhelming sense of responsibility for his siblings. He is a child forced to quickly become an adult. You can't help but fall for his character and root for him and his sisters to finally be okay.
Detective Reynolds & Marvel are investigating a string of unsolved burglaries involving a suspect they have named Goldilocks. Goldilocks breaks into homes, cooks himself meals, sleeps in children's beds, takes a bath, grabs a few possessions & healthy food and has evaded capture for over a year. The relationship between these 2 officers was entertaining, as they were very much polar opposites.
I won't give away much more about the story. It's best to let it unfold the way Baur intended. Snap was a slow, character driven mystery/thriller that really grabs hold of you. I was invested in these characters and wanted to see Jack find closure about his mom. This one was a deliberate, addictive and unputdownable read. I highly recommend it for mystery/thriller fans who enjoy a masterfully told story with empathic characters.
Go ahead and Snap this one up to read today! You won't be sorry.
Thank you Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Snap" and share my honest opinion.
Snap by Belinda Bauer is a captivating, emotional and gripping read about tragic loss, grief, snap decisions and their devastating, longterm impact.
The opening scene of this one grabbed hold of my heart and never let go. 11yr. old Jack Bright and his sisters Joy and Merry are sitting in their stifling, broken down car on the side of the road on a hot August afternoon. They are awaiting the return of their pregnant mother. She was last seen over an hour before, walking away on the shoulder of the road towards a payphone to get help. She told the children to stay in the car. She told them she would be right back. Unfortunately, none of that was true. Jack, Joy & Merry would never see their mother again after that fateful day.
Snap is told via various voices and storylines as we find ourselves thrown into Jack, Joy & Merry's life three years after the tragic loss of their mother. Life has been anything but kind or easy for these children in that time. This mama wanted to reach right in the book and rescue the Bright children! Jack, now age 14, was left with the care of his two little sisters after his grief stricken father went out for milk one day and never returned. How can 3 young children survive on their own? Jack resorts to doing whatever is necessary to keep his family together and away from social services. Jack's story was truly an emotional one filled with anger, grief and his overwhelming sense of responsibility for his siblings. He is a child forced to quickly become an adult. You can't help but fall for his character and root for him and his sisters to finally be okay.
Detective Reynolds & Marvel are investigating a string of unsolved burglaries involving a suspect they have named Goldilocks. Goldilocks breaks into homes, cooks himself meals, sleeps in children's beds, takes a bath, grabs a few possessions & healthy food and has evaded capture for over a year. The relationship between these 2 officers was entertaining, as they were very much polar opposites.
I won't give away much more about the story. It's best to let it unfold the way Baur intended. Snap was a slow, character driven mystery/thriller that really grabs hold of you. I was invested in these characters and wanted to see Jack find closure about his mom. This one was a deliberate, addictive and unputdownable read. I highly recommend it for mystery/thriller fans who enjoy a masterfully told story with empathic characters.
Go ahead and Snap this one up to read today! You won't be sorry.
Thank you Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Snap" and share my honest opinion.
October 30, 2020
****MS BAUER HAS A NEW BOOK "EXIT" COMING OUT IN 2/2021, READ THIS ONE NOW***
This novel by Belinda Bauer reminds me of why I started reading thrillers just about three years ago. She doesn’t just write great thrillers, she writes beautiful novels with characters that you care about, well defined, flawed, unique, moving. There seem to be so many thrillers written where the only interesting thing about them is the “thrill” itself, the random act, the brutal violence, the up and down ride of the story, and that fine, it can be great entertainment. Ms. Bauer however is a master at the craft of writing, she is a brilliant novelist. I still cannot forget reading “Rubbernecker” and thinking, wow, I’ve been missing out on a genre where there are some incredible writers. I discovered some fantastic writers; Ms. Bauer, Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, Simone St. James, Claire Macintosh, and there are others that I’m forgetting right now. It is just so fantastic to read a thriller that also moves me in other ways, this is one of those. Sorry, I’m ranting.
As you know from the blurb for the book, three young children are left alone on the side of the road way while their mother goes to find gas, or help, she gets neither, she is never coming back. It was great storytelling letting us know how the three of them survived. Jack the eldest felt the burden of taking care of Merry and having to resort to breaking and entering houses to feed his sisters. He steals money, food, etc and then spends the night sleeping in their homes, he has researched all of this carefully. He longs for the time when he was very young and he had a "home". What a brilliant young man. How three young children absent from school would go unnoticed remains a mystery. Their father left them after he couldn’t function after the loss of his wife. So the children have suffered two losses. Jack is a character that will make you want to just hug him and take care of him after all that he’s been through! There is so much about this young man you are going to love to get to know! Each of these characters are unique and we get to know a lot about them, in particular Merry the youngest of the children who we watch grow up confused, lonely, in a house with no parents and a brother frequently gone.
Detectives Marvel and Reynolds are investigating the robberies in the area and eventually they get involved with helping Jack look for his mother’s killer. Two such opposite characters --one, Marvel, a detective who was moved down to this small town after apparently something went wrong with a murder case he was involved in. He starts to get excited with the idea of figuring out a murder again. This character while appearing rough around the edges and pushing the boundaries of local police laws has a really big heart. He not only wants to solve the mystery he really wants to help these kids. His partner Reynolds is obsessed with doing everything by the book, precisely, exactly. Its wonderful to watch the interplay between these two, so different, but they still trusted each other. Great partners!
So these were two storylines. There is a third which is introduced as the beginning. A young pregnant woman, Catherine, awakes to find a note with a knife stating “I could have killed you”. She has no idea where it came from and she makes a “snap” decision not to tell her husband about this which ends up almost costing her everything!
I hope I’ve interested you enough that you will run and get this book as soon as it’s published, it’s that good!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss, thank you.
This novel by Belinda Bauer reminds me of why I started reading thrillers just about three years ago. She doesn’t just write great thrillers, she writes beautiful novels with characters that you care about, well defined, flawed, unique, moving. There seem to be so many thrillers written where the only interesting thing about them is the “thrill” itself, the random act, the brutal violence, the up and down ride of the story, and that fine, it can be great entertainment. Ms. Bauer however is a master at the craft of writing, she is a brilliant novelist. I still cannot forget reading “Rubbernecker” and thinking, wow, I’ve been missing out on a genre where there are some incredible writers. I discovered some fantastic writers; Ms. Bauer, Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, Simone St. James, Claire Macintosh, and there are others that I’m forgetting right now. It is just so fantastic to read a thriller that also moves me in other ways, this is one of those. Sorry, I’m ranting.
As you know from the blurb for the book, three young children are left alone on the side of the road way while their mother goes to find gas, or help, she gets neither, she is never coming back. It was great storytelling letting us know how the three of them survived. Jack the eldest felt the burden of taking care of Merry and having to resort to breaking and entering houses to feed his sisters. He steals money, food, etc and then spends the night sleeping in their homes, he has researched all of this carefully. He longs for the time when he was very young and he had a "home". What a brilliant young man. How three young children absent from school would go unnoticed remains a mystery. Their father left them after he couldn’t function after the loss of his wife. So the children have suffered two losses. Jack is a character that will make you want to just hug him and take care of him after all that he’s been through! There is so much about this young man you are going to love to get to know! Each of these characters are unique and we get to know a lot about them, in particular Merry the youngest of the children who we watch grow up confused, lonely, in a house with no parents and a brother frequently gone.
Detectives Marvel and Reynolds are investigating the robberies in the area and eventually they get involved with helping Jack look for his mother’s killer. Two such opposite characters --one, Marvel, a detective who was moved down to this small town after apparently something went wrong with a murder case he was involved in. He starts to get excited with the idea of figuring out a murder again. This character while appearing rough around the edges and pushing the boundaries of local police laws has a really big heart. He not only wants to solve the mystery he really wants to help these kids. His partner Reynolds is obsessed with doing everything by the book, precisely, exactly. Its wonderful to watch the interplay between these two, so different, but they still trusted each other. Great partners!
So these were two storylines. There is a third which is introduced as the beginning. A young pregnant woman, Catherine, awakes to find a note with a knife stating “I could have killed you”. She has no idea where it came from and she makes a “snap” decision not to tell her husband about this which ends up almost costing her everything!
I hope I’ve interested you enough that you will run and get this book as soon as it’s published, it’s that good!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss, thank you.
July 26, 2018
A below average thriller with a flimsy plot, mediocre writing and cliché characters. How this book ended up on the Man Booker Longlist is beyond me.
1.5*
1.5*
June 1, 2018
Captivating, dark mystery/thriller about a mother of three who disappears without a trace. Her 11-year-old son, Jack is left with the responsibility of caring for his younger sisters and has to find creative ways to support them. This element makes for a unique and emotional reading experience.
On a hot summer day in 1998, Eileen Bright’s car breaks down. she leaves her three kids on the side of the road (in the car), while she sets out to seek help but never returns. Flash forward to three years later, and Jack is trying to keep his family together. His father has left, and he has the burden of caring for his sisters. But one night while Jack is out “working” he comes across a discovery that is about to tear his world apart.
Jack’s character made this book for me. He is a little boy, trying to play an adult. I could feel his emotions as he struggled with the heavy burden of caring for his sisters; I especially loved his relationship with little Merry. In addition to Jack, several other characters share their POV’s. All come together in their connection to Eileen Bright.
