Snap by Belinda Bauer

When their car breaks down, Jack, Joy and their little sister Merry try to wait patiently in the car while their heavily pregnant mother Eileen Bright walks to a roadside emergency phone to call for help. But it’s so hot in the car, Merry needs to be changed, and their mum has been gone for an hour. SO 12-year-old Jack makes the decision that they should walk to the phone and find their mum. They do find the phone, hanging loose. Their mother is gone. These are moments that will haunt all three children and, when the police finally come across them and take them back to their father, it destroys his life, too. It’s up to Jack to support them all. Whatever he does, it can’t be enough.

Catherine While is so close to giving birth. Her husband’s away a great deal. Then one night she hears someone in the house and she’s determined to be brave and chase them off. But when she returns to her bed, she finds a knife and a note – ‘I could have killed you’ it says. And that is just the first time in which she is frightened almost to death.

Detective Chief Inspector John Marvel is in disgrace. His methods of policing are dubious to say the least and so he has been sent from London, where he solved murders, to the Devon and Cornwall border where he can chase burglars instead. And so when the chance comes to reopen the case of Eileen Bright, he grabs at it. At last he can redeem himself! If he behaves, of course, which he won’t.

Snap is an absolutely fantastic crime thriller by an author that I’m growing to love more and more with every book. This one is undoubtedly my favourite of those I’ve read and that isn’t surprising – it excels in so many ways. Firstly, the story is superb. It’s clever, goes off in completely unexpected directions and is largely driven along by the most brilliant and memorable characters. Much of the novel takes place in 2001, three years after the disappearance of Eileen Bright, a time before social media, or mobile phones, controlled our lives. DCI Marvel is certainly an old-fashioned detective. He knows how to say the wrong thing and he can’t stop himself. I love, though, how he realises that he shouldn’t do it. That his ill-thought through words make his palms sweat when he thinks on them. There is so much about John Marvel to dislike but it’s so difficult not to like him.

Marvel does make mistakes, big mistakes, and so too does Detective Sergeant Reynolds who is the very opposite of his new boss. His pedantry and his fastidiousness are irritating to Marvel and to us but once again – I found myself falling for him. He is, it’s fair to say, a bit of an idiot, but you can’t help thinking that he’ll improve with time. A lot of time.

But the main bittersweet joy of Snap is Belinda Bauer’s non-sentimental depiction of these three deeply troubled children. Jack is such a wonderful creation but Merry is heartbreakingly loveable, as she clings to her tortoise for comfort and does her best to mow the lawn. Poor Joy is a lost soul indeed. My heart went out to these three while also smiling at their escapades. It’s hard to see how things can turn out well but their strength of character shines through. There are lots of cameo appearances through this novel. Glimpses of characters who are full of personality.

Snap is a novel with so much warmth and compassion. There is humour and wit and also a great sense of pace and tension. The second half in particular is unputdownable as Marvel gets more deeply involved in the case. But what a corking story, told brilliantly well. Belinda Bauer is now one of those authors whose books will go straight to the top of my reading mountain. Snap is definitely one of my top reads of 2018 so far.

Other reviews
The Beautiful Dead

Overall, a fast paced read that I really enjoyed. I will say that the beginning of this story was very confusing because it felt like three totally different story lines but they quickly come together and flow flawlessly. The very young main character, Jack, is well developed and very likable. The story begins with Jack, age 11, and his two younger sisters sitting at the side of a road in a broke down vehicle when their pregnant mother goes to call for help. She never returns. I won't go into any more details because I don't want to spoil any of this great story. I highly recommend this read if you're into crime/mystery novels. I will be looking for more of Belinda Bauer's work as she has a wonderful writing style.

**Special thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Digital for allowing me an advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Jack , Joy and Merry were in the car waiting for their mom when she was kidnapped and murdered. Unable to cope up with the grief of losing his wife their father walks out on them leaving Jack in charge of his younger sisters. Three years later Catherine, a young pregnant woman, finds a knife on her pillow along with a sinister note. Soon the threats increase but she is reluctant to involve the cops. Meanwhile the local cops are on trail of a thief “ Goldilocks “ who sleeps in the houses he robs and then destroys. All these stories connect together beautifully to create a nonstop exciting thriller

A slow start but the excitement builds up fast enough in this character driven mystery. Belinda Bauer does a great job pulling you in and breathing life in the characters. A brilliant cleverly crafted suspense thriller which is a must read for all psychological mystery lovers.

