Fear the worst by Linwood Barclay

If you like a good, pacy, page-turner then Linwood Barclay is worth a look. His earlier books, No Time For Goodbye and Too Close to Home are both good reads and this new title, Fear the Worst is well up to his usual standard. I read it in a single sitting. Barclay’s characters are well drawn and his plots are complex and interesting. Fear the Worst is the story of a father’s quest to find his 17-year-old daughter who goes missing one morning after they have had an argument about a pair of Versace sunglasses that she bought which he thinks – erroneously – that she may have shoplifted. The father is very well drawn – we get a lot of insight into his relationship with his daugher, with his former wife, and with his work colleagues. Peripheral characters like his paranoid girlfriend are also well drawn. As he searches, he learns more about his daughter’s life and the quest becomes more dangerous. The story is gripping right up to the last. In the final pages the pace quickens and the action becomes, perhaps, a little less credible but all in all this is an enjoyable read that will keep you engrossed and entertained. Perfect for a long flight or to take on holiday.