A review by coops456
Always by Nicola Griffith

5.0

Aud Torvingen first appeared in [b:The Blue Place|180206|The Blue Place (Aud Torvingen, #1)|Nicola Griffith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391277848l/180206._SY75_.jpg|6404864] and [b:Stay|156925|Stay (Aud Torvingen #2)|Nicola Griffith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392182354l/156925._SY75_.jpg|6437599], but Always can be read as a standalone novel, although you might not appreciate the character development here.

For me this is the strongest of the three works. Griffith interleaves real-time chapters set in Seattle with flashback chapters in Atlanta some months earlier, where Aud had taught a beginners' self-defence class. It is immediately implied that something terrible happened in Atlanta and as we follow the self-defence lessons a feeling of dread grows.

Apart from anything else, it really made me think about fear and personal safety, and these things will stay with me.