Seven Days

Written by Alex Lake

Narrated by Laura Kirman

An incredible psychological crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author

‘This is creepy storytelling of the highest order: spine-chilling and difficult to put down’ Daily Mail

A race against time to save her child…

In seven days, Maggie’s son, Max, turns three. But she’s not planning a party or buying presents or updating his baby book. She’s dreading it. Because in her world, third birthdays are the days on which the unthinkable happens… she loses her child.

For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Abducted aged fifteen, she gave birth to two sons before Max, and on their third birthdays her captor came and took them from her.

She cannot let it happen again. But she has no idea how to stop it. And the clock is ticking…

'Great hook, fast-paced, fully engrossing. Don't miss out – read it now!' Sam Carrington, author of The Missing Wife

‘A superb read for suspense fans, this taut thriller will have you racing for the finish’ Heat

‘A gripping page turner’ Closer

‘An expert at crafting chilling scenes that will instantly capture a reader’s imagination’ Woman & Home

‘Evocative writing and emotional rawness’ Woman’s Weekly

‘By far the best proof I’ve received this year’ Reviews by Chloe

‘OMG – WOW!!! I have no other words…go buy and read this book now, it is that AMAZING!’ Rachel’s Random Reads

‘WHAT. A. RIDE. The adrenaline raced through me as I read this jaw-dropping thriller’ Emma’s Biblio Treasures

‘I couldn’t put the story down’ Jaffa Reads Too

‘An addictive, tense and chilling read’ The Book Review Cafe

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9780008272401

Alex Lake

Alex Lake is a British novelist who was born in the North West of England. After Anna the author’s first novel written under this pseudonym, was a No.1 bestselling ebook sensation and a top ten Sunday Times bestseller. The author now lives in the North East of the US.

Reviews for Seven Days

[Austin Castiglione · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very exciting, couldn’t turn it off. Great ending. Must read

[paul mahon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I never write reviews. This was amazing. I loved every second. Other reviewers mention hopping forward and back. The book is all the better for that. Make a great movie

[Austell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Will recommend ? Good book. I loved it very much

[Jade · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Sounded promising. But the narration was so skippy and jumpy. I at first thought I was having a seizure

[Janet Silde · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the general story and Love the narrator. It jumped around too much though.

[Jodi Tomlinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Phenomenal. Loved this audio book. Very gripping right to the end.

[Anna Áts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just WOW!
Apart from crafting a highly exciting storyline, the author provided such great insight into the behavior of each character they felt like real people around me.
I also loved how every detail was very well thought through, there were no loose ends, questions marks or doubts remaining at the end.

[Christopher Brewster · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The audio version was terrific! The story was well paced and the character development was plotted really well.

[Thelma Obosi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amaaaazinggg

I really enjoyed this book?. The ending was also befitting

[Dani Q · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book but whenever the narrator acted other people's voices it was very annoying to hear

[Sally de Beer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best of all her books, gripping to the end!

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Seven days. Maggie has seven days to come up with a way to save her son, Max. And maybe herself. Over a decade ago, 15 year old Maggie, on the way to her cousin’s house, stopped to help a stranger with directions and that’s how it began. How she became a prisoner in the room. For years. The years passed by in the room underground. Then there was Seb. And then he was gone on his 3rd birthday. And then Leo, who disappeared the same way on his 3rd birthday. Max will be 3 in seven days. What can she do to stop the man from taking Max? In that locked underground room with four walls, a bed, a rain barrel tub and a few toys. Because if she can’t stop it, Max will be gone, like his brothers and she won’t see him again. And she can’t live through that again. She can live through losing another son.This is one highly enjoyable read. Sad at times. Sad for Maggie. And her boys. And the family she left behind. It’s frustrating at times and thought provoking. And a little part of you wants to cheat and flip to the end to see where it all goes. But it grabs you right from the beginning. And doesn’t let go. Much of the books is Maggie’s story for the seven days until Max’s third birthday intertwined with the past; the last 12 years for Maggie, her family, the police who investigated her disappearance. This is the 3rd of Alex Lake’s books that I have read and they were all delicious reads that kept me flipping quickly through those pages. This is a solid 5 star book for me and I can’t wait to devour another one of her books.

[jfe16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review of uncorrected proofSeven days from now, Max will turn three years old. Seven days from now, the man will snatch him away from his mother.Seven days from now, Maggie must have a plan If she is to save her son.Abducted at the age of fifteen, Maggie’s existed for the past twelve years in a small, windowless room. Repeatedly raped by her captor, she's given birth to three babies in those twelve years. And, after having her first two sons snatched away from her on their third birthdays, she knows the same fate awaits Max. She's desperate to find a way to save her son from what she believes will be certain death for the little boy, but she has nothing to use as a weapon. However, that doesn't matter because nothing can stop a tenacious mother determined to protect her child.The gut-wrenching narrative alternates between past and present, switching points of view between Maggie, her parents, her brother, and the adamant detective inspector searching for find her. Well-developed characters and a strong sense of place add to the intrigue.Readers will find themselves pulled in from the first page and, although there is a fair amount of repetition in the telling of the tale, it does nothing to stem the ever-building tension as the story unfolds. Reminiscent of “Room,” the abducted-girl-with-a-child story takes some surprising and unexpected turns. Short chapters amplify the suspense and the revelations concerning the impact of Maggie’s disappearance on her family strengthen the narrative. It’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s tense. It’s a story readers will find difficult to set aside. Highly recommended.

[nicx27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is absolutely fantastic, one of my books of the year for sure. It has everything going on in it and is so much more than I could ever have imagined.The present day narrative looks at Maggie, a woman in her late 20s waiting for her son, Max, to turn three. That will happen in seven days. Far from a normal situation, however, Maggie has been held captive for the last twelve years and she knows from bitter experience that when her children reach the age of three they will be taken from her. It's such an unusual and innovative story but, if I'm completely honest, before I started reading I wasn't entirely sure whether it would be for me. Wrong! It was absolutely for me and it was a book that had me gripped from beginning to end.Whilst following Maggie and Max as they hurtle towards that all important third birthday, we also see how she was taken in the first place and what has happened to her over the length of her captivity, along with seeing the effect of her loss on her parents and her younger brother. As you can imagine, it's shaped the whole of the rest of their lives.I was desperately hoping Maggie would find a way to foil her captor and save Max from whatever his fate might be. While I waited to see what would happen I could feel the mounting tension which built up into a heart-poundingly exciting conclusion. I also cried at the end and this book had a depth of emotion that I didn't expect.I had to break off half way through to read some other books I had committed to and I have to be honest and say I just wanted to get back to Seven Days. It thrilled me, it shocked me, it's full of tension and yet it's also so moving and so full of feeling. Ultimately it's about a mother's love and what she will do for her son. I thought it was brilliant, the writing perfectly pitched. Fabulous in every way!