Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise not fully realized
Review: This novel has a very interesting structure in which two parallel plots are presented as a way of explaining the sudden absence of a young mother. Anna leaves on a short trip for Italy without telling her best friend and without giving a full explanation to the surrogate father of her child -- a gay man who is busy juggling the pieces of his own life in a way that is similar to Anna. The one difference is that Anna does not have a current love relationship, which according to one of the plot strands is the reason she went to Italy.
When she doesn't return as scheduled, Anna's best friend and the child's father end up caring for the kid and trying to decide what could have happened to Anna and at what point they should notify the authorities. Here the plot bogs down a bit, as the father, the friend, the child and the father's lover have a lot of interchange that is presumably supposed to be highly meaningful, but which I found a bit tiresome.
The portion of the book that moves along at a strong pace is the plot thread that posits a sinister reason for Anna's absence -- that she has been kidnapped by a serial killer who is searching for his great love. The suspense is very well developed in this section of the novel and comprises the primary reason that one would want to read this book.
Many people seem to enjoy Sarah Dunant more than I do. While I like her choice of story topics, I find that once I'm into her book she loses me along way. This is the second of her novels I've read (the other being The Birth of Venus) in which I find her attempts at meaningful dialogue do not, as I assume is intended, reveal the complexities of her characters. Rather, the dialogue seems to further obscure her characters' motivations and feelings, and I wonder if that may not be her intention after all.
In any case, Mapping the Edge is worth reading for its inventive structure, especially the artful way that Dunant creates interfaces between the two plot strands: both incorporate a souvenir horse sculpture that she is brining home to her daughter, for example. This will not be the best novel you'll read this year, but it is a cut above the usual fare.
Rating: 
Summary: Abduction or seduction?
Review: Very clever book about a woman missing in Italy, leaving behind her daughter and friends in England to worry and imagine where she is. Is she held up by her own doing, or has someone taken control of her? Be prepared for the dual storylines!Fantastic drama, this story had me guessing all the way down to the last paragraph. Looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
Rating:
Summary: A very clever thriller
Review: What an excellent mystery thriller this book is with over 400 pages of well constructed tension. Each chapter is a chronology of one of three parallel tales. One story thread is that of our heroine Anna in the present, one of her in the past and the third is the story of her friend Estella in the same "present" as Anna. Each chapter is headed with the appropriate time line and this is easily missed (well it was by me) as you begin the book but is an important link and guide for the reader. In her mid to late thirties probably, Anna heads off on holiday one day all on her own without telling anybody: not her daughter Lily, not her best friend Estella, nor her gay boyfriend Paul and Lily's proxy stepfather with whom she shares a house. She has done this on several occasions in the past and always returned after a few days without causing anyone any anxiety. However, as her absence on this occasion extends longer than usual her friends who are looking after her daughter become gradually more distraught with fear. Paul and Estella recognize that calling in the police would be the most sensible course of action but are reluctant to do so in the knowledge that this will devastate Lily. The story of Anna's past lets us know of her free spirit, her love of freedom, independence, travel and of her lovers and liaisons. It is her past which Paul and Anna know so well that initially makes them feel that while she may be "missing" she is probably quite safe. However, knowing also her proclivity for men with a dubious background their initial ease with the situation soon evaporates. The story of Anna's present is the one where the fear factor is introduced as she is either kidnapped or the subject of unwanted excess hospitality by an unknown gentleman. Either way "Deprivation of Liberty" would be the charge against her host or kidnapper, take your pick, in the western world. This is a very clever story and an excellent thriller which makes you want to keep reading long after you should put the lights out. The other vital ingredient of a good tale, sex, is also there in generous helpings. This not only adds spice and titillation to the story but puts Anna's life style and her life threatening situation into greater perspective.
Rating:
Summary: A Satisfying Psychological Thriller
Review: When Anna goes to Florence, it is to redefine the edge of her world and her identity. When she fails to return in a timely way, the de facto family she has built around her child and herself, made up of friends, loved ones and the loved ones of loved ones begin to form new structures, and the edges between and amongst them and Anna begin to shift. As two parallel stories of Anna's time in Florence unravel, the reader is drawn forward,first compelled and disturbed by the nefarious scenario of a sociopathic kidnapper who spots the holes in Anna's self and fills them with a seductive kindess and a potentially murderous obsession -- and secondly the reader is given solace by the more palatable notion that Anna is with a lover with whom she is at the edge of a relationship neither of them were prepared for, but one which could transform them. This parallel-universe unravelling while the family sits home awaiting a call or some news, decides whether the police should be called, and contemplates the future of Anna's daughter should the worst occur, would be enough to make this a read worth pursuing. The author, however, pushes the edge of the scenarios, and each trajectory takes such unexpected turns that as a reader you are forced to question the nature of relationships as they seem on the outside and as they ultimately reveal themselves. This psychologically rich thriller is not an "easy read," in that it is written with the flow of the story rather than strict chronology at its' center, and the pacing is erratic. I found these two qualities, however, to be part of the delight of disorientation that only an exceptional writer can craft. I learned from this book that thrillers can be written in a solid literary tradition and still net the satisfaction of a "buzz" of adrenaline. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Reveals the fine line between risk and safety
Review: While there IS unquestionably a mystery to be solved in this book, I'd hate to classify this one as simply a "mystery" novel. It is just as much a book about the way we all classify the borders of safety and risk in our lives, walking that fine line everyday - and how a sudden decision can change everything. Rich and rewarding to read, I felt like I'd been shown parts of myself as well as those of the characters in this book. I absolutely loved reading this one! Anna is a single mother, unquestionably devoted to her daughter, Lily, but also torn between the self-sacrifice required of parenthood and the equally strong need for adult pleasure, companionship, passion and love. A pivotal moment occurs when Anna takes off rather suddenly on a trip to Europe - leaving her young daughter in the hands of trusted friends, Paul and Estella. When Anna doesn't return as expected, both friends become worried and then, in turn, more concerned and suspicious. Where is Anna? Is she safe? And could she possibly be a willing part of her own disappearance? The book is written from several points of view - that of Paul and Estella and also that of Anna herself. As the days unfold, so do the events and the mystery deepens. Who is Anna meeting in Europe - and why? Who is the mysterious stranger Anna meets unexpectedly and what part will he play? While I was drawn into this novel, potential readers should know that it can be a bit confusing and tricky to follow at times, as there are several subplots and the action isn't always sequential, jumping from one plot to another in the same day. I understood that this was done to deepen the various mysteries which were unfolding but some readers might find it more than a bit irritating and hard to follow. The mystery and intrique kept me going, however, and made it more than worth the effort. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
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