From the beginning of this book sometimes I like to guess what's going to happen in the end or who the culprit is, but this book definitely went the other direction! It had some unfortunate parts that pulled on my heart strings, but it had a better outcome at the ending. There was great character development even if there were a lot of characters to follow, but it wasn't confusing. Great thriller/mystery!

"I could have killed you."

SNAP is a multi-layered cleverly plotted crime novel with a varied group of unusual and unpredictable character types. The beginning completely drew me in and then, after a bit of confusion, everything just SNAPPED into place.

Important not to give anything away in this one, so I'll just say.......

....A mother makes a really bad decision....or two.

....An angry and desperate young boy of eleven steps up to the plate....and takes charge.

....A wife in the family way keeps some dangerous secrets.....but why?

....And a Detective Chief Inspector turns out to be quite the copper!

My first Belinda Bauer kept me guessing and provided SNAPS -CRACKLES -and a POP of a fine ending! So glad I SNAPPED up a copy of this one....and did NOT read the book summary!

Many thanks to Grove Atlantic via NetGalley for the arc AVAILABLE NOW in exchange for an unbiased review.

Whip smart, original, and gripping novel that is well written. I could not put it down! Terrific characterization, well paced. I cared about these characters, the plot was fantastic, the story heartbreaking and generous.

I just loved this clever and unique thriller. Belinda Bauer has created some very believable and unconventional characters and told an engrossing story that gripped me from the beginning.

One hot summer's day in 1998, Eileen Bright's car breaks down on the M5 in Devonshire and she goes in search of a phone, leaving her children, 11y old Jack his younger sisters joy and baby Merry in the car. But she never returns and her body is eventually found, stabbed to death, further down the road. Not long afterwards Eileen's husband, overcome by grief goes out for milk and never returns. Three years on, the children are alone pretending their father is still at home so they don't get taken into care. Jack is doing his best to provide food and clothing but he's finding it tough and lonely and his sister Joy is not coping at all.

Meanwhile, DCI John Marvel has been demoted from London Homicide to a small police station in Somerset, where the Bright children live. The local police have been unable to catch a cat burglar living in the area so although disappointed that there are no murders to solve, he sets his sights on trapping the culprit.

Told with touches of humour, this is a very engaging story of young children struggling to survive after their mother dies and their father disappears, as well as a detective with unusual methods and a heart in the right place.

Really good crime drama! This was the first I've read anything by Belinda Bauer - I will certainly look for more by her. It starts out with a pregnant mother and three children in a car broken down on the highway. The mother leaves the children to walk to the nearest phone for help, leaving her oldest, Jack - age 11, in charge. She never comes back. Her body is eventually found though the family left behind is destroyed with grief.

Then, a few years later, Jack is still living in the house with his sisters under the radar of anyone official. We find out about a thief called the Goldilocks (burglar because the thief spends the night in the houses he robs), and about a pregnant woman who discovers someone has been in her house. Everything ties together into a fascinating crime drama.

I enjoyed the story - the writing style, characters, and the plot. There were a few surprises that keep it interesting throughout.

Thanks to Belinda Bauer and Atlantic Monthly Press through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book

I loved this book! Just the perfect amount of twists and turns. This was also a tad bit heart breaking. I wasn't really expecting that from a psychological thriller. It was really good and I will definitely go back and read earlier books from this author.

Anyone who doubts that crime fiction can still work when it wears its heart on its sleeve need only pick up this new masterpiece from Belinda Bauer to be convinced otherwise. Readers will fall in love with these characters and that means the stakes will be even higher as they venture deeper into troubled territory.

Three young children are left in a car on the side of the road in the blazing heat. Their pregnant mother makes her way on foot in search for help after their car has broken down. She is never to be seen or heard from again. Eventually the family is informed that she has been murdered. It appears she had accepted a ride from a stranger. Doesn't everyone know you don't accept rides from strangers? It's the perfect way to end up dead.

Life begins to quickly unravel for the Bright family after Eileen Bright is murdered. Jack Bright, the eldest at a whopping eleven years old is forced to provide for the family. A little boy who has no choice but to grow up fast and learn a quick and dirty lifestyle.

