Burroughs was convicted five years ago of murdering his 3 year old son. He knows he did not kill his son, but feels he failed him as a father for letting anything happen to him and has therefore never put up much of a defense. He has even refused to see visitors in the entire time he’s been in prison so he is very surprised when his sister-in-law, whom he used to be very close to, suddenly shows up. She shows him a photograph she happened upon that clearly shows a boy in the background who looks just like his son, albeit older now. Things immediately change as Burroughs knows that if it ever gets out his son could be alive that could potentially put him in danger so he decides to break out of prison in order to find and protect him like he didn’t do last time. Can he manage to break out of prison? Even if he does get out is there any way he can remain free long enough to find out if his son truly is alive? If his son is alive then who did they find wearing his son’s pajamas that fateful night?
This is a very fast paced mystery story that takes off from page 1. Burroughs has been punishing himself for five years as he struggled in prison all the while knowing that most people believed he was capable of murdering his own son. There are a fair amount of things that definitely work in his favor, but that doesn’t diminish the engaging fugitive story. The other characters are compassionate and well developed, even if they are a bit too good to be true at times. The ending, which is so important in mystery books, is plausible and satisfying. Fans of Coben and mystery fans will enjoy this title for what it is, an interesting and quick mystery story for those looking to escape. Recommended especially for reluctant readers.
Young Adult Book Reviews 