Twenty-five years after Emily Blake's best friend Alice disappeared from her home across the street, another missing child case draws Emily back to her childhood neighborhood. Now a journalist for a tabloid rag, Emily is tasked with drawing parallels between the old case, and the new.

Back in Pear Tree Close and reunited with her estranged brother, it's obvious that Alice's disappearance affected not only her friends and family but the community as a whole. Emily soon discovers that things aren't always what they seem and as Emily's investigation progresses, it's clear that not everyone is happy about her being there.

It's not often I read a book in one or two sittings, but that's exactly what happened with Dan Scottow's debut novel, Damaged. He has created a fleshed-out cast of wounded and raw characters and supplies enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning. As the book progresses, so does the pace until you're finally provided one of the rawest conclusions I've ever read. Be warned though - some of the writing is descriptive and could be disturbing.

TL;DR: Kiwi's Quick Take

What I Loved: Flawed characters, plenty of misdirection and serious twists. You never quite know who to root for.

What I Didn't Love: I honestly can't think of a single thing right now, other than the aforementioned graphic nature of some of the scenes. Seriously - can't anyone just get hit once with the hammer?

Conclusion: Breakneck pacing and well-drawn characters make Damaged one of the best debut novels I've read in a very long time. I am very much looking forward to seeing more from Dan Scottow.