I’ve been a regular reader of Linwood Barclay’s books for several years, generally awarding 4 or 5 stars, so I was pleased to get a copy of Take Your Breath Away from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  But then I looked at the last book of his I reviewed, which was a (rare) 2-star review…considering we were about 9 months into lockdown due to the pandemic, I thought possibly that had shifted my perception and I should give Mr. Barclay another chance…

In this one, Andrew Mason returned from a fishing trip to find that his wife, Brie, had vanished without a trace. As happens, lots of people figured Andy had gotten away with murder—it’s always the husband, right—but the police couldn’t make a case against him. Andy wallowed in his grief (? or whatever) and drank too much, was abandoned by all his friends except one, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in his hometown.

Then, six years later, after Andy had sold the house he shared with Brie . He moved away and settled down with a new partner, Jayne, and life seemed good. Then one day, a woman showed up at the old address where Andy and Brie lived, shouting “Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?” The woman quickly vanishes, but when the police are notified, the questions start again. and old questions—and dark suspicions—resurface. WTH? Is Brie alive? Andy needs to figure it out! I enjoyed this read, and will once again consider myself a fan of Linwood Barclay. Four stars.