The Curfew by T. M. Logan

Andy Boyd wakes up in the middle of the night and just wants to satisfy himself that his teenage son, Connor, met his curfew. When he checks his son's room his mind is put at rest by the teenager sound asleep. The next morning everything is thrown into confusion when they discover the teenager trying to sneak out of the house is their nephew Zac and there's no sign of their son. Things then go from bad to worse when they discover that a group of teens, Zac and Connor included, went into the woods and one of the girls has disappeared. Suspicion falls on Connor.

This is a well-developed psychological thriller. The opening is slow and ominous, imparting a sense of dread. You are then immediately hit by a turn of events that has you questioning exactly what has happened.

You really get an understanding of the rising panic the parents feel as they try to understand what has happened and what lengths they will go to to protect their children. There is also the sense of frustration felt by the parents because their teenage son is secretive and refuses to explain what has happened. As parents Andy and Laura know their son is inherently good and honest, but they begin to have doubts.

As all evidence points towards Connor it is up to his father to investigate other possible options and get the police to realise that they are focusing on the wrong person.

The Curfew by T. M. Logan will be published in hardback, ebook and audio format on 17th March 2022. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.