Clara, Bosie and Noel don't really like the idea of having to live with grandparents they've never met. But Dad is in the hospital, and Mom has to stay near him. The children have nowhere else to stay. To make matters even worse, Grandfather is almost always angry and Grandmother dresses as though she were still a young actress.

But when their half-cousin David appears, Clara, Noel and Bosie think life will improve. Even though they have never actually heard of David, he is young and seems like fun. Then they begin to notice that David is different - strange. One moment he's nice, and the next he's a bully. He says he is a genius but he acts like a child. And Grandfather and Grandmother seem to be afraid of him. Before long, the children realize they are trapped. David is keeping them all prisoners!

Overall, I think that I really enjoyed this book. For a children's book, it had just the right amount of mystery and menace, and was extremely well-written as well. It was perhaps wrapped up rather too simply for me, but it still kept me very much engaged and interested to find out what happened next. I give this book an A! and will continue looking for more books by Nina Bawden to read. ( )