Fast forward three years. We meet Catherine and Adam. Catherine is pregnant, expecting their first child. Many interesting events unfold in their home, such as death threats. Yet, they never report it to the authorities. A bit odd one would think. What do they have to hide? What does one need a four thousand pound knife for? A hefty price for a knife that you misplace or have lying around the house. So many unanswered questions.

Whew! Oh Snap! I know, but I couldn't resist, I had to say Oh Snap at least once. It was just there, I had to do it. This was one good book! I will be the first to admit that this book freaked me out a little in the beginning. The first couple of chapters had me checking my door locks and feeling a bit uneasy. Creeped out would probably be an accurate description. The author is so precise with her descriptions that she transforms you into that place. I could feel the heat that those kids were experiencing while waiting in the hot car for their mom. You could imagine your bare legs sticking to the hot seats. Not to mention I had to look over my shoulder while in my own house. Bravo to Belinda Bauer for making it real for me.

This was a suspense filled thriller that I didn't want to put down. It also tugs at your heart strings. Jack Bright deserved a better life. He would probably have gone down a much different path, if not for another persons disregard for human life. He appeared grown up but he was still yearning for a childhood as demonstrated with his Goldilocks lifestyle.

This is the first Belinda Bauer book I have read. I will defiantly be looking forward to reading more by her.

4 stars from me!

4+ stars

Snap is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time — not so much because of the mystery but because of the characters and the atmosphere. There’s a deadpan quality to Bauer’s writing in Snap that really worked for me. On a late summer day, 11 year old Jack and his two siblings are left by the side of the road while their mother goes to get help for the broken down car. Their mother never comes back. Flash forward three years, and Jack fends for his siblings and is on the lookout to figure out who killed his mother. While Jack’s determination to look after his siblings is admirable, there are no adult heroes in Snap. The police are not particularly clever and the other adults could do better. The mystery became obvious to me fairly early on, but I still really enjoyed this one because of the characters and atmosphere. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is a well-executed mystery.

Eleven-year-old Jack Bright and his younger sisters are left in a car while their mother walks to find a pay phone to get help with their car trouble. She never returns, and later her murdered pregnant body is found.

Three years later, Jack is supporting himself and his sisters by breaking into people’s homes and stealing things, including healthy food to feed the family.

We have a good suspicion early on who murdered Jack’s mother. The mystery becomes how will Jack and the police figure out a way to tie the suspected killer to the actual murder.

This was a fast, fun read. Recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

This is a well-written novel with an excellent plot, but a little slow for my taste. The way the different lines intersect is well thought out, and some twists are masterful, but I just didn't warm up to it. I couldn't get past the characters being too unlikable for me to root for. I understand their motivations: Jack lost his mother and no one cared, of course he is angry. Once he thaws, he becomes a more relatable character, but the police inspectors who reopen his mother's murder are a little too unskilled for my taste. Jack pretty much does most of the work for them. And Catherine, a pregnant lady whose husband may be involved in the crime is simply so selfish, that it was hard for me to care about what happened to her. Still, the writing is excellent and the plot very well-structured. I just couldn't get into it as much as I expected.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Grove Atlantic!

A Goldilocks burgler? Yes, please. That the thefts are part of a larger story didn't matter, but points lost for the multiPOV writing.

What happened to Jack and his siblings after their mother's disappearance and father's leaving seems to have escaped everyone's notice. That no one sees that these three children are on their own is really due to Jack's diligence about keeping up appearances (and some of the efforts are pretty funny). The mystery part, led by fairly stock policemen, is just unpredictable enough to elevate this from the usual mystery/thrillers and makes this a fun summer read.

eARC provided by publisher.

A captivating, emotional and gripping read about tragic loss, grief, snap decisions and their devastating longterm impact.