I would like to thank Grove Atlantic & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

I love the writing of Belinda Bauer after reading 'Rubbernecker' and have been hooked since. Her writing is dark and a little unnerving at times but love it anyway.
The book starts in 1998 when the car of a young family breaks down and the mother leaves the children in the vehicle while she goes for help. 11 year old Jack is put in charge of looking after his two younger sisters as their mother disappears up the road never to be seen alive again.
Three years later, Jack’s who is now fifteen is still looking after his younger sisters alone in the house. Meanwhile across town, a young woman called Catherine While wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note reading I could of killed you. The police are tracking a mysterious burglar they call Goldilocks, for his habit of sleeping in the beds of the houses he robs, but Catherine doesn’t see the point of involving the police. And Jack, very suddenly, may be on the verge of finding out who killed his mother.
There is so much I want to write about this book but I do not want to spoil it. This book has so many layers and is an excellent read.
Belinda Bauer does it again, great author with excellent plots that are so well written.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading this book & for some reason I wasn’t expecting much. Boy was I wrong! Very good book with great character development. How their mothers disappearance affected the family was very sad, tragic even, but the book ended with the reader having hope for the remaining family members. Good little thriller/mystery!

There are so many original elements to this fine thriller, but I wish I could have given it 5 instead of 4 stars due to some missteps. On the plus side, the mystery is answered fairly early on (yes, in this case it is a plus), because it led to some ingenuity in character development and situations, even the location. Since I am totally unfamiliar with the western country of Britain, the opening sequence of a deserted highway baking in relentless heat seemed more Australian. Additionally, she has created a most original hero. Jack Bright (wonderful name), eleven years old in that opening, finds himself three years later as caretaker for his two younger, traumatized sisters. Enough has been written in other reviews about the plot and how that came to be that I don't need to repeat it. On the negative side, there were some police interactions that didn't ring true, that stymied believability. Given the resolution, I'm hoping to see Jack again.

Snap by Belinda Bauer is an emotional, dark but sometimes funny book.

There is a lot happening in this story and it takes a little time for it all to come together, but when it does oh my goodness.! It is the story of Jack, a 14 year old boy who is left alone with his 2 sisters after his pregnant mother is murdered and his father has disappeared . Trying to keep social services away he does what ever it takes to keep his family together. It is hard to say much more about the plot without giving things away.

Definitely 5 stars from me for this book.. you will not be sorry that you picked it up. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book in exchange for my honest opinions

The story is told from three different points of view. The first is Jack Bright, a young boy who, after the death of his mother, had to grow up quickly and put himself in charge of his family. His father couldn’t cope with his wife’s lost, so, at fourteen, Jack has to take care of his two younger sisters, Joy, who spends her time piling up newspapers around the house, and Merry, the five-year-old who loves to read about vampires and scary clowns. Belinda Bauer really gets you into the head of this character, how he is overwhelmed by the fact that he has to take care and provide for his sisters, but, at the same time, he doesn’t want anybody to find out that they are left alone to not end up in foster care and be separated.

The other point of view is Catherine While, a happily married and seven-month pregnant woman who, one night, wakes up to find an intruder in her house. Her husband is away for work and she manages to scare the intruder away, but he left a message for her, a message that terrifies her so much that she doesn’t call the police or tell her husband.

You don’t have to wait long to find out the connection between Jack and Catherine and, while their paths cross multiple times, the police, in the meantime, is investigating a series of burglaries hitting the area around Taunton. The police’s investigation is narrated through the eyes of DCI John Marvel, an arrogant detective transferred from London who is looking for a big case that will make him look good to the eyes of his boss, and DS Reynolds, a know-it-all sergeant who always sticks to the rules. Although I didn’t really like these two characters, their exchanges created a few hilarious moments to the narration that made me laugh.

SNAP is dark and haunting, but also emotional, original, and gripping. I was completely absorbed into the characters’ lives and their tragic and moving stories. Once again, Belinda Bauer wrote a terrific must-read!

Jack is a young kid when his pregnant mother was murdered. Not only was he affected by this tragedy, so we're his two younger sisters and his father. His father is traumatized so much he leaves the kids to fend for themselves. Jack being the oldest 14 or so, takes "being in charge" and steals from houses to feed his sisters. Sometimes he is just to tired, but he knows his sisters need him. Trying to be the adult for his small family doesn't make him forget his mother. He knows that one day he will find the murderer. When he does, he hopes he won't snap.
Very interesting, entertaining and enjoyable. Great storyline. Great characterization.
5 Stars

This author is absolutely brilliant. Her books have me so gripped, so emotionally involved, that when I finish one I feel a genuine loss. This story is so cleverly written, and the plot so convoluted yet simple, that I could barely make myself put it down each night and found myself going to bed early the next night just so that I could read more. The main character is so real, so alive, that I want to hug him. There are no bit players or padding, every single word of ths book is riveting and entertaining. Although it is a superb psychological thriller, I would imagine readers of any genre would enjoy this masterful study of human behaviour.

