The Shut Eye

Starred review from November 9, 2015
Det. Chief Insp. John Marvel, the misanthropic policeman in this intricate, surprise-filled crime novel from British author Bauer (Blacklands), can “see the bad in anyone.” Marvel is still obsessed by his failure to solve the case of Edie Evans, a preteen who vanished on her way to school a year earlier. The inspector is drawn into another mystery when he crosses paths with Anna Buck, whose four-year-old son, Daniel, disappeared right in front of their home after her husband negligently left the front door open. The last tangible evidence of her child is footprints Daniel left in a newly laid patch of cement, which she dutifully cleans every day. Anna’s despair leads her to a psychic, who happens to have been the same person Marvel turned to at one point in the Evans case. The solution is fairly clued, but it’s Bauer’s talent at making the characters’ emotional lives (especially Anna’s) palpable that makes this a standout. Agent: Jane Gregory, Gregory & Company (U.K.).

January 1, 2016

In CWA (Crime Writers' Association) Dagger Award-winning Bauer's sixth novel (after The Facts of Life and Death), the disappearance of ten-year-old Edie Evans haunts the perpetually angry DCI John Marvel. When Anna Buck, the mother of another missing boy, comes to him with a vision that may shed light on the Evans case, Marvel pursues the leads to the detriment of his career. At the same time, Anna wonders why Richard Latham, the medium and the "shut eye" of the title, will not help her. Is her eccentric behavior evidence of psychic powers or escalating madness? This fast-paced suspense thriller touches on alcohol abuse, immigration issues, and the validity of using psychics in police work, as Marvel offends and insults his way toward solving both cases. VERDICT While the characters in this story aren't always likable, Bauer skillfully draws their humanity, warts and all, to evoke a sympathetic reaction. Clues keep the reader on the trail, and the hint of the supernatural adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. Fans of Tana French or Ruth Rendell will appreciate.--Terry Lucas, Shelter Island P.L., NY

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Bauer writes intense psychological thrillers that move on the backs of her fascinating characters, and her latest is no exception. Latham is the shut eye, a psychic who is summoned in desperation to aid in the case of a missing 12-year-old girl. Detective Chief Inspector Marvel, a cold, single-minded investigator, insists on keeping the girl's year-old case open, even though he also has a murder to work onexcept his superior would rather Marvel find a missing dog. Meanwhile, another child is missing: four-year-old Daniel wandered off and the only evidence is a set of Daniel's footprints through wet concrete that gradually disappear. His distraught mother, Anna, starts getting visions, which could connect all these cases. Bauer is a strong voice in crime fiction who has won awards in the UK; this could be the book to find her a wider audience in the U.S.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)