A review by emilyinherhead
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker

4.5

I stumbled across this book on Libby last week, checked it out on a whim, and read it right away, tearing through the last hundred pages in a single morning over coffee. What a page-turner!

It’s about a thirty-something woman named Clove, who has a husband and two young children, an obsession with her local organic grocery store, an online shopping problem, and a very dark past. During her childhood, her father was abusive toward Clove and her mother, and they both suffered his violence and intimidation for years, until things finally came to a head and he was pushed over the railing of the family’s apartment balcony to his death. Since then, Clove has completely reinvented herself, trying desperately to escape the shadow of this horrible event, even to the point of changing her name and keeping all of this history a secret from her husband and kids. So when the past shows up looking for her, she completely panics and everything starts to unravel and fall apart. I won’t spoil anything, just… man. The tension! I guessed one of the twisty bits, but there were other revelations that surprised me, and even if you see what’s coming, it’s still really delicious to watch it all come together. The vibes reminded of Night Bitch by Rachel Yoder, mixed with something like Gillian Flynn or Liane Moriarty. If you’re into psychological spiraling and long-simmering emotional suspense, I recommend this one.