A friend gave me an audiobook of this story and without any background information, I started to listen to it.    I enjoyed the storytelling right away.   The tale is a bit quirky and unpredicatable which was part of its appeal.   The characters are interesting and nuanced; the plot moves along at a good pace and has a number of surprises for us.

It has elements in several genres – thriller, mystery, supernatural suspense, and crime, but above all it is well-crafted fiction.    Gabe loses his 5 year old daughter and spends three years searching for her, even when everyone else has given up.   He becomes desperate and investigates The Other People, a black web organization who may be able to help.   He follows some faint clues and the lives of several people and his past come together to a satisfying conclusion.

The story had a feeling of uniqueness to it, unlike many books that seem to follow a standard thriller “template,” predictable and often cliched.    There is a pervasive mood of creepiness, but it is also a gripping tale, so we read on, finding ourselves a little disturbed by the clever plot elements.   This book was a refreshing change, a recommended read (4.5/5 stars).

“We talk about life like it’s some magical elixir, yet life is your own slow crawl along the dead man’s mile. Doesn’t matter how many diversions you take, eventually we’re all heading one way. The only difference is how long the journey takes.”

4.2 out of 5.0 stars4.2

Here is an audio excerpt: