Books with title The Reservoir Tapes

As broadcast on BBC radio 4: the fifteen ‘prequel’ stories to the Costa Award-WinningReservoir 13.‘He leaves behind all other writers of his generation’ Sarah HallMidwinter in the early years of this century. A teenage girl on holiday has gone missing in the hills at the heart of England. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and a crowd of news reporters descends on their usually quiet home.But the aftershocks of Becky Shaw’s disappearance have origins long before then, and those in the village have losses, and secrets, and stories of their own…A woman remembers a son’s inexperience – and a father’s rage; a young wife pushes against the boundaries of her marriage, whilst an older one finds ways to ensure the survival of hers. A hunt for a birthday present takes an alarming turn, and a teenage game grows serious.Fresh hurts open old wounds, salvation comes from unexpected quarters and chance encounters release long-buried memories.First broadcast as a series of specially commissioned stories on BBC Radio 4, The Reservoir Tapes returns to the territory of the Booker-longlisted Reservoir 13, revealing the web of connections that bind us, and the many layers on which we all build our truths.

Seventeen-year-old Holly Halsey is looking forward to spending a week at her stepfather’s cabin with five of her best friends. She’s especially delighted that Zack, her crush, will be there. The cabin is located on the bank of Yale Reservoir in Washington State. The massive lake is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Unfortunately, the trip takes a turn for the worse, when her friend Daniel is frightened by a girl in the lake. Is she a … ghost? When Holly and Zack have an encounter with her, it’s clear—she’s a ghost. But what does she want from them? When Holly loses her cell phone in the reservoir, people on her call list begin receiving disturbing phone messages. Is the girl ghost responsible for those calls? And is she the missing sister of a boy who is currently staying in a nearby cabin?The kids pair off and set about solving the mystery of the ghost in the reservoir, and soon discover, there is much more to the story.

“A companion piece to his Man Booker-longlisted Reservoir 13, McGregor’s latest works perfectly well as a standalone, offering an alternately sweet and suspenseful depiction of a community as it reacts, person by person, to the disappearance of a teenage girl.” ―Entertainment WeeklyEach villager has a memory to share or a secret to conceal, a connection to Becky that they are trying to make or break. A young wife pushes against the boundaries of her marriage, and another seeks a means of surviving within hers. A group of teenagers dare one another to jump into a flooded quarry, the weakest swimmer still awaiting his turn. A laborer lies trapped under rocks and dry limestone dust as his fellow workers attempt a risky rescue. And meanwhile a fractured portrait of Becky emerges at the edges of our vision―a girl swimming, climbing, and smearing dirt onto a scared boy’s face, images to be cherished and challenged as the search for her goes on.