I'd rate this 3.5 stars. The story was interesting, but the main star for me was Jack. What a fascinating character. He's dealt so many horrible cards in life, yet he tries to hard to save his family, all while dealing with the guilt of his mother's disappearance. Unfortunately, there were a few contrived elements to the plot that didn't work for me and took me out of the moment, which is why I didn't give it 4 stars. I'd also have preferred a somewhat different ending. Overall, though, a good read.

Snap by Belinda Bauer

This is my third novel by Belinda Bauer and in her style that I find compelling and gratifying— namely a well-designed plot with intriguing characters. Personally, I found the quirky protagonist in Rubberneckers and the endearing young lad in Blacklands quite compelling and was extremely impressed with Bauer’s ability to take the reader into a head very different from one’s own and stay there, delighted, for an entire novel. The main character in Snap was one in which I could easily sympathize with, given his history, but just a bit less engrossing than those of previous Bauer novels. Nonetheless, the plot and mystery behind this boy’s desire to find the truth about his mother, engages the reader to join him on his journey.

Thank you to both the publisher and the author for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.



For the publisher and author only:

There were a few plot points that I struggled with--

1- In the police car, the young boy is alternatively asleep in the back, then joining the conversation taking place up front, then asleep again, then awake…all without appropriate explanations of the transitions…they just seem to happen, making me wonder if there was an editing problem.

2- The kids’ father, who disappeared for several years leaving them to fend for themselves is suddenly (too suddenly) ready to rejoin the family just because his son bumps into him and asks him to return. This could be deepened by expanding upon this shift with more internal struggle and angst on the part of the disappeared dad, such that it doesn’t seem so much like an unrealistic about-face for the convenience of the plot.

I hope you find my comments helpful…and thanks, again.

Heavily pregnant Eileen Bright was riding in the family car with Jack, Joy and Merry ages 11,9 and 2 years old respectively. When the car broke down, Eileen told her children she would find an emergency telephone. They were instructed to stay in the car. She would be back very soon. After waiting and waiting, the worried children walked along the crash barrier on the road. Jack carried two year old Merry. Finally, coming upon the emergency phone, they noticed the orange receiver dangling from the phone box. Soon after, a car stopped and a policeman approached the kids.

Eileen Bright was missing. Police constantly entered and left the Bright house. Mr. Bright was distraught and preoccupied. He didn't notice the youngsters reading newspapers documenting their mother's disappearance. Days later, her stabbed body was found on the side of the road. An unusual looking knife was discovered nearby. The case remained unsolved.

Fast forward three years. Jack is now fourteen years old and the sole support in charge of his siblings. Mr. Bright, unable to cope, abandoned his children. Jack learned that appearances matter. Fear of being picked up by social services has led Jack to keep a well manicured lawn and washed windows. Neighbors are misled into thinking that Mr. Bright is often away for days working. Befriended by Louis Bridge, Jack is taught the art of being a cat burglar. In order to be successful at breaking and entering, a cat burglar must stay thin, wear gloves, first secure the exit of the premises and have a ready "smile and lie", if necessary. Jack steals food for family survival and small items Louis can sell for profit from the empty houses of families on vacation. One burglary will become a game changer.

Detective Chief Inspector John Marvel has been exiled to a small town. Although he is a good old fashioned copper, he has made costly mistakes. He will be forced to work with Detective Sergeant Reynolds who is well dressed and well liked. This is an awkward pairing of sleuths. In the absence of any current murder cases, Marvel will be required to assist in a slew of breaking and entering cases. He has lofty ideas. If he can unravel the cold case of Eileen Bright's murder, he might be recalled to London and leave this one horse town! Marvel, Reynolds and an unscrupulous assistant just might shed light on the investigations.

"Snap" by Belinda Bauer is a fast paced compulsive read that was "unputdownable". The characters were very well developed. Many were flawed but likable. Jack had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knew right from wrong but felt between a rock and a hard place. Louis Bridge ran several interesting operations. "Snap" was a slow burning, highly addictive thriller I highly recommend.

Thank you Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Snap".

