Taking a departure from his character series novels, Linwood Barclay makes a huge leap in his thriller writing with NO TIME FOR GOODBYE. That’s not to say his previous novels were slouches – they’re not – but with this one, he really makes a name for himself in adding a fresh approach to the genre.

The premise is simple: After a night out with her boyfriend, a high school girl named Cynthia wakes the next day to find her family gone. I just don’t mean out for the day, but disappeared with absolutely no trace. Opening up with such a bang, the novel will leave readers devouring the book in one sitting, which is pretty much what happened for me.

Fast-forward 25 years as Cynthia is being taped for a TV newsmagazine show. She figures if someone sees the program, maybe she can get the answers she’s been searching for all these years. Her husband Terry watches, and it’s from his perspective that the rest of the book is told.

After the segment airs, a few crackpots come out. But things die down until that Cynthia receives a bizarre call telling her that she is forgiven by her family. This sends Cynthia into a tailspin that carries through the rest of the book, but this is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come – and trust me, you won’t see any of the events coming. Even the most jaded thriller fan will find it refreshing.

Cynthia is so determined her family out there that she even succumbs to the TV show’s idea of using a psychic, with disastrous results. Besides Terry, she relies on her Aunt Tess, who had to raise her after the abandonment. Tess lets Terry in on a secret that she has been keeping, which notches up the suspense.

Improving upon the foundation of his previous novels, Barclay’s writing totally shines and definitely sets him up for a future in standalone thrillers. If this book does not show up on a few year-end top-10 lists, then people are reading the wrong books. –Bruce Grossman

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• LONE WOLF by Linwood Barclay
• STONE RAIN by Linwood Barclay