The opening scene of this one grabbed hold of my heart and never let go. 11yr. old Jack Bright and his sisters Joy and Merry are sitting in their stifling, broken down car on the side of the road on a hot August afternoon. They are awaiting the return of their pregnant mother. She was last seen over an hour before, walking away on the shoulder of the road towards a payphone to get help. She told the children to stay in the car. She told them she would be right back. Unfortunately, none of that was true. Jack, Joy & Merry would never see their mother again after that fateful day.

Snap is told via various voices and storylines as we find ourselves thrown into Jack, Joy & Merry's life three years after the tragic loss of their mother. Life has been anything but kind or easy for these children in that time. This mama wanted to reach right in the book and rescue the Bright children! Jack, now age 14, was left with the care of his two little sisters after his grief stricken father went out for milk one day and never returned. How can 3 young children survive on their own? Jack resorts to doing whatever is necessary to keep his family together and away from social services. Jack's story was truly an emotional one filled with anger, grief and his overwhelming sense of responsibility for his siblings. He is a child forced to quickly become an adult. You can't help but fall for his character and root for him and his sisters to finally be okay.

Detective Reynolds & Marvel are investigating a string of unsolved burglaries involving a suspect they have named Goldilocks. Goldilocks breaks into homes, cooks himself meals, sleeps in children's beds, takes a bath, grabs a few possessions & healthy food and has evaded capture for over a year. The relationship between these 2 officers was entertaining, as they were very much polar opposites.

I won't give away much more about the story. It's best to let it unfold the way Baur intended. Snap was a slow, character driven mystery/thriller that really grabs hold of you. I was invested in these characters and wanted to see Jack find closure about his mom. This one was a deliberate, addictive and unputdownable read. I highly recommend it for mystery/thriller fans who enjoy a masterfully told story with empathic characters.

Jack and his 2 sisters lose their pregnant mother to a killer. The last time they saw her, she left them in their broken down car and went to find a phone. She was never seen again. Nothing will ever be the same again ... for any of them.

Three years later Jack is in charge. Still living in their house, it's just the three of them. Their father has left and has never returned. Jack turns to robbing houses to make money enough to pay the few bills and keep food in the house. There is no such thing as school ... they are essentially living off the grid.

Catherine While wakes only to find a note saying "I could have killed you" weighted down by a knife she's never seen before. She's in her third trimester of pregnancy and her husband is out of town. Should she call him ... call the police? She hides the knife and decides to do nothing.

Jack, his sisters, Catherine, her husband, Adam, and the police .... all come to a crossroads. There are mistakes made, and several of them have secrets .... secrets that all have consequences should they be brought to light.

This is such an imaginative story, well-written, by a well known author. The characters are memorable and Jack, especially, will stay with you for a long, long time. A couple of characters demand to be mentioned ... one is the knife-maker, the other is the detective's mother. There is so much in the action-packed book, I didn't want to put it down for any reason. The ending was quite explosive, and while exciting, still a tad disappointing.

Many thanks to the author / Grove Atlantic / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of this riveting novel. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is an excellent twisty crime novel where you will root for one of the criminals more than you might imagine. Young Jack has had a very rough time= his mom disappeared on a hot summer day and was later found murdered. His dad took off. He's caring for his two younger sister, Merry and Joy, and Joy is hoarding newspapers in their house. Here's the thing- Jack is 14 and he's a burglar and that's how he's supporting the family. AND then, he finds the man he is certain killed his mom. The viewpoint of the story shifts from Jack to the detectives to Catherine, who is pregnant and getting threatening notes. There's good twists and it's a well done plot. And, there's a really neat character involved with knives. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I've been a fan of Bauer for a long time and this one came through with stars. Recommend for fans of UK procedural thrillers.

On a stifling hot summers day, eleven year old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. She said she wouldn't be long, but his mother never comes back.

Jack, Joy and Merry are left in the car after it breaks down while their mother goes to phone for help. Now, we all know you should never leave children in a car unattended, but I can understand the reasons why she did this. But their mother never comes back.

The story starts three years later. After being abandoned by both their parents, Jack, now fourteen , does everything in his power to make it look like they are leading perfectly normal lives. He needs to do everything he can to keep social services from finding out that they are living in squalor. Jack breaks into houses where the owners are away for a few days, stealing everything he can to keep his family safe.

