A hard-pressed Englishwoman gets the worst possible news about her family--and then watches their situation get worse and worse. Things have been tough lately for Daniel Locke. His Devon supply firm, Locke-Povey Marine, has had to lay off far too many of its employees since Nick Povey, Daniel's old schoolmate and ex-partner, skimmed funds from it and then sold his 50% stake to a hated and much larger rival that will surely pull the plug. But that's no reason for Daniel to take his boat, Lazy Susan, out to sea and then, after sending a mayday signal, abandon it, leaving it to sink. Reeling from the news of her husband's presumed death, Lucy Locke, who owns the Drift Net, which doubles as a music venue and gallery for local artists, is stunned to learn that their children are also missing. Eighteen-year-old Billie has vanished from her college in Redlecker, and Daniel himself picked up 7-year-old Fin from his school with a cock-and-bull story about a forgotten dental appointment. As DI Abraham Rose, who's convinced that he's months away from dying of cancer, begins making inquiries among the tightknit maritime community of Skentel, Lucy hopes against hope that her husband and children are still alive. When searchers find Daniel, clad in an insulating wetsuit, near the spot from which he sent out his mayday signal, his return seems almost too good to be true. So why does he keep his distance from Lucy, simply raging, "This is a tragedy written entirely for your benefit," at someone who may or may not be her? Lloyd pulls out all the stops, then pulls out some more, sacrificing plausibility and logic to his heroine's steadily deepening emotional distress. An overwrought nightmare for readers who think too much is just enough. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Set on the Devon coast, this uneven thriller from British author Lloyd (The Memory Wood) starts more strongly than it finishes. Lucy Locke has managed to make her business, the Drift Net--a combination live-music venue, gallery space for local artists, and eatery--a mainstay in her community. She's also found a measure of domestic tranquility with her husband, Daniel; their 12-year-old son, Fin; and her 18-year-old daughter, Billie, from a prior marriage. Then Daniel's boat is found drifting at sea with no one on board. Lucy is unable to reach her spouse by phone, and her alarm increases when she stops by Fin's school, only to be told that Daniel had signed the boy out for a nonexistent dental appointment. The police and coast guard begin a massive search, leading to a grim discovery that shakes Lucy to her foundations and exposes a violent episode in her past that may connect with the current tragedy. There are multiple surprising twists en route to the truth about her family, but the ultimate reveal is a letdown and the climax is heavier on gore than suspense. Hopefully, Lloyd will return to form next time. (Mar.)