Book Review by Robert Wiersema Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay Oakville, Ontario writer Linwood Barclay has long been one of Canada’s greatest – and least heralded – exports. The former newspaper journalist is the author of more than 20 thrillers for adults, along with two novels for children, over a nearly 20-year career. Many of his books, including No Time for Goodbye, have been international bestsellers, and his novel The Accident was adapted for television in France. Barclay himself wrote the screenplay for the 2017 film adaptation of his novel Never Saw It Coming. The reason for Barclay’s success is simple: he writes a damn fine thriller. His latest book, Take Your Breath Away, is no exception: it’s a knotty, complicated thriller rooted in well-drawn characters and their relationships, and the sort of darkness which most people – and their families – prefer to ignore or deny. Take Your Breath Away begins in the home of Andrew and Brie, a youngishmarried couple who, we learn later on, have had some rough patches in their relationship but seem to have worked their way through them. Andrew is off on a fishing weekend with his friend and business partner Greg, leaving Brie to deal with a somewhat strange, definitely creepy exterminator whom she has called to help her with a suspected mouse infestation. Within hours, Brie will be confronted by a stranger in the kitchen in the middle of the night. After this short introduction, the novel jumps ahead six years (the book is set in a post-pandemic 2022). Brie has beenmissing for those six years; Andrew quickly emerged as the primary suspect, with a dedicated police officer dogging him, despite the lack of any conclusive evidence. Andrew has, after a period of self-destruction, begun to rebuild his life – he sold the house he shared with Brie (the new owner has torn down the house and built a new modern dwelling), his business with Greg has fallen apart, he has taken on a new name and has a new partner, Jayne. Things are still a bit rocky, but getting better. One Saturday morning, though, a black Volvo pulls into the driveway of the property where Andrew and Brie once lived, and someone begins screaming, demanding to know “Where’s my house?” As the neighbour says, in a phone call to Andrew, “I think it was Brie.” The seeming reappearance of Andrew’s wife, after six agonizing years, is the starting point of a powerful thriller-mystery, grounded in several questions: could it possibly be Brie? If it is, where has she been? What happened to her, six years ago? And if it isn’t, who is this mystery woman? Are the police trying to trap Andrew? Is Andrew actually guilty and trying to throw the police off of his trail, so he can fully embrace his new life? Take Your Breath Away is a twisty tale that, despite its turns, never loses sight of the very realistic characters at its centre, from Andrew, Jayne and Greg, to the members of Brie’s family (including a sister who pursued Andrew’s guilt like a personal crusade), to the police officer who has spent six watchful years waiting for Andrew to mess up. And let’s not forget that creepy exterminator. Once again, Linwood Barclay has delivered a top-notch page-turner, the sort of book that will keep you up into the wee hours (or help you while away a long flight). CSANews | WINTER 2022 | 51
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzMzNzMx