Still LifeReviewed June 10, 2009.
Atria Books, 2009. 369 pages.
Starred Review.
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2009: #6 Fiction
This book is wonderful. Richly textured and thought-provoking, it also includes life-or-death suspense.
Casey Marshall has a perfect life. Having lunch with her best friends, it's clear that one at least thinks it's a bit too perfect. Casey and her handsome husband are even talking about starting a family soon.
But after lunch, something happens. Casey wakes up in darkness, only able to hear voices. They are talking about a terrible accident that happened to "the patient," run down by an SUV. She begins recognizing distraught voices of people she knows and loves, and it dawns on her that the accident happened to her.
Nobody knows that she can hear them. People tell her husband that he should get on with his life, but he says he can't stay away from her, he loves her too much. Her sister Drew is mad because Casey's the executor of their parents' estate, and Drew wants her allowance. A nurse's aide talks about how handsome her husband is, and how she thinks she'll be able to seduce him. Casey hears her making progress.
Then a detective comes along. He suspects the accident was not an accident after all. Now Casey has memories of all her friends and wonders who would want to hurt her.
Eventually the book becomes like the old classic Rear Window. Casey knows who wants to kill her, even though they have everyone else completely fooled. She knows when that person is planning to do it. But she is absolutely powerless to stop them. Or is she?
I would love to say more, but I will settle for saying that I loved this book and found the ending thoroughly satisfying.