The Clinic

An overly familiar premise helps sink this so-so suspense novel from British author Jester (This Is How You Die): small-time juvenile delinquents planning a robbery end up encountering more danger than they bargained for. Teenagers Darren and Malcolm have difficult home lives. Darren’s mother is a “drug addicted, malnourished alcoholic freak,” and Malcolm’s parents routinely beat each other up. Along with the affluent Eddie, who has evolved from a mischievous child into a criminal, the friends have become successful burglars. The trio set their sights on a more lucrative score than simple house break-ins after Eddie suggests a promising target—a rehab center for the rich and famous “out in the middle of nowhere.” The clinic is housed in an intimidating building that, from the outside, resembles a prison. Inside, the boys encounter murderous psychopaths running amok, and they must struggle desperately to survive. Since Jester’s leads are more types than fully realized characters, few readers will care what happens to them. (Feb.)