Starred review from April 10, 2023
In this dazzling debut thriller from journalist Michallon, handsome Hudson Valley family man Aidan Thomas has a ghastly secret in his shed—and even worse ones hidden elsewhere. He’s a serial killer prone to kidnapping his victims whose story emerges gradually, from multiple female narrators: Emily, a lonely bartender who befriends Aidan in hopes of a romantic fling; his 13-year-old daughter, Cecilia; and his latest, still-living victim, whom Aidan insists call herself Rachel. When Aidan and Cecilia are forced to move after Aidan’s wife dies, “Rachel” convinces Aidan he can safely take her with them (with the explanation to Cecilia that she’s a friend of a friend who needs a place to live). In the new living situation, though, Rachel gets bold, befriending Cecilia and planting seeds for her freedom, no matter how risky. The ensuing match of wits and wills between Rachel and Aidan becomes almost excruciating in Michallon’s skillful hands, and as challenging as the going can get, it’s impossible to look away from. This is a smart, female-focused inversion of the serial killer thriller perfect for readers who otherwise wouldn’t give the genre a second look. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.
June 10, 2024
Rachel lives in a shed where her unnamed captor has kept her for years. She has learned how to survive in confinement, but everything changes when her captor is forced to move. There's no easy place to hide a kidnapped woman in the new house, so Rachel is presented to her captor's daughter Cecilia as a family friend who needs a place to stay. Although she is still confined, Rachel starts to learn more about her captor--his name is Aidan, and he's an upstanding community member who is casually dating Emily, a local restaurant owner. Also, he has a basement room full of secrets--and evidence. Can Rachel escape without endangering Cecilia's life? Three primary narrators anchor this multivoiced performance: Gilli Messer embodies Rachel's vulnerability and will to live; Valerie Rose Lohman voices the teenage Cecilia; and Elena Rey portrays Emily, whose fascination with Aidan is all the more sinister when listeners learn what he's done. A chorus of additional voices share the stories of other vulnerable women captured by a predator. VERDICT A chilling debut thriller about the evil that lurks in everyday middle-class neighborhoods, performed by a stellar cast. Ideal for fans of Rene Denfeld and Jennifer Hillier.--Nanette Donohue
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