A review by brightface77
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

If you are looking for a thriller about investigating a potential murder, I’m not sure if this book is for you. However, if you are looking for a beautifully written character study of an elderly widow coming to terms with the isolation of old age and the reality of a limited future, I’d highly recommend it.

Too many times women of older generations have had to limit their lives so much that all they have left is the resentment this causes and the jealous judgement of others. What becomes of you when all the people you resented are gone and you are left with only emptiness? What do you decide to fill it with? This book is one story of how it might come to be.

If you were looking for more of a slow burn thriller rather than character study, I highly recommend Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead by Nobel Prize winning Polish author Olga Tokarczuk.

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