bookchickdi: The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles

Thursday, September 6, 2018

The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles

The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles
Published by Hanover Square Press ISBN 9781335652928
Hardcover, $25.99, 272 pages

Stephen Giles' debut novel, The Boy at the Keyhole, begins with nine-year-old British Samuel, left in the care of the family housekeeper Ruth. Samuel's father died and left his wife, Samuel's mother, to deal with the mounting debt of the family factory business, as well as the family estate.

Samuel's mother has been gone 116 days so far. She sends Samuel postcards from her trip abroad to the United States, where she is trying to secure bank loans to keep the factory afloat. She left suddenly, in the middle of the night, without saying goodbye to Samuel. The only one who saw her leave was Ruth.

Ruth is a stern woman, and is not happy to be left caring for a young boy not her own. She has had to let most of the other staff go, as she is unable to pay them. She has taken to selling baked goods at the farmer's market to make enough money to feed herself and Samuel.

Samuel has many questions about his mother and her trip, questions that Ruth brushes off. When Samuel's schoolmate suggests that perhaps Ruth murdered Samuel's mother and buried her in the cellar, Samuel finds himself drawn into a web of wondering exactly what happened to his mother.

What kind of mother leaves her only child without saying goodbye? He adores his mother, and she adores him. His suspicions lead him to search the house for clues, angering Ruth. Why won't she let him talk to his Uncle Felix? Why is she lying to him and others?

The Boy at the Keyhole takes place almost exclusively at the estate, and as I was reading it, I could picture this as a stage play or movie. We see the story through Samuel's eyes, and as his paranoia and suspicions grow, so do ours. Did Ruth kill Samuel's mother and if so, why?

Giles tightens the screws slowly, and reveals things about Samuel's mother that a nine-year-old wouldn't understand. Ruth certainly seems to be hiding something, and the case that Samuel builds against her is convincing.

I read The Boy at the Keyhole in one sitting, as I couldn't stop reading until I knew what the heck happened to Samuel's mother. There are more than a few nailbiting scenes, and the ending is an unexpected jolt that sent me back to re-read it to make certain I knew what had happened.

If you are a fan of books like Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, The Boy at the Keyhole is the perfect read for you. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes a good, smartly-written two-character psychological drama.