A review by robosquid
Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey

5.0

I loved this taut tale of a family in turmoil. Troubled teenager Lana disappeared for four days in the Derbyshire Peak District whilst on a painting holiday before being found injured, bleeding and claiming to have no memory of the past few days. The story is told from the point of view of Lana's mother Jen, and their fractured relationship is described in pithy, sharp detail. Many of the confrontations will be familiar to parents of teenagers, but these are exacerbated by Lana's refusal to reveal anything about what happened to her. You can feel the family's frustration and worry. Jen is of course driven to investigate and follows several red herrings before the book's conclusion.

I enjoyed this book immensely, aided by the fact that I am familiar with some of the locations, such as the Nine Ladies Stone Circle and the neighbouring 'charm' tree which is described accurately.
Characters are portrayed superbly and all dialogue feels very realistic. I liked the ending - the last line was particularly poignant. Highly recommended.