A group of desperate people kidnap a child in an attempt to get hold of enough money to end their problems. But, they've gotten much more than they bargained for...
We follow Jess and her husband, Curt, who, together with Curt's kind and matronly sister, Lisa, and the dangerous ruffian, Pete, have kidnapped a quiet young girl called Emily from her senator father. They take Emily to an abandoned and secluded house in the middle of the Mojave desert.
Jess feels extremely conflicted about what they've done. On one hand, she feels horrible for taking the young girl from her home, but on the other hand she knows that she and Curt are in a desperate situation with very few remaining options. She takes a shine to the strange child who is beautiful but stoic beyond her years in a disconcerting manner. Jess feels both protective of her and scared of her.
The story is told from the characters' perspectives with a tendency to focus on our main protagonist, Jess. Through the eyes of each character we learn more about them and their motives. And we find that they have shades of grey.... Some much greyer than others.
Tensions begin to rise when Curt and Pete find that Emily's parents may not be interested in getting her back, and Pete's violent side rises to the surface. Meanwhile, Jess begins to get close to Emily and sees an unnerving peak behind the pretty little girl's eyes... For Emily, we find, is more than just a lonely little rich girl who likes comic books. She has a chilling talent.
The subject matter is pretty terrifying. Having the kind of power that Emily wields is scary enough, but the fact that Emily chooses to use her powers based on her own childlike grasp of right and wrong (where shades of grey are not acceptable) is the truly scary thought. Emily may seem calm and unperturbed by her situation, but she knows that her tantrums can be deadly. Equally, however, she is a child and naturally wins some of the readers' sympathy.
Kyle M. Scott paints a terrifying portrait of this little girl and also of the kidnappers themselves. They all have dark secrets and taking Emily has sealed their fates. Scott describes with fantastic gusto the gory and violent scenes the characters face, creating a clear disturbing image in the reader's mind and some scenes that didn't leave my thoughts for a few days.
A truly chilling ending leaves the reader with a sense of dread and a thirst to know more about the fate of this strange and powerful child.
Available now on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions
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