The Crooked House

What's not to love about a chilling psychological thriller featuring a claustrophobic English seaside town, the heroine the sole survivor of a family massacre, and her intriguing relationship with an older, slightly dominating man? Comparisons to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca are apt for Kent's ("Sandro Cellini" mysteries) most recent stand-alone novel. Alison (formerly Esme) lives quietly in London, connecting with few people and drawing little attention to herself, having changed her name after her family's murder a decade before. Her relationship with Paul is the longest she's had, in no small part because she asks him no questions about his personal life, and expects from him the same. When he invites her to a former girlfriend's wedding in her old hometown, she does her best to dodge the invitation but can't quite manage. The backstory is delivered piecemeal, and Alison's memories of the night her family was slaughtered by her father haunt the atmosphere, lending a fully satisfying air of menace.