Book Review: Red Leaves

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

Red Leaves     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon UK HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Thomas H. Cook
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Fiction   Thriller   Psychological Suspense   Kidnapping
Harcourt Books, 2005, 289 pps.

Red Leaves is a book that I loved as well as hated. Eric Moore tells the story of his almost perfect life in a small quiet town. Eric lives with his wife Meredith who teaches at the local college and Eric is very much in love with her. Eric’s son Keith is the only child and although he is a strange sort of withdrawn boy Eric feels that he will outgrow the awkwardness as time goes on. Warren is Eric’s brother who is a sometimes house painter and sometimes drunk but Eric loves his brother.

Eric’s father lives in the same town but is in a nursing facility. Eric’s father at one time was very rich but managed to lose all of his money and wound up bankrupt and bitter. His mother was killed in an auto accident and his sister Jenny died at a very young age.

One evening Eric’s neighbor calls to ask Keith to baby sit Amy Giordano their eight year old daughter. Nothing will ever be the same after that night.

Amy disappears and Keith is the first to be suspected. Eric goes through many mental changes during the time the police are investigating this disappearance. He begins to be suspicious of everything and distrustful of most everyone. Is he seeing the truth or is this all in his imagination?

Red Leaves is a book that is well-written and reflects the way the human mind under stress can misinterpret actions of their friends, neighbors and family and even go so far as to destroy those they love.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM