Oh myyyyyy what a fantastic read this is! Literally unputdownable, I feel asleep reading it just the once because when I woke up thinking about it a few hours later I had to keep reading it until I reached the end. You can't help but become completely absorbed in the life of Maggie and Seb and hope for a positive outcome despite the fact that it seems very unlikely. This is a multiple character viewpoint novel which is perfect for delivering the complexities of the plot.

Maggie Cooper was kidnapped 12 years ago. She's been locked in a basement, repeatedly raped and inpregnated. Her first two children; Seb and Leo, were taken on their third birthdays, she assumes they were killed by the man that took her. Her third child, Max, turns three in 7 days time, how can Maggie save him?

I really enjoyed this book. There are obvious content warnings, kidnap and rape are the two main ones, although there is no graphic descriptions.

The characters were great. I felt Maggie was well developed, I could understand her ambitions and her sense of futility. I liked Martin, the father, best. He was a very rounded character and you could really empthise with him. The time jumps were also great and I thought it was interesting that the author had the family almost moving on in terms of how they dealt with life and work 12 years after Maggie disappeared. I felt this was very realistic.
The atmosphere in the book was good, I was gripped chapter to chapter. I also really liked the writing style. I felt that the short chapter and time leaps really worked well.
The plot is simple, but i enjoyed it. There is a lot of intigue throughout the book, the author lets us very quickly know who the kidnapper is, and there is so much frustration when the police miss him.
Overall, this is a very high 4.5 stars, I'm giving it 5 stars because I did really enjoy it. I highly recommend picking this book up if you enjoy fast paced, suspence-filled thrillers.

Now this was right up my street. What an absolute rollercoaster ride!

Dark, thrilling, gripping, harrowing, breathtaking... just an absolute WOW of a book.

This had me gripped from the prologue, I literally felt like I'd been sucked into a dark hole and in all honesty I didnt want to claw my way out until the very last page.. I was more than happy to sit away from the world. This story grips you around the heart and squeezes tightly.

I'm unsure whether its because I'm a mum or whether I'm close to Maggie's age but I could actually feel the raw emotion and was transported right into this situation which at times was spine tingly and strangely scary.

I loved the fact that it was written in the POV from so many angles, you felt the pain and despair of the parents and brother, the raw emotion, desperation and pure grit of Maggie, the disappointment and determination of the DCI and the sick, twisted and warped mindset of Mr Best.

A truly fantastically written book that smoothly moves along at a speedy pace. I adore the fact that there were no 'filler' characters, every one had their own part and their own story which came together brilliantly with a amazingly explosive and totally satisfying end.

I honestly could not rate this any less than 5*.

Once again Alex Lake has delivered in extraordinary fashion!

A massive thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

This will be recommended over & over again.

An absolute roller coaster of a book - it was so gripping, I couldn’t put it down. Dark, harrowing, hopeful, tender at times, the story of Maggie and her sons alongside the lives of her family who deal with her abduction in different ways is a face paced, brilliantly written story. One you must read!

Oh my goodness ... you have got to read this book!!!

Harrowing, hopeful, heart wrenching, gripping, thrilling and full of tension, this is one of those books that you won't forget in a hurry. It's absolutely gripping from the very first paragraphs and takes you through all manner of emotions from anger, disgust and hatred to love, sympathy and hopefulness. Although a very difficult subject-matter, it is dealt with carefully and without sensationalism; it felt authentic and believable and, unfortunately, is only too real.

You quickly become invested in the plight of Maggie and her son, Max; the strength of her human spirit and the will she has to keep her son safe whatever the cost oozes from the pages. It doesn't stop there though, oh no, her family are as big a part in this book as Maggie and Max and they embark on their own roller coaster ride in which you are a but a passenger.

Written from different perspectives and covering different timelines, you might think that this would be confusing ... it is anything but. With short chapters, great pace and easy writing, this book is a gem of a read and, cliché I know, hard to put down. I couldn't read it fast enough and thank goodness I was coming towards the end on a Saturday evening so it didn't matter if I slept in the next day!

This is most definitely a 5 star read for me and highly recommended.

