She Lies in Wait

October 15, 2018
On July 22, 1983, bright, beautiful 14-year-old Aurora Jackson, the victim at the heart of British author Lodge’s atmospheric debut, disappeared in Brinken Wood in England’s New Forest. The discovery of her remains 30 years later near the site where she was camping with her older sister and five other schoolmates catapults Southampton Det. Chief Insp. Jonah Sheens back to one of his first—and most haunting—investigations. The secluded location suggests that the prime suspects remain the same tight circle of family and friends who were in the woods that night—a prospect troubling to the enigmatic Sheens for reasons that will only gradually emerge. Lodge smoothly intercuts the present-day police probe by whip-sharp recent transfer Det. Constable Juliette Hanson and other team members with flashbacks to the last day of Aurora’s life as seen through her eyes. In large part due to flip-flops to facilitate the plot, the surviving campers, including a current MP, never become as convincing as the detectives. Nonetheless, this psychological thriller marks a promising start to a planned series. Agent: Felicity Blunt, Curtis Brown (U.K.).

An ensemble of four narrators brings this gripping tale to life. The disappearance of Aurora while on a camping trip with her sister and friends remains a mystery until a body is found 30 years later. The story is told through flashbacks of the events leading to the disappearance and through the investigation following the discovery of the body. Narrator John Hoskins portrays DCI Sheens, lead detective of the investigation, perfectly suggesting a slightly world-weary copper. Joe Coen and Gytha Lodge, the author, tell the story from the viewpoint of most of the other key characters. As Aimee-Ffion Edwards delivers the viewpoint of teenage Aurora, her young-sounding voice highlights the girl's vulnerability. The mix of narrators enhances this engaging thriller. K.J.P. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine