THE MEMORY WOOD
SAM LLOYD *****
When Elissa is kidnapped she finds solace in a boy called Elijah who visits her – but will he be willing to help his new friend escape? The Memory Wood is a dark crime thriller that is not afraid to pull punches in its plot development. The chapters shift between a boy who knows his Memory Wood contains a dark secret, a girl who’s been abducted and a police detective with problems of her own – there is a lot to unpack here but it certainly leads to a compelling and fast paced read. The Memory Wood gives a fresh perspective and a unique twist on the abducted child genre. The end twist certainly took me completely by surprise and was one that stayed with me for days after reading it. I really enjoyed how well developed all three of the main characters were and how much detail had been used to paint them. Mairead’s sorrow at trying to have a child of her own, Elissa’s love of chess and how she used it to solve everyday problems and Elijah’s way of seeing the world around him showed how skilled Sam Lloyd is in creating characters you can really empathise with. From what I can see this also seems to be a debut for Mr Lloyd and I can confidently say I am excited to see what comes next! I also really liked the fact that although we got to hear so much about Detective Mairead’s personal life it didn’t feel like the start of another procedural series – it was a nice standalone novel. Overall The Memory Wood is a twisty thriller that will stay with you long after you finished reading it. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Bantam for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.