"Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body."  


I read Otessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation and it just wasn't for me.  It was a good story and I can see why someone would have liked it.  So for those who are expecting a book like that one, Death in Her Hands is not it.   This book was written in SUCH a different voice - first person narrative, stream of consciousness.  But that is what hooked me.  

I've heard first person is the easiest form of writing, but it takes a talent for a WHOLE BOOK to be written in that style.  There is hardly any dialogue.  That lent the book a very haunting atmosphere, as the reader only knows what the main character tells us.

Vera is an older woman who lives alone in a cottage in the woods and who finds a note that reads, "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body."  But there is no body.  Little by little, Vera becomes obsessed with finding out more Magda and her killers and begins seeing connections in her own life to the murder.  

This is one of my new favorite novels.  If you like this book, I HIGHLY recommend Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of Your Dead by Olga Tokarczuk.

Comments

  1. Spare Parts and PicsSeptember 7, 2023 at 1:11 PM

    Sounds interesting. I like the cover artwork. Like a reflection off water.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, so many thanks to them for the opportunity to read this title.   Unfortunately, the book didn't keep me very engaged.   Overall, I think the book's concept is a good one, but the author lacked on delivery a bit.   The story follows Joanna and her family as everyone in her seaside community falls under suspicion as a rumor is spread that a killer with a new identity is living among them.   The author did a good job exemplifying human nature and how fear turns people against one another in an attempt for self-preservation.   Crowd mentality also rears its ugly head.   Unfortunately, the book didn't keep me very engaged.   I think the book's concept is a good one, but the author lacked on delivery a bit.   Joanna seemed a bit dramatic at times and it was hard for me to really care about her.   In addition, the book moved a bit slowly without buildup and then the resolution was see...
Read more
Image
This book was not what I expected.  I expected a quick paced thriller and that is not what this is, but that was okay!  This is more a slow-burn mystery that focuses on family and revenge.  However, I do think it could have been a bit shorter.  At over 450 pages, the book gets tiresome and I kind of just wanted it to end already.  I'd say the first 2/3 of the book was very exciting, but then the tone changes and the story slows down even more. The author did compose a story with a very intricate plot that all ended up making sense and his character development was quite good. Verdict: 3/5 What I Ate While Reading: Homemade Mac and Cheese, Salads, Ice Cream!
Read more

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

Image
NEW YORK TIMES  BESTSELLER •  TIME ’S #1 FICTION TITLE OF THE YEAR •  NEW YORK TIMES  NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S NOTABLE BOOK LIST 2019 FINALIST for the MAN BOOKER PRIZE and the NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD LONGLISTED for the ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL If I could review this book in two words it would be "Holy S***!"  This book is an intense ride that will lull you into thinking the worst is over, then hit you over the head again. The book is the story of Romy Hall and what she believes to have led to her being incarcerated at Stanville Women's Correctional Facility with two life sentences hanging over her head, as well as being taken out of the life of her young son Jackson.  Romy talks about her upbringing and how she got into dancing at a strip club that led to her meeting the man that would become the reason for her downfall.   Interspersed throughout the story of Romy is a glimpse into the lives of oth...
Read more