Bobby Burke has a SafeKeeper, an I.D. bracelet with his father’s name on it. He believes that as long as he wears the bracelet, his M.I.A. father will come back from Viet Nam alive. But Bobby’s mother doesn’t believe, and against the wishes of Bobby’s grandfather, Judy Burke moves downstairs from Nick Madonna, the man she’s dating.

At home, Bobby is tormented by thoughts of his mother’s "infidelity." His grandfather is angry at his daughter-in-law too, believing that she’s a "tramp." Nick tries hard to win Bobby over, but it’s not working.

At school, Bobby is bullied by the playground monitor who demands a dime "toll" every time Bobby passes the playground.

But just behind the apartment is a storm drain big enough to walk into, where Bobby meets the real Tolltaker, a shadowy figure that lurks in the tunnels. It’s here that Bobby will face his greatest challenge, because the Tolltaker wants the I.D. bracelet. . .

James Sneddon’s first novel is an interesting blend of horror and human interest. Bobby’s grandfather, his mother, and Nick are complex, well-drawn characters. Though young Bobby doesn’t understand all of the very adult conflicts that drive the plot, the reader has a good sense of what’s going on from the well-crafted first-person narrative.

The horror scenes have an old-fashioned creepiness to them, but the author isn’t just trotting out a bogey-man. The ending in the tunnels is fresh and clever (there’s more than one kind of "tunnel rat"), combining various plot elements in a surprising and satisfying fashion.