The Quiet People by Paul Cleave

Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Paul Cleave's latest, The Quiet People. 

When seven-year-old Zach Murdoch disappears, suspicion immediately falls on his parents. 

Bestselling crime authors Cameron and Lisa Murdoch have often bragged that no one knows crime like they do. And so of course, in this day and age where everything said is analyzed and picked apart by anyone with a social media presence, they would come under scrutiny. And in the court of public opinion, the lines have definitely been drawn. 

And Zach is a difficult child. But could—or better yet, would—his parents really go that far?

As a parent, this one of those kinds of stories that truly terrifies me! Not only does it involve a missing child but the parents themselves becoming the center of the investigation...

Much of the book is narrated by Cameron Murdoch himself. And through his eyes we see not only the challenges of being a parent but also the emotions involved in every step of the story. 

And in fact, the opening chapter offers a taste of what's to come when Cameron loses sight of Zach at the playground (something that literally causes me to panic at even just the thought of it occurring!). 

But his isn't the only perspective offered up. Though his is the only one that is first person, giving us that internal monologue. 

Paul Cleave's name isn't new to me but I'm almost embarrassed to say that this is the first of his books that I've read. And though it does absolutely ratchet up my own anxiety, I did quite enjoy the story!

It doesn't take long for this book to really take off and the pacing is truly phenomenal! It's the kind of book you want to read in one sitting because you're desperate to know what's happened. But it's also the kind of book that begs to be read in one sitting simply because the plot moves along so quickly!

This one officially hits shelves in the UK on November 25 and it's out in the US next spring. 

Another excellent read that proves the folks at Orenda have fabulous taste! And also, that I should be reading WAY more New Zealand crime fiction in general—and specifically way more Paul Cleave!