Book Review(s): The Andromeda Evolution, The Family Upstairs, The Invited, The Last Widow & The Next to Die

Yes... it's time for some more book reviews!

The Family Upstairs (Lisa Jewell) - The Family Upstairs is the kind of messed-up-family-story that reminds me of Ruth Rendell aka Barbara Vine's twisty psychological mysteries. Which is another way of saying this book is really good. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones not only learns the real identity of her parents, but also finds, to her shock, that she is the sole inheritor of a large derelict mansion in London's upscale Chelsea neighbourhood. As she sets on a journey to confront her past and the mysterious reasons for her parents' deaths, apparently in an act of suicide, what starts off as a slow-burn whodunit devolves into a disturbing, macabre tale of chills and thrills, even as Jewell plays the cards close to her chest, scattering clues throughout the narrative, turning up the suspense.

The Next to Die (Sophie Hannah) - Sophie Hannah will soon publish her next Poirot mystery later this year, but for now we'll have to contend with The Next to Die, which is about a serial killer who's on the loose, murdering pairs of best friends because... it has to do something with what they gifted one another. It's not a bad premise by any stretch, but there's certainly fun to be had in the way Hannah unspools and untangles the mystery, like fitting together the pieces of a complex jigsaw puzzle, until the whole picture is revealed. Granted, the pay off isn't that exciting, perhaps ludicrous even, and some parallel subplots take up way too much ink and go nowhere. But you can't fault Hannah's logic and her unique sensibility to create a crime novel that's wholly original.

The Invited (Jennifer McMahon) - Most of the so-called ghost stories follow the same template: a couple move into a new house, begin experiencing strange supernatural behavior in their abode, before eventually uncovering a sinister history. McMahon's The Invited sticks to this blueprint for the most part, but in a chilling twist, the house said couple, Helen and Nate, build from scratch in Vermont after forsaking the comforts of urban life, turns out to be made from materials that are themselves... haunted. Doubling as a thriller and a murder mystery — because everything boils down to money and inheritance — McMahon, in her trademark vivid, evocative style, spins a gothic yarn that's both eerie and atmospheric.

The Last Widow (Karin Slaughter) - The numerous twists and turns in The Last Widow are so fast and furious that by the novel's end, you'll be dizzy, but clamoring for more. A mysterious kidnapping of a scientist. Check. A devastating bombing of the city centre. Check. A deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. Check. And author Karin Slaughter stitches all these elements to weave together a relentless thriller that's by turns compulsive, riveting and topical, while also exploring the rise of alt-right groups in the U.S. and elsewhere. Yes, it takes a while for things to get going (I personally didn't care much for Will and Sara's personal story) and Slaughter's narrative decision to repeat the same events through different viewpoints serves little purpose, but make no mistake — The Last Widow is timely, urgent and a pulse-pounding thriller like no other.

The Andromeda Evolution (Michael Crichton & Daniel H. Wilson) - An 'infectious' sequel to Michael Crichton's acclaimed nerve-shredding 1969 sci-fi classic, the Evolution — as the title suggests — charts the evolution of the titular alien microparticle dubbed the Andromeda strain, with Robocalypse author and roboticist Daniel H. Wilson keeping a firm control over the narrative (each chapter begins with a quote by Crichton), never for once letting the techno-babble overpower the character-driven mystery that unfolds in the heartlands of the Amazonian rainforest. In the end, this cautionary tale about an imminent existential catastrophe — isn't it how it's always? — explodes in a befitting cinematic finale even as it veers towards banal implausibility. A wankfest for techno-thriller fans out there, no less!