A Tap On The Window
"..Barclay back on form and I was totally hooked. Definitely a book that needs to be read."
Synopsis:
When Cal Weaver stops at red light on a rainy night while driving home, he ignores the bedraggled-looking teenaged girl trying to hitch a lift, even when she starts tapping on his window. It isn't until she says, 'Hey, aren't you Scott's dad?' that he realizes she is one of his son's classmates, he can't really ignore her. OK, so giving a ride to a teenage girl might not be the smartest move, but how much harm could it do? Over the next 24 hours Cal is about to find out. When the girl, Claire, asks to stop at a restroom on the way home, he's happy to oblige. But the girl who gets back in the car seems strangely nervous, and it's only when they get nearer their destination that Cal realizes she no longer has the nasty cut that he noticed on Claire's hand.
After he's finally let her out of the car he remains puzzled and intrigued. But it's only the next morning that he starts to really worry. That's when the police cruiser turns up at his door and asks him if he gave a lift to a girl the previous night. A girl who has now been found brutally murdered. If Cal is going to clear his name he's going to have to figure out what Claire was really up to and what part he played in her curious deception. But doing so will involve him in some of the small town of Griffon's most carefully kept secrets - and a conspiracy as bizarre as it is deadly.
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Review:
Despite having a title lacking any appeal, this book brings Barclay almost back to his top form. Cal Weaver is finding life hard after the death of his son. When a girl his son knew Scott, used to know asks for a lift one night it is only the start. Cal Weaver is depicted as a father struggling to cope with losing his only child. His emotions go from anger, denile and guilt as he tries to focus on finding the person he believes is responsible for selling his son the drugs that ultimately caused his death. Barclay really manages to capture the emotions that Cal Weaver is experiencing, giving him plenty of depth. Even with this emotional side to his story, Barclay does not lose sight of his goal or his impetus. Weaver is also looking into the murder of a young girl from the town and this in turn uncovers corruption and secrets from the past. The two plots running side by side work well together and are intertwined. Although the main part of the plot is revealed quite early on, there is still plenty of suspense with a deliciously unexpected twist at the end. This is definitely not a story with a happy ending and most of the events surrounding Cal could be seen as borderline depressing. However, this is a book that sees Barclay back on form and I was totally hooked. Definitely a book that needs to be read.