Keep Her Close: A gripping suspenseful crime thriller

Right from the get go this book grabs a hold of you and does not let go! The reader is thrown in straight away with a heart-wrenching prologue, where Ally is introduced under the most horrific circumstances as a small child who has been abandoned in a deserted parking garage at a shopping mall, standing on a cardboard sign with the words "Free to a Good Home" scrawled across it. If that doesn't make you reach out for the tissues, I don't know what will! Married couple Dan and Holly come across Ally, and cannot believe that someone could abandon their child. The story then picks up fifteen years later where we learn that Dan and Holly, who had been unable to have children of their own, had adopted Alley a year after they found her. All appears to be happily ever after. Ally is a well adjusted happy young adult now in college and loving life. But then she receives a letter from a man who claims to be her birth father. Curiosity peaked and with a need to find out about her past, Ally wants to go and meet him much to Dan's horror. Something does not feel right to him about it. Then Ally goes missing.... This is fundamentally a story of a parents love for their child, and how they will do whatever it takes to protect them. I can only imagine how parents of an adopted child must feel when that child chooses to take the path of finding their birth parents. The fear that they must feel at the possibility of losing them would be unbearable. Add to that now Ally has gone missing, this is a level of emotion that Holly and Dan have never experienced. Will they be able to get through it? There are a range of colourful characters in the book, that are all well written and developed, but the one that stood out for me above anyone else was Dan. He is a bit of a loose cannon with some anger management issues, but if you were to ever find yourself missing, then he is the man that you would want to be out looking for you. His love for Ally and his determination, with a never give up attitude, that he showed in the search for his daughter, I found very touching. Erik does a great job in making the reader feel all of the emotions that Dan felt, I found myself feeling just as desperate as Dan in the search for Ally. I really loved his character. I also really enjoyed Erik's writing style. He really knows this genre well, and does a great job at keeping the reader enthralled with just the right amount of suspense and intensity to keep you hooked. This is a fast paced, actioned packed, psychological thriller that was so full of twists and turns, that I was dizzy from them all! A great read that will have you on the edge of your seat, with an ending that I did not see coming! If this is how you like your books, then this is definitely for you.

What a roller coaster ride! A non-stop read of thrills and excitement! Ally may be eighteen, sharing a flat with her friend and about to go to college, but her parents still worry about her. So when Ally acts on impulse and they can't contact her, it's fair to say that Dan and Holly panic and whilst her father is only concerned about their daughter, her mother has to worry about Dan's impulsive nature too. Where has Holly got to - and can they find her? This is a very easy read. The writing flows well; the story is interesting and attention-grabbing - the twists and turns make it impossible to work out where this one is going! There are some really clever characters woven into this story - along with the puzzle of finding Ally, there is plenty else to focus on. A great thriller, and one which has put this author firmly onto my radar. Not only will I look out for Erik Therme's future work, but I would urge anyone who enjoys an easy, readable thriller to do the same. Absolutely worth five shiny stars!

Wow, what a great first book to read by Erik Therme. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to pick up a book of his. This definitely was on my to be read list for way too long. I can’t wait to read another book by him. This book is about a young woman who is seeking out the truth about her past. Ally was found wandering around many years early and was adopted into a very loving home. Then one day she receives a letter about the family she never knew. Of course she wanted to know more but knowing more leads to trouble. Where do I start about this book. First, I want to say what a great, fast, easy read it was. There was never a dull moment in the book. Every chapter was exciting and filled with so many twists and turns leaving the reader wanting more and more. I could hardly put it down. It also helped that the characters all were so likable and meshed so well with the story line. I especially liked Ally innocence. She was way too trusting which lead her into a very dangerous situation. But by the end she started being tougher and that got her out of the mess that she had created. The story line was awesome too. Who doesn’t like a story about finding out where you came from no matter the cost. Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️