A Woman Alone

June 22, 2020
Cecelia Holmes, the narrator of this chilling novel of psychological suspense from Laurin (The Starter Wife), her husband, and their three-year-old daughter have moved to Venture, Ill., a gated community built by IntelTech. Each SmartHome is fully connected and controlled by a computer system that offers exceptional security, which Cecelia and her husband welcome after a traumatic break-in at their old house. When Saya, the new house’s computerized system, starts to malfunction, the problems are small at first: the wrong bathwater temperature, the wrong coffee order. After Saya calls Cecelia “Lydia,” the name of the previous occupant, the mishaps become more disturbing and dangerous. At one point, one of IntelTech’s pleasant, if creepily robotic, agents asks Cecelia, “Do you have a secret? One that will send your entire carefully built life tumbling down? Because you can be sure. The house knows about it. And soon, so will everyone else.” Cecelia does indeed have a potentially damaging secret, but so do others, including Lydia. Readers will keep turning the pages as the secrets of Venture’s residents come out, along with potential motives for murder. Laurin is an accomplished storyteller. Agent: Rachel Ekstrom, Folio Literary Management.

Chloe Cannon narrates this domestic thriller with impeccable pacing and a perfect mix of disbelief, fear, and desperation. After a violent encounter, Cecelia and Scott Holmes move into a Smart Tech home. The house keeps them safe in all manner of ways--from providing high-tech security to selecting educational programs for their 3-year-old daughter's tablet. Everything should be perfect, but Cecelia begins to believe the house is out to get her. The deeper she digs, the more twisted history is revealed. Fast-paced and imaginative, this story will make listeners second-guess their own use of technology. Although many of the characters are not particularly likable, Cannon engages listeners with her distinctive narration. K.S.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine