Seven Days by Alex Lake

If you’ve been following my reads lately you’ll know I’m on a psychological thriller streak; I usually shake it up by rotating genres but for the last two weeks I’ve been reading thriller after thriller, which leads me to my next statement. Seven Days is by far at the top of the league of my latest reads. Whilst others have ticked the boxes for tension, pace, jumpiness and overall suspense, this plot seems to stand out from the crowd.

It uses my favourite writing technique – a varied timeline – which I think always makes a story more gripping. In this story Maggie has been abducted as a young teenager and kept imprisoned in a basement. Her abductor seems to think he’s saving her and ironically believes he’s keeping her ‘pure’, which made my eyebrows raise since I hardly think what he did to her was pure, but at least you’re starting to get an idea of how unhinged this guy is.

In present time; twelve years after the kidnapping, Maggie is determined to escape and save her nearly three year old son – Max. For she knows that when he turns three, he’ll be taken and the reason why she knows this… I won’t spoil it but it shook me to the core.

The backstory also begins to be explored from day 1, all the way through the years and from multiple perspectives. We see the heartbreak through Martin’s eyes as he searches for his baby girl; through Jame’s as he learns to live without his big sister; through Sandra’s as the stress of losing her precious girl sinks in and her hope begins to dwindle, and also from DI Wynne.

Wynne has never been able to let go of Maggie’s case and no wonder! The psycho that has Maggie is playing a game of cat and mouse with her, taunting her every year with anonymous letters. The way Lake captured the taunting between these two made this book so heart-thumpingly good. Wynne was so close all those years ago to saving Maggie and that tormenting frustration is felt throughout the story.

The way this plot was laid out was exceptional, it urged you to carry on reading as you crossed your fingers for a happy ending. Lake lets the reader know who the abductor is and lets you first hand experience both dread and exasperation as the man bluffs through Wynne’s queries and continues to be close to the family – I was often speaking out loud during this book begging the characters to see through him.

It’s probably clear from my review that Lake absolutely nailed the characterisation of the abductor but the other characters are also skilfully done. There’s a lot of depth to all the main characters that manages to be explored even with the fast pace of this plot, I felt it cleverly showed how life keeps on going even when you’re still grasping for closure.

Seven Days is out on 10th October in eBook versions from Harper Collins and the paperback version is out at the end of the month.

I was very kindly gifted a proof of this book and I’m so glad I was because it is by far the best proof I’ve received this year.

If you love a good psychological thriller, you need to add this to your collection, it will grab you from the very first page!

Until next time, Chloé x