A Stranger in the Family by Robert Barnard

In ten words or less: Abducted as a child, Kit Philipson meets his birth family.

Review: Kit Philipson, raised by loving parents in Scotland, discovers before his mother's death that he was abducted from his birth family when he was three years old. Frank and Isla Novello had been vacationing in Italy with their children when young Kit (then named Peter) was snatched. There were no ransom demands, no investigation by the British police, and little publicity. His reunion with his birth family is tepid, at best.

What really happened, he wonders, and starts his own investigation--interviewing old family friends, police, and reading the scant newspaper coverage of the event.

A departure from Barnard's usual witty murder mysteries.

Why bother? The definition of a page turner! Barnard bucks the trend of massive 400-500 page dictionary-size novels, and delivers a tale of suspense in 250 pages. Nothing is as it seems, and Barnard takes readers deftly through twists and turns to a satisfying conclusion.