Book Review: Crying Wolf

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Crying Wolf     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Peter Abrahams
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller   Psychological Suspense
Ballantine, Mar 2000, $25.00, 336 pp.

Nat is the all-American teen who believes in apple pie and the flag. As the number one student in the graduating class of Clear Creek High School and partly due to his community service, Nat gains a scholarship to Inverness, the best smaller college in the country. Nat quickly acclimates to his new college environment, making friends with Izzie and Grace Zorn when he rescues their pet fish. Nat is stunned when he learns that their father is a billionaire with the power to shake empires.

The trio stumbles across a secret set of catacombs that run beneath the college. They choose a particular section of the catacombs as their special hideout. However, their academic bliss ends when Nat is forced to return home because his mother lost her job. His two buddies develop a plan to help Nat's family with their financial woes so he can remain in school with them. However, their innocent plan spins out of control threatening to destroy all three of them and their loved ones.

Peter Abrahams redefines the suspense genre with this chilling tale of impending and unstoppable doom. A master of characterization, Mr. Abrahams creates a slow building, mindbending atmosphere that becomes a primal element unto itself. This adult rendition of "The Little boy Who Cried Wolf" is a literary novel whose wide appeal will enchant those who read it.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner