Twenty-seven-year-old Lizzie is closer in age to her stepson, seventeen-year-old Sam, than to her partner, Jonty. To Sam she doesn't feel like a mother but like a friend or a sister he can confide in and have fun with. They talk about everything, and spend a lot of time together, until Sam starts to behave in a strange way. He is moody and withdrawn and stares at her in ways that make her uncomfortable. His father doesn't seem to notice the change in Sam and Lizzie doesn't have many friends of her age to talk to, until she meets Rebecca, an exuberant woman who seems as lonely as she is. And as Lizzie's worry about Sam increases, her relationship with Jonty becomes more strained.
Personally, I couldn't really get into this novel and connect with the characters. The plot is suspenseful and dark but the story is nothing original, a bit predictable and it dwells too much on the psychology of the characters with little action. You will enjoy this novel if you are into psychological thrillers about obsession and family. (NP)
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