Death and the Seaside

Starred review from June 1, 2019

First published in the UK in 2016, this latest from Moore (The Lighthouse; The Pre-War House and Other Stories) was worth the wait. The novel begins with a short story by main character Bonnie, a 30-year-old graduate school dropout, who we soon learn cannot complete anything--school, her stories, or what's needed to achieve success in the workplace. Her parents force her to leave home and find her own flat with the hope that she'll take things in hand. Instead, she juggles two part-time cleaning jobs, smokes cigarettes, and tries to write. When her landlady, Sylvia Slythe, befriends her, the plot takes a twisted turn. As with earlier masters of the genre such as Daphne du Maurier, Moore creates a psychological thriller dripping with foreboding, and in keeping with her previous work, pays great attention to sense of place. Bonnie's flat becomes a character in the novel, particularly when she finds "stuff" previous tenants left behind. The seaside town Bonnie and Sylvia visit turns out not to be the promised ideal vacation. VERDICT Another triumph from Moore, her clear and unambiguous writing style as well as her ability to build tension will appeal to both adolescents and adults.--Jacqueline Snider, Toronto

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2019
A lonely young woman strikes up a troubling friendship with her mysterious landlady in the latest novel from Man Booker Prize shortlisted author Moore (He Wants, 2014, etc.). On the cusp of turning 30, Bonnie has little to call her own. She dropped out of college, wants to write but finds herself blocked, and works two part-time cleaning jobs. One day, her landlady, Sylvia, who lives upstairs, arrives on her doorstep and the two strike up a friendship of sorts. Sylvia shows an interest in Bonnie's writing, urging her to finish a short story that Sylvia sees as reflecting Bonnie's own anxieties and experiences, eventually taking the younger woman on a trip in hopes of helping her find an ending. But Sylvia's interest might not be as well-intentioned as Bonnie thinks. Moore excels at mining the mundanity of life for profound emotional impact. Bonnie's parents' dismissal of and distaste for their daughter is heartbreaking, as is Bonnie's own effort to find comfort in her emotionally and physically austere life. But Moore doesn't deliver on the tension that emerges as Bonnie and Sylvia become closer and closer. The sense of unease that dominates their scenes together doesn't line up with the novel's resolution, which feels rushed and lacks the depth or thoughtfulness of the rest of the book. An engaging and haunting setup never quite reaches a satisfying finish in this psychological cat-and-mouse game.

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