Book reviews for - Three Weeks to Say Goodbye

This is the UK debut for CJ Box, already a best-selling novelist in the States. It's a pacy thriller based on a situation that any average person could reasonably face in their lifetime, and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm often wary when publishers market a book as 'unputdownable' or 'a non-stop thrill ride' - you know the kind of thing. But I can honestly say, I read it in two days, staying up till gone midnight to finish it because I was genuinely captivated - not just with the storyline, but with the writing style - really fresh and pacy.

The story is told in first-person by the main character Jack McGuane. After years of trying for a child, he and his wife Melissa finally adopt a baby girl, Angelina, only to find out nine months later the biological father - a disturbed 18 year-old boy - never signed away parental rights. Him and his father - a prominent federal judge - approach the couple and give them three weeks to turn over Angelina. It becomes immediately obvious that the boy, Garrett, has no real interest in the baby and that his hand is being forced by his father, the Judge. The McGuanes only have 21 days to find out why, and the story basically takes off like a rocket from that point as the father and son attempt to destroy Jack and Melissa's life, and in turn the McGuanes fight with everything they've got to discover the truth and keep their family together.

There are some brilliant characters (I particularly loved Cody - Jack's fiercely loyal best friend, a cop perfectly comfortable to work outside the law and with some great lines and nice dry humour). Garrett and his judge father are also suitably evil - threatening and repulsive in equal measure. And although some pretty outlandish things begin to happen, the spiral of intimidation, harassment and resulting events that unfold, I thought were totally believable under the circumstances. And you are definitely kept guessing as to the exact intentions of the judge and his son.

There is a real sense of place as the author describes the setting (mostly Denver, Colorado with brief trips to Montana) in excellent detail including the weather, the people, and the rocky mountain west lifestyle. The book also has a lot of dialogue, which again Box gets just right - you'll forget you're reading and just find yourself in the conversation.

I don't have a lot of crime fiction or thrillers on my shelf - it's not a genre I've particularly hankered after - but CJ Box could have well converted me. I hope he takes off over here as he has done in the States. He deserves to.