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What would you sacrifice for love?

What would you give for just one more moment with someone who meant everything?

A twisty, confusing and absolutely intriguing look at love and loss, narrated by Dr David Asha, supplemented with the journals, writings and diaries of other characters, including the fascinating former police officer Harriet (Harri) Kealty.

As David dangles snippets of mystery surrounding the fate, yet to be unfolded, of his son, Elliot Asha, we know little directly from what he can tell us, yet feel in our hearts the rumble of Elliot’s upcoming destruction and (apparent) subsequent redemption.

At ten years old, at our story’s onset, Elliot, with his brown hair and sad, striking blue eyes, is “troubled, withdrawn, and suspicious”, and our task, as the story convolutes around him, is to figure out why.

A book brimming with secrets, featuring a plot as far from linear and straightforward as a readers mind can imagine, it will take a stellar struggle (and a dedicated reader) to figure this one out.

As Harri soon finds herself the self-appointed protector of Elliot, her task is further complicated by the elusive Ben Elmys – he of the polished amber eyes and tousled brown hair (and a surprisingly profound connection to her heart). It is not at all clear if this “gentle, kind, calm, charming and funny” man, guardian to Elliot and family friend of the Ashas, is at all who he appears to be.

A fun and definitely puzzling read – this readers search for answers revealed them slowly, but steadily, until the clever and satisfying ending (which is a real corker) that I did (mostly) manage to put together.

Highly recommended, this book is a world of mystery and enigmas, populated with damaged and vulnerable seekers, each chasing answers to life’s (and love’s) greatest riddles – unable to let go, regardless of the final and terrible cost.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.