Thank you to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Woman Inside by M. T. Edvardsson is the newest domestic thriller in translation from an accomplished author. The story revolves around a cast of characters, including Bill and Karla. Bill starts renting part of his home to Karla, a lodger who works as a housekeeper to the Rytters, a wealthy couple who may be hiding secrets. But when someone turns up dead, everyone will be questioned by the police, resulting in some surprising revelations.
Here is a chilling excerpt from the opening chapter:
"We take the stairway in the hall to the second floor. I sweep the beam
of my flashlight through the second floor and find three closed doors.
Officer Hemström investigates the bathroom while I approach the
first bedroom. The door is a few centimeters ajar, and I nudge it open
with my foot as I aim the flashlight into the room.
The blinds are down, and all lights are off. Against the wall is a bed
with a headboard. On the bed is another dead body."
Overall, The Woman Inside is a thriller that will make you rethink you deal with your neighbors. One highlight of this book is the premise. It makes me think about how your closest neighbors and the maids/people who work for them could be hiding secrets. That is what makes domestic thrillers so terrifying - the idea that something so normal could be dangerous.
I did take off 1 star because they were too many characters' POV's. It was hard to keep track of who was who. I took off another star because near the end, there was a character POV switch mid-scene. It made me feel like they were about to reveal something, but there was no payoff. Maybe I just missed it? If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now.
The Woman Inside by M. T. Edvardsson is the newest domestic thriller in translation from an accomplished author. The story revolves around a cast of characters, including Bill and Karla. Bill starts renting part of his home to Karla, a lodger who works as a housekeeper to the Rytters, a wealthy couple who may be hiding secrets. But when someone turns up dead, everyone will be questioned by the police, resulting in some surprising revelations.
Here is a chilling excerpt from the opening chapter:
"We take the stairway in the hall to the second floor. I sweep the beam
of my flashlight through the second floor and find three closed doors.
Officer Hemström investigates the bathroom while I approach the
first bedroom. The door is a few centimeters ajar, and I nudge it open
with my foot as I aim the flashlight into the room.
The blinds are down, and all lights are off. Against the wall is a bed
with a headboard. On the bed is another dead body."
Overall, The Woman Inside is a thriller that will make you rethink you deal with your neighbors. One highlight of this book is the premise. It makes me think about how your closest neighbors and the maids/people who work for them could be hiding secrets. That is what makes domestic thrillers so terrifying - the idea that something so normal could be dangerous.
I did take off 1 star because they were too many characters' POV's. It was hard to keep track of who was who. I took off another star because near the end, there was a character POV switch mid-scene. It made me feel like they were about to reveal something, but there was no payoff. Maybe I just missed it? If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you can check out this book, which is available now.