Eternal thanks go to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

At the age of 15 Maggie was abducted and has spent the last 12 years locked in a basement. But now she has just 7 days to escape or her young son will die.
I wasn't sure how a book with so few characters would hold my attention but that was before this author introduced me to the sickest, most warped and evil predator I have ever encountered. Every time I thought he could no longer shock me, he did something else. I think I held my breath for the last third of the book, waiting to see if Maggie would escape. I would highly recommend this exciting book.
Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

15 year old Maggie is kidnapped on her way to her aunt Anne. She doesn’t know it yet, but this is just the beginning. Her family, especially her brother James, have a hard time coping with the changes Maggie's disappearance brings on in their lives. The story is told from the past and present, counting down the last seven days until Maggie's son Max turns three and has to go away if she can’t find a way out. I don’t know what was harder to read about, the past and all the things done to Maggie and her family. Or the present, feeling the anxiety growing in Maggie to find a way, find something to keep Max safe. This was such a great book and I couldn’t put it down. And it got harder to keep up the hope, everything seemed really going downhill.
Everybody...read this book!

This is quite a dark psychological thriller and one where you’re desperate for things to work out ok.
Maggie was abducted twelve years ago and has been kept in a basement all this time.
She’s had two children taken away from her by her captor when they reached three years old and now she has Max, she’s desperate that he’s not taken as well.
We learn a bit about Maggie’s past and how her family deal with the abduction, but I was just desperate to know if she was going to outsmart her captor or not.
We find out why he abducted her and I still can’t quite get my head round this.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I've waited months to read this book and I wasn't disappointed.
For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen, she gave birth to two sons before Max, and on their third birthdays her captor came and took them from her. Max is almost three and Maggie's determined she's not losing a third child.
This book was so well written and the short chapters made it so easy to read . The story moved from past to present and back again but this was really well done and didn't confuse as some books like this can.
The characterisation was brilliant, We even saw the different personalities of the three young boys . And what a character was created in the abductor. Dark, creepy and sinister.
As a parent, I could relate to the turmoil the parents were going through when their Daughter went missing and the way they became super protective of their Son.
This is the story of an ordinary loving family and it's my favourite read of 2019 so far.

Oh my word, what a breathless and compulsive read this is. Maggie has seven days to save her son. In seven days, her son turns three years old and she knows that he will be taken from her forever. Maggie is the prisoner of an unknown man and has been for the last twelve years. Her two previous sons have been seized by the man and she is absolutely determined that she will not lose Max. The story counts down the final seven days but also goes back through the twelve years to explain how Maggie, then a fifteen years old girl, came to be in this situation.

This is a heart rending and heart stopping novel and portrays the impact of Maggie’s disappearance, not only on her, but also her family, her Dad, Martin, her Mum, Sandra, and James, her younger brother. You read about Martin’s desperate search for his daughter, the family’s grief and anguish as the years roll on and the ways in which they begin to compensate for her loss.

This both an incredible thriller which ramps up the tension to an almost unbearable degree but also creates a poignant depiction of a family lost in sorrow and confusion. There is a very real talent in bringing these different narratives together in such an emotional read. Bravo Alex Lake.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My heart was in my mouth from the very first page and I held my breath for much of this book. I couldn't put it down and was up half the night! This is a stunning piece of work and feat of imagination which enthralled me from the start, shoved me mercilessly through the full gamut of emotions, and served up a more than satisfactory ending. It really took the breath from me and left me speechless. I'm not entirely sure I want to know how Alex Lake thought half of this up. First book I've read by this author and he's immediately shot into my top ten. Read it. Read it now! And be prepared to lose sleep over it. I'm away to track down Lake's other titles, and possibly have a mini nervous breakdown.

What excellent storytelling this is, I was completely gripped by this book. It was difficult to put down, as the story of Maggie and her toddler son Max relentlessly moves towards Max’s third birthday, the day when Maggie knows that her adored son will be taken from her to an unknown fate.

The intertwining of the story of Maggie’s abduction, and what has happened to her in the intervening years is seamlessly done. The narrative is made more haunting by the author relating how the lives of Maggie’s parents and brother have unfolded since the day of her abduction, the extreme anguish caused to them all, and how it ultimately affects all their lives. Even the detective who has worked on the case continues to be affected by the crime, and relentlessly pursues it over the years.

The chilling descriptions of ‘the man’, his warped mindset, and how he conducts himself when outside the room where his captives are held is truly the stuff of nightmares.

This story will remain with me when other books have been long forgotten.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title. I will read more of Alex Lake’s work.

Wow.. Wow.. Wow. What a book.
The story is told mainly from Maggie’s perspective but also from the perspective of her family and the police. The timeline jumps from present day to the past where we find out more about what Maggie endured during her years of captivity. The chapters are short which I liked
My heart was in my mouth on many occasions and if this had been a film I would have been watching through my hands. I was dreading the day that Max turned three. This book is addictive and takes you on an incredible rollercoaster ride. I would definitely recommend this.

