"KEEP QUIET," by Lisa Scottoline, St. Martin's Press, $27.99, 338 pages (f)
"Keep Quiet" by Lisa Scottoline is a haunting book about the relationship between a father and his son.
This gripping story begins by introducing Jake Buckman and his 16-year-old son, Ryan. Like many parents of teenage children, Jake does not know how to relate to his son. Their relationship is strained and unremarkable.
On the way home from picking up Ryan from a movie, Jake becomes eager to have a father-son bonding moment. In order to do this, he allows his son to drive his car on a deserted road. Soon enough, tragedy strikes, and Jake makes a rash decision that will affect his family's future.
"Keep Quiet" dives right into the bulk of the plot. There is very little preparation for the reader, which makes it a page-turner.
Fans of Scottoline will appreciate her ability to write in a variety of genres. "Keep Quiet" has drama, mystery, suspense and emotion.
In the middle of the novel, the plot gets a little unrealistic. Despite the fanciful turn of events, Scottoline is still able to engage her readers.
The best part of the book is the ending and the way justice is served. Though it is somewhat predictable, it is still satisfying.
The overall message of the book is poignant and powerful. Scottoline explores what it means to be a parent and how far people should go to protect the ones they love.
There isn't any swearing but there is a scene that describes a husband and wife having sex. There are also multiple references to underage drug use and the death of a young girl, but not in detail.
Scottoline's books have been on New York Times best-sellers lists. She most recently published the books "Don't Go" and "Accused."