The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer is a gripping mystery crime thriller revolving around the disappearance of a young boy named Daniel. The story follows the distraught mother, Anna, who clings to the last sign of her son by preserving his footprints in wet cement. As the investigation unfolds, DCI Marvel, a maverick detective, becomes involved in the case, which leads to unexpected connections with other missing children and a psychic known as the shut eye. Bauer's writing style is praised for its unique storytelling approach, blending elements of suspense, dark humor, and misdirection to keep readers engaged until the surprising conclusion.

Characters:

The characters are complex, with Anna Buck portraying deep grief and instability, while DCI John Marvel exhibits a mix of egotism and determination, supported by other well-developed minor characters.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style blends cleverness with dark humor, effectively engaging readers through varied character perspectives and maintaining a thoughtful tone.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features intersecting stories of families dealing with the disappearance of children and the impact of grief, incorporating elements of the paranormal and multiple perspectives to build tension.

Setting:

The setting captures a small community grappling with the impact of child disappearances, enriched by elements of local culture and personal grief.

Pacing:

The pacing varies throughout the narrative, at times feeling disjointed due to multiple perspectives, but generally builds tension with unexpected developments.

It was eight thirty-seven, and he’d done the same thing less than a minute earlier. He had promised Debbie he would be home by nine. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but tonight it did, although he wasn’t...

Notes:

The Shut Eye features the paranormal elements of psychics and conversations with the dead.

The book is written from multiple perspectives, enhancing character development and plot complexity.

One main character, Anna Buck, is dealing with the grief of her missing son, Daniel, and exhibits behaviors driven by her sorrow.

Detective John Marvel is a complex character who is focused on winning and solving cases rather than altruism.

Anna and Marvel's stories intertwine, as Anna seeks help from a psychic named Richard Latham, who is seen as a potential fraud by Marvel.

Bauer's writing is praised for its cleverness, dark humor, and emotional depth.

The term 'shut eye' refers to someone who is believed to possess genuine psychic powers, not just a fraud.

The book explores themes of grief, guilt, and the impact of loss on family dynamics.

Critiques note that the plot may feel disjointed and that some characters are not fully developed according to cultural backgrounds.

The overall reception suggests that readers may either love or disagree with the portrayal of its themes and characters.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for The Shut Eye include themes of child disappearance, mental health struggles, and discussions surrounding grief and trauma.

From The Publisher:

Belinda Bauer is a phenomenal voice in British crime fiction whose work has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. The Shut Eye is a spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat thriller about a woman who gets involved with a psychic who may be able to find her missing son.

Five footprints are the only sign that four-year-old Daniel Buck was ever here. And now they are all his mother has left. Every day, Anna Buck guards the little prints in the cement. Polishing them to a shine. Keeping them safe. Spiraling towards insanity.

Anna is desperate for hope, which she's not getting from the police or her husband, James. So when a woman tells her she's found a true psychic, a "shut eye," Anna grasps at it. Maybe he can tell her what happened to her son. But when she meets the psychic, what she gets is not at all what she suspected.

Matching breathtaking suspense with a keen exploration of skepticism in the face of the unexplainable, The Shut Eye is a riveting read from one of our finest crime writers.

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About the Author:

Belinda Bauer is the award-winning author of eight novels that have been translated into twenty-one languages. She won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Crime Novel of the Year for Blacklands, the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for Rubbernecker, and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award for outstanding body of work. Her novel Snap was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. She lives in Wales.

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The Shut Eye

Belinda Bauer