Scan barcode
spennythejet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
You Will Never Find Me – Charles Boxer # 2 – by Robert Wilson is a 2015 Europa publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book I have read by this author so I had no idea what to expect when I got started on this one. But, the more I read, the more I liked the story and the author's style.
When bored sixteen year old Amy Boxer leaves her mother, Mercy, a note explaining she is running away from home she proudly proclaims: “You will never find me”.
Mercy and Charles are divorced, she is from Africa, and he is from London, but the bond they share because of Amy draws them back together as they search frantically for their daughter. Mercy is a cop and Charles is a kidnap specialist, so finding people is something Charles is fairly good at. So, while he combs through Madrid, the last place Amy was seen, Mercy takes on a child abduction case.
This is a riveting and fast paced thriller preying on every parent's worst nightmare. Blending that in with the drug trade and a the Russian Secret Service made the usual runaway and abduction trope very interesting and edgy indeed. The author deftly intertwines the personal lives of Charles and Mercy into the story as each cope with the situation in their own way and as is the case so often in this type of situation, long held secrets rise to the surface adding yet another tense element to the story.
While this is a “Charles Boxer” mystery, it was Mercy I found to be the most compelling and curious character in the book. She is driven by her career, is still in love with Charles and makes no secret of the fact she would like another chance with him, although he is now involved with someone else. She is also in that special tumultuous place many mothers find themselves in when their daughters hit their teen years and morph into someone they don't even recognize. Amy is the typical teen in many ways, filled with disdain for no good reason, secretive and haughty, thinking she knows more than her parents. But, when she runs away from home, something opens in Mercy causing her to behave in an uncharacteristic way, I would never have imagined from a cop. But, when she is on the job, she is focused, in her element, sharp and alert, excelling here in ways she does not in her personal life.
Charles also goes off script, tossing the proverbial book out the window, in order to find and save his daughter. Both he and Amy will find themselves pawns in a deadly scheme and this is where things got so tense I couldn't book the book down.
I do believe I will be looking for more of the the Charles Boxer mysteries in the future. This story is a unique thriller, well plotted and paced, with interesting and compelling characters. Overall this one gets 4 stars
This is the first book I have read by this author so I had no idea what to expect when I got started on this one. But, the more I read, the more I liked the story and the author's style.
When bored sixteen year old Amy Boxer leaves her mother, Mercy, a note explaining she is running away from home she proudly proclaims: “You will never find me”.
Mercy and Charles are divorced, she is from Africa, and he is from London, but the bond they share because of Amy draws them back together as they search frantically for their daughter. Mercy is a cop and Charles is a kidnap specialist, so finding people is something Charles is fairly good at. So, while he combs through Madrid, the last place Amy was seen, Mercy takes on a child abduction case.
This is a riveting and fast paced thriller preying on every parent's worst nightmare. Blending that in with the drug trade and a the Russian Secret Service made the usual runaway and abduction trope very interesting and edgy indeed. The author deftly intertwines the personal lives of Charles and Mercy into the story as each cope with the situation in their own way and as is the case so often in this type of situation, long held secrets rise to the surface adding yet another tense element to the story.
While this is a “Charles Boxer” mystery, it was Mercy I found to be the most compelling and curious character in the book. She is driven by her career, is still in love with Charles and makes no secret of the fact she would like another chance with him, although he is now involved with someone else. She is also in that special tumultuous place many mothers find themselves in when their daughters hit their teen years and morph into someone they don't even recognize. Amy is the typical teen in many ways, filled with disdain for no good reason, secretive and haughty, thinking she knows more than her parents. But, when she runs away from home, something opens in Mercy causing her to behave in an uncharacteristic way, I would never have imagined from a cop. But, when she is on the job, she is focused, in her element, sharp and alert, excelling here in ways she does not in her personal life.
Charles also goes off script, tossing the proverbial book out the window, in order to find and save his daughter. Both he and Amy will find themselves pawns in a deadly scheme and this is where things got so tense I couldn't book the book down.
I do believe I will be looking for more of the the Charles Boxer mysteries in the future. This story is a unique thriller, well plotted and paced, with interesting and compelling characters. Overall this one gets 4 stars
More...