Like thousands of city residents, fortyish Zoe Walker commutes to work every day on the London Underground - contending with the noise, jostling, and strangers packed too close. One day, while perusing the 'London Gazette' on the train, Zoe is startled to see a picture of herself.
There, among ads for escort services and dating sites, is her photo - associated with an ad for 'FINDTHEONE.com.' When Zoe tries the ad's phone number and web address, the number doesn't work and the site requires an unknown password.
When she gets home, Zoe shares her discovery with her live-in boyfriend Simon and her children, 22-year-old Justin and 19-year-old Katie.
They're skeptical that the Gazette photo is actually Zoe, and downplay her concerns. Nevertheless, Zoe continues to check the ad regularly - noting that it features a different female's photo every day. Zoe soon realizes that the women in the photos seem to be the targets of crimes, such as stolen keys and a break-in.
Zoe brings this to the attention of Police Constable Kelly Swift, a disgraced/demoted detective who's now assigned to policing the Underground.
Kelly badly wants to redeem herself, and - and when one of the 'photo women' is murdered - manages to get herself seconded to the Murder Investigation Team (MIT). With Kelly's help the MIT discovers that one of the FINDTHEONE' women was raped, and others were crime victims as well.
As for Zoe, she notices that a well-dressed gent seems to be stalking her on the Underground. Moreover, when Zoe almost 'falls' onto the tracks, the man pulls her back.....and asks for a date. Zoe becomes increasingly paranoid, fearing that various commuters are ogling and chasing her.
On top of that, Zoe has personal concerns. Zoe's son Justin, a computer nerd who works in a coffee shop - tends to sponge off his mother;
Zoe's daughter Katie, an aspiring actress, is dating a handsome, older director who seems shady;
and Zoe's boyfriend Simon has been grouchy lately, and resentful of her ex-husband (Justin and Katie's dad).
Zoe's only moments of relaxation seem to be with her friend and neighbor Melissa, who's always good for a conversation and a cuppa.
Meanwhile, the MIT is making progress with their inquiries, and Kelly advises Zoe to be super careful....and to alter her travel habits. Interspersed with the actual events in the story are creepy observations from the 'perp', explaining the sinister behavior.
Events in the book escalate to a finale that reveals all, and there are some twists and surprises.
SPOILER ALERT
I think, in an effort to up the ante for readers who've come to anticipate 'big twists' at the end of thrillers, some authors go overboard.....and stretch credibility beyond the breaking point. For me, that's the case with this book. I didn't buy the epilogue.
END SPOILER ALERT
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. The premise of the story, that our 'personal information' is too public, is very relevant to modern times. And the main characters are fleshed out and interesting. On the downside, the middle of the story moves rather slowly, but this is a minor quibble.
The book is entertaining, and I'd recommend it to fans of thrillers.
Rating: 3 stars
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