A snap decision has devastating consequences, in Belinda Bauer’s thrilling and brilliantly unconventional crime novel.
On a stifling summer’s day, 11-year-old Jack has been put in charge of his two sisters. They wait in the broken-down car for their mother to come back. But she doesn’t come back. She never comes back. Three years later, Jack is still in charge - of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they’re alone in the house. And then - quite suddenly - he’s in charge of finding out the truth about what happened to their mother.
Belinda Bauer
About the Author
Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in WalesAn acute, stylish, intelligent novel about how we survive trauma. Expertly paced, Snap offers a beautiful evocation of the lives of children, and how they perceive and manage tragedy
— The 2018 Booker Prize judges on Snap
Listen to an extract from Snap
On a stifling summer’s day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. Jack’s in charge, she’d said. I won’t be long. But she doesn’t come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever. Three years later, Jack is still in charge - of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they’re alone in the house, and - quite suddenly - of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother…
My books focus mostly on the victim of crime – their emotional journey is what I’m most interested in, and hopefully that is one that satisfies the character and the readers as well
— Belinda Bauer speaking to Wales Online in 2018
Belinda Bauer discusses Snap on the Metro Book Chat podcast
Belinda Bauer talks about Snap, her 2018 longlisted novel while discussing feminism in thrillers, deep dive research, and how screenwriting can shape our approach to narrative.
