The Gap is a psychological thriller and a lot like Knives Out without the comedy.
All the family have gathered at Harrington
House. A huge family and a huge house. One that seems to have been added onto
and taken from indiscriminately with arbitrary passages and rooms that make no
sense.
Olivia Harrington is turning 100 years old
and the family is at her house for the funeral of her daughter-in-law, Hannah.
They also hope that Olivia will divulge the terms of her will, but Olivia has a
secret she wants to spring on them.
However, as with all family gatherings and
one with such a large number, other secrets are bound to be revealed. Why would
Cyrus not allow Hannah to dig up their fish pond? Is Avery right to blame her
father Spencer for killing the boy on his bicycle when a photo might prove it
was not him? Did Alex kill Hannah? What happened to the ring on Hannah’s finger
that was there at the beginning of the viewing? Who is the mysterious stranger
connected to the items in the attic who arrives with a loaded gun?
When a storm hits and the power goes out,
the tension comes to a head. And when a deliberately set fire breaks out, it
could mean that not everyone makes it out of the house alive…
The novel is quite long and does seem slow
in places, but considering the list of characters and the stories that must be
covered for each, it does make sense. Usually I’d want things to come together
a bit quicker but in this case I actually enjoyed coming back each time to read
some more. It felt like it added to the slow simmer under the surface where you
knew it was all going to explode. The author takes you on a journey of personalities
and you can feel the greed, the hatred, the angst, the surprise, and the forgiveness.
There are so many little things that join together and it’s like an avalanche
once the thread is pulled.
I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the
writer’s style, as it was just what the story needed. Once I’d finished the
book, I felt glad to get away from that family!
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