If I am not mistaken, Someone in the Attic is America’s introduction to Irish crime novelist Andrea Mara. Overseas, she already has five or so mystery novels under her belt. Someone in the Attic is an odd thriller best suited for patient readers. Click here to buy at Amazon
A woman is enjoying is taking a bath, enjoying perhaps too much wine, when she hears a strange noise from the attic. She is later found dead. This woman is the friend of Julia Birch. Julia has just moved back to Ireland with her ex-husband and their two kids. Julia’s son Luca is convinced he hears noises coming from the attic of their gated community house. Julia’s daughter Isla finds a succession of Tik Tok videos of a man coming down from their attic and walking around the house. This is an imitation of a program called The Loft.
Secondary mysteries the reader is asked to keep in mind is what happened to a girl named Riley who was Isla’s school friend back in California and the reason Julia, her ex, and the kids moved back to Ireland. There is also what happened to Donna who was part of Julia’s circle of friends when they were in their early twenties and died.
One of my issues with Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara is how disorganized it seems to be. The reader learns in chapter 40 what happened to Riley and that comes out of absolutely nowhere for no reason. The secondary mysteries are pretty much red herrings. The solution to one of them pushed my willing suspension of disbelief to its limits before Andrea Mara changed said solution for something even more convoluted.
This is definitely a mystery novel for patient and forgiving readers.
Someone in the Attic
Andrea Mara
Pamela Dorman Books / Viking 2024
355 pages
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