Looking for Leo - J.A. Baker

 

One missing boy. Four possible suspects.

When young Leo disappears after leaving school, it sets a chain of events in motion that will change the lives of the residents of a quiet Yorkshire village forever.

Ashton returns home many years after committing a heinous crime as a child, and starts to teach an art class. Lynda, a stern secondary school teacher who unwillingly gave evidence against him, recognises her tutor as the troubled boy from all those years ago, bringing him the unwelcome attention he fears.

When Sarah, a bored housewife, hears about Ashton’s return, she convinces herself he is responsible for Leo’s disappearance and reports him to the police. 

Terrified, the boy remains locked in a soundproof room, growing ever more scared of his unpredictable captor.

But just who took Leo and why?

And will he be found before it’s too late?

What did I think?

Looking for Leo is J.A. Baker's tenth published novel since she burst onto the scene with her amazing debut novel, Undercurrent in 2017.  I just have to applaud such prolific writing and for all her novels to be completely different and still manage to shock and surprise the reader is nothing short of exceptional.  

With a storyline about the abduction of an 8 year old boy, Looking for Leo is filled to the brim with tension and suspense.  The suspects are set out before the reader like a game of Cluedo and I must have pointed my finger at all of them at one point or another but J.A. Baker still managed to surprise me.

The cover states that there are four possible suspects but the way that the story unfolds and the tension in the writing makes suspicion fall on everyone, so I had so many more characters in my sights.  I love the way that J.A. Baker writes; drawing the reader in various directions, making you focus on different characters and hiding so many red herrings.  It's so very gripping and intriguing and although I wouldn't say that this was a fast-paced book, it certainly had me hooked from the start.

With disturbing, jaw-dropping scenes that left me breathless, Looking for Leo is an absolutely outstanding novel from one of the best suspense authors around today.  Highly recommended reading.

I received an ARC from the author to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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