The Lost Boy by Jane Renshaw is a solid psych thriller that is a mostly good read with some really good twists.
It is obvious right from the start that something is not right with Anna. Sure, she says it flat out at the end of the very first chapter.
But even in the introduction of her character, it was apparent that there is an oddness about her. That is good foreshadowing by the author because it is solid groundwork for the revelations that come later in the book.
I thought that Penny and Rod were a little more difficult to understand. Sometimes I got their dynamic, and then something would occur that made me question myself.
They also seemed very mismatched. Penny’s description brings to mind a high-maintenance socialite while Rod likes hiking and birding. Not to say that opposites can’t attract, but it was jarring to me at times.
The author excels in two places throughout the story: the description of obnoxious children and location/scenery.
Honestly, the two boys are so well written that one has to think that the author knows an annoying kid or two. And, knowing that these are fictional characters, I found myself rooting more for Anna than I probably should have.
As to scenery, it creates a brooding atmosphere that adds to the danger lurking on the island.
And about that island? I get why the author made it so remote, but it took a little bit of suspension of disbelief that Rod and Penny would accept a trip based on an invitation from a virtual stranger.
That being said, the book does pick up in the second half as the truth about Anna’s background and motivations come to light. And there are still a few twists at the end.
The Lost Boy is a different kind of island adventure. Jane Renshaw has created a moody psych thriller that will keep you turning pages.
Author Bio
As a child, Jane spent a lot of time in elaborate Lego worlds populated by tiny plastic animals
and people. Crime levels were high, especially after the Dragon brothers set themselves up as
vets and started murdering the animals in their ‘care’. (They got away with it by propping the
victims up with Plasticine and pretending they were still alive…). As an adult, she is still playing in imaginary worlds and putting her characters through hell – but now she can call it ‘writing’ and convince herself that she is doing something sensible. In real life, she has a PhD in genetics and copy-edits scientific and medical journals.
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