Seriously enjoyed this book. Great plot, but even greater characters. Detective Chief Inspector Marvel is a marvel. He's like a grouchy Columbo. He's just horrid but he gets it done. I lost count of the number of times I said "What an asshole." And poor Detective Sergeant Reynolds is like Inspector Clouseau. The only female detective was not as fleshed out as the others but would love to see her in a next book. Would love to see all of them.

The plot starts with a heartbreaking story of children losing their mother and then father. The oldest boy takes the burden on of keeping his two sisters and himself together. He learns how to burglarize homes in order to steal food and books. He has a funny characteristic of only stealing healthy food and trashing a house with unhealthy food

This is a murder story done quite well and I look forward to more books from Belinda Bauer.

By the way Belinda, the cat treat shaking to get a cat inside cracked me up cause I'm the fool who does the same. Its a nightly ritual.

Thank you #NetGalley for this wonderful ARC.
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I am a huge fan of this author’s work in which she invariably manages to lace her crime novels with a sense of humour. Belinda Bauer above all has an exceptional ability to capture her characters on the page and none more so than when the character is a child. This is in contrast to so many other writers who often appear to use their child characters as a device and somehow make them either bland or annoying, but somehow not quite real. Not so in this novel.

Three children, eleven-year old Jack, nine-year old Joy and two-year old Merry are left on the hard shoulder of the motorway while their pregnant mother walks to the phone box to get help when their car breaks down. The sun is shining on this August day in 1998:

"It was so hot in the car that the seats smelled as though they were melting. Jack was in shorts, and every time he moved his legs they sounded like sellotape."

Yes, we’ve all had that experience in a hot car but unlike these poor children our mothers didn’t walk into the distance never to return.
The story then jumps forward three years to Catherine While’s house, her husband Adam is away, she’s heavily pregnant and thinks she can hear someone in the house.

"When you lived alone, and you heard a noise in the night, you didn’t cower under the bedclothes and wait for your fate to saunter up the stairs and down the hallway. When you lived alone, you got up and grabbed the torch, the bat, the hairspray and you sneaked downstairs to confront… The dishwasher."

This time though, it wasn’t the dishwasher.

When Catherine returns to bed, there is a knife and a note by the side of her bed, that wasn’t there before.

The reader follows Jack’s struggle following his mother’s disappearance as well as observing what Catherine does following the intruder to her house, and not all of her actions are wise ones!

And then we have a Detective Inspector John Marvel who has been sent to Somerset away from his beloved London following a transgression and he’s assigned to the Goldilocks case; a burglar who breaks into people’s houses and sleeps in their beds before making off with their belongings. His team consists of DC Parrott and DS Reynolds and three make a hilarious trio as they try to catch their man.

So lots going on and yet all so enticing. There wasn’t a page that didn’t delight me with vignettes of observation that really hit the mark:

The star of this show though is Jack, his resilience alone is amazing, and it is precisely because we see the cracks in his armour that I couldn't help but fall in love with him.

A read that I have to admit is a tad quirky for a crime novel, a book that will truly entertain you while the darkness of murder lurks. It is so refreshing to read something that is differs in style within this, my favourite genre.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to the publishers by way of this unbiased review for allowing me to read a copy of Snap, prior to the publication in eBook format today, 3 May 2018. For those of you who want the print version it is following on 17 May 2018.
First Published UK: 3 May 2018
Publisher:Bantam Press
No of Pages: 352
Genre: Crime Fiction
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Other Books by Belinda Bauer
Blacklands
Darkside
Finders Keepers
Rubbernecker
The Facts of Life and Death
The Shut Eye
The Beautiful Dead

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book. A slow start with lots of characters, but it all comes together in the end. Recommended.

Unique, haunting…and bonkers. If I had to describe this book in a nutshell, that’s what comes to mind. And just so you know, I’m a big fan of bonkers.

Initially, it’s like you’re reading 2 books the are very different in subject matter & tone. The book blurb gives you a good breakdown of one of them. It’s the poignant story of Jack, Joy & Merry…3 young siblings abandoned by their parents. At 15, Jack is the man of the house & doing everything in his power to keep social services from discovering their squalid living conditions. But it’s exhausting. Jack spends his nights sneaking into empty houses & stealing what he can to keep his family going. That’s how he found the knife.

The other story line introduces DCI John Marvel. He’s a rumpled, dyspeptic old fashioned copper who’s been exiled to Somerset PD as a result of his less than PC techniques. Instead of high profile cases, he’s been given a rash of home burglaries to investigate. Seriously? Don’t they know he was an elite homicide detective? And don’t even get him started on his colleagues.

