Fancy Gap is the first of five novels in the “Gap” series written by C. David Gelly that will focus on the scenic vistas and mysterious turns of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. In this first novel, Gelly spins an adrenaline-pumping thriller following the mystery of a demented kidnapper after the thick fog on the Blue Ridge Parkway creates the perfect setting for abduction. After two children go missing following a car crash that distracts all of the county police, seasoned detectives, Quinn McSpain and Louisa Hawke, are called in to find the mad man before the children disappear into the foggy mountains forever. The sheriff’s department is at a loss and fears the worst, but worries that releasing the news of the abduction will tarnish the small-town appeal that Fancy Gap has created for itself, but with the help of the detectives, the police soon begin the hunt for the children quickly finding clues to just how disturbed their kidnapper is.
Gelly creates two storylines in the novel of love and terror as he focuses on the budding relationship of Quinn and Louisa while also providing quick updates of the kidnapper and his twisted thoughts. This juxtaposition of comfort and unease creates an interesting dynamic in the mind of the reader bringing conflicting feelings of happiness for an older coupling finding love after years of loneliness as well as complete disgust when the abductor suddenly appears and his stream of consciousness slowly reveals his plan for the two children.
Readers looking for an exciting thriller will be drawn to Fancy Gap, a novel that weaves a smart mystery into the allure of America’s mystifying Blue Ridge Mountains. The mystery of the kidnapping will be as much a reason to read this novel as the emerging relationship between the two main characters, a likable pair that deserve love.
Verdict: A fast-paced novel that evokes horror, excitement, and compassion through the combination of mystery and romance. Reviewed by Jessica Schwartz for IndieReader.