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A woman wakes up during the night and becomes aware of the presence of an intruder in her home. She initially tries to convince herself that it’s just her imagination, but then she sees the man who is tall and gives off a foul smell that triggers a memory of something unpleasant. As he moves around in her dark house, she realizes that she must make a quick decision – either pretend to be asleep, escape, or protect her children by hiding them. In a hushed tone, she urges her children to be quiet and warns them of the danger posed by the intruder.
Tracy Sierra’s Nightwatching (Viking) taps into primal fears and haunting dreams to craft a chilling and masterful thriller. It left me jolting awake at night with unsettling nightmares, and I find myself constantly revisiting the scenarios that Sierra puts her resilient and skilled protagonist through. From beginning to end, this novel grips you tightly, with an antagonist that will leave you trembling in your own bedroom. It’s hard to believe this is Sierra’s debut novel – I highly recommend it.
Reworded: Vanessa Walters’s debut thriller, The Lagos Wife (Hutchinson Heinemann), takes readers from the isolated, snowy home of Sierra to the bustling and hot city of Lagos. The story follows the disappearance of Nicole Oruwari, a Londoner who moved to Lagos with her Nigerian husband, Tonye, and their two sons in search of a lavish and glamorous lifestyle. When Nicole goes missing during a boat trip and the investigation seems to have reached a dead end, her estranged aunt Claudine flies from London to uncover the truth. The narrative alternates between Claudine’s present-day investigation and Nicole’s perspective as a “Nigerwife” leading up to her disappearance, revealing how her once luxurious life starts to lose its appeal as everything is done for her and her children. We also see the changes in Nicole and Tonye’s relationship, with his growing sense of entitlement becoming a towering pyramid hidden in the clouds since returning to Lagos. And through Nicole’s journey to find herself again, we learn what ultimately led to her disappearance. With rich layers and thought-provoking themes, this gripping read will keep you in suspense until its shocking ending.
In his first novel, Anna O (published by HarperCollins), Matthew Blake tells the story of Anna Ogilvy, who has been in a state of unconsciousness since she was discovered holding a knife next to the bodies of her two closest friends. After four years, she remains unresponsive – but now the Ministry of Justice needs her to awaken so she can stand trial for murder. They bring in sleep specialist Dr Benedict Prince, who becomes consumed with Anna’s case. As the plot unfolds, Blake reveals more about Anna’s past through entries from her personal notebook – detailing her lifelong struggle with sleep disorders and her fear of losing control during unconsciousness. She writes, “My body craves sleep. My mind fears it. Sleep is the witching hour. The benighted shadows. The realm of the id, the animal, the unconscious. My own mind scares me.” While the story may seem convoluted and unrealistic at times, it remains a gripping and inventive read.
The writing team of Nicci French, composed of husband and wife, is a must-read for anyone. Their latest work, Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? (Simon & Schuster), is considered one of their finest pieces. It is a compelling and moving story, with beautifully written prose, that delves into the impact of murder on real people. The novel begins with the disappearance of Charlotte Salter, a beloved wife and mother, in December 1990. She was warm and charming, well-liked by everyone she met. When she fails to show up for her husband Alec’s 50th birthday celebration, she is never seen again. This leaves her young adult children constantly waiting for her return, until this waiting becomes a part of who they are.
After about thirty years, the Salter siblings return to their village in Norfolk to relocate their brother Alec, who is suffering from dementia, to a care facility. However, their childhood companions, Morgan and Greg, are also present, creating a podcast about the disappearance of Charlotte. According to Morgan, they believe that the past has unfinished business and they aim to uncover it all. Along with the addition of a skilled detective named Maud from London, this makes for an incredibly captivating story.
Source: theguardian.com
