Latest news with #LisaJewell
Wall Street Journal
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Mysteries: ‘Don't Let Him In' and ‘Murder Takes a Vacation'
Midway through Lisa Jewell's 'Don't Let Him In,' two friends, Martha and Grace, meet for lunch. When Martha describes how attentive her previously errant boyfriend has become, Grace is relieved but still skeptical. 'I thought it was going to end up that he was one of those blokes you read about,' she admits. 'The ones who marry loads of women and lie to everyone and steal all their money.' That fairly sums up the deceptions at the core of this subtly layered British thriller, but it's not the whole story. For the crimes perpetrated here, including murder, are part of a larger mosaic, one that depicts the intersecting lives of three female characters so vividly that we feel, at times, more like voyeurs than readers. Their intimate thoughts become as familiar to us as their occasionally messy households. The dishes piled in the sink, the morning scramble, the sudden silence of an emptied house: Ms. Jewell captures these moments, as she does the doubts and fears of the residents. One such is Ash (short for Aisling), a young woman who 'feels the thud and canter of time running by as her early twenties bleed into her late twenties and thirty appears heavy on the horizon.' She's still reeling from the death of her father—who was pushed under a train by an apparently deranged stranger—when her mother, Nina, welcomes handsome Nick Radcliffe into their seaside home. Nick claims to have known Ash's father, but she is wary of the charmer with 'neat cuticles and defined muscles and a brand-new haircut.' Ash wonders: 'Why has this man never been married?' The reader knows that he is married (a fact revealed at the outset), and much more, because alternating chapters of the novel are narrated by this consummate liar. We see the world both as it is, therefore, and through his eyes. We see the world both as it is and through his eyes. 'They are my puppets now in so many ways,' Nick gloats—with a touch of melodrama—when he begins spying on Nina's family, 'and I am their master.' As Nick's deceptions multiply, we fear for his victims—chief among them Tara, a successful businesswoman who almost outwits him, and Martha, the sweet-natured florist who might have been his salvation—and brace ourselves for the unmasking of a con artist who remains defiant to the last. 'You all wanted me,' he silently protests when finally cornered. 'You all had gaping voids in your lives. . . . I did not force one of you to choose me.' By then, Ash has uncovered the truth, if not the bodies, though Ms. Jewell shocks us with one final twist. Over the course of more than 20 novels, she has perfected such denouements. The enduring appeal of her fiction, however, resides not in its cleverness, but in the atmosphere of intimate unease that Ms. Jewell—like her forebear Ruth Rendell—so expertly creates.
Scotsman
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Bestselling author Lisa Jewell heads to Scotland
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Due to high demand, an extra Bookface Sip & Swap event with Lisa Jewell will take place on Tuesday 8 July at Saints of Ingram, Glasgow, from 12.30–3.30pm. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Jewell will launch her new thriller Don't Let Him and meet readers in a relaxed, intimate setting. Lisa Jewell has sold over 10 million books, been translated into 30+ languages, and dominated bestseller lists worldwide. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her novels Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, None of This Is True (soon to be a Netflix film) have captivated readers around the globe. Bookface This is a rare chance to hear her in conversation, ask your own questions, and gain insights into the stories behind her biggest books. Bookface Sip & Swap isn't a standard book club. It's a laid-back, friendly event with no set reading lists – just bestselling authors, good chat, and a lively book swap with 300+ titles. Bring up to four books if you want to swap, or just come along and enjoy the event and choose books from the swap. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Since 2020, Bookface has run 50+ sell-out events across Scotland, with past guests including Donna Ashworth, Juano Diaz, Tom Newlands, Jenny Colgan, Helen Fields, Val McDermid, Heather Morris, John Niven, Susannah Constantine, Chris Brookmyre, and Davinia Taylor. Lisa Jewell Bookface is a 4,800-strong online community with monthly events in Glasgow, founded by broadcaster and Sunday Mail books columnist Heather Suttie. Upcoming guests include Fran Littlewood, Liam McIlvanney, Kate Foster and Dr Gillian Shirreffs. Heather Suttie said: "The response to Lisa Jewell joining us has been incredible, so we've added an extra event. It's rare to get this kind of access to one of the world's top thriller writers in such a relaxed setting. Bookface events are about making connections – with new people, new books, and new ideas." Tickets are £20, including two drinks. Available via Eventbrite. Follow @bookfacecommunity on Instagram or join the private Facebook group 'Bookface by Heather Suttie'.
