Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten

Synopsis:
When her autistic son is accused of murder, a lawyer takes the law into her own hands, convinced of his innocence despite the rampant evidence against him.

Review:
I really don’t think that many parents of autistic children are going to be pleased with Saving Max, which preys on the common fear that autistic children are unmanageable and unable to love. Combine that with parental anxiety over watching your vulnerable little boy grow into a strong man, and you have the roots of the tension that fuels Saving Max, one that plants the seeds of wondering whether those innocent-looking stimming behaviors could turn violent.

That said, I did find the book to be a real page-turner in terms of plotting, even though I guessed the murderer and their motive about halfway through. That’s way early for me, because I’m usually in the dark until the last pages, so it must be really obvious. But even so I enjoyed seeing how all the story events played out and felt satisfied with the ending. What more can you ask for from a thriller, really?

Many thanks to Mira for the review copy.