Details -
- Title: Under the Harrow
- Author: Flynn Berry
- Publication Date: June 14, 2016
- Genre: Thriller
- # of Pages: 219 (Kindle edition)
- Setting: present-day England (London, Oxford, and Marlowe)
Synopsis -
Nora is on her way to meet her sister at her home in the English countryside for one of their regularly-scheduled dinners. She imagines her sister as she cooks dinner in the kitchen or snuggled up with a bottle of wine waiting for Nora to arrive from London. The scene that she walks in on is much more shocking and sinister than she had expected. Nora finds her sister's bloody body riddled with stab wounds on the second floor of her home. We follow Nora as she recounts her most influential memories of Rachel, attempts to come to terms with this tragic event, and tries to find her killer. We watch as Nora obsesses over this event and her attempts to solve it. Will Nora be able to convince the police to keep the case open? Will Nora's investigations put herself in danger? Will she ever find the person who attacked Rachel as a teenager and is it the same person who killed her? Read Under the Harrow to find out.
Thriller Characteristics -
- Contains a thriller-esque pace in the sense that it moves quickly from one event to the other.
- The main character, Nora, is independent. At the same time, we are able to sympathize with Nora's vulnerability at losing her sister. Amidst this loss, she still prefers to go it alone.
- Combines elements of mystery. We work with our main character to find who murdered Rachel and who attacked Rachel as a teenager among other smaller mysteries.
- The tone is dark at times. There is mention of a neglectful childhood, partying, drugs, arguments, her sister's attack, and graphic details of the murder.
- The character exhibits obsessive and paranoid qualities.
Read-a-Likes -
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
- The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (on my to-read list!)
- The Good Girl by Mary Kubica (on my to-read list!)
- Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (on my to-read list!)
Awards or Lists -
NAMED ONE OF THE ONE OF THE 10 BEST MYSTERY BOOKS AND THRILLERS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ATLANTIC
My Thoughts -
This book disappointed me. With all of the hype, raving reviews, and comparisons to Gone Girl, I expected much more from this book. It was a quick read, yes. Yes, there were secrets that I longed to know. The plot, however, did not match the thriller label in my opinion. There weren't the twists and turns and surprises that I expect from a thriller book. The conclusion came very quickly and was a bit of a let down. The writing could be tricky to follow at times. There would be mention of an event that happened earlier in the book that I could not remember reading. There were times where I started to doubt the narrator's sanity, but I think that I was just looking for breadcrumbs at that point. Yes, I read it quickly. The short chapters made it easy to read. It just wasn't a real attention-grabber like I had expected it to be. After reading this book, I am amazed at all of the reviews that have placed it as a gripping thriller. My personal opinion: don't bother with Under the Harrow. Check out the read-a-likes instead.
