FICTION

Under the Harrow

Penguin. Jun. 2016. 240p. ISBN 9780143108573. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101992067. F
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Nora leaves London one Friday afternoon to visit her sister Rachel for a relaxing weekend in the country. She expects to find Rachel in the kitchen making dinner. Instead she discovers her sister's body lying in a pool of blood with her dead dog nearby. As Nora plans the funeral and deals with final details, she realizes she's unable to move on with her own life. She's particularly distraught by a case of an unsolved assault suffered by Rachel at age 17. Investigating on her own, Nora finds out that she knows less about her sibling than she once thought. Though not all readers will be able to stomach the initial gruesome scenes involving Rachel's dog, those who stick around will be rewarded with a riveting, complex suspense novel thick with atmosphere and long-held secrets.
VERDICT Berry's fiction debut is a dark, twisty, and deeply disturbing thriller that makes for an absorbing summer read. Readers will look forward to the next novel by this promising new author.
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