DCI John Marvel has been transferred to Somerset police force. He is an elite homicide detective, but he has been given the job of investigating the spat of burglaries.

This is a well written, tense, edge of your seat read that I highly recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and the author Belinda Bauer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 sensitive and atmospheric stars to Snap!

Snap is my first read from Belinda Bauer, and now I know why she is well-loved!

A car breaks down on the side of the road with a mother and three young children inside. The mom names Jack, the eleven-year-old and eldest child, in charge and leaves to get help. Jack and his sisters try to pass the time, waiting for their mom to come back. The minutes pass unbearably slowly, and she never returns. Eventually her body is found, and the effect of her loss on the family is devastating and unbearable, especially for Jack’s father. The sensitivity in how this loss was described added to the authenticity and sets it apart from other thrillers.

Flash forward a few years, and Jack is still in charge, living with his sisters alone in the house. At the same time, a woman named Catherine While finds a knife beside her bed with a threatening note. Somehow this connects to finding the person who killed Jack’s mother. There is a great tie-in here that I enjoyed immensely.

Snap has fantastic empathic characterization, including the brave and savvy, Jack, who I was rooting for throughout. He wants so badly to keep his family together. I admired his grit. Another unforgettable character is Louis Bridge, an uncouth thief, but also a savior to Jack. I also enjoyed the interplay between the two detectives, Reynolds and Marvel.

All Jack wants is justice for his mother’s death. Will he get it? Snap is quite the journey on the road to justice after tremendous grief and loss. There is an empathy to the storytelling that I admired. It takes some time for the atmosphereic, haunting, and dark story to come together, but when it does, it’s masterful.

I have seen multiple 5 star reviews of this book in recent months, so was pleased to finally get to it in my NetGalley queue. I had never read anything by this author before, so didn’t really know what to expect, but will definitely be looking out for her earlier work based on this. I found the start a bit disjointed but was motivated to keep going because of all the positive reviews, and she does soon bring the disparate story threads together.

This begins with 11 year old Jack waiting with his two younger sisters in a car on a stifling summer day in SW England. They have broken down, and their mother has gone for help, but does not return. Three years later, Jack is a career burglar, hiding the fact that their broken father has abandoned them, and looking after the family the best he can. Meanwhile, heavily pregnant Catherine, whose house has been broken into, and a threatening note left behind, decides not to call the police, and DCI Marvel, in exile in the country after failing to solve a child murder case, is aghast to be assigned to a serial burglary case, when he wants to be catching killers...

The different characters are brilliantly drawn, our sympathies shifting as we learn more about each one. I loved the irascible Marvel, and his evolving relationship with the pedantic DS Reynolds. I do hope they will feature in more books. I felt Jack’s frustrations, from dealing with a house filled with old newspapers, as his sister refuses to throw any out, to his feelings of failure as the head of the family. There were some great side characters too, such a wide boy Louis Bridge and Baz, and the mysterious VC.

I was slightly disappointed with the ending, expecting more of a twist, or at least a better explanation for the killer’s actions. The fate of most characters is left open, but it did feel like the end of Jack’s story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Great read, had me from the start. Bauer has a way with words that keeps you glued to the page. This is the second book from her i have read and i have really enjoyed both. This one has such great characters you just had to keep reading.

A rather dark crime novel with some memorable characters and a burglar who likes to nap.....BUT someone will Snap!

Jack Bright is in charge, but he is only 14 years old. He does what he can to get by and take care of his two younger sisters (Joy and Merry). They hide alone inside their house and have their "cover story" down pat (insert snoopy neighbor). I had a soft spot for Jack and the girls. I wanted to give them all a huge hug.

Their mother, Eileen went missing 3 years prior and never returned. Jack is determined to find out who is responsible and he proves to be a wiley one. I think he stole the show.

I really enjoyed how the story was told with some of the different characters perspectives. As the mystery unfolds, the author throws in some shockers that had me on the edge of my seat. I also liked how the author gave the story some bright moments that made me smile in the midst of some tragic circumstances.