Pages: 239
Published: 21st January 2021
Genre: Thriller
Content warnings: Human trafficking, rape, physical/psychological abuse
He is her husband. She is his captive. Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.
She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.
Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished. For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting…
This book is taut, self-contained, and about as tense as you could get. A dark and menacing story that contains the most compelling narrator, it creates an atmosphere that fizzes with fear and impending danger, fully immersing you in its horror. Superbly executed and delivering fully on its scary premise, it keeps you right on the edge of your seat throughout.
What makes it all so terrifying is that the plot – as uncomfortable as it is – could easily happen in real life. We sometimes hear desperately sad stories of human trafficking or modern slavery on the news, and sexual assault is rarely far away from these cases. To see this depicted in such a raw and harrowing manner is extremely impactful, leaving its mark on the reader.
The storytelling is as exceptional as it is unique. Thanh is isolated, living the world in a microcosm where all she inhabits is her captor’s farmstead with the view of rolling fields outside, everywhere she looks on the horizon. It is tangible, the sheer hopelessness of her situation and her fear of the consequences if she were to do anything to defy or infuriate Lenn, or worse, be caught trying to escape.
Her days follow a demoralising and monotonous pattern of servitude, all with the ongoing promise of exploitation and abuse. The narration is deliberately repetitive to reflect this, as Lenn is very much a creature of routine while being hard to bargain with. He is as cold-hearted a villain as you are likely to come across in fiction – even-tempered yet chilling and without conscience in his treatment of Thanh.
The arrival of the baby and introduction of Cynthia both raise the stakes considerably higher, as Thanh now has to make even more desperate attempts to reason with Lenn, and take risks which could potentially jeopardise their lives. Some of the time she is just existing, sometimes barely, but the rest of the time she is deadly alert and in survival mode. The first time she meets Cynthia is a striking example of how hard it is for her to balance the two.
When the time comes for Thanh to make the indescribably dangerous bid for freedom, it is truly not for the faint hearted. As you read it you are holding your breath, hanging on every word, hoping against hope that they will get to safety and being terrified of the alternative. Every single circumstance, be it the baby or the fact they are walking wounded, adds to the tension. It is a real roller coaster of emotions.
And then comes the big twist, which sheds a whole new light on the story. A lot of things fall into place, but still the shocking reality of it blows your mind. It magnifies a terrible situation into something a whole lot worse, but equally paves the way towards a positive ending. Suddenly the true scale of Lenn’s depravity and the whole operation he is part of becomes devastatingly apparent.
The setting adds a lot to the atmosphere. Lenn’s farm is basically in the middle of nowhere, well away from civilisation and a place that Cynthia is just unfortunate enough to stumble across. The internet connection is awfully slow and the house has relatively basic facilities, while Lenn himself is not the most sophisticated. Altogether, it is a soul-destroying place that gives Thanh – and latterly her baby – very little hope.
Despite it being a relatively short book, the pace is not exactly fast, but the tension carries you along and you just have to keep reading on to see what happens. The writing is so good, capturing the mood incredibly well and giving Thanh such a distinctive voice. Her real name is only ever mentioned once, and it is amazing to see how she retains such strength, inspired by the things that are precious to her.
Overall, it is unsettling yet brilliant, moving and momentous. You would be hard pushed to say that this is a book you can enjoy – the concept is too murky for that – but it is one to surely recommend for anyone who favours a dark story containing deep emotional resonance. It is filled with tension and torment, and as far as the author is concerned, it is a defining piece of work.
Will Dean has lived a nomadic life, growing up in numerous villages in the UK before studying and working in London – obtaining a degree in Law at the London School of Economics. He now lives in rural Sweden, where he has become a prolific author.
His debut Dark Pines was published in 2018 and that is the first of the Tuva Moodyson crime series, in which three sequels have followed. His standalone thrillers have also received considerable acclaim, with The Last Thing To Burn in 2021 followed by First Born and The Last One.
An original and extremely gripping story. It puts you on edge and rarely lets you go, while Thanh’s perspective is unbelievably arresting.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Reads Books 