Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry
Mystery/Thriller
2016 Penguin Books
Finished on August 20, 2017
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder.
Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.
A riveting psychological thriller and a haunting exploration of the fierce love between two sisters, the distortions of grief, and the terrifying power of the past, Under the Harrow marks the debut of an extraordinary new writer.
I waited too long to write this review and now I only have a vague recollection of the plot. I'm not even certain of how it ended, but I do know that I thought it was a very good psychological thriller. It kept me guessing (and second-guessing) all the way to the end. I also remember that it was very creepy in the opening pages and the atmospheric setting added to the tension. I'm looking forward to Berry's next release, A Double Life, which is due out this summer.
I remember liking this one, but I went back and looked at my review. I said that I considered abandoning it early on because I got frustrated with the main character. However, it did win an Edgar Award and so I hung in there. I've recently seen that there will be a new book and I'm excited about that one too.
ReplyDeleteKay, I find that I forget a lot about mysteries compared to literary novels. Maybe it's because I read them so quickly in order to find out whodunit? I do remember that Nora was an annoying character... Wonder what the new book will be like!
DeleteSounds like something I'd like.
ReplyDeleteKathy, it's definitely worth checking out to see.
DeleteI hate when I wait too long to write a review. I am forcing myself to do them within a week of finishing the book.
ReplyDeletePam, since I'm constantly behind with my reviews (I'm still working on 2017!), I'm trying to make more notes about the books I read in order to write more thorough reviews. Maybe once I'm caught up, I can write them within a week of finishing. We'll see! ;)
DeleteI do have this one on my radar. Glad it was a good one!
ReplyDeleteIliana, this is one I think you'd really enjoy!
DeleteI just read this book and as you know, I liked it less than you. I agree it kept me guessing to the end.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I still want to try more by the author.
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