This was tense, gripping, and fantasically engaging right from the start. I liked that the premise was one that hasn't been done a million times before, it felt as thought I was reading a more original story. I agree with Val McDermid, this is one of the best thrillers i've read in a while. It's so difficult to find crime novels that have a uniquely woven narrative nowadays but this is pretty close. Bauer writes in such a way that it is impossible not to be drawn in early on and stay enthralled right until the finale. The book highlights the devastating impact a family tragedy can have on young children, it is such a terrifying thought, your mother disappearing and never coming back.

I will have to check out Bauer's other work, this was just an excellent read. Tightly plotted and deceptively dark, you can't ask for much more! The fast pace worked well for me too.

I would like to thank Belinda Bauer, Random House UK - Transworld, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

This was an entertaining story. It starts with three children left in their mother's car broken down on the roadside while she goes to make a phone call, promising to be only ten minutes. However, she doesn't return at all. The author does a brilliant job of taking us through the thoughts and emotions of the eldest, Jack, who has been left in charge though he's only eleven. With a snappy sister and a baby that probably needs changing, he suddenly has far too much responsibility.

The chapters alternate between the story of the children and another character, Catherine, who is a pregnant woman from a few years later and who also faces a difficult and frightening situation. The connection isn't immediately obvious.

When the connection gets made, things get a lot more fast paced. Even before then, the idiosyncrasies of the various characters keep the story interesting. I liked Jack. The mystery of their mother's disappearance dominates much of the story and there are some flashbacks, especially in Jack's dreams. It's all done very smoothly so that I never felt confused about time periods or when Jack was dreaming again.

In some ways, some of the characters weren't quite believable and bordered on a few clichés. The police procedures definitely wandered into the highly unlikely. However, I didn't care. It was a good story and I enjoyed the read, even anticipating some of the unlikely directions it was heading towards near the end.

The only thing I didn't like about the end is that Catherine's story was left partially unresolved. I'd like to have known what happened next. Jack on the other hand I felt satisfied about.

There were some interesting psychological aspects of the story throughout. Jack's motivations were clear and his cleverness in tight situations is what made me feel sympathetic towards him.

A really pacy and engaging thriller. On the face of it, the lead characters are not appealing but once you delve into it, there are hidden depths in the policemen and Jack.

An excellent tale, weaving the reality of life in the police with mystery, abandonment, and a child’s perspective.

I usually don’t enjoy books with children as the protagonists but I absolutely adored Jack and his willingness to get stuck in.

Certain elements struck me as a little far fetched but I’m willing to overlook those on the strength of the storytelling.

5* Really enjoyable read, despite the subject matter

A family is devastated by the murder of the mother of three chilren and her unborn child. The father breaks down under the stress and leaves the children alone at home where they live inside a mountain of newspaper which the elder daughter scans for references to her mother. The son is likeable and intelligent and manages to support his sisters by burgling local houses. A burglary where a woman is at home leads him into the situation where he can look for his mothers murderer, look for his father and try to restore his family to something like a normal life. The plot is at times barely palausible but its readable and fun.

Sometimes there’s a book that grabs you from the start; one that you just can’t put down, that is both well written & engaging. This is one of those rare nuggets of a book. I loved it from the moment Jack discovered he needed to find his mother. Jack ranges from 11 to 14 and this story tracks his time caring for his younger sisters and how he copes with that responsibility following the death of their mother.

Buy this book.... I finished it a couple of hours ago and have already recommended it to several friends. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could!

Gripping from the start, when the car breaks down and three children are being left alone inside to wait. Just a few minutes says mum, but she never returns. Great writing and it shows clearly the impact of a tragedy like this on a child's life. There was no easy way for any of the three children to go on with their lives after their mothers disappearance and when their father lefts them too, they have to fend for themselves getting sucked into theft, depression and going hungry more often than not.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book starts in 1998 when a mum with her 3 children breaks down in their car. She tells the children to stay where they are whilst she goes for help. Their mum never comes back. We then jump to three years later. Catherine who is heavily pregnant is alone in her house when she hears a noise downstairs. She goes to investigate but finds nothing when she comes back upstairs she finds a note next to a knife which says "I could have killed you but I didn't"....