Another page turner from this author. I was gripped from the first page and read this book in one sitting. Scary, heartbraking and terrifying all in equal measures. Every parents worse nightmare your fifteen year old daughter is missing. This is Maggie's story, what she endured is unimaginable. It is also her parents story. Of how they deal with the guilt and trauma and how they try to carry on. Most of all it is the story of a mother's love for her child and what they will do to protect their child. In all my years of reading I must admit I have never read a book like this before. I was routing for Maggie. I thought the last book I read by this author The Day Of The Accident was fantastic but this one is ten times better. An easy ten stars and so Highly Recommended. I have now downloaded the rest of her books and she has now made my list of firm favourite authors. This book is a MUST READ!!!!!!
I would like to thank the author, HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review

One of my favourite authors so imagine how excited I was to be lucky enough to get an advanced read copy of this new book.

Seven Days is a story of love and survival. Maggie was only 15 when she was abducted and for the last twelve years she has been held captive in a small room. In seven days, her son Max will turn three and she is petrified. She had two sons previous to Max and on their third birthdays her captor took them from her and she never saw them again. She needs to stop history from repeating itself.

The book is split into chapters and goes between different timelines and highlights the impact Maggie’s disappearance has on her family. I thought this worked exceptionally well. There were parts of the book (especially towards the end) where I was almost eating my fist!! I really enjoyed it and by the end my heart was racing. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Seven Days’ by Alex Lake in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Maggie’s fifteen years ago when she’s abducted off the street and imprisoned in a basement where she’s been kept for the past twelve years. There’s just seven days to go before the third birthday of her son Max and she’s crossing off the days on her calendar, but she won’t be buying him presents or making a cake as that’s the day the Man's going to take him away, just as he did on the third birthdays of her previous sons Seb and Leo. Maggie’s determined not to let him take Max but there’s nothing in the basement she can use as a weapon so how can she fight back, regain her freedom and be reunited with her family?

‘Seven Days’ is a tense and thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story was gripping, well-written, with believable characters and twists and turns, and I grieved with the family during the twelve long years their daughter was missing, feared dead. The story moved smoothly between July 2006 when Maggie was taken to the present day, and the writing style made it so easy to read that I was completely engrossed and finished the book in twenty-four hours. The final chapters became very exciting and the conclusion was so touching that it brought a lump to my throat. This is another excellent thriller from Alex Lake and one I can highly recommend.

If you are thinking this is another 'Room' by Emma Donaghue -think again.
Sure there are similarities -but the story is told from different perspectives and time zones giving a more rounded appeal.
We learn that Maggie was abducted when she was 15 and kept prisoner for over 11 years . She has borne 3 sons to her jailer who cruelly removes them from her as soon as they reach the age of 3.
Her last son -Max -will be 3 in seven days -hence the title .
She has to find a way to keep him safe .
Alternating between present and past -we learn of the events leading up to the abduction and how her family cope with their loss -then we are back in the basement trying desperately to save this little boy .

I loved the story -it was well written and kept you on the edge of your seat !

Thankyou NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review

This was a very dark read. It read like a fictional version of the Natascha Kampusch story. It was interesting to hear the various viewppoints of those affected but I felt this was just too dark and it was not the right time for me to read this!

What a thrilling read! Absolutely love Alex's books and this latest one did not disappoint.. Hooked completely from the first page this chilling physiological thriller will have you reading until the small hours. Bravo!

It’s just 7 days until Max’s third birthday, but his mum Maggie isn’t planning any special treats, in fact she has no contact whatsoever with the outside world. Maggie was abducted at the age of fifteen, and twelve years later she’s still living in a windowless basement with Max but all her thoughts are concentrated on overpowering her captor somehow, because she had two little boys before Max after becoming pregnant by her captor, and on their third birthday he took them away from her. This time however she’s determined to think of something - he can’t take Max, he’s all she has and she adores her little boy, but can she come up with an idea before it’s too late? The clock is ticking!

Maggie’s disappearance twelve years earlier almost destroyed her parents, and they’ve watched as her brother James’s life spirals increasingly out of control. They’ve all had to deal with it in their own way, they don’t even know that Maggie was abducted, as far as they know she just disappeared. James keeps his feelings bottled up and eventually turns to drink and drugs as a coping strategy which of course is no help at all.

I like the way the author gives every family member a voice to relate their feelings, to demonstrate how Maggie’s disappearance has impacted on all their lives.

It goes without saying that this is a very dark subject matter, and is in turns horrifying, sad, moving and has some heart stopping moments, and Maggie and Max will have you rooting for them from first page to last.