Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

18 years ago, Billy Peters aged eleven disappeared. No one knew what happened. The inhabitants of the small village of Shipcott had their suspicions. When Arnold Avery, a child sex offender, was arrested and later convicted of his murder, they knew.

Blacklands is a dark British crime novel, written by Belinda Bauer – Blacklands is her debut novel. Both suspenseful and psychological, Blacklands is an intelligent and mysterious novel; extremely fast paced and a delight to read, despite its often melancholic subject.

Available to buy from The Book Depository and Amazon.

The story follows a young lad of 12 named Steven Lamb who lives at home with his younger brother, arthritic grandmother and his erratic mother – they represent a dysfunctional family struggling to make ends meet. Life is hard and there’s never enough money to go around, more often than not they go without.

Blacklands follows two paths, destiny bringing both crashing down on each other following Lamb’s decision to contact Avery in prison. The young lad is desperate to find out where his uncle is buried and believes Avery will help him. The initial contact slowly but surely ignites the very urges that put Avery away for life. A game of cat and mouse ensues.

Lamb is desperate for knowledge hoping the end result gives his grandmother (Billy’s mother) closure. Avery believes, despite his incarceration, that he holds the power and when Lamb sends him a photograph of Dunkery Beacon, a small rise on the moors, his suspicions are confirmed. Avery is now in control of the game.

Arnold Avery is a paedophile. He is the lowest of the low. Paedophilia is a harrowing subject and one Belinda tackles with intelligence and sensitivity. Considering the lead character is just 12 years old getting the balance right in a book of this nature isn’t easy, she does however pull it off effortlessly.

The book, although a work of fiction, deals with the odd sensitive issue and when Bauer raised the ugly issue of bullying in and out of school, mainly by the teenage hoodies, I found it uncomfortable. Very well written, the narrative is powerful and descriptive. I couldn’t help but be transported to the schoolyard, as a helpless onlooker, I watched on unable to rescue Lamb from his nightmare, sodden sandwiches and bloody lip.

The characters are realistic. I felt for Lamb. Here’s a young lad who just wanted a normal home life but the lack of money and to a certain extent love from his mother he never had it. At the other end of the scale is Avery, the convicted paedophile – a dangerous, complex and intelligent character – two opposites are drawn together in this gripping tale of intrigue.

Blacklands is a powerful work of crime fiction set at an incredible pace. Recommended.

Published by Transworld, the book is available to buy from The Book Depository and Amazon.