‘An unsettling, haunting story…memorable, atmospheric and tense’ THE LADY
‘Well-written, well-crafted and constantly gripping’ DAILY MAIL
‘A disquieting and atmospheric psychological novel’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘A grippingly dark thriller…Great writing from a master storyteller’ RED MAGAZINE
Norman Stokoe has just been appointed Children’s Czar by the new government. He sells his flat and moves up north to take up the position. However before his first salary cheque has even hit his bank account, new priorities are set for the government department for which he works. The Children’s Czar network is put on hold but it is too late to reverse the decision to employ Norman. So he is given a P.A. and a spacious office in a new business park on the banks of the Tyne.
He settles down in his new leather chair behind his new desk, to wait for the green light to begin his mission. The green light never comes. What does happen is that two children go missing. As Children’s Czar, surely this case should fall within his remit, but Norman has built a career on doing nothing, on stamping pieces of paper with ‘send to the relevant department’. Now, faced with a campaigning journalist and a distraught mother, he is forced to become involved. The search will take him to dark places and will make him ask questions about the system he is supposed to uphold.
‘Well-written, well-crafted and constantly gripping’ DAILY MAIL
‘A disquieting and atmospheric psychological novel’ DAILY EXPRESS
‘A grippingly dark thriller…Great writing from a master storyteller’ RED MAGAZINE
Norman Stokoe has just been appointed Children’s Czar by the new government. He sells his flat and moves up north to take up the position. However before his first salary cheque has even hit his bank account, new priorities are set for the government department for which he works. The Children’s Czar network is put on hold but it is too late to reverse the decision to employ Norman. So he is given a P.A. and a spacious office in a new business park on the banks of the Tyne.
He settles down in his new leather chair behind his new desk, to wait for the green light to begin his mission. The green light never comes. What does happen is that two children go missing. As Children’s Czar, surely this case should fall within his remit, but Norman has built a career on doing nothing, on stamping pieces of paper with ‘send to the relevant department’. Now, faced with a campaigning journalist and a distraught mother, he is forced to become involved. The search will take him to dark places and will make him ask questions about the system he is supposed to uphold.
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Reviews
Tautly written, the tone acid and angry
A disquieting and atmospheric psychological novel
This is a terrific read in Mr Torday's simple and effective prose style, which should alert us all to what is happening in Britain
Torday's exploration of human anguish and pain, interspersed with the dark haunting rural environment, provides the template, while his biting social comment showcases a writer at the very top of his game
A well-crafted novel...there is momentum, and there is excitement
Torday has blended some excellent social satire and even a dollop of the supernatural...this is an excellent mash-up, well-written, well-crafted and constantly gripping
A great story, and very dark in places
A grippingly dark thriller...Great writing from a master storyteller
An unsettling, haunting story...Torday has created some strong characters in this memorable, atmospheric and tense novel...His prose is controlled, elegant and measured and his totally unexpected conclusion is very powerful
We move from comedy, through pain, to a greater mystery than the mystery with which, on the ordinary level of crime and detection, the author has gripped us