While the tone is heavy some quirky characters, including Donald the turtle, help to the lighten things up. It starts off a little slow and I had no idea where things were going, but Jack’s character kept me reading. What makes Snap standout from other books in the genre is the premise of a little boy trying to come to terms with what happened to his mother, care for his family, and try to right wrongs. This is gripping, intriguing read with strong characterization. I was invested in these characters and a little emotional when the book ended.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
On a hot summer day in 1998, Eileen Bright’s car breaks down. she leaves her three kids on the side of the road (in the car), while she sets out to seek help but never returns. Flash forward to three years later, and Jack is trying to keep his family together. His father has left, and he has the burden of caring for his sisters. But one night while Jack is out “working” he comes across a discovery that is about to tear his world apart.
Jack’s character made this book for me. He is a little boy, trying to play an adult. I could feel his emotions as he struggled with the heavy burden of caring for his sisters; I especially loved his relationship with little Merry. In addition to Jack, several other characters share their POV’s. All come together in their connection to Eileen Bright.
While the tone is heavy some quirky characters, including Donald the turtle, help to the lighten things up. It starts off a little slow and I had no idea where things were going, but Jack’s character kept me reading. What makes Snap standout from other books in the genre is the premise of a little boy trying to come to terms with what happened to his mother, care for his family, and try to right wrongs. This is gripping, intriguing read with strong characterization. I was invested in these characters and a little emotional when the book ended.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2018
Clever, clever, clever, both the author in putting together this taut thriller, and young Jack, our spunky hero. Jack is only eleven, his two sisters you get, when their vehicle breaks down. His mother leaves the children alone, to run to the nearest call box to try to summon aid. She never returns.
Jack's life is hard, providing for his sisters, keeping them from the care system, he does whatever he needs to for them to survive. Haunted by the death of his mother, he vows to get snswers and find her killer. Three different story lines here, that are all related to each other, keep the pace quick, the story interesting. All but are killer are likable people, a few that surprised me with some of the things they did. Jack though, has had to grow up much quicker than seems fair, but he has a good head on his shoulder, and eventually things will come to a head. How will this work itsrlf out? This suthor is so good at these psychological whodunits.
This was an audio book I listened to, think I'm getting better at these. The narrator was Andrew Wincott, and I thought he did a wonderful job. Maybe I'm better with male narrators?
ARC from Edelweiss.
Jack's life is hard, providing for his sisters, keeping them from the care system, he does whatever he needs to for them to survive. Haunted by the death of his mother, he vows to get snswers and find her killer. Three different story lines here, that are all related to each other, keep the pace quick, the story interesting. All but are killer are likable people, a few that surprised me with some of the things they did. Jack though, has had to grow up much quicker than seems fair, but he has a good head on his shoulder, and eventually things will come to a head. How will this work itsrlf out? This suthor is so good at these psychological whodunits.
This was an audio book I listened to, think I'm getting better at these. The narrator was Andrew Wincott, and I thought he did a wonderful job. Maybe I'm better with male narrators?
ARC from Edelweiss.
May 3, 2018
When I saw that Val McDermid had been quoted as saying it was "the best crime novel I've read in a very long time" i just knew I was going to be in for a cracker of a thriller and couldn't wait to get going on it. Having also read and enjoyed "The Beautiful Dead" by Belinda Bauer this book "Snap" was always going to be a winner, I wasn't disappointed - I loved every captivating minute.
1998 - Pregnant Eileen Bright leaves her three children in stifling heat - Jack, Joy and baby Merry - in a broken down car to phone for help, only she doesn't come back. She never comes back. Three years later Jack, now fifteen, is looking after his sisters since his Dad - unable to cope with the tragic event - leaves them home alone. Using crime to pay for their survival, Jack stumbles across his mother's killer and is determined to bring him/her to justice. Meanwhile across town Catherine While discovers a knife beside her bed with a note saying 'I could have killed you'. With a mysterious burglar dubbed 'Goldilocks' evading capture, can the police catch him and also solve the death of Eileen with the help of troubled Jack.
The characters are simply amazing, unique, some likeable, some flawed but all so vivid in their descriptions they could be standing right in front of you and although I don't like to imagine the police involved in the story as being your average and typical criminal investigators, they did make for interesting reading and made the story so much more intriguing. I really took to Jack and especially Merry, I so wanted to dive into the novel to comfort and look after them myself.
It appears to the reader from the start that there are three very different stories being told that are completely unrelated - the murder of a pregnant mother, a sinister Intruder frightening a young woman at night and a sneaky burglar sleeping in kids beds - but before long they very cleverly start to weave together and escalate in a nail biting conclusion that will have you gripped to the pages until the exciting end.
There's a very serious storyline running through the book of survival and family loyalty, realistic, emotional but dark and dangerous with a hint of humour that has fast become a trademark of Belinda Bauer's work. I truly loved it and couldn't stop reading, I was just so enthralled.
"Snap" is an impressive and compelling psychological thriller that some would say is slow burning but I found every page to be pace perfect and entertaining and I enjoyed the build up throughout the story until the truth was finally revealed.
Belinda Bauer is an incredibly intelligent, creative and talented writer and is exceedingly well versed in producing fabulous thrillers that crime fiction readers young and old devour. Would I recommend? You bet! A must read for this summer!
5 stars
1998 - Pregnant Eileen Bright leaves her three children in stifling heat - Jack, Joy and baby Merry - in a broken down car to phone for help, only she doesn't come back. She never comes back. Three years later Jack, now fifteen, is looking after his sisters since his Dad - unable to cope with the tragic event - leaves them home alone. Using crime to pay for their survival, Jack stumbles across his mother's killer and is determined to bring him/her to justice. Meanwhile across town Catherine While discovers a knife beside her bed with a note saying 'I could have killed you'. With a mysterious burglar dubbed 'Goldilocks' evading capture, can the police catch him and also solve the death of Eileen with the help of troubled Jack.
The characters are simply amazing, unique, some likeable, some flawed but all so vivid in their descriptions they could be standing right in front of you and although I don't like to imagine the police involved in the story as being your average and typical criminal investigators, they did make for interesting reading and made the story so much more intriguing. I really took to Jack and especially Merry, I so wanted to dive into the novel to comfort and look after them myself.
It appears to the reader from the start that there are three very different stories being told that are completely unrelated - the murder of a pregnant mother, a sinister Intruder frightening a young woman at night and a sneaky burglar sleeping in kids beds - but before long they very cleverly start to weave together and escalate in a nail biting conclusion that will have you gripped to the pages until the exciting end.
There's a very serious storyline running through the book of survival and family loyalty, realistic, emotional but dark and dangerous with a hint of humour that has fast become a trademark of Belinda Bauer's work. I truly loved it and couldn't stop reading, I was just so enthralled.
"Snap" is an impressive and compelling psychological thriller that some would say is slow burning but I found every page to be pace perfect and entertaining and I enjoyed the build up throughout the story until the truth was finally revealed.
Belinda Bauer is an incredibly intelligent, creative and talented writer and is exceedingly well versed in producing fabulous thrillers that crime fiction readers young and old devour. Would I recommend? You bet! A must read for this summer!
5 stars
March 30, 2018
"Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act." (Paulo Coelho)
Let's be clear.....
Belinda Bauer presents Snap in a far different light than her usual offerings of the past. There's always been Murder and Mayhem between the pages....and heavy on the mayhem with a sideorder of creep in just the right places.
Snap is more a slow burner with the tides shifting in with small currents of backstory and clues. The crescendo, most certainly, will find itself in crashing waves towards the end. Bauer focuses more on her deep character development here as her story grasps simple humanity in the palm of her hand. Snap reveals the unraveling of a family in which murder has thrust itself front and center into their lives. Dealing will come in all shapes and sizes. The focus lingers on the very young and the weight of the suffocating impact of life-changing events in its aftermath......where life implodes in one giant snap.
August of 1998 brings the intense heat of waiting. The Bright children, Jack, Joy, and Merry look out the rear window of their broken-down car trying to spot the return of their mother, Eileen. Pregnant and frustrated by this situation, Eileen takes to the highway in order to phone for help. But waiting doesn't come easy for these lively ones. They try to retrace their mother's steps to no avail. She's simply nowhere to be found.
In time, Eileen's body is found.....stabbed and thrown to the wayside. Waiting for the police to find who killed Eileen turns into a lifetime of deadends. Eventually, another tragedy befalls them as their father goes out for milk and never returns. Jack becomes "in charge" for a heavy commitment he never bargained for.
Three years later, Catherine, a young pregnant woman, wakes to find a knife laying alongside her in her bedroom. A note scratched on torn paper states: "I could have killed you." Afraid to tell her husband who's on a business trip, Catherine refuses to devulge strange happenings in their home with break-ins. Someone is lurking outside and they've now been in. She won't even go to the police. Catherine has more than raging hormones to deal with.
Belinda Bauer creates quite the intelligent read as she slips in avenues that are less traveled in most mystery/thrillers. It's all about actions and reactions in this one. It's all about dogging a huge clue that will take readers down an inevitable path. Light will be shed upon the coldest of the cold. And the sharpness of that waiting game will have a huge pay-off. It's all in the resilience of the human spirit and the diligence behind it. How do you take to the pathway of life when there are no longer any bridges to see you safely across?
I received a copy of Snap through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Grove Atlantic and to the very talented Belinda Bauer for the opportunity.
Let's be clear.....
Belinda Bauer presents Snap in a far different light than her usual offerings of the past. There's always been Murder and Mayhem between the pages....and heavy on the mayhem with a sideorder of creep in just the right places.
Snap is more a slow burner with the tides shifting in with small currents of backstory and clues. The crescendo, most certainly, will find itself in crashing waves towards the end. Bauer focuses more on her deep character development here as her story grasps simple humanity in the palm of her hand. Snap reveals the unraveling of a family in which murder has thrust itself front and center into their lives. Dealing will come in all shapes and sizes. The focus lingers on the very young and the weight of the suffocating impact of life-changing events in its aftermath......where life implodes in one giant snap.
August of 1998 brings the intense heat of waiting. The Bright children, Jack, Joy, and Merry look out the rear window of their broken-down car trying to spot the return of their mother, Eileen. Pregnant and frustrated by this situation, Eileen takes to the highway in order to phone for help. But waiting doesn't come easy for these lively ones. They try to retrace their mother's steps to no avail. She's simply nowhere to be found.
In time, Eileen's body is found.....stabbed and thrown to the wayside. Waiting for the police to find who killed Eileen turns into a lifetime of deadends. Eventually, another tragedy befalls them as their father goes out for milk and never returns. Jack becomes "in charge" for a heavy commitment he never bargained for.
Three years later, Catherine, a young pregnant woman, wakes to find a knife laying alongside her in her bedroom. A note scratched on torn paper states: "I could have killed you." Afraid to tell her husband who's on a business trip, Catherine refuses to devulge strange happenings in their home with break-ins. Someone is lurking outside and they've now been in. She won't even go to the police. Catherine has more than raging hormones to deal with.
Belinda Bauer creates quite the intelligent read as she slips in avenues that are less traveled in most mystery/thrillers. It's all about actions and reactions in this one. It's all about dogging a huge clue that will take readers down an inevitable path. Light will be shed upon the coldest of the cold. And the sharpness of that waiting game will have a huge pay-off. It's all in the resilience of the human spirit and the diligence behind it. How do you take to the pathway of life when there are no longer any bridges to see you safely across?
I received a copy of Snap through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Grove Atlantic and to the very talented Belinda Bauer for the opportunity.
October 4, 2018
In the blink of an eye, in the snap of a moment, lives can change dramatically.
A psychological thriller with a 14 year old leading the search for answers to a crime that took his mother from him 3 years earlier.
A fast paced page turner.
4⭐️
I love that the character of Catherine While is real and paid cash to be a character in this novel. Proceeds went to an auction for children with cancer. Nicely done, Bauer.
A psychological thriller with a 14 year old leading the search for answers to a crime that took his mother from him 3 years earlier.
A fast paced page turner.
4⭐️
I love that the character of Catherine While is real and paid cash to be a character in this novel. Proceeds went to an auction for children with cancer. Nicely done, Bauer.
August 16, 2018
Jack, age 11 and his sisters, Joy (9) and Merry (2) are told to stay in the broken down car while their mother went to find a call box and get help. She never returned. A couple of years later, their father left to get milk from the store. He didn’t return either.
Jack knew that with no adults in the house the siblings would be split up into foster care. His efforts to take on the responsibility of holding the family together led him to become a young burglar. Joy could not face being abandoned twice and became a hoarder: newspapers stacked everywhere throughout the house with only tiny pathways to maneuver, most of them with stories of her mother’s disappearance, but also any and every issue that the newsstand could produce, just in case something new appeared. Merry read a lot of books and, at Jack’s instruction and with his help, mowed the lawn and kept the windows shiny so no-one would suspect what was going on inside the house.
During the course of one of his burglaries, Jack almost gets caught – but he also discovers what he is convinced is evidence of his mother’s murder. He is wanted as a burglar, and despite efforts to direct the police toward the evidence he feels he has discovered, that doesn’t work out. So he comes up with a new plan.
The bulk of this story takes place in Taunton, Somerset (Zummerzet is how I recall locals pronouncing it when I visited many years ago) and Tiverton, Devon. Although they are in two different areas, the distance between them is only 21 miles or 34 kms.
This story is obviously very sad and has many tragic effects on the Bright family. At the same time, there are comic moments that are both chuckle-worthy and poignant. My feelings about the various characters in this book kept changing, too – with the majority of them, including the family, I continuously flipped back and forth between liking them and not liking them – all for different reasons. I also think that everyone who reads this will have at least one favourite character, and possibly more.
The emotional rollercoaster that Belinda Bauer sets us on is a large part of what makes this novel such a treasure. The mysteries (and yes, there are several), kept me tapping my screen to find out how one thread would unravel, only to find hidden threads within the mess of fabric. Onward. Ever onward, no matter how hopeless things might appear.
I adored this book and how it was written. There are no fancy frills or poetic moments here (except maybe for poetic justice, if that counts) – and yet my thoughts, feelings, and imagination were all held captive until the very end.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys a solid, unique story peopled by fascinating characters, and written with heart.
Jack knew that with no adults in the house the siblings would be split up into foster care. His efforts to take on the responsibility of holding the family together led him to become a young burglar. Joy could not face being abandoned twice and became a hoarder: newspapers stacked everywhere throughout the house with only tiny pathways to maneuver, most of them with stories of her mother’s disappearance, but also any and every issue that the newsstand could produce, just in case something new appeared. Merry read a lot of books and, at Jack’s instruction and with his help, mowed the lawn and kept the windows shiny so no-one would suspect what was going on inside the house.
During the course of one of his burglaries, Jack almost gets caught – but he also discovers what he is convinced is evidence of his mother’s murder. He is wanted as a burglar, and despite efforts to direct the police toward the evidence he feels he has discovered, that doesn’t work out. So he comes up with a new plan.
The bulk of this story takes place in Taunton, Somerset (Zummerzet is how I recall locals pronouncing it when I visited many years ago) and Tiverton, Devon. Although they are in two different areas, the distance between them is only 21 miles or 34 kms.
This story is obviously very sad and has many tragic effects on the Bright family. At the same time, there are comic moments that are both chuckle-worthy and poignant. My feelings about the various characters in this book kept changing, too – with the majority of them, including the family, I continuously flipped back and forth between liking them and not liking them – all for different reasons. I also think that everyone who reads this will have at least one favourite character, and possibly more.
The emotional rollercoaster that Belinda Bauer sets us on is a large part of what makes this novel such a treasure. The mysteries (and yes, there are several), kept me tapping my screen to find out how one thread would unravel, only to find hidden threads within the mess of fabric. Onward. Ever onward, no matter how hopeless things might appear.
I adored this book and how it was written. There are no fancy frills or poetic moments here (except maybe for poetic justice, if that counts) – and yet my thoughts, feelings, and imagination were all held captive until the very end.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys a solid, unique story peopled by fascinating characters, and written with heart.
June 8, 2018
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
Snap decisions, snap judgments, becoming so angry that you finally just . . . SNAP. What will come of dying dreams, mistakes made, a particularly nosy neighbor, and a demoted homocide copper who takes umbrage at having to use his superior investigative skills to solve a rash of simple burglaries?
This has a straightforward story line, good sound characters, and a couple of surprising reveals along the way. The author and publisher apparently felt confident enough not to resort to the ubiquitous blurb "With a twist you'll never see coming!" or some variation on the theme. Thank you for that.
As an aside, I loved this bit - Catherine's mother left her husband because he moved his lips while reading. Priceless!
Snap decisions, snap judgments, becoming so angry that you finally just . . . SNAP. What will come of dying dreams, mistakes made, a particularly nosy neighbor, and a demoted homocide copper who takes umbrage at having to use his superior investigative skills to solve a rash of simple burglaries?
This has a straightforward story line, good sound characters, and a couple of surprising reveals along the way. The author and publisher apparently felt confident enough not to resort to the ubiquitous blurb "With a twist you'll never see coming!" or some variation on the theme. Thank you for that.
As an aside, I loved this bit - Catherine's mother left her husband because he moved his lips while reading. Priceless!
September 2, 2019
Booker nominee 2018...
Fun. Humorous at times. Kept me going...Booker worthy - no! I’ve read better.
3.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up due to the last half of the book...I did enjoy the repartee.
Fun. Humorous at times. Kept me going...Booker worthy - no! I’ve read better.
3.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up due to the last half of the book...I did enjoy the repartee.
May 14, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up for an intricately plotted murder mystery. The first half of the book moved slowly while the author set up the plot and developed the characters. The book opens with a very pregnant mother with 3 children on a road in England. The car breaks down and the mother goes for a telephone. It is August, 1998 and she doesn't have a cell(mobile) phone. She tells her children that she'll be back. She doesn't come back and the 3 children go to find help. A policeman comes to their assistance. He takes them home to their dad. More than a week later her body is found. She has been murdered.
Their dad spirals into depression and leaves the children. Jack doesn't want his sisters to be taken in to care and decides to take care of them by burglarizing vacant homes and selling stolen items to a friend.
It is now 3 years later and Jack, while burglarizing a house he thought was vacant, discovers a knife exactly like the one used to murder his mother. This starts a chain of events that leads to discovery of the murderer.
Pros: The plot was intricate and the clues slowly lead the police, with Jack's help, to the murderer. The language describing the places and characters was very vivid.
Cons: The first half moved very slowly.
This book was longlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2018, so I'm probably in the minority here.
Two quotes:
"Jack Bright's eyes were narrow as a smoker's and pale grey, as if all the colour had been cried out of them. They were divided by a single deep frown line that belonged to a man in his fifties with the cares of the world on his shoulders."
Detective Chief Inspector Marvel thinking about the murder: "Investigating a murder was like doing a jigsaw puzzle in the dark. The constant fingertip-feeling and testing and turning. The picking up and the putting down and the picking up again."
Thank You GRF Theresa who gave me this book when I visited England in 2018.
Their dad spirals into depression and leaves the children. Jack doesn't want his sisters to be taken in to care and decides to take care of them by burglarizing vacant homes and selling stolen items to a friend.
It is now 3 years later and Jack, while burglarizing a house he thought was vacant, discovers a knife exactly like the one used to murder his mother. This starts a chain of events that leads to discovery of the murderer.
Pros: The plot was intricate and the clues slowly lead the police, with Jack's help, to the murderer. The language describing the places and characters was very vivid.
Cons: The first half moved very slowly.
This book was longlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2018, so I'm probably in the minority here.
Two quotes:
"Jack Bright's eyes were narrow as a smoker's and pale grey, as if all the colour had been cried out of them. They were divided by a single deep frown line that belonged to a man in his fifties with the cares of the world on his shoulders."
Detective Chief Inspector Marvel thinking about the murder: "Investigating a murder was like doing a jigsaw puzzle in the dark. The constant fingertip-feeling and testing and turning. The picking up and the putting down and the picking up again."
Thank You GRF Theresa who gave me this book when I visited England in 2018.
September 26, 2019
What a book! What a pageturner, just loved it.
Thoroughly good, 4 stars plus! Great crime read, loved by many here as I see it. Great characters all round and highly entertaining, keeps you on the end of your seat.
I think it is an unusual book to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, as I understand it, but I like it! So... recommended!
On a stifling summer's day, 11-year old Jack and his two little sisters sit in their broken-down car along the highway, waiting for their mum to come back and rescue them. 'Jack's in charge', she'd said. 'I won't be long'. But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changes for ever. 3 years later, Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house as their dad has left them, and - quite sudden - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother. And then the police gets involved as well....
Thoroughly good, 4 stars plus! Great crime read, loved by many here as I see it. Great characters all round and highly entertaining, keeps you on the end of your seat.
I think it is an unusual book to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, as I understand it, but I like it! So... recommended!
On a stifling summer's day, 11-year old Jack and his two little sisters sit in their broken-down car along the highway, waiting for their mum to come back and rescue them. 'Jack's in charge', she'd said. 'I won't be long'. But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changes for ever. 3 years later, Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house as their dad has left them, and - quite sudden - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother. And then the police gets involved as well....
June 23, 2018
Snap by Belinda Bauer is a very slow burn thriller that leaves you guessing until the very end.
This was my first read by Belinda Bauer and I have heard excellent things by this author. Snap has been getting some high reviews on goodreads so I was excited to dive in :).
If you're expecting a thriller with massive twists/turns then I wouldn't count on that. Bauer focuses more on a deeper look into the characters in this thriller/suspense. Snap reveals a story focused on a family that has been dealt a raw hand of murder in their lives. The story slowly reveals how one family has coped with the aftermath of a murder.
The story begins in 1998 where three children Jack, Merry, and Joy are left abandoned in their car by their mother, Eileen on the side of the road. Eileen mysteriously disappears leaving her babies in the vehicle. What happened to Eileen?
Over time, Eileen's body has been found and she was brutally murdered. As life moves forward, the three children experience another trauma with their father walking out on them to get "milk" and never returning. As you can imagine, Jack become parentified and takes his younger siblings under his wing to raise them.
The story slowly begins to unravel between Jack and his siblings. Jack does everything in his power to keep CPS away from his family.... Bauer does an excellent job allowing her characters to speak and brings you into their world.
The only issues I had with this one was the slow burn. I was pretty bored on and off with this story and had trouble focusing because I felt like there was nothing happening.
I also believe that I have a love/hate relationship with my thrillers. Was this a book that was super unique? No... but I was entertained for the most part.
I really think it's tough for authors out there to come up with unique and interesting thrillers lately... I feel like they're all beginning to bleed into one another :(.
Overall, 3.5 stars rounded down.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 7/13/18
Published to GR: 6/23/18
This was my first read by Belinda Bauer and I have heard excellent things by this author. Snap has been getting some high reviews on goodreads so I was excited to dive in :).
If you're expecting a thriller with massive twists/turns then I wouldn't count on that. Bauer focuses more on a deeper look into the characters in this thriller/suspense. Snap reveals a story focused on a family that has been dealt a raw hand of murder in their lives. The story slowly reveals how one family has coped with the aftermath of a murder.
The story begins in 1998 where three children Jack, Merry, and Joy are left abandoned in their car by their mother, Eileen on the side of the road. Eileen mysteriously disappears leaving her babies in the vehicle. What happened to Eileen?
Over time, Eileen's body has been found and she was brutally murdered. As life moves forward, the three children experience another trauma with their father walking out on them to get "milk" and never returning. As you can imagine, Jack become parentified and takes his younger siblings under his wing to raise them.
The story slowly begins to unravel between Jack and his siblings. Jack does everything in his power to keep CPS away from his family.... Bauer does an excellent job allowing her characters to speak and brings you into their world.
The only issues I had with this one was the slow burn. I was pretty bored on and off with this story and had trouble focusing because I felt like there was nothing happening.
I also believe that I have a love/hate relationship with my thrillers. Was this a book that was super unique? No... but I was entertained for the most part.
I really think it's tough for authors out there to come up with unique and interesting thrillers lately... I feel like they're all beginning to bleed into one another :(.
Overall, 3.5 stars rounded down.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: 7/13/18
Published to GR: 6/23/18
May 3, 2018
Heavily pregnant Eileen Bright was riding in the family car with Jack, Joy and Merry ages 11,9 and 2 years old respectively. When the car broke down, Eileen told her children she would find an emergency telephone. They were instructed to stay in the car. She would be back very soon. After waiting and waiting, the worried children walked along the crash barrier on the road. Jack carried two year old Merry. Finally, coming upon the emergency phone, they noticed the orange receiver dangling from the phone box. Soon after, a car stopped and a policeman approached the kids.
Eileen Bright was missing. Police constantly entered and left the Bright house. Mr. Bright was distraught and preoccupied. He didn't notice the youngsters reading newspapers documenting their mother's disappearance. Days later, her stabbed body was found on the side of the road. An unusual looking knife was discovered nearby. The case remained unsolved.
Fast forward three years. Jack is now fourteen years old and the sole support in charge of his siblings. Mr. Bright, unable to cope, abandoned his children. Jack learned that appearances matter. Fear of being picked up by social services has led Jack to keep a well manicured lawn and washed windows. Neighbors are misled into thinking that Mr. Bright is often away for days working. Befriended by Louis Bridge, Jack is taught the art of being a cat burglar. In order to be successful at breaking and entering, a cat burglar must stay thin, wear gloves, first secure the exit of the premises and have a ready "smile and lie", if necessary. Jack steals food for family survival and small items Louis can sell for profit from the empty houses of families on vacation. One burglary will become a game changer.
Detective Chief Inspector John Marvel has been exiled to a small town. Although he is a good old fashioned copper, he has made costly mistakes. He will be forced to work with Detective Sergeant Reynolds who is well dressed and well liked. This is an awkward pairing of sleuths. In the absence of any current murder cases, Marvel will be required to assist in a slew of breaking and entering cases. He has lofty ideas. If he can unravel the cold case of Eileen Bright's murder, he might be recalled to London and leave this one horse town! Marvel, Reynolds and an unscrupulous assistant just might shed light on the investigations.
"Snap" by Belinda Bauer is a fast paced compulsive read that was "unputdownable". The characters were very well developed. Many were flawed but likable. Jack had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knew right from wrong but felt between a rock and a hard place. Louis Bridge ran several interesting operations. "Snap" was a slow burning, highly addictive thriller I highly recommend.
Thank you Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Snap".
Eileen Bright was missing. Police constantly entered and left the Bright house. Mr. Bright was distraught and preoccupied. He didn't notice the youngsters reading newspapers documenting their mother's disappearance. Days later, her stabbed body was found on the side of the road. An unusual looking knife was discovered nearby. The case remained unsolved.
Fast forward three years. Jack is now fourteen years old and the sole support in charge of his siblings. Mr. Bright, unable to cope, abandoned his children. Jack learned that appearances matter. Fear of being picked up by social services has led Jack to keep a well manicured lawn and washed windows. Neighbors are misled into thinking that Mr. Bright is often away for days working. Befriended by Louis Bridge, Jack is taught the art of being a cat burglar. In order to be successful at breaking and entering, a cat burglar must stay thin, wear gloves, first secure the exit of the premises and have a ready "smile and lie", if necessary. Jack steals food for family survival and small items Louis can sell for profit from the empty houses of families on vacation. One burglary will become a game changer.
