The book market is flooded with sad stories of kidnapped children, so what makes this one stand out? For a start, the mother is originally from Wellington. She moved to London with her husband, fell into bad company and returned to New Zealand.
Anyone old enough to remember the royal wedding in 1981, when the kidnapping occurred, will relate to references in this book: night clubs, drugs and Muldoon, among others.
Another key difference is this story's immediacy - the book has only just been completed because the last chapter's events have only just happened. Email correspondence played a large part in tracking down the stolen children, who are now grown adults.
The Hunt is the mother's story, an explanation of why she has not been a part of her children's lives, despite winning custody, and her hopes to build a relationship with them after so long.
Title: The Hunt
Authors: Ian Wishart and George London
Publisher: Howling At The Moon Publishing, $39.99
