Nobody But Us

Van Rensburg’s outstanding debut brilliantly lends itself to the audio format. Shy NYU graduate student Ellie Masterson and her wealthy, older professor/lover, Steven Harding, leave Manhattan for a romantic weekend in remote Chesapeake Bay. It is their six-month anniversary, and Steven would like to deepen their relationship. Ellie seems perfect—she is an adoring acolyte, who is always happy to go along with his whims and is also enthusiastic in bed. As a snowstorm rages outside, it becomes clear that both Ellie and Steven harbor dark secrets. Van Rensburg ratchets up the tension as those secrets come to light. The novel is told in alternating chapters, narrated by Chloe Cannon and Joshua Kane. Cannon initially portrays Ellie as tentative, passive, and uncertain, but her voice, delivery and pace change significantly as she discloses her plans. For his part, Kane voices Steven initially as self-assured and stuffy and later as defensive, self-serving, and arrogant.