DS Reynolds is eager to make a good impression on his new boss. He’s a fastidious, impeccably groomed straight arrow who’s always willing to help coworkers better themselves. Whether it’s tips on deportment or correcting their grammar, he knows deep down they appreciate his attention to detail. So why does the new DCI seem to hate him?

For the first half of the book, the 2 story lines develop separately. There is a fair amount of jumping back & forth in time lines so you have to pay attention. The haunting sadness of Jack’s story is relieved by chapters detailing the police investigation & the humorous relationship between Marvel & Reynolds. Hint: it’s more Bickersons than bro-mance.

But the book really takes off when Jack meets Marvel. Jack believes he knows who murdered his mother 3 years ago & the old cop is just the man to prove it. And Marvel…well, the boy certainly spins a wild tale but how can he resist the chance to work a nice, juicy unsolved murder?

From here on, the book takes off in a dozen crazy directions as Marvel & Reynolds pick away at Jack’s story. Initially Marvel comes across as a self important misanthrope & Reynolds is just plain irritating. But a funny thing happened as I kept reading. I started to really like them. They’re both so odd & their relationship so entertaining that I couldn’t help but buckle up & enjoy this quirky ride.

Confession time: I’ve only read one previous book by this author & it was just a so-so read for me. It was not a question of writing skills…she has those in spades. But humour is (excuse the pun) a funny thing. Of all the story elements or genres, I think it might be the most subjective. What’s hilarious to one reader may make another longingly eye the last chapter.

All I can say is this book made me a convert. Marvel & Reynolds provided the comic relief I needed while Jack broke my heart. Each of the characters gradually reveals hidden depths as we spend more time in their company. You’ll find yourself rooting for this strange trio of lost souls as they piece together the truth behind what happened to Jack’s family. It’s poignant, unconventional & entertaining. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Always love this author and cannot believe that she has done it again.
Creepy, clever, always believable.
Great, great, great.

Belinda Bauer's books are always great. This one explores the aftermath of an unsolved crime and its impact on the victim's family. Jack Bright is 11 years old when his mother is murdered. Now several years later, he is tormented and determined to find her killer. Abandoned by their father, Jack and his younger sisters are living under the radar supported by his work for a local crime boss. Meanwhile the police are setting a trap for a burglar they call Goldilocks who targets the homes of apparently happy families, sleeping in children's beds. Catherine While, happily married and pregnant, wakes to find a sinister note and a knife on her pillow. It's not difficult to figure out how these plot strands connect but Bauer's plotting and characters kept me interested. It's a fast read and I was sorry that it ended so quickly.

This books starts with three children sitting in a broken down car. Their mum has gone to find a phone box to call for help. Eleven year old Jack has a new watch and it soon becomes evident that their mum has been a long time; an awfully long time. So he takes his two younger sisters and goes to look for her. They eventually find the phone but not their mum. The children are reunited with their father but it is not long until a body is found and he can't really cope anymore. Thus the fate of the family now all falls on Jack's shoulders. But he is only a child. What can he possibly do to keep them afloat? The answer comes from a strange place, a new ally who helps Jack with his task. The years go by and Jack starts to think more about his mother's death. How it is still an open case with no one paying for the crime. Then he discovers a clue. Can he do what the police failed on and actually find out what happened to his mother?
Meanwhile we have a heavily pregnant Catherine waking up to find a knife and a threatening note beside her bed. Husband Adam is working away so she is alone and a bit scared. Why is she reluctant to tell anyone about it though? I mean, we all know what happens in these books when there are secrets and lies...
Oh my, I really felt for Jack and his sisters with the hand that life had dealt them. But I also really admired the way that they had just got on with things. Doing what they need to survive, albeit it mostly outside the law, but with morals nonetheless. With how they looked after each other and how even though they were left devoid of parental care and guidance they still did pretty much OK for themselves.
Catherine and Adam however were a bit more complex. Well described and congruent within their personalities and roles within the plot but I can't say that I particularly liked either of them.
The other main players in the book were the police and they were all quite unlikable too. It was almost like they were caricatures and that didn't quite fit in well with me all the time. But, that said, it did fit in well with the plot so I guess it's all good. They did have some redeeming characteristics which were more prevalent towards the end of the book.
Pacing was slow but steady. It was more cerebral than action packed although it did have its moments there too. What I am trying to say is that instead of being all about wild twists and turns, red herrings, or sleight of hand, it was more what you see is what you get but I'm not going to show you the whole picture quite yet.
All in all, a good solid read that kept my attention nicely throughout and left me satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.