Detective Chief Inspector John Marvel has been exiled to a small town. Although he is a good old fashioned copper, he has made costly mistakes. He will be forced to work with Detective Sergeant Reynolds who is well dressed and well liked. This is an awkward pairing of sleuths. In the absence of any current murder cases, Marvel will be required to assist in a slew of breaking and entering cases. He has lofty ideas. If he can unravel the cold case of Eileen Bright's murder, he might be recalled to London and leave this one horse town! Marvel, Reynolds and an unscrupulous assistant just might shed light on the investigations.
"Snap" by Belinda Bauer is a fast paced compulsive read that was "unputdownable". The characters were very well developed. Many were flawed but likable. Jack had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knew right from wrong but felt between a rock and a hard place. Louis Bridge ran several interesting operations. "Snap" was a slow burning, highly addictive thriller I highly recommend.
Thank you Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Snap".
July 4, 2018
4 sensitive and atmospheric stars to Snap! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Snap is my first read from Belinda Bauer, and now I know why she is well-loved!
A car breaks down on the side of the road with a mother and three young children inside. The mom names Jack, the eleven-year-old and eldest child, in charge and leaves to get help. Jack and his sisters try to pass the time, waiting for their mom to come back. The minutes pass unbearably slowly, and she never returns. Eventually her body is found, and the effect of her loss on the family is devastating and unbearable, especially for Jack’s father. The sensitivity in how this loss was described added to the authenticity and sets it apart from other thrillers.
Flash forward a few years, and Jack is still in charge, living with his sisters alone in the house. At the same time, a woman named Catherine While finds a knife beside her bed with a threatening note. Somehow this connects to finding the person who killed Jack’s mother. There is a great tie-in here that I enjoyed immensely.
Snap has fantastic empathic characterization, including the brave and savvy, Jack, who I was rooting for throughout. He wants so badly to keep his family together. I admired his grit. Another unforgettable character is Louis Bridge, an uncouth thief, but also a savior to Jack. I also enjoyed the interplay between the two detectives, Reynolds and Marvel.
All Jack wants is justice for his mother’s death. Will he get it? Snap is quite the journey on the road to justice after tremendous grief and loss. There is an empathy to the storytelling that I admired. It takes some time for the atmosphereic, haunting, and dark story to come together, but when it does, it’s masterful.
Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC. Snap will be published on July 3, 2018!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
(My earlier review wasn’t showing up under my books or under the listing for Snap. So weird? So I am adding it here in hopes that it shows up. I’m really sorry for the duplicate.)
Snap is my first read from Belinda Bauer, and now I know why she is well-loved!
A car breaks down on the side of the road with a mother and three young children inside. The mom names Jack, the eleven-year-old and eldest child, in charge and leaves to get help. Jack and his sisters try to pass the time, waiting for their mom to come back. The minutes pass unbearably slowly, and she never returns. Eventually her body is found, and the effect of her loss on the family is devastating and unbearable, especially for Jack’s father. The sensitivity in how this loss was described added to the authenticity and sets it apart from other thrillers.
Flash forward a few years, and Jack is still in charge, living with his sisters alone in the house. At the same time, a woman named Catherine While finds a knife beside her bed with a threatening note. Somehow this connects to finding the person who killed Jack’s mother. There is a great tie-in here that I enjoyed immensely.
Snap has fantastic empathic characterization, including the brave and savvy, Jack, who I was rooting for throughout. He wants so badly to keep his family together. I admired his grit. Another unforgettable character is Louis Bridge, an uncouth thief, but also a savior to Jack. I also enjoyed the interplay between the two detectives, Reynolds and Marvel.
All Jack wants is justice for his mother’s death. Will he get it? Snap is quite the journey on the road to justice after tremendous grief and loss. There is an empathy to the storytelling that I admired. It takes some time for the atmosphereic, haunting, and dark story to come together, but when it does, it’s masterful.
Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC. Snap will be published on July 3, 2018!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
(My earlier review wasn’t showing up under my books or under the listing for Snap. So weird? So I am adding it here in hopes that it shows up. I’m really sorry for the duplicate.)
August 15, 2019
SNAP...
Three children were alone in a broken down car on a scorching hot day.
Mommy must have ‘snapped’ a brain-artery... she goes searching for help....but leaves the kids behind.
CRACKLE...
It’s still hot in the car and hot outside. The children play I spy with my bitty little eyes....( they spied nothing of importance)....
Hours have gone by. Jack, the oldest child, Joy, ( a little younger than Jack), and Mary ( the baby) trekked about for hours - exhausted in search of ‘mommy’.
Jack carried Mary... sweating buckets.
Joy carried the heavy baby bag until she finally hid it behind a bush to retrieve later. They were all thirsty - hungry - scared - angry - and tired -
The kids were a sizzling-crackling-hot wreck!!!
POP...
Mommy’s body was found several days later. She was stabbed to death. A bloody knife was discovered, which was used to killed Eileen Bright.
POP-SHOCK....mommy wasn’t coming home!
Daddy’s grief must have POPPED-A-BRAIN artery, too...
He bolts and leaves the kids - CHILDREN to FEND FOR THEMSELVES!
NICE PARENTS... both ‘abandoned’ the kids at a time they most needed protection.
SNAP-CRACKLE-POP...
The suspense begin...
The kids are on their own, with no supervision and no one bringing home the bacon.
Yeah- yeah.... I know how did they not get caught by social services- and support themselves to boot?
Belinda Bauer gives us a STRETCH-plausible- story about the kids living in their own.
It’s believable ‘enough’ to put the readers mind at rest -( but shhh... we know much of this isn’t likely)....
yet... we don’t care: the storytelling - the wonderful characters with all they are grappling with, make us happy campers readers!!!
Ha....not so fast. Don’t think for one second that there aren’t other adults in this story ... or there aren’t other plots happening.
We meet pregnant Catherine who’s life was threatened while her husband Adam was away. Of course she doesn’t tell Adam! ( crazy)...
What wife does that?? Every wife I know -including myself - would never keep a secret from my husband that a knife was found near my bed with a note saying.”I could have killed you”.
In the meantime, the quirky police have not been able to solve the hundreds of burglaries in the area: nicknamed *Goldilocks*.
Whoever Goldilocks is, he or she isn’t too particular about the firmness of bed mattresses.
Goldilocks is happy with firm, soft, or ‘just-right’ beds for a little snooze while stealing the goods from people’s homes.
Jack - and several goof-balls-detectives - work together to find out who killed Eileen/mommy.
Detective Marvel is a typical grouchy, snappy, funny officer.
Reynolds - opposite of Marvel -goes by the book - honors the laws ...
Then there was Rice & Parrot - part of team....but it’s JACK who was the star-‘teenage detective’.
SNAP..... is.....
.....quick thinking - little time for smart thought out-plans. Kudos to Belinda Bauer’s skillful writing.
SNAP
......is suspenseful
SNAP is filled with....
.....humor, fun, courage, love, loss, grief, and survival.
SNAP is....
.....an intelligent crime novel with wonderful atmospheric feelings.
SNAP-to-it!!! Jack’s Journey is smashing!
Very entertaining read!
Note: For those unfamiliar with Belinda Bauer:
She grew up in England and South Africa and is a terrific intelligent-crime-writer
I also loved two other of her books:
“Rubbernecker”, and
“The Shut Eye”. Both: great!
Three children were alone in a broken down car on a scorching hot day.
Mommy must have ‘snapped’ a brain-artery... she goes searching for help....but leaves the kids behind.
CRACKLE...
It’s still hot in the car and hot outside. The children play I spy with my bitty little eyes....( they spied nothing of importance)....
Hours have gone by. Jack, the oldest child, Joy, ( a little younger than Jack), and Mary ( the baby) trekked about for hours - exhausted in search of ‘mommy’.
Jack carried Mary... sweating buckets.
Joy carried the heavy baby bag until she finally hid it behind a bush to retrieve later. They were all thirsty - hungry - scared - angry - and tired -
The kids were a sizzling-crackling-hot wreck!!!
POP...
Mommy’s body was found several days later. She was stabbed to death. A bloody knife was discovered, which was used to killed Eileen Bright.
POP-SHOCK....mommy wasn’t coming home!
Daddy’s grief must have POPPED-A-BRAIN artery, too...
He bolts and leaves the kids - CHILDREN to FEND FOR THEMSELVES!
NICE PARENTS... both ‘abandoned’ the kids at a time they most needed protection.
SNAP-CRACKLE-POP...
The suspense begin...
The kids are on their own, with no supervision and no one bringing home the bacon.
Yeah- yeah.... I know how did they not get caught by social services- and support themselves to boot?
Belinda Bauer gives us a STRETCH-plausible- story about the kids living in their own.
It’s believable ‘enough’ to put the readers mind at rest -( but shhh... we know much of this isn’t likely)....
yet... we don’t care: the storytelling - the wonderful characters with all they are grappling with, make us happy campers readers!!!
Ha....not so fast. Don’t think for one second that there aren’t other adults in this story ... or there aren’t other plots happening.
We meet pregnant Catherine who’s life was threatened while her husband Adam was away. Of course she doesn’t tell Adam! ( crazy)...
What wife does that?? Every wife I know -including myself - would never keep a secret from my husband that a knife was found near my bed with a note saying.”I could have killed you”.
In the meantime, the quirky police have not been able to solve the hundreds of burglaries in the area: nicknamed *Goldilocks*.
Whoever Goldilocks is, he or she isn’t too particular about the firmness of bed mattresses.
Goldilocks is happy with firm, soft, or ‘just-right’ beds for a little snooze while stealing the goods from people’s homes.
