Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd

Ordinary Thunderstorms

William Boyd

The anonymity and vastness of London is the powerful setting for this novel. Although a thriller, it conveys the utter hopelessness of life on the streets for the thousands. The story introduces us to a feral existence and Adam's ability to survive and remain hidden from a ruthless killer is ingenious. A well-written and fast paced story that will grip you until the final page.

Extract
But there was something about London that he needed, he realised, something basic and fundamental: he needed its size, its great sprawling scale, its millions of denizens, the utter and protective anonymity it provided. He thought about the 600 people a week that went missing in this country, the boys and girls, the men and women who walked out of their front doors, closing them behind them, knowing they would never return, or who climbed out of back windows and ran off into the night to join that vast population of living ghosts that were The Missing.
Parallels
  • Sweetwater : A DI Christy Kennedy Mystery by Paul Charles
  • Lost From View : Missing Persons in the UK by Nina Biehal