What would you do if someone you knew came back from the dead?
Gin is an architect on the brink. LIT, the Auckland-based practice she shares with her girlfriend, Clary, has been precarious since their third partner – Clary’s ex, Billy – disappeared, presumed dead.
Now, several years later, LIT’s financial problems and Gin’s personal debts are snowballing. Clary – emotionally fragile since the disappearance – is growing increasingly remote and elusive. When Gin begins to be haunted by glimpses of Billy, she blames stress and guilt. But could he be back, threatening to expose the past?
Trapped in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Gin’s downward spiral gathers force as she begins to suspect her paranoia hides an even more shocking truth – one that will send her whole life up in flames.
Anna Woods is an award-winning writer from Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, whose short fiction has been published in a range of journals and anthologies. The recipient of various awards, residencies and mentorships, she has won the Sargeson Prize and been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. LIT is her first novel.
From the very first page, Woods creates a thrilling atmosphere around LIT, the company Gin and Clary own and operate. There’s a constant sense that something is off, something lurking beneath the surface. As the story unfolded and more was revealed about the girls and what really happened to Billy, I became completely invested. I couldn’t put the book down, and the twists genuinely shocked me.
Woods also does a phenomenal job crafting two deeply human characters. Gin and Clary both carry personal struggles outside of LIT, which creates compelling tension throughout the novel. As the plot intensified and Gin’s paranoia began to consume her, I found myself empathising with the choices they made. Their relationship feels layered and authentic, balancing emotional depth with the pressures of running a failing business. I especially loved the care and devotion they showed each other despite everything working against them.
I also loved the setting of Auckland. Woods brings the New Zealand city to life with vivid prose that perfectly maintains the grim, unsettling atmosphere surrounding Billy’s disappearance. LIT is a thriller that’ll keep you awake at night, driven by sharp pacing, layered characters and an eerie sense of tension from beginning to end. If you’re willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep like I did, you won’t regret picking up this heart-pounding masterpiece.
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