The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer is a wise and witty novel for readers of Sophie Green and Brooke Davis.
Beth’s daughter Cleo and Shirley’s son Daniel used to be married. Now Cleo is in gaol for supposedly contravening a family violence order, and Daniel has full-time care of their four-year-old daughter, Avery.
When Shirley suspects that Daniel is harming Avery, she enlists Beth to abduct their own granddaughter. They are joined on the run across country Victoria by Winnie, Shirley’s own 89-year-old tech-savvy mother, and Harthacnut, Beth’s miniature schnauzer. Shirley and Beth both love Avery… shame they can’t stand each other.
The abduction gives rise to crises both personal and social, as Shirley’s large and interfering family – including her toxic son – struggle to come to terms with her actions, amid a whirl of police investigation and media excitement. This heartfelt, wise, witty and wholly original novel explores the lengths we go to for those we love as well as the unintended damage folded into daily life.
The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer is a compelling read that is hard to pin down into one genre, as it is both entertaining whilst touching on serious themes. Two wise-cracking grandmothers – not to mention one unexpectedly funny and clever great-grandmother – makes this the perfect recipe for an entertaining read. It’s great to see older female protagonists absolutely lead this novel and shake it up.
It’s not just a fun-and-games chase across Victoria though. Shirley must come to terms with her suspicions that her own son has hurt her granddaughter. Evans sensitively touches on themes of child abuse and neglect, alongside the ways in which families deal with or even sideline such serious issues.
The novel jumps between many different perspectives, which all tie together eventually. We hear from the innocent voice of Avery herself, both the grandmothers and Avery’s mother, Cleo, who feels helpless locked behind bars. There are even brief interludes to the detective investigating the case of the missing child as well as the TV crew creating a media storm as the missing person’s case ramps up. Ultimately, Evans demonstrates through this entertaining read the lengths we go to protect our loved ones and the complex web of family relations that can become complicated at the same time.
The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer is a heartfelt and moving read, which will appeal to lovers of family dramas while also providing an equal dose of laughs and thought-provoking subject matter.
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