The Box by Dan Malakin @ViperBooks @DanMalakin

Book Description:

To save your child you must open The Box…

Ed Truman’s family is falling apart. His daughter Ally is being targeted by an alt-right incel organisation, Men Together. His house is being picketed, former clients are accusing him of sexual assault, his son won’t speak to him. And then Ally disappears.

Frantic, Ed suspects that Men Together have abducted her. But before he can go to the police, his DNA is found on the body of a young woman. Suddenly he’s the subject of a nationwide manhunt, led by the tenacious DCI Jackie Rose. Ed finds himself on the run with Ally’s friend, Phoenix, who claims to know where Ally is. But what is the truth? Is Ed a violent sexual predator? Or is he the victim of a ruthless conspiracy? The answers are in The Box. But not everyone who goes in, comes out alive…

From the bestselling author of The Regret, this heart-pounding thriller is perfect for readers of Harlan Coben, Mark Billingham and M.W. Craven.

My Thoughts:

The opening to this story had me well and truly hooked! I was desperate to discover more about The Box!

Ed is very much the underdog. He is your average bloke, married with two children, living a normal life. He is pushed well and truly out of his comfort zone when his daughter disappears and he finds himself wanted by the police. I found it great reading seeing this relatively weak man growing mentally stronger in his fight for the truth and in keeping his family together.

Jackie is another great character who is flawed by a devastating event from her past. It has made her relentless and to always go with her gut instinct which in itself leads her into trouble with her boss and colleagues. I loved how gutsy she is and how the detective side of things within the story was every bit as fast paced and action packed.

The Box is one of those books that is crying out to be turned into a blockbuster film! The relatively short chapters had me racing through the book and there was never a lull as there was so much going on. The tension ramps up along with the pacing until the reader is hurtling along at full speed towards the end. My first and most certainly not my last book by the author. Dare you open The Box?

My thanks to Viper Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.