Seven Days by Alex Lake

Maggie has spent years locked in a room under her captor's garage. She's tried a few times to escape, without success. But now it's urgent. Now she mustn't fail. Because in seven days her son will turn three, and her captor will take him away from her. Just like her other two sons. She can't let it happen again...




What a terrifying, breathless read. Alex has written a wonderful book, not exactly a thriller as we know whodunnit from early on, but still thrilling as we wait to see if Maggie can find a way out of her inescapable death trap.

Alex tells the story from several points of view; Maggie, her parents and brother, the detective attached to her case and a couple of other one shot character. Notably, we never get anything from the kidnapper's point of view. All we know of his thoughts is what he tells Maggie over the years.

The jumping time periods did confuse me a little, although they're relatively linear. It's about the only way to tell this particular story, though. There are also a couple of places where we get flashbacks to something happening, and later see it while we're 'in' that time period, and they don't quite match up. It mostly happens to Maggie, though, and I think we can forgive her having slightly confused memories!

A great read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

A race against time to save her child…
In seven days, Maggie’s son, Max, turns three. But she’s not planning a party or buying presents or updating his baby book. She’s dreading it. Because in her world, third birthdays are the days on which the unthinkable happens… she loses her child.

For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen, she gave birth to two sons before Max, and on their third birthdays her captor came and took them from her.

She cannot let it happen again. But she has no idea how to stop it. And the clock is ticking…