A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates

​I’ve been trying to be very selective about thrillers. And it’s paying off. With books like these.
I mean, yes, the evil child thing has been done and done, but this is such a good revisiting of a concept. Such a literary one too. I mean it. Really first class writing. Riveting.
Gil, our protagonist, is a middle-aged professor, living Vermont and loving it The city life was never for him. Not in the way it was for his sister who married into money and had it all. Loads of money, a 16.5 million dollar penthouse and the evil child, whom Gil ends up inheriting when a car crash orphans the kid.
Gil and his sister have been estranged for years, ever since her evil kid nearly killed Gil’s daughter. So understandably, Gil, his wife, and two daughters are reluctant to take the kid in now. But not only is he family, not only is Gil technically his godfather, but the kid is also worth a ton; his monthly allowance alone is 10K. This, Gil, reluctantly figured, will help them get out of debt, maybe put some money aside for college funds. Plus, the kid is already seventeen. Practically, an adult. In eight months, he’ll be off to college and that’ll be that.
Sound logic, right?
Interestingly enough, the kid, well the young man, really, when he arrives is nothing as expected. In fact, he is nice, polite, charming. Very smart. Very personable.
But while others may begin to relax around him, tentatively toeing the forgive-and-forget waters, Gil is as vigilant as ever. Gil believes the kid to be evil and will stop at nothing to prove it to the rest of the world. Gil would die trying to prove it.
And so, the games begin. Taut phycological games. And it’s oodles of fun.
Yes, it’s kind of one-note in a sense that you see where it’s going and then it goes exactly there. Yes, there isn’t a twist one might expect in the end. But still, oodles of fun.
So yeah, evil kids. Nature or nurture? Or is it just a flaw in the design? Either way, the concept entertains. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.