Another difficult-to-classify novel from a seemingly fearless writer.
The author of Oligarchy (2020) and The Seed Collectors (2016) writes something like a thriller.
The epistolary novel is kind of a tough sell these days. Writing a narrative in letters might have given Samuel Richardson license to let his characters speak in candid, informal ways that were otherwise inaccessible, but his innovations are so much a part of Anglophone literature now that his runaway bestsellers Pamela and Clarissa mostly persist as punishment for English majors. That said, Thomas is nothing if not adventurous. In her latest novel, she dares to ask the reader for willing suspension of disbelief as she composes a novel from lengthy confessions written by a husband and a wife—with a few other documents tossed into the mix. Evelyn and Richard are honeymooning at a Greek resort that is famous both for its exclusivity and for the fact that it was the last stop for a couple that drowned together in the sea—the sleepwalkers of the title. The narrative begins in a letter Evelyn is writing to Richard, and two things are immediately clear: She and her new husband lightly despise each other, and isolated Villa Rosa is a strange and possibly dangerous place. Fans of Gothic literature are likely to settle in comfortably right away. For other readers, Evelyn’s voice should be compelling enough to let them forget that they’re reading a letter—a very long letter, crafted by hand, during one night—and immerse themselves in the story that Evelyn is telling. Thomas also lets Richard have his say, his account serving as a counterpoint to Evelyn’s. This is a novel about secrets, family curses, and the past erupting into the present: all gothic tropes. But Thomas’ concerns extend beyond her main characters; refugees, sex workers, and victims of human trafficking exist in the background and sometimes emerge as full characters.
Another difficult-to-classify novel from a seemingly fearless writer.Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781668032985
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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