The only thing worse than a nightmare is a recurring nightmare. And among our worst dreams are the ones in which a child disappears without a trace. That is exactly what happens at the beginning of this novel: one afternoon in a busy shopping centre, a predator identifies and stalks his prey. These few lines, these moments of suspense, will be the last peaceful ones that the protagonists will be able to enjoy in a story for which the usual descriptions such as ‘gripping’, ‘impossible to put down’ and ‘unpredictable’ are barely adequate.