Kept in the Dark - Mystery Novel for Book Lovers & Night Reading

The premise of this novel is a seemingly normal wife and mother kidnaps a young man and holds him hostage in her home. The twists and turns are what keep you riveted to the story and what makes the ending such a shocker. Sonia is a woman who has been married for 20 plus years and raised a daughter who is at university. She lives in her childhood home, The Riverhouse, in London. She is faced with caring for an ailing mother and the prospect of having to give up her beloved home because her husband has taken a job abroad. All this turmoil in her life brings up bittersweet memories of a young love and that longing is transferred to a young musician who stops by the house to borrow an album. She can't face losing him so she locks him away in her music room which is sound proofed. The consequences of her action don't really sink in until she sees the boy's face plastered all over the newspapers and television. What follows is the twisted and disturbing story of the machinations she is willing to go through in order to keep her prize. The story switches between present day and her younger years to help explain a bit about what is driving her but as time passes her actions become more and more bizarre and disturbing. It is only in the last few pages that the picture comes completely together in a mind blowing way. Sonia's story is juxtaposed with the story of her neighbor, the kidnapped boy's aunt, who is faced with self doubt and recrimination as well as the scrutiny of her family and the police since she was the last to see him before his disappearance. The two stories end up colliding, of course, but I won't give any more than that away.I admit that I was glued to this book for a couple of days. It is really haunting as you read it. I had to know what was going to happen next. How far would Sonia go to keep her secret and keep this boy all to herself? I think fans of mysteries and thrillers would enjoy this novel even though it doesn't fit neatly into any one category. It is a truly original story and one well worth reading.