Jack - and several goof-balls-detectives - work together to find out who killed Eileen/mommy.
Detective Marvel is a typical grouchy, snappy, funny officer.
Reynolds - opposite of Marvel -goes by the book - honors the laws ...
Then there was Rice & Parrot - part of team....but it’s JACK who was the star-‘teenage detective’.
SNAP..... is.....
.....quick thinking - little time for smart thought out-plans. Kudos to Belinda Bauer’s skillful writing.
SNAP
......is suspenseful
SNAP is filled with....
.....humor, fun, courage, love, loss, grief, and survival.
SNAP is....
.....an intelligent crime novel with wonderful atmospheric feelings.
SNAP-to-it!!! Jack’s Journey is smashing!
Very entertaining read!
Note: For those unfamiliar with Belinda Bauer:
She grew up in England and South Africa and is a terrific intelligent-crime-writer
I also loved two other of her books:
“Rubbernecker”, and
“The Shut Eye”. Both: great!
April 22, 2018
A fast paced, thought provoking and sometimes emotive read.
It truly keeps that grey matter ticking for clues and answers.
Jack and his two sisters are left in the car awaiting they’re Mothers return while she goes to find a phone.
The last thing she says to the older child Jack “ I won’t be long, you’re in charge”
But they waited
And waited
And waited.
So jack decides along with his younger sister to pick up the youngest child and go find their Mom.
Jack ends up catering and becoming a Carer of his young siblings the only way he learns how to since his dad couldn’t hack things and went.
He gets on the wrong side of the law but quite by default he’s in remission.
His aim now he’s a bit older is to find out what happened to his Mom.
We have the new neighbour next door making an appearance. I loved how I didn’t like her, then I did.
No one is ever what they seem.
Quite a few things stood out. The most for me was the knives. The coding.
I really enjoyed working on that with the a Investigation I truly felt a part of it.
There is so much more I can say about this book and it’s plot or plots. It would spoil it.
So I’m stopping where it’s safe.
Have been on a roll with books this year. Quite a few are already in my Top Reads shelf ready to sort out at the end of the year. At this rate it’s going to be an impossible task.
Thank you Random House for my copy via Net Galley
It truly keeps that grey matter ticking for clues and answers.
Jack and his two sisters are left in the car awaiting they’re Mothers return while she goes to find a phone.
The last thing she says to the older child Jack “ I won’t be long, you’re in charge”
But they waited
And waited
And waited.
So jack decides along with his younger sister to pick up the youngest child and go find their Mom.
Jack ends up catering and becoming a Carer of his young siblings the only way he learns how to since his dad couldn’t hack things and went.
He gets on the wrong side of the law but quite by default he’s in remission.
His aim now he’s a bit older is to find out what happened to his Mom.
We have the new neighbour next door making an appearance. I loved how I didn’t like her, then I did.
No one is ever what they seem.
Quite a few things stood out. The most for me was the knives. The coding.
I really enjoyed working on that with the a Investigation I truly felt a part of it.
There is so much more I can say about this book and it’s plot or plots. It would spoil it.
So I’m stopping where it’s safe.
Have been on a roll with books this year. Quite a few are already in my Top Reads shelf ready to sort out at the end of the year. At this rate it’s going to be an impossible task.
Thank you Random House for my copy via Net Galley
July 21, 2018
EXCERPT: 'To my Daughter on your Special Day'. Her mother chose the worst cards. A week after her birthday she had bundled it up with all her others and put them in a drawer in the spare room.
And yet, here it was, next to her bed. . .
Catherine felt disorientated, as if this were a dream, or a time warp. She opened the card.
Her mother’s scratchy signature had been roughly crossed out and on the blank side of the card was scrawled a new message. . . 'I could have killed you.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long.
But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.
Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.
Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.
But the truth can be a dangerous thing . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Bauer has a way of sneaking up on you. She doesn't rely on twists and turns to keep the reader interested. She gets inside the heads and hearts of her characters to provide a rich, deep and often humorous viewpoint.
Bauer is known for taking the bleakest of situations and turning them into something special. At no point in this book are you going to go 'WOW!', because it is a quietly clever book, one that is a satisfying read, a moving read.
It takes a while for the different threads in this book to come together, to weave their tapestry into the bigger picture, but it is a picture worth waiting for. This is a novel of loss, of grief, of getting by by whatever means possible, of betrayal. But there is also hope and loyalty, and unexpected kindnesses. And humor in the form of Marvel, Reynolds and Rice.
Marvel is unconventional, a direct opposite of Reynolds, who plays by the book and has great expectations of himself. Rice, well Rice is just Rice. I loved this trio and I hope that this is not our only encounter with them.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Snap by Belinda Bauer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
And yet, here it was, next to her bed. . .
Catherine felt disorientated, as if this were a dream, or a time warp. She opened the card.
Her mother’s scratchy signature had been roughly crossed out and on the blank side of the card was scrawled a new message. . . 'I could have killed you.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: On a stifling summer's day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack's in charge, she said. I won't be long.
But she doesn't come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.
Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.
Meanwhile Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they're alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.
But the truth can be a dangerous thing . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Bauer has a way of sneaking up on you. She doesn't rely on twists and turns to keep the reader interested. She gets inside the heads and hearts of her characters to provide a rich, deep and often humorous viewpoint.
Bauer is known for taking the bleakest of situations and turning them into something special. At no point in this book are you going to go 'WOW!', because it is a quietly clever book, one that is a satisfying read, a moving read.
It takes a while for the different threads in this book to come together, to weave their tapestry into the bigger picture, but it is a picture worth waiting for. This is a novel of loss, of grief, of getting by by whatever means possible, of betrayal. But there is also hope and loyalty, and unexpected kindnesses. And humor in the form of Marvel, Reynolds and Rice.
Marvel is unconventional, a direct opposite of Reynolds, who plays by the book and has great expectations of himself. Rice, well Rice is just Rice. I loved this trio and I hope that this is not our only encounter with them.
😍😍😍😍
THE AUTHOR: Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Grove Atlantic via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Snap by Belinda Bauer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 11, 2018
So Jack’s mum’s car breaks down and she goes to get some help... LEAVING the kids in the car! 😭 like sis, everyone knows you don’t do that!! So anyways, Jack and his sisters Joy and Merry are waiting for their mum but she doesn’t come back. She never comes back. And that’s when their lives change forever. The story then takes place 3 years later and shows how Jack and his sisters are dealing with everything.
When I read the synopsis for Snap, I knew I wanted to read it. And when my friends on here were giving it 5 stars, I just KNEW I wanted to get my hands on a copy. In other words, it didn’t take me long to click that “Buy” button lool. I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Snap was a compelling, engaging story with some really great characters. However, my favourite was Jack. He was such a fantastic character and I adored him! It made me emotional at times what he and his sisters had been through; but Jack was a tough nut. And I loved the relationship he had with his youngest sister Merry. I mean, he got her books cos she loved reading even if it wasn’t through the best of means, you know? 😭
Snap is an example of how you never truly know what someone is like or what they’re capable of. A brilliant read for me and one I definitely recommend!
4.5 stars
When I read the synopsis for Snap, I knew I wanted to read it. And when my friends on here were giving it 5 stars, I just KNEW I wanted to get my hands on a copy. In other words, it didn’t take me long to click that “Buy” button lool. I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Snap was a compelling, engaging story with some really great characters. However, my favourite was Jack. He was such a fantastic character and I adored him! It made me emotional at times what he and his sisters had been through; but Jack was a tough nut. And I loved the relationship he had with his youngest sister Merry. I mean, he got her books cos she loved reading even if it wasn’t through the best of means, you know? 😭
Snap is an example of how you never truly know what someone is like or what they’re capable of. A brilliant read for me and one I definitely recommend!
4.5 stars
June 29, 2018
A rather dark crime novel with some memorable characters and a burglar who likes to nap.....BUT someone will Snap!
Jack Bright is in charge, but he is only 14 years old. He does what he can to get by and take care of his two younger sisters (Joy and Merry). They hide alone inside their house and have their "cover story" down pat (insert snoopy neighbor). I had a soft spot for Jack and the girls. I wanted to give them all a huge hug.
Their mother, Eileen went missing 3 years prior and never returned. Jack is determined to find out who is responsible and he proves to be a wiley one. I think he stole the show.
I really enjoyed how the story was told with some of the different characters perspectives. As the mystery unfolds, the author throws in some shockers that had me on the edge of my seat. I also liked how the author gave the story some bright moments that made me smile in the midst of some tragic circumstances.
Thanks to NG and Grove Atlantic for my ARC. Will post to Amazon on 7/13/18
Jack Bright is in charge, but he is only 14 years old. He does what he can to get by and take care of his two younger sisters (Joy and Merry). They hide alone inside their house and have their "cover story" down pat (insert snoopy neighbor). I had a soft spot for Jack and the girls. I wanted to give them all a huge hug.
Their mother, Eileen went missing 3 years prior and never returned. Jack is determined to find out who is responsible and he proves to be a wiley one. I think he stole the show.
I really enjoyed how the story was told with some of the different characters perspectives. As the mystery unfolds, the author throws in some shockers that had me on the edge of my seat. I also liked how the author gave the story some bright moments that made me smile in the midst of some tragic circumstances.
Thanks to NG and Grove Atlantic for my ARC. Will post to Amazon on 7/13/18
July 14, 2018
"I could have killed you."
SNAP is a multi-layered, cleverly plotted crime novel with a varied group of unusual and unpredictable character types. The beginning completely drew me in and then, after a bit of confusion, everything just SNAPPED into place.
Important not to give anything away in this one, so I'll just say.......
.....A mother makes a really bad decision....or two.
....An angry and desperate young boy of eleven steps up to the plate....and takes charge.
....A wife in the family way keeps some dangerous secrets....but why?
....And a Detective Chief Inspector turns out to be quite the copper!
My first Belinda Bauer kept me guessing and provided SNAPS - CRACKLES - and a - POP of a fine ending! So glad I SNAPPED up a copy of this one.....and did not read the book summary!
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic via NetGalley for the arc AVAILABLE TODAY in exchange for an unbiased review.
May 1, 2018
Unique, haunting…and bonkers. If I had to describe this book in a nutshell, that’s what comes to mind. And just so you know, I’m a big fan of bonkers.
Initially, it’s like you’re reading 2 books the are very different in subject matter & tone. The book blurb gives you a good breakdown of one of them. It’s the poignant story of Jack, Joy & Merry…3 young siblings abandoned by their parents. At 15, Jack is the man of the house & doing everything in his power to keep social services from discovering their squalid living conditions. But it’s exhausting. Jack spends his nights sneaking into empty houses & stealing what he can to keep his family going. That’s how he found the knife.
The other story line introduces DCI John Marvel. He’s a rumpled, dyspeptic old fashioned copper who’s been exiled to Somerset PD as a result of his less than PC techniques. Instead of high profile cases, he’s been given a rash of home burglaries to investigate. Seriously? Don’t they know he was an elite homicide detective? And don’t even get him started on his colleagues.
DS Reynolds is eager to make a good impression on his new boss. He’s a fastidious, impeccably groomed straight arrow who’s always willing to help coworkers better themselves. Whether it’s tips on deportment or correcting their grammar, he knows deep down they appreciate his attention to detail. So why does the new DCI seem to hate him?
For the first half of the book, the 2 story lines develop separately. There is a fair amount of jumping back & forth in time lines so you have to pay attention. The haunting sadness of Jack’s story is relieved by chapters detailing the police investigation & the humorous relationship between Marvel & Reynolds. Hint: it’s more Bickersons than bro-mance.
But the book really takes off when Jack meets Marvel. Jack believes he knows who murdered his mother 3 years ago & the old cop is just the man to prove it. And Marvel…well, the boy certainly spins a wild tale but how can he resist the chance to work a nice, juicy unsolved murder?
From here on, the book takes off in a dozen crazy directions as Marvel & Reynolds pick away at Jack’s story. Initially Marvel comes across as a self important misanthrope & Reynolds is just plain irritating. But a funny thing happened as I kept reading. I started to really like them. They’re both so odd & their relationship so entertaining that I couldn’t help but buckle up & enjoy this quirky ride.
Confession time: I’ve only read one previous book by this author & it was just a so-so read for me. It was not a question of writing skills…she has those in spades. But humour is (excuse the pun) a funny thing. Of all the story elements or genres, I think it might be the most subjective. What’s hilarious to one reader may make another longingly eye the last chapter.
All I can say is this book made me a convert. Marvel & Reynolds provided the comic relief I needed while Jack broke my heart. Each of the characters gradually reveals hidden depths as we spend more time in their company. You’ll find yourself rooting for this strange trio of lost souls as they piece together the truth behind what happened to Jack’s family. It’s poignant, unconventional & entertaining. Can’t ask for much more than that.
Initially, it’s like you’re reading 2 books the are very different in subject matter & tone. The book blurb gives you a good breakdown of one of them. It’s the poignant story of Jack, Joy & Merry…3 young siblings abandoned by their parents. At 15, Jack is the man of the house & doing everything in his power to keep social services from discovering their squalid living conditions. But it’s exhausting. Jack spends his nights sneaking into empty houses & stealing what he can to keep his family going. That’s how he found the knife.
The other story line introduces DCI John Marvel. He’s a rumpled, dyspeptic old fashioned copper who’s been exiled to Somerset PD as a result of his less than PC techniques. Instead of high profile cases, he’s been given a rash of home burglaries to investigate. Seriously? Don’t they know he was an elite homicide detective? And don’t even get him started on his colleagues.
DS Reynolds is eager to make a good impression on his new boss. He’s a fastidious, impeccably groomed straight arrow who’s always willing to help coworkers better themselves. Whether it’s tips on deportment or correcting their grammar, he knows deep down they appreciate his attention to detail. So why does the new DCI seem to hate him?
For the first half of the book, the 2 story lines develop separately. There is a fair amount of jumping back & forth in time lines so you have to pay attention. The haunting sadness of Jack’s story is relieved by chapters detailing the police investigation & the humorous relationship between Marvel & Reynolds. Hint: it’s more Bickersons than bro-mance.
But the book really takes off when Jack meets Marvel. Jack believes he knows who murdered his mother 3 years ago & the old cop is just the man to prove it. And Marvel…well, the boy certainly spins a wild tale but how can he resist the chance to work a nice, juicy unsolved murder?
From here on, the book takes off in a dozen crazy directions as Marvel & Reynolds pick away at Jack’s story. Initially Marvel comes across as a self important misanthrope & Reynolds is just plain irritating. But a funny thing happened as I kept reading. I started to really like them. They’re both so odd & their relationship so entertaining that I couldn’t help but buckle up & enjoy this quirky ride.
Confession time: I’ve only read one previous book by this author & it was just a so-so read for me. It was not a question of writing skills…she has those in spades. But humour is (excuse the pun) a funny thing. Of all the story elements or genres, I think it might be the most subjective. What’s hilarious to one reader may make another longingly eye the last chapter.
All I can say is this book made me a convert. Marvel & Reynolds provided the comic relief I needed while Jack broke my heart. Each of the characters gradually reveals hidden depths as we spend more time in their company. You’ll find yourself rooting for this strange trio of lost souls as they piece together the truth behind what happened to Jack’s family. It’s poignant, unconventional & entertaining. Can’t ask for much more than that.
July 6, 2018
This is a well-executed mystery.
Eleven-year-old Jack Bright and his younger sisters are left in a car while their mother walks to find a pay phone to get help with their car trouble. She never returns, and later her murdered pregnant body is found.
Three years later, Jack is supporting himself and his sisters by breaking into people’s homes and stealing things, including healthy food to feed the family.
We have a good suspicion early on who murdered Jack’s mother. The mystery becomes how will Jack and the police figure out a way to tie the suspected killer to the actual murder.
This was a fast, fun read. Recommend.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Eleven-year-old Jack Bright and his younger sisters are left in a car while their mother walks to find a pay phone to get help with their car trouble. She never returns, and later her murdered pregnant body is found.
Three years later, Jack is supporting himself and his sisters by breaking into people’s homes and stealing things, including healthy food to feed the family.
We have a good suspicion early on who murdered Jack’s mother. The mystery becomes how will Jack and the police figure out a way to tie the suspected killer to the actual murder.
This was a fast, fun read. Recommend.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.
For more reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
February 11, 2024
Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018
This is really, really upsetting: It's not that the book is bad for what it is (hence the three stars), but this should never have made the Booker longlist - dismissing Tommy Orange and literature from three whole continents in order to then include escapist entertainment feat. some kitsch elements with no apparent topical relevance is just stupid. It's not that I am against including genre fiction, on the contrary, but this book does not have anything to say, it's just a solid mystery, a beach read.
Short summary: The mother is murdered, the father, overwhelmed by grief, disappears, the kids are left alone, the oldest one, Jack, becomes a burglar to support his family and later helps to solve the mystery. The end. Sure, you could argue that the book portrays a family falling apart in the aftermath of a crime (sort of), and the kids are very well portrayed, but this book is the opposite of challenging and does not point to anything beyond its face value. The motivations of one key character (Catherine) are also unbelievable and the whole thing is slightly over-constructed, but that's not even what bothers me.
What bothers me is that the world is going nuts and there are tons of relevant books with urgent narrative voices and interesting aesthetic concepts tackling all kinds of important issues, and this novel is what the Booker wants to highlight? No Winton or Flanagan, no entry from Asia, no entry from Africa and then boasting "hey, we are so edgy, we are now including crime fiction!" to present us - this?
I was just conferring with some people at the Secret Society of International Book Lovers, and we are doubting that this is even the best crime novel of the year - we have a hunch that one of the judges might have called it in, and that most publishers submitting to the Booker did not even think of presenting a crime novel as a possible entry. This does of course not mean that anyone intends to blame it on ONE judge: They all agreed on the list, so it would be highly unfair to pin this on one person - we simply disagree with the decision to include this book.
We also feel like this is a marketing stunt: A Booker nominee for all those people who don't want to deal with Saunders/Smith/Cusk/McCormack-level complexity. A beach read Booker choice. Who needs to hear the stories of urban Native Americans, a tale about toxic masculinity or about the fight for Indian independence if you can chill with a cute little kid who becomes a detective to find out who murdered his mom?
I will stop this rant now by saying that I don't blame Belinda Bauer - she wrote a good book for what she was trying to do. But although this text meets the (rather broad) Booker entry criteria, it is absurd to include it in the longlist.
