Fourteen-year-old Tyler Lattimore knows all about secrets. Oh yes he does. That's because late at night, when the stars glow and the trees rustle in the wind, he takes photographs of unsuspecting neighbors. Pictures that never lie.
Tyler lives in virtual isolation with his mother, Eve, and sister, Melissa, in a seemingly quiet suburb of Columbus, Ohio. His father, David, commutes to his law firm in Washington, D.C. rushing home on weekends, hoping to retain a life of normalcy. A typical family, struggling with the everyday challenges of raising teenagers, paying bills, and carving out precious time with one another. Except their family is far from typical. As a child, Tyler was diagnosed with XP, an extremely rare medical condition that does not allow him to be in sunlight. Even the slightest ray can be lethal. So Eve vows to protect her son at all costs, creating a most unusual life for them all; an upside-down, inside-out existence where darkness is their best friend. The love she feels for Tyler alienates her troubled daughter and begins to tear apart her once idyllic marriage. But she cannot stop her obsession to protect her son.
One fateful night, Amy, the precocious eleven-year-old daughter of Eve's best friend, Charlotte, disappears.
Fear and uncertainty fill the entire cul-de-sac. Could a deranged stranger be in their midst? Tyler knows Amy well. Even though she can be a pest at times, he treasures her friendship. As the police search for clues, Tyler's nighttime escapades with his new camera reveal more than anyone could ever know. Suspense builds as the senseless tragedy points to suspects close to home. Secrets are hard to keep.
What a page-turner Carla Buckley has written. She takes you on a winding, zigzag road trip with surprising twists at the journey's end. At the heart of it all is a mother's love for her adolescent son; a mother who is willing to risk everything in order to protect a young man who dreams of a life he can never have. It is a story of hope and forgiveness. Thought-provoking and sensitive, I imagine each reader may come away with quite different feelings as the story ends.
On a side note, the author graduated from Oberlin College outside of Cleveland. For those of you living in and around Columbus, it is interesting to read about the references to the capital city.
Enjoy all this new February release has to offer.....
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