Before we start, a note for future reviewers who have a current Netgalley copy or physical proof of No One Home. Tim has been in touch to say that, he’s just completed the final read-through of the book and has decided to make a last minute change to the running order in the final version of the novel that comes out in May. Specifically, he’ll be swapping around the final two parts (9 and 10). The reasons will become apparent when you get there, and Tim says the story (and, hopefully, your enjoyment!) won’t be affected at all by the minor tweaks he’s making. However, he says, if you want any further clarification before reviewing, or have any questions at all, you should definitely get in touch on Twitter, Facebook or via email. Link Here.
On Halloween night, the residents of Black Gale gather for a dinner party. As the only nine people living there, they’ve become close friends as well as neighbours.
They eat, drink and laugh. They play games and take photographs. Except those photographs will be the last record of any of them.
By the next morning, the whole village has vanished.
With no bodies, no evidence and no clues, the mystery of what happened at Black Gale remains unsolved two and a half years on. But then the families of the missing turn to investigator David Raker – and their obsession becomes his.
What secrets were the neighbours keeping from their families – and from each other?
Were they really everything they seemed to be?
And is Raker looking for nine missing people – or nine dead bodies?
I devoured this, as I have every other novel in this brilliant series, every time I review I say “this is the best one yet”. Well guess what? This IS the best one yet.
No One Home for a start has an excellent central premise, one that immediately intrigues just from the blurb. An entire village vanishes into the night…on Halloween no less…years later and our hero is hired to try and discover what happened.
So begins one of the twistiest mysteries I’ve read, the plotting is simply superb, to the point that telling you anything specific might well ruin the many many moments where you’ll stop briefly to turn things over in your head. The writing as always is spot on immersive, Tim Weaver has that intuitive, creative ability to character build and set the scene so that you sink into it, every moment a pure joy to read.
David Raker continues his personal journey here, as he does in every book, he is one of the most engaging and authentic characters in fiction currently. Whilst you can read every book on its own merits, there is a certain power behind the narrative if you read in order so that would be my recommendation. Don’t worry if it seems a lot, trust me you’ll blast through them in short order, every one is genuinely fantastic.
Back to No One Home and I’m not sure what else to say- a layered, nuanced and oft unpredictable tale, with an ending that has huge impact, powerfully emotional on every level. It’s actually no less than I’ve come to expect from this author but every single time he manages to floor me, something else that sets this series above the rest.
Without doubt highly recommended. I feel a binge worthy reread coming on…
You can purchase No One Home (Michael Joseph) Here.
Happy Reading!