This is really, really upsetting: It's not that the book is bad for what it is (hence the three stars), but this should never have made the Booker longlist - dismissing Tommy Orange and literature from three whole continents in order to then include escapist entertainment feat. some kitsch elements with no apparent topical relevance is just stupid. It's not that I am against including genre fiction, on the contrary, but this book does not have anything to say, it's just a solid mystery, a beach read.
Short summary: The mother is murdered, the father, overwhelmed by grief, disappears, the kids are left alone, the oldest one, Jack, becomes a burglar to support his family and later helps to solve the mystery. The end. Sure, you could argue that the book portrays a family falling apart in the aftermath of a crime (sort of), and the kids are very well portrayed, but this book is the opposite of challenging and does not point to anything beyond its face value. The motivations of one key character (Catherine) are also unbelievable and the whole thing is slightly over-constructed, but that's not even what bothers me.
What bothers me is that the world is going nuts and there are tons of relevant books with urgent narrative voices and interesting aesthetic concepts tackling all kinds of important issues, and this novel is what the Booker wants to highlight? No Winton or Flanagan, no entry from Asia, no entry from Africa and then boasting "hey, we are so edgy, we are now including crime fiction!" to present us - this?
I was just conferring with some people at the Secret Society of International Book Lovers, and we are doubting that this is even the best crime novel of the year - we have a hunch that one of the judges might have called it in, and that most publishers submitting to the Booker did not even think of presenting a crime novel as a possible entry. This does of course not mean that anyone intends to blame it on ONE judge: They all agreed on the list, so it would be highly unfair to pin this on one person - we simply disagree with the decision to include this book.
We also feel like this is a marketing stunt: A Booker nominee for all those people who don't want to deal with Saunders/Smith/Cusk/McCormack-level complexity. A beach read Booker choice. Who needs to hear the stories of urban Native Americans, a tale about toxic masculinity or about the fight for Indian independence if you can chill with a cute little kid who becomes a detective to find out who murdered his mom?
I will stop this rant now by saying that I don't blame Belinda Bauer - she wrote a good book for what she was trying to do. But although this text meets the (rather broad) Booker entry criteria, it is absurd to include it in the longlist.
July 19, 2018
Holy Snap!
1998 – Three young children sit in a broken-down car on the side of the road, waiting for their pregnant mother to return from the phone box. She doesn’t come back.
2001 – Home alone, heavily pregnant, Catherine, awakens to a noise, and heads downstairs to investigate. She spies a shadowy figure sneaking away across the lawn. Relieved to have thwarted an attempted burglary she returns to her bedroom, where to her horror she finds a knife on her bed, along with a note ‘I could have killed you’. Meanwhile, police are investigating a string of recent break-ins targeting families, coined the ‘Goldilocks Case’, because the intruder sleeps in the kid’s beds, before stealing their stuff.
How are these seemingly random events all connected you ask? Snap up a copy to find out!
This was a pleasure to read. I'm still reeling from those last two chapters. The mystery unravelled at a slow burn, which could’ve had the potential to be boring, if not for the skilled and ingenious writing, and compelling and passionate characters. I can’t count the number of times I laughed during the course of the novel, which may seem odd given it’s psychological suspense, but it all comes back to the superb writing.
There were so many stand-out characters – pompous and socially awkward DS Reynolds, gruff, coarse, and at times offensive DCI Marvel, and sassy, quietly-smart PC Rice. The two detectives were polar-opposites, and their interactions were a hoot. And, PC Rice’s good-natured teasing of DS Reynolds, and his feigned disinterest, was another highlight.
The three children also made a lasting impression. Jack, fiercely determined, resourceful, and protective, who just wants to provide for his sisters, and get to the truth of what happened to his mother on that fateful day. Adorable, curious, Merry, with her advanced vocabulary, who endlessly questions everything. And poor darling Joy, so damaged and vulnerable. I wanted to first hug them all, and then adopt them.
The crime was a brutal one, but there were few violent descriptions, or scenes (the worst occurred in the opening chapter when the children stumble across a dead fox). Instead the story focused on the devastating effects of such a crime, and how much it completely destroyed more than one family.
It did get a little bit ‘Home Alone’ at one point, with a kid running rings around the entire police department, rather than a couple of bumbling thieves, but overall a smashing read, not to be missed. I intend to read Belinda Bauer’s previous books, no question. Read it, and make it snappy!
1998 – Three young children sit in a broken-down car on the side of the road, waiting for their pregnant mother to return from the phone box. She doesn’t come back.
2001 – Home alone, heavily pregnant, Catherine, awakens to a noise, and heads downstairs to investigate. She spies a shadowy figure sneaking away across the lawn. Relieved to have thwarted an attempted burglary she returns to her bedroom, where to her horror she finds a knife on her bed, along with a note ‘I could have killed you’. Meanwhile, police are investigating a string of recent break-ins targeting families, coined the ‘Goldilocks Case’, because the intruder sleeps in the kid’s beds, before stealing their stuff.
How are these seemingly random events all connected you ask? Snap up a copy to find out!
This was a pleasure to read. I'm still reeling from those last two chapters. The mystery unravelled at a slow burn, which could’ve had the potential to be boring, if not for the skilled and ingenious writing, and compelling and passionate characters. I can’t count the number of times I laughed during the course of the novel, which may seem odd given it’s psychological suspense, but it all comes back to the superb writing.
There were so many stand-out characters – pompous and socially awkward DS Reynolds, gruff, coarse, and at times offensive DCI Marvel, and sassy, quietly-smart PC Rice. The two detectives were polar-opposites, and their interactions were a hoot. And, PC Rice’s good-natured teasing of DS Reynolds, and his feigned disinterest, was another highlight.
The three children also made a lasting impression. Jack, fiercely determined, resourceful, and protective, who just wants to provide for his sisters, and get to the truth of what happened to his mother on that fateful day. Adorable, curious, Merry, with her advanced vocabulary, who endlessly questions everything. And poor darling Joy, so damaged and vulnerable. I wanted to first hug them all, and then adopt them.
The crime was a brutal one, but there were few violent descriptions, or scenes (the worst occurred in the opening chapter when the children stumble across a dead fox). Instead the story focused on the devastating effects of such a crime, and how much it completely destroyed more than one family.
It did get a little bit ‘Home Alone’ at one point, with a kid running rings around the entire police department, rather than a couple of bumbling thieves, but overall a smashing read, not to be missed. I intend to read Belinda Bauer’s previous books, no question. Read it, and make it snappy!
June 30, 2018
4 sensitive and atmospheric stars to Snap! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Snap is my first read from Belinda Bauer, and now I know why she is well-loved!
A car breaks down on the side of the road with a mother and three young children inside. The mom names Jack, the eleven-year-old and eldest child, in charge and leaves to get help. Jack and his sisters try to pass the time, waiting for their mom to come back. The minutes pass unbearably slowly, and she never returns. Eventually her body is found, and the effect of her loss on the family is devastating and unbearable, especially for Jack’s father. The sensitivity in how this loss was described added to the authenticity and sets it apart from other thrillers.
Flash forward a few years, and Jack is still in charge, living with his sisters alone in the house. At the same time, a woman named Catherine While finds a knife beside her bed with a threatening note. Somehow this connects to finding the person who killed Jack’s mother. There is a great tie-in here that I enjoyed immensely.
Snap has fantastic empathic characterization, including the brave and savvy, Jack, who I was rooting for throughout. He wants so badly to keep his family together. I admired his grit. Another unforgettable character is Louis Bridge, an uncouth thief, but also a savior to Jack. I also enjoyed the interplay between the two detectives, Reynolds and Marvel.
All Jack wants is justice for his mother’s death. Will he get it? Snap is quite the journey on the road to justice after tremendous grief and loss. There is an empathy to the storytelling that I admired. It takes some time for the atmosphereic, haunting, and dark story to come together, but when it does, it’s masterful.
Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC. Snap will be published on July 3, 2018!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Snap is my first read from Belinda Bauer, and now I know why she is well-loved!
A car breaks down on the side of the road with a mother and three young children inside. The mom names Jack, the eleven-year-old and eldest child, in charge and leaves to get help. Jack and his sisters try to pass the time, waiting for their mom to come back. The minutes pass unbearably slowly, and she never returns. Eventually her body is found, and the effect of her loss on the family is devastating and unbearable, especially for Jack’s father. The sensitivity in how this loss was described added to the authenticity and sets it apart from other thrillers.
Flash forward a few years, and Jack is still in charge, living with his sisters alone in the house. At the same time, a woman named Catherine While finds a knife beside her bed with a threatening note. Somehow this connects to finding the person who killed Jack’s mother. There is a great tie-in here that I enjoyed immensely.
Snap has fantastic empathic characterization, including the brave and savvy, Jack, who I was rooting for throughout. He wants so badly to keep his family together. I admired his grit. Another unforgettable character is Louis Bridge, an uncouth thief, but also a savior to Jack. I also enjoyed the interplay between the two detectives, Reynolds and Marvel.
All Jack wants is justice for his mother’s death. Will he get it? Snap is quite the journey on the road to justice after tremendous grief and loss. There is an empathy to the storytelling that I admired. It takes some time for the atmosphereic, haunting, and dark story to come together, but when it does, it’s masterful.
Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC. Snap will be published on July 3, 2018!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
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