Book review: Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

Fear the Worst

By Linwood Barclay (2009)

What should I read on a rainy bank-holiday Monday? Linwood Barclay’s latest novel seemed like a good choice (I enjoyed No Time For Goodbye and Too Close to Home), and by the end of the day I agreed with myself, having spent a vicariously exciting few hours. 

The plot is very simple and chillingly effective. Single-parent Tim Blake argues with his teenage daughter Sydney at breakfast, over the trivial question of how she managed to afford a pair of designer sunglasses.  Sydney storms off to the hotel where she is working over the summer, and Tim himself leaves for work at the car lot where he is a salesman. That night, however, Sydney doesn’t come home.  When Tim goes to the hotel to look for her, the staff have never heard of her -  or seen anyone like the girl in the photo that Tim desperately shows them.

The rest of the book tells the nightmare story of how an ordinary man with money troubles and whose ex-wife has taken up with someone else (gallingly, a much more successful car salesman) tries to find the most important person in his life - his daughter - as well as hold his life together, and keep his home and job. The tension is literally nail biting as Tim, a decent man, receives emails via the “Find Sydney” website one of his daughter’s  friends has set up for him, and follows them up, being crushed when they turn out to be fruitless leads. Eventually, a message arrives that seems to be genuine, or is it only going to cause Tim more grief?

The book races along, with friends and neighbours, customers at the car lot, and assorted leads all fleshing out Tim’s despair as his life seems to be spiralling out of control. The relationship between Tim and his ex-wife Suzie, and in the latter part of the book her new partner Bob, is particularly well drawn. The climax of the novel is very exciting, and there are a couple of good twists, but although I thoroughly enjoyed it, I felt that the gangster element somewhat detracted from the baroque domestic hell and sleazy business rivalries that were so convincingly portrayed up until the final couple of chapters.

Read other reviews of this book at:

Material Witness

Peeking between the Pages

The Independent

Bookreporter .

Comments

[Margot Kinberg]

Maxine - Thanks, as always, for this excellent review. Barclay's a fine writer, so I'm glad you enjoyed this one as much as you did. I agree with you, though, that sometimes, the gangster element isn't always necessary in a novel...

[Dorte H]

Another writer I didn´t know. I had to check the link to find out if it was a man or a woman.

I am not fond of gangsters either, but one flaw in an otherwise exciting read must be acceptable.

[Maxine]

When I saw his first book in the bookshop, I too wondered if "Linwood" is a man or a woman. Note also that he's Canadian, though he's set his novels (so far that I have read) in the USA. Rather similar to Harlan Coben (previous review), I think.

[Craig]

Nice review Maxine. I thought this was one of the better 'grip your seat' out-and-out thrillers of last year. I agree though that the book was good enough without the extra layers of conspiracy etc woven in at the end, it could have been just as good/great without it.

[Bernadette in Australia]

I have read two of his books - really liked one and so-so about the other because I never quite bought the premise - but I do like the style of thriller that he writes - normal people in extraordinary situation sort of thing. Even with a ho hum ending I shall keep an eye out for this one - his stuff is mainstream enough here that it's often included in those oh so tempting 3 for 2 deals :)

[Shelley]

I think I'd belong in your "forays into other areas" category; but with the riots in Greece going on in the background as I write this, I wonder if you find any reflections of the current economic crisis in the books--even the contemporary crime novels--you are reading.

[Maxine]

Indeed, Shelley - "Che Committed Suicide" by Petros Markaris is pertinent to what you write, for example, being set in Athens and full of observations about the Greek economy and way of life that have made me deeply unsurprised about recent events.

[designer sunglasses]

The introduction of the book sounds good. It could be dramatic too. I love reading drama and more on story of life.I would love to have this book.