Providence: A Novel

Providence is the third novel by American author, Caroline Kepnes. A mad ex-professor abducts a young teenager and keeps him in a coma for four years before releasing him. It sounds like a fantastic plot, but in Kepnes's hands, requires only a minimal suspension of disbelief to keep the reader avidly turning the pages.

Jon Bronson is abducted on his way to school by substitute teacher, Roger Blair. Chloe Sayers has been Jon's best (only) friend since they were eleven, but even she has no idea where he has gone. There are searches and vigils, and for some years, Chloe, a budding artist, updates his image, saves his favourite paper, remains faithful. Only close to graduation does she finally consent to start living again, to date a persistent Carrig Birkus.

Jon wakes, four years later, no longer a scrawny teen, but a man, musclebound, healthy and hale. Blair has left a letter: Jon knows only that he has a "power", but of what has been done to him, why, and what effect it will have, Jon is ignorant. His first encounter with Chloe tells him some of what he needs to know. They conduct a relationship of texts, calls and email. Then a classmate dies on Prom night, and Jon again disappears without a trace.

Years later, in New York, Chloe's art, inspired by Jon's eyes, propels her to fame. In Providence, Detective Charles DeBenedictus (Eggs) is intrigued by a string of young, fit people dying of cardiac-related causes. And Jon, under multiple aliases, searches for Blair, hoping to undo whatever awful thing has been wrought upon him.

Kepnes has a real talent for not just sketching characters, but portraying them in full, rich colour. These are characters that have appeal, for all their flaws and failings, and it's difficult not to care about their fates. Kepnes tells a great story, and there's a touch of Stephen King in there, so it's no wonder the master storyteller has described her work as "hypnotic and totally original": high praise indeed. Compelling and gripping, this is a brilliant read.