Published By: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 288
Released On: 20/06/2024
TWO WEEKS AGO
I woke up in a hotel room next to a dead man, with no memory of the night before. Panicked, I cleared up any trace that I was there and fled.
ONE WEEK AGO
I was offered the perfect escape: the chance to housesit a gorgeous villa in a remote corner of Italy. Desperate to get away, I jumped at the chance.
NOW
The owners have unexpectedly shown up at the house. The only problem? They’re the family of the man I woke up next to, two weeks ago.
ONE OF THEM KNOWS MY SECRET.
AND THEY’VE COME TO FIND ME.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I loved loved loved Mira’s previous book, Her, and was so excited to read her follow-up. One thing is for sure, she doesn’t have to worry about whether this will live up to the first book as it’s as good and as intriguing.
There are several characters, our main being Aahnaya, the woman who wakes up next to a dead man. Then we have his family, his mother and his siblings and in-laws, as well as the mysterious Marina. So there’s not too many characters to keep hold of.
It’s mainly from Aahnaya’s point of view, from the time of the event and the weeks after when she’s house sitting. This is handled very well and it flits back and forth very smoothly. We also get the viewpoint of Carole, his mother, who gives us a completely different perspective of the goings-ons. There is also a few chapters from the viewpoint of this Marina (I won’t go into who that is), who is a great contrast to everyone else. So that’s three viewpoints in total and that’s a good amount. There’s not so many that you get confused, but it’s enough for us to get our teeth into.
There was a substory regarding Marina which I wasn’t as keen on, but it did help give an extra layer to the character.
It is mostly set in the now, in the ‘after’ of the event, but there are flashbacks from before the event, just before the event, the moment of, and just after, and it all works seamlessly.
I thought it was an interesting look at the differences between the haves and the have-nots, whether money is the most important thing, or whether family is, whether money can buy you anything, and when it becomes a curse, the differences between the bosses and the staff, those seemed to be lesser than others.
It’s a relatively short book, at less than 300 pages. This helps with the thrill of it. It’s not a very fast book, nor is it too slow; a lot is character creation, setting creation, building upon what’s happened, getting under the skin of everyone an beneath the layers of the story, rather than action, which leaves you on edge and eager to find out what happens but desperate not to finish it too soon.
I will contradict what I said above slightly in that it is slow to begin with, but in a good way. It gives you time to get t know everyone and settle in, and then the last…quarter I’d say is very full-on. Again, not of action, but of dialogue, of conversation, of memories. It’s a fascinating way of reaching the conclusion in a natural but explosive way.
For a book that is mostly set in just one house, this had the potential to be a bit insular and repetitive, but if anything, it adds to the claustrophobia of the situation, meaning you have no choice but to focus on the people and what they’re saying and what they’re doing, rather than being distracted by everything else going on.
It’s riveting and addictive and all consuming, full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks (some that was more guessable than others, but that didn’t impact the effectiveness of them). She’s created a group of fantastically written characters, if not all likeable. It’s full of truths and lies, secrets and promises kept and broken.
Did I prefer Her over this one? Ever so slightly, a smidgen, barely noticeable. I can’t tell you exactly why, it’s just a feeling. But this is no less fabulous and has definitely cemented Mira as a very talented thriller writer. She has no worries about the second novel curse, and I’m definitely excited about what else she produces.
Books By Your Bedside 