They were almost twenty years old, barely out of their teenage years and looking forward to their youthful lives. They were on the precipice of a new year but also of a new life. Gabby, Fin, Shaun, Andre, Anna and Sasha were six friends celebrating Christmas at Gabby’s home in the absence of her parents. Even though they were not in the festive mood, they were looking forward to this little gathering as it would have been their last hurray before entering the big, wide world as adults. Gabby promises them an empty home to celebrate and enjoy till the morning. However, she is really not left home alone. She has her much younger sister Saffy with her who is Gabby’s responsibility to look after.
But Gabby is anxious and jittery was all evening. She was preoccupied with her own thoughts and was trying hard to distance herself from her then boyfriend. So, it’s not surprising that she was in no mood to babysit Saffy while the younger one kept crashing their party.
Cut to present day- almost twelve years have passed and these six friends are barely in touch with each other. We soon learn that they were scattered in the immediate aftermath of that unfortunate Christmas party because Saffy disappeared mysteriously in the middle of the night. She has not been found till date and Gabby has taken that to her heart blaming herself to be responsible for her sister’s unexplained disappearance.
Question is why Gabby is asking her long lost friends to gather once more for another Christmas party? It’s clear that they have not healed from the tragic incident of the Christmas party from twelve years ago. Albeit everyone has different approach to not dwelling on the past- few are indifferent, few are busy pretending of moving ahead in life while Sasha is struggling with her memories. Apparently, Sasha can’t remember much from that unfortunate night and that reality has haunted her ever since.
So, you can guess what happens when these former friends reunite in a secluded Scottish mansion. But it’s the author’s writing prowess which makes this short but eventful story worth reading. Absolutely recommended for a quick reading over a weekend. Go for it!!