A Pacy and Twisted Thriller: Read our Review of A Voice in the Night by Sarah Hawthorn

A Voice in the Night is an addictive thriller of twists and turns, and a gripping and emotionally resonant debut from a striking new voice.

Following a bitter separation, Australian ex-pat Lucie moves to London to take up a position with a prestigious law firm. It seems an optimistic new beginning, until one day she receives a hand delivered note with the strange words: At last I’ve found you. A shock I’m sure. But in time I‘ll explain. Martin. 

Lucie hasn’t forgotten a man called Martin who was tragically killed twenty years ago in the 9/11 attacks. When she was working in New York as a young intern Lucie had fallen in love with him and he vowed to leave his wife to be with her permanently.

As an inexplicable series of events occur, Lucie wonders if her long-dead lover could have staged his own disappearance under the cover of that fateful day. Or could it be that someone else is stalking her, or that her vivid imagination is playing tricks?

A Voice in the Night had me hooked until the final pages. Believe me when I say, if you think the final plot twist has been revealed, just keep on reading. This is the kind of thriller that cruises along, then ramps up the pace at the very end, leaving you reeling. It’s perfect for readers who like to speculate once they’ve finished a book.

The novel follows two timelines, moving from the years Lucie spent with Martin in New York before the fated day in 2001, to the present day in London. Lucie is a sympathetic protagonist with ordinary issues, such as an unpleasant boss at her high-flying corporate law firm, and a mostly disappointing dating life. When she starts receiving messages and lavish gifts from someone mimicking her dead lover, she is disturbed. The mystery doesn’t let up, and I was suspicious of the entire cast of characters; it seems that anyone could be out to sabotage Lucie’s memories and ambitions—including herself.

A Voice in the Night is an impressive debut from Sarah Hawthorn that is sure to captivate readers who enjoy gripping psychological thrillers and twisted romances.