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Girl in the Dark: A Novel
Girl in the Dark: A Novel
Girl in the Dark: A Novel
Audiobook8 hours

Girl in the Dark: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

An award-winning, internationally bestselling author makes her American debut with this taut, riveting domestic drama with the compulsive intensity of The Good Girl, The Pocket Wife, and The Stranger, about a long-lost brother convicted of a horrifying crime and a sister’s fight to clear his name.

A single mother and lawyer, Iris has a colorful caseload, a young son with behavior issues, and a judgmental mother.

She also has a brother—shocking news she uncovers by accident. Why did her mother lie to her for her entire life? Why did she hide the existence of Ray Boelens from her?

Curious about this sibling she has never known, Iris begins to search for long-buried truths. What she discovers surprises—and horrifies—her. Her older brother is autistic—and in prison for brutally murdering his neighbor and her daughter.

Visiting Ray, she meets a man who looks heartbreakingly like her own son. A man who is devoted to his tropical fish and who loves baking bread. A man whose naiveté unnerves her. There is no question that Ray is odd and obsessive, unable to communicate like the rest of us. But is he really a killer?

Told in the alternative voices of Ray and Iris, Girl in the Dark is a compulsive thriller about lies, murder, and the tenacity of a family determined to stay together even as they are pulled apart at the most vulnerable seams.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 16, 2016
ISBN9781511358378
Author

Marion Pauw

MARION PAUW is a thriller writer living in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands, Girl in the Dark won the Golden Noose Award—the annual award for the best Dutch crime novel—under the title Daglicht (Daylight), and has sold more than 200,000 copies in Europe. It was also made into an acclaimed Dutch film. Girl in the Dark is Pauw’s American debut.

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Reviews for Girl in the Dark

Rating: 3.4802630394736846 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

76 ratings6 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Iris Kaselstein is having trouble coping with all the demands on her. In her work life, she is a lawyer representing a client she despises and whose coworkers think she is not qualified for her position. In her private life, she’s a single mother with a three-year-old son whose aggressive and disruptive behaviour in his day care causes constant interruptions when she is called to pick him up and