Storm Catchers

The kidnap shocks the whole family. Ella has been snatched away from the house in the middle of a storm. Her brother Fin will never forgive himself for leaving her on her own. And now Sam, their little brother, has gone wandering on the cliff to "catch the storm" as it blows out to sea.

As the kidnapper's plans unfold, all the members of the family are forced to confront their deepest, darkest secrets. Fin comes to realize that Ella is not the only victim and that the real villain may be closer to home than anyone thought.

A new storm is breaking on the horizon. And it's going to change everything....

Publishers Weekly

In the riveting opening scene of this novel set in a small seaside town, Ella Parnell is kidnapped, and a vicious ransom note is left for her family. Guilt weighs heavily on older brother Fin, who left Ella and their younger brother, Sam, alone in the house that night while he went to see a friend's new computer. Bowler's (River Boy) atmospheric tale unfolds slowly at first, but the narrative soon picks up the pace as the full impact of Ella's disappearance falls on the family. While Fin battles his remorse, Sam's conversations with his imaginary friend begin to take on a sinister bent. And it quickly becomes clear that the father knows more than he is letting on. Bowler's prose is alternately mystical and workmanlike; the story feels like a metaphysical allegory one moment, a straightforward thriller the next. Ultimately the two threads join: the plot enhanced by the otherworldly elements (the voice of a dead girl speaks to young Sam, a "magic pendulum" seems to point to Ella's location on a map) converges with supernatural elements made more real by the emotionally charged tale. Bowler lays bare the portrait of a family in crisis (even if the denouement seems rushed and somewhat sensationalistic). The imagery of abandoned lighthouses, darkened beaches and desperate midnight excursions make for a believable, frightening backdrop to an immersive read. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Tim Bowler was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, and lived for many years in a house overlooking the Thames Estuary, where his first novel, Midget, was set. Since leaving college, where he received an advanced degree in Swedish and Scandinavian studies, he has worked in a variety of fields including forestry and the timber trade and as a teacher of modern languages. He now works as a freelance writer and translator of Scandinavian languages and lives in Devon, England. His third novel, River Boy, won the Carnegie Medal in 1998.

Readers can visit Tim Bowler's Web site at www.timbowler.co.uk.