I have never read anything else by this author so I was not sure what to expect. This book had me hooked from the first page. It is strange to read at first because it skips from present to past without any indication, at first it feels like you are reading two different stories. They do eventually come together though. I really enjoyed the authors writing style. I felt I had to suspend my sense of reality a little bit to enjoy this story as I did not find the police very believable. I would highly recommend this book and will look out for other titles by this author.

I love the writing of Belinda Bauer after reading 'Rubbernecker' and have been hooked since. Her writing is dark and a little unnerving at times but love it anyway.
The book starts in 1998 when the car of a young family breaks down and the mother leaves the children in the vehicle while she goes for help. 11 year old Jack is put in charge of looking after his two younger sisters as their mother disappears up the road never to be seen alive again.
Three years later, Jack’s who is now fifteen is still looking after his younger sisters alone in the house. Meanwhile across town, a young woman called Catherine While wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note reading I could of killed you. The police are tracking a mysterious burglar they call Goldilocks, for his habit of sleeping in the beds of the houses he robs, but Catherine doesn’t see the point of involving the police. And Jack, very suddenly, may be on the verge of finding out who killed his mother.
There is so much I want to write about this book but I do not want to spoil it. This book has so many layers and is an excellent read.
Belinda Bauer does it again, great author with excellent plots that are so well written.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book opens with a broken down car on the hard shoulder of the motorway. The pregnant mother, who was driving, has gone to get help and has left her other three children in the car. The children Jack, aged 11,sisters Joy 9 and Merry 2,set off to look for her until a police car picks them up. The mother never returns and her body is subsequently found. Three years later we find Jack has taken charge of their lives as their father abandoned them. He turns to burglary to feed them all. The book tells of Jack’s search for his mother’s killer and how it affects all the family. Jack breaks into the house of Cathy, who is heavily pregnant as he believes their lives are connected to the murder of his mother and wants her killer found. We then follow the police investigation lead by DCI Marvel and his team, thus making the three different stories link brilliantly.
This is a must read, with so many fantastic characters and is a book that you will remember for a long time. Thanks to NetGalley and Transworld for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great story full of clues and twists. A seemingly stereotypical unpopular detective but the young Jack character made up for that. I didn't know you could win a bid to have a character named after you. Brilliant dinner table showstopper ( assuming others are aware of the boook of course).

Was gripped at the start but then the plot wandered into just too unlikely a scenario. Characters didn’t seem at all believable for me and I struggled to be bothered finishing it. I am clearly in the minority when I see the other reviews but no point me pretending I liked it when I didn’t.

I loved this book!! I thought that the storyline was brilliant and I was able to read it at a fast pace which is good as I needed to find out what happened!!

The story focuses on Jack whose mother's car broke down three years ago and she went for help but never came back, his father left them and he was left to look after his two younger sisters alone.

I really enjoyed the way that the storyline focused on a few different areas and different people and then as your reading you start putting the pieces together and then it clicks.

This really is a fantastic book and I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to read it via Netgalley - I'll definitely be looking out for more titles form Belinda Bauer in the future.

Two seemingly unconnected stories, and the novel focuses on slowly revealing the links.
Three children left alone in a car by the side of the road. Mum goes for help when the car breaks down. When she doesn’t return, Jack makes the decision to look for her. She isn’t found.
Days later police reveal Eileen Bright’s body has been found.
Years later there’s still no clue about what’s happened. Jack is now fourteen and has resorted to burglary to keep his sisters safe.
Catherine While, pregnant, is concerned when she disturbs a burglar. She’s more concerned when a knife is left by the side of her bed with a note saying ‘I could have killed you’. Somebody wants her to call the police. What follows is a pretty preposterous series of events.
While I don’t think the actual events could ever have taken place, it does make for an entertaining story. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

I found this story gripping from the beginning when Jack is left alone with his young siblings following the disappearance and murder of,his pregnant mother after they break down on the hard shoulder of motorway. His father, unable to cope, abandons his family, leaving Jack to care for the family by breaking into homes to steal the supplies they need to survive. He is nicknamed Goldilocks because he sleeps in the childrens beds of the homes he goes into which shows how vulnerable he feels inside having lost both parents and his childhood as well. The storyline details Jack's struggle and the discovery he makes in one house that changes his direction in life and also the investigation of the police who are determined to catch him. In the final chapters the story does become at times a little unbelievable especially the return of the father but it didn't stop me feeling satisfied that it was a cracking good read.

I enjoyed the plot of this book but was dissatisfied with the ending. It is a bit dark and not for the faint hearted. A good psychological thriller which fans of the genre will love. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I was unable to review on Amazon but reviewed on Goodreads and Facebook.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jack, Joy and Merry have been left in their car while their mum walked to call for help at roadside assistance telephone box but she never returns.

A few years later, heavily pregnant Catherine finds a note next to her bed saying I could have killed you. How are these two events linked?

Wow! I zoomed through this book and was so engrossed. It was engaging and so well written and I felt for Jack and his family.

Years ago, I read Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer and thought it was such a fantastic read. Now, (how many books later?!?) I found her again with her latest novel, Snap. A brilliant novel, honestly. It's got everything a reader wants: sympathetic children, a murder, a mystery or two, a gruff police detective, sweet yet smart dialog, comedy, tension and a real understanding of human nature, namely grief. So much to love!

In Snap, Jack, as a child, and his two younger sisters await the return of their pregnant mother who left them in the family's broken down car whilst she went down the motorway looking to phone for help. She doesn't come back and their life spirals unrecognizably from there. It's a trauma that defines them and forces Jack to take charge, breaking and entering houses to provide for his sisters. It may sound grim but it's so much more. The dynamic of Jack's carefully constructed family life and his 'professional' life is quite something. Many elements work together seamlessly to deliver tenderness, warmth and lightness which makes this story so intriguing, not dark at all. The story for Snap is a carefully choreographed dance between Jack and his 'work', Jack's fixation with all he has lost, various crimes that have been committed locally, a disgraced London police detective who finds himself in a backwater community that may be beneath him, an old murder investigation, and a new peculiar mystery. All could be believed to be lacking in connection but come together beautifully to provide a story rich and, dare I say, cheerful. This is one of the most delightful books I've read in a while. I bet you can't read it without a chuckle or two. Enjoy!

Fab read full of twists and turns. Gets you thinking and brings you to the heart of the story.Gripping read

A great read, I loved it. It was deep and dark but, at the same time, humorous. The situation Jack and his family found themselves in was nothing short of horrendous and the lengths he went to just to enable them to stay together were extraordinary. The two detectives, Marvel and Reynolds were almost like a comedy double act; they were opposites who clashed often but managed to work it all out in the end, with the help of Jack of course. I'll definitely read more by Belinda Bauer.

I’m afraid to say I just did not enjoy this book, and had to give up on it. After the opening of the car breakdown, the storyline became mystifying, introducing characters and incidents which bore no relation to the opening chapter. It required complete suspension of disbelief in my opinion, as there was no explanation for the father’s eventual abandonment of his family; the progress if any, of the police enquiry into the mother’s disappearance; why this family would be completely overlooked by school authorities and social work department, given the highly publicised nature of the crime. I dislike feeling that I am being led by the nose through the author’s complicated maze of a storyline, being drip-fed a few facts as and when the author decides to reveal them. Others may enjoy this style of writing, but personally I do not.