Mystery which fails to unravel
An author with no previous track record to speak of, he was given a helping hand by being placed on the Richard and Judy Book Club list but has easily out-stripped this summer's other picks by the TV couple.
That's largely been down to word of mouth by fans of Dan Brown, Harlen Coben or John Grisham looking for the next page-turning mystery to tackle.
And certainly Barclay's book is an easy train, plane or bus read. Skip a couple of pages or get interrupted and you really won't miss too much.
It also has an intriguing set-up.
Wayward teenager Cynthia comes home drunk one night after defying her parents and going out with her tearaway boyfriend. After a big fight, she goes to bed, falls in a drunken stupor and wakes up in the morning to find that her family has disappeared.
The first few chapters are the best, with Cynthia desperately seeking clues as to where here mum, dad and brother have gone and, if they are dead, why she was spared.
Twenty-five years later, she's none the wiser and, despite having a husband and daughter of her own, is still haunted by the past, which is starting to catch up with her.
America-born Canadian-based writer and academic Barclay's greatest asset is his pacing. He knows when to pick up and slacken the pace and how to end a chapter leaving you wanting to know what happens next.
But his grasp of characters is sketchy at best and, as the novel progresses, all the major players act in an increasingly unbelievable way – the worst of which is a gangland hood and convicted murderer who suddenly finds a soft side.
Barclay, like Dan Brown, also leaves us feeling dissatisfied. It's much easier to set up an intriguing mystery than it is to unravel one.
As Barclay finally unveils his hand the incredulity grows and you become increasingly frustrated by a book that has teased you along but which lets you down.
So, despite whizzing through it with hope, it ends up at the next car boot sale where you tell a prospective buyer, "it was good but ...".
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