Snatched
A baby is left in a lion cage at a circus, deserted at one day old; he was rescued and brought up by the circus owner, Mr Hubble, who names him Daniel. From this horrendous start to life the boy becomes an accomplished performer who has no knowledge of the woman who abandoned him or the reason why.
He loves his circus family and the freedom of the lifestyle but is troubled when he experiences a vision of what he presumes to be the future. A strange woman arrives and trouble soon follows her. The resulting kidnapping means Daniel finds himself lost in the streets and dark alleys of Victorian London, where he will be forced to stare the truth in the face.
This suspense-filled book keeps the reader turning pages to unravel the mystery of Daniel’s life and dreams. When a lady arrives mysteriously at the circus she affirms his vision, but she shares a secret with Mr Hubble. Tension builds as the story moves on, raising more unanswered questions as we are shown an insight of a life of a circus performer and the close-knit nomadic lifestyle he leads with the unorthodox and fascinating people who make up his extended family.
Superbly written, with memorable and likeable characters, it is set against contrasting backgrounds – the colour and freedom of the circus and the grime of Victorian London – and culminates in a surprising and satisfying ending, which I think will encourage readers to search out more of the author’s work. Excellent!
