The Good Father

Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with successful, fulfilling lives. A son they adore, a house on the beach, and a safe, friendly, and honest community in a picture-postcard town on the Ayrshire coast.

Until one day, Bonnie the lab comes in from the beach alone. Their son Rory has just gone—the only trace left is a single black Adidas slider.

Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope (and no body), they can dig deep and try to carry on. Rather, it's a process of abrasion, a wearing away of that happiness and normality; a slow degradation, a gradual breakdown—until they'll never be the people they were before.

This sort of tragedy impacts a whole town. Does the community still feel the same after? What are folk saying about you? Who are your friends? Who can you trust?

When the worst thing has happened and you've lost everything, you either go under or you rebuild, start again. What could be worse than your child disappearing?

The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney explores these themes and more, touching on the resilience and heartache of those left behind.