December 21, 2020
The discovery of Nina Rai’s vehicle in the bush of Waitakere Ranges Regional Park kick-starts this paranoia-fueled domestic thriller from New Zealand author Singh (A Madness of Sunshine). Ten years earlier, free-spirited Nina went missing, along with $250,000 that her domineering husband, Ishaan, had stashed in his safe. Ishaan told everyone Nina was a thief who abandoned her family, but her devoted son, Aarav, suspected foul play—a theory that gains credence when the police find Nina’s skeleton in her passenger seat, wearing the clothes in which she disappeared. Aarav—now a 26-year-old crime writer—is certain someone in his parents’ Auckland cul-de-sac is responsible, and since he’s staying with his father while he recovers from a car crash, he decides to dig. The ensuing investigation uncovers myriad suspects, together with troubling gaps and inconsistencies in Aarav’s own memories. Though the plot feels unfocused thanks to overabundant red herrings and some half-baked twists, Singh sustains tension throughout, delivering a lushly written, multilayered mystery that will keep readers guessing. Susan Isaacs fans, take note. Agent: Nephele Tempest, Knight Agency.