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When you hear Nalini Singh’s name, I’m guessing you associate it with urban fantasy or contemporary romance. Thrillers are most likely pretty far from top of mind, but I’d say that’s slowly changing. Quiet in Her Bones is Singh’s second psychological thriller, and I’m so glad she’s exploring this new facet of her writing.
Aarav Rai is a successful author whose début novel made him a star. Unfortunately, his professional success is pretty much the only thing going right for him. He was gravely injured in a mysterious accident, and several months later, he’s still struggling to recover. Because of the brain injury he suffered, he’s not supposed to live on his own, so he’s moved back into his childhood home with his father, stepmother, and younger sister. His relationship with his domineering father can best be described as rocky, and he’s chafing under the restrictions his partial dependence on his family has placed on his lifestyle.
Things get a whole lot more complicated for Aarav when the body of his mother – who went missing under suspicious circumstances ten years ago – is found in a nearby forest. When Nina Rai first disappeared, everyone shrugged it off, thinking she must have got tired of her husband’s controlling ways and simply left, but the discovery of her body hints at something far more sinister. It seems Nina never managed to get away from her husband after all, and Aarav is determined to uncover the truth of what happened on the night she tried to leave.
Because of the physical and mental difficulties he’s experiencing as a result of his accident, investigating Nina’s disappearance turns out to be quite a bit harder than Aarav expected. All his poking around seems to stir up far more questions than answers, and it’s not long before Aarav grows frustrated with his lack of progress. It’s obvious someone knows more than they’re telling, but he begins to doubt his ability to figure out what really led to Nina’s death.
The story is told from Aarav’s point of view, and he’s quite an unreliable narrator. This could prove confusing for some readers, since his perception of events isn’t always logical. Fortunately, things do become clear in the end, but it’s a bit of a rocky road in some places, especially if your mind is prone to wandering as you read.
Abuse plays a big part in the story, and certain scenes were very difficult to read. You won’t be subjected to long, drawn out descriptions of violence, but neither will you be able to overlook what’s going on. Psychological manipulation and physical abuse are discussed in some detail.
If you pick this up expecting romantic suspense, you’ll be disappointed. Singh has crafted some phenomenal relationships here, but none of them can be classified as romantic. Quiet in Her Bones is most definitely a thriller, and I loved it for exactly what it turned out to be.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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Grade: A-
Book Type: Psychological Thriller
Sensuality: N/A
Review Date: 26/02/21
Publication Date: 02/2021
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
So, for me, this book completely petered out about 75% of the way through and I so disliked the story’s resolution.
I still think Singh can write stellar thrillers. But A Madness of Sunshine is a much better book and, if you’re looking to explore Singh’s nonromance, well, start there!
I am reading this now and, whew, is Aarav an unreliable narrator. In the best way.
I love how–and she did this to great effect in A Madness of Sunshine–Singh uses Aussie terms. It’s rare I have to look up words when I read and it’s a treat to learn so many new ones!
By the way, A Madness of Sunshine is on sale right now for 4.99. It is an excellent thriller with a tinge of romance.
I suspect they’re Kiwi terms, as NS is from New Zealand ;)
Ugh. I knew that. I typed too quickly. Shoot me, please.