The sun is shining, the sea is blue, the children have disappeared.Cousins Liv and Nora decide it would be fun to go on a vacation cruise together with their husbands and children. The families are enjoying their time together, and the children--two eleven-year-olds, an eight-year-old, and a six-year-old--are feeling confident and independent as they are allowed to attend Kids Club on the ship each day without their parents. A simple onshore outing to an unnamed Central American country turns it all upside down. A series of small events leads to chaos. One minute the children are there, the next they're not. As readers, we know where the kids are and what is happening to them, but the suspense still builds as the narrative switches between the adults and the children. It's interesting to see how the relationships disintegrate into blame and guilt and regret and how the children process their experiences. This is not your typical suspense novel. It is a complex portrait of an extended family in distress. Meloy is an expert navigator of the human heart. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Kelly Currie
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