Jo Taylor’s husband, David, fails to return to his suburban Liverpool home following a works training session at Leeds. He has messaged to say he is on the train, then – nothing, and his phone is off. A worry for Jo of course, but then they had parted that morning with cross words, she refusing to drive him to Lime Street, making him leave early for a connecting commuter train. Is he making a point? She goes to bed.
Next morning, still no sign and he does not arrive at work (they both work for Nelson Engineering where they met ten years back). Police are contacted, and friends and family gather to give mutual support. Appeals are made, CCTV is pored over, no body turns up; it all points to David just disappearing. For no reason.
Except, Jo knows, there may be a reason. After ten years of living the DINKY life (dual income no kids yet) of exotic holidays and globetrotting adrenalin trips, Jo wants a baby. David doesn’t, yet. Jo makes the pre-emptive move of coming off the pill, and the result forces the issue. How pissed off is David? A bit, but enough to abandon his wife and unborn child?
Evidence trickles through: a history of cash withdrawals, a scribbled note in a trouser pocket, the cryptic words in the last text message. Then fresh, post-disappearance, ATM visits. It all points less to a missing person and more to him doing a runner.
A huge chunk of the book deals with Jo’s state of mind, understandably fragile in her circumstances, which deteriorates through and beyond pregnancy. A state of mind that may only improve once she gets closure on the disappearance of her husband. Will she get it?
And that is the hook that keeps the reader going through the (for me repetitive) days and weeks and months of Jo’s self-questioning, second-guessing, trials and tribulations. All very mental health aware, but as wearing on the reader as on Jo.
A reading group choice, otherwise I may not have stuck it out to the end, when thankfully and despite my worse fears, a resolution occurs.
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