Take Me In

By Sabine Durrant Mulholland Books, 352pp, £12.99

We first meet Tessa, Marcus and their young son Josh on a Greek island holiday which, due to the tense state of their marriage, is not very comfortable for anyone. An accident sees Josh rescued by a stranger called Dave and an uneasy kind of friendship develops between the trio of adults. Back home in London, things start going awry for Marcus’ company and Tessa is entangled in a messy affair. And then Dave re-enters their lives, making them increasingly uneasy: who exactly is he anyway and what is he up to, if anything? Durrant switches cleverly between Marcus and Tessa’s perspectives, writing alternative chapters from their respective points of view. It’s a technique that works well and helps make this a complex examination of our inner insecurities and assumptions. Take Me In takes quite a while to get going but stick with it, because when it hits its stride, the story is gripping.■