Lisa Jewell's latest novel, "It Could Have Been Her," is described as her darkest work to date. The story follows Jane Trevally, a woman in her fifties whose past is reawakened when she finds a lost dog named Hugo. Her search for the dog's owner leads her to a house she fled 25 years prior after a traumatic experience. The book delves into Jane's quest to find the missing young owner and uncover the secrets of a night that nearly cost her life. Jewell's known psychological insight is central to the narrative.
K. T. Nguyen's "You Know What You Did" presents a disturbing tale centered on Annie, an artist whose life unravels following her mother's death. As she grapples with debilitating OCD, Annie finds herself in a hotel room with a deceased individual, prompting police involvement. The novel explores her fractured relationship with her teenage daughter and weaves together these events, bordering on horror, with a focus on intergenerational trauma.
"Our Last Resort" by Clemence Michallon follows siblings Frida and Gabriel who reunite at a desert resort. Their reunion takes a dark turn when a young guest is found dead, with Gabriel becoming a prime suspect. Frida, who had previously witnessed an altercation involving the deceased woman and her older husband, must confront her childhood experiences of being raised in a cult. The novel examines sibling loyalty against the backdrop of a lockdown and a potential link between past events and present guilt.
