The Accident - Linwood Barclay

I love Linwood Barclay novels so I was looking forward to this latest offering. I was not disappointed. Crime, intrigue, people who are not who they seem, desperate measures to try and beat the financial downturn, fake designer handbags, it has all this and more. Main character and narrator Glen has his own construction company, carrying on his late father's work. Times are hard for him as for everyone in the recession, with less and less new building work coming in. To make matters worse, one of his buildings was recently destroyed by fire, with the cause as yet unknown. His caring wife Sheila has been studying an evening class in order to help with Glen's financial paperwork for the company, but it seems that in common with some of the other wives in Milford, where they live, she also has some other ideas as to how they might come about a bit of extra money to help get them through. But it seems this could be a lot more dangerous than any of them suspected. The accident on which the novel turns occurs, and then Glen is thrust into a complicated web of lies, distrust, and criminal activity all the while trying to shield his young daughter Kelly from the danger around them. 

This is an exciting read, which builds up to a nervy and revelatory ending with those trademark Barclay twists to keep the story going right up until the very end and keep the reader nervous and intrigued, hanging on and turning the page. Once again we have a lead male character under immense pressure to quickly discover what is going on, trying to understand who he can trust and who has betrayed him amongst those around him, and numerous tense situations where time is short and people are in danger. With his books I always have to finish it within a couple of days of starting, I have to know what will happen and how it will end. Looking forward to the next one already!