What a ride this book took me on. We follow the titular character, through past and present, on a journey to find out what happened to her childhood boyfriend. He was abducted in front of her thirty years before, and never seen or heard from again. Laura, however, hangs on to a dim hope that she might find him, and at the very least be able to provide an answer to his family as to why this happened.

The hope is dangled in front of her by X, the kidnapper, who leaves her letters every year on her birthday. X offers to tell her where Bobby is, but for a price. Items that become increasingly more personal as the story goes on. Potentially the worst and scariest thing about X is that he's not a supernatural entity, or an unstoppable force. There are people in the world like this. The horror aspect in the story derives from the fact that, oh man, everything in here could happen, and it could happen to anyone.

This debut novella by Gemma Amor is well-plotted, well-paced, and just generally well conceived. I've already picked up her short story collection, Cruel Works of Nature, and I eagerly anticipate the other two releases Ms. Amor has on tap so she can hurt me again. Bonus points for doing her own incredible art for the front cover.