Finding Sarah

Finding Sarah, Paul Walker, Michael Terence Publishing, 2018

This novel is about one man's attempt to fill in a large hole in his family history -- the sudden disappearance of his grandmother more than thirty years ago.

In 1980's England, Jack runs a home-based business selling software to catering companies. Things are not going well. He had to let go his sales manager, who then jumped to the competition. An important client did not renew their contract. A lucky bet on a horse race keeps the company afloat, for a while. A new sales manager was hired, who seemed to be the answer to Jack's prayers. That is, until large discrepancies were found in his resume.

What is worse is that Jack's behavior is getting increasingly erratic. With no warning, Jack suddenly gets angry, and lets loose with lots of profanity (even in front of friends). Jack pleads business stress, but his wife, Sarah, is sick of it. On the way to a patch-things-up vacation in the country (Sarah is an unwilling passenger in the car), Jack stops at a highway rest stop, and has a nap in the car. Sarah goes inside, and vanishes. When Jack goes in to get her, she is gone. The police are called.

Fast forward to the present. Jack is in a nursing home, suffering from advanced dementia. Matt, his grandson, is inspired to look into Sarah's disappearance. Slowly, he begins to put it all together. Focus shifts to an abandoned well at the cottage where Jack and Sarah were supposed to have their vacation. Are there human remains at the bottom of the well?

This is a very good story, but a very "quiet" story. There are no car chases, or hair-raising escapes from the bad guys (there are no bad guys). There is just lots of good writing, and an ending that will keep the reader guessing.