SYNOPSIS
Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It’s the only home he has ever known.
Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to escape.
When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police. Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And he doesn’t want Elissa to leave.
Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn’t the first girl he’s found inside the Memory Wood.
As her abductor’s behaviour grows more and more erratic, Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat -and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood….
MY REVIEW
Wow, a debut novel, this is an absolutely gripping read and definitely one to watch out for in 2020. I was hooked from the beginning and whizzed through it, I hadn’t even really realised how many pages we’re in this but they certainly flew by in one sitting.
The story is told mainly through the points of view of Elijah initially starting on day 6, where he is at the police station, although he is uncertain whether they are real police officers as they are in plain clothes. He had lost his way, his father had been called and came to pick him up, but immediately in the car his papa asked if they had questioned him, Elijah says no, and that he hadn’t said anything about gretel, Who is Gretel? Magic Annie who was also in the car shot him a warning look to be quiet.
The second of point of view we see is that of DS Mairead MacCullagh, who is going through some very rough things, at this time.
Elissa Mirzoyan is thirteen-years-old, on her way to a chess tournament with her mum Lena. They had left Salisbury early as her mum didn’t want them to arriving early, as they had made good time, they stopped off for a breakfast. Elissa couldn’t help but to look at the waitress and the other couple of people in the cafe. They arrived at the Bournemouth hotel just in time for the tournament, Elissa played well all morning and decided she would eat her lunch outside in the car. She then disappeared, who had taken her? Why? Have others been taken before Elissa?
The chapters continue to alternate to where Elissa is told by Elijah, and the investigation is told through Mairead.
This is a story where the tension gradually builds with plenty of twists that you just don’t see coming, I did think one of them, but wasn’t sure until the last few chapters, I love the way this writer, starts fairly slowly but not that slow that you’re mind keeps wandering you are hooked, but as you move through the book, more questions pop into your head. A superb read, I actually loved it was set in Bournemouth as well, and nearby Salisbury.
I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ our of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would like to thank #netgalley and #TransworldDigital for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, making up stories and building secret hideaways in his local woods. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. The Memory Wood is his debut thriller.
Jackie’s Reading Corner 