Nathan Oates

Gil's life has been idyllic for more than a decade after making the move from New York City to the countryside of Vermont and becoming an English professor at a local college. He now lives a peaceful life with his wife and two daughters...until his nephew comes to stay. I will give Nathan Oates credit...He without out a doubt has won the "creep award" for creating the most despicable, unlikeable, character I believe I have ever met in the nephew, Matthew. Gil's estranged sister and her husband who have been killed in an auto accident have, much to Gil's surprise, left guardianship of their teenage son Matthew to him, even though Mathew was the culprit behind the falling out between Gil and his sister seven years before. But now Matthew seems to be changed, showing little of the sinister boy he previously was. He is seemingly now charming, capable of lulling those around him into a false sense of security. Gil, however, still harbors some guilt as well as anger toward the boy, not forgetting the day in which he put his daughter's life in danger. Gil hopes he's wrong, but he starts to suspect ulterior motives, especially after Matthew enrolls in one of his creative writing classes. The stories Matthew is turning in are disturbing stories with details that are too close to reality for comfort. When it seems that events may progress further, Gil feels he must take matters into his own hands in order to protect himself and his family and expose the truth that he's always suspected about his nephew. The story is an excellently crafted mind-bending puzzle, that leads readers down a rabbit hole of paranoia surrounding Gil and Matthew.… (mehr)

Gil Duggan and his wife, Molly, have two daughters, Ingrid and Chloe. They led an uneventful life in Vermont where he is a college creative writing professor and she is an artist. The story opens with the tragic news of the deaths of his only sister and her husband in a car accident. The Duggans have been appointed as the guardians of their only child, 17-year old Matthew. Matthew's parents were extremely wealthy, leaving Matthew as the sole beneficiary of a massive trust. Matthew's lavish lifestyle in New York City was very far removed from the Duggans' simple life.

The Duggans are wary of Matthew due to an incident with their daughter, Ingrid, which traumatized her and her parents. Gil is especially cautious about Matthew's intentions. Throughout the novel Gil's suspicions of Matthew's current and past intentions continue to grow.

The tension in this well-written debut novel grows as we wonder if Gil is paranoid or if Matthew is psychopathic. Highly recommended for readers who like suspense.… (mehr)