Death in her hands
Author: Ottessa Moshfegh
Publisher: Random House UK
Year of release: 2020
Release Date: 2nd July 2020
Genre: Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Rating 🌟🌟🌟
Trigger warning mistreatment to animal
Synopsis
While on her daily walk with her dog in the nearby woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with stones. Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.
Shaky even on her best days, she is also alone, and new to this area, having moved here from her long-time home after the death of her husband, and now deeply alarmed. Her brooding about the note grows quickly into a full-blown obsession, as she explores multiple theories about who Magda was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But is there either a more innocent explanation for all this, or a much more sinister one – one that strikes closer to home?
In this triumphant blend of horror, suspense, and pitch-black comedy, we must decide whether the stories we tell ourselves guide us closer to the truth or keep us further from it.
Review
Vesta Gul has Charlie and Charlie has Vesta. Vesta a 72 year old women widow Charlie a big brown dog the pair go everywhere together daily walks in the woods not far from her secluded cabin, they read books, they do puzzles, Vesta drinks wine, Charlie asks for the occasional pet of the head, Charlie explores the surroundings whilst Vesta plans and tends to her new garden now that winter has departed and spring has arrived.
Sticking to her daily routine Vesta and Charlie set out one morning whilst on their early morning walks in the woods Vesta comes across a note surrounded by stones and earth, curiosity gets the better of her and she reads the note and becomes convinced that this note was meant to be found in the hopes it would lead to a body being found. The body of one young lady Magda.
The idea of finding a cryptic note in the woods and the question of who exactly was Magda? This really was a selling point for me here. I have also really come to appreciate a synopsis that answers no questions for the reader rather prompts the book to be read.
I found the Death in Her Hands forces a laser like focus upon the audience, thanks to the one character focus you had nowhere else to go, nowhere to hide, you had one goal find Magda! Vesta’s obsession becomes your obsession too, Magda finds a way into the readers mind.
When it comes to the writing, I could visualise every detail when it comes to Vesta’s appearance, Charlie, the cabin hidden away in Levant New England. However much I enjoy being able to immerse myself in the descriptions of a book, I found when it came to the characters and some of the events the author was describing put me off, it was a bit to intense on the details at times. I felt it was a little harsh and over the top, especially when it came to the treatment of animals.
Early on Death in Her Hands had me questioning everything I thought I had learnt thus far into the story, but the further I continued on the more questions I had. It was clear early on Vera Gal was incredibly lonely, highly likely even suffering severe depression and anxiety, possibly even suicidal thoughts; common in her age group and given the death of her husband not surprising as sad and hard as these afflictions are on society they were woven into the fabric of this story very well.
Everyone has characters they love or even despise; Vesta Gal was neither loved nor despised by this reader for the most part I found myself cheering her on. I so wanted her to find a human companion instead she pushed everyone away for one reason or another, most of the time they were shallow reasons.
In the ending chapters I noticed what little affection I did have for Vesta disappeared she was so determined to hold onto everyone’s flaws and rarely examine her own.
Having reached the end of this book I can’t quite come to terms with the lack of characters, knowing what I know now not just for Vera’s sake but for the sake of readers, I won’t spoil the ending but I must say the ending could go a few different ways I believe the author has let the reader decide.
This book is suitable for a mature audience. If you enjoy a good Mystery Thriller be sure to find a copy it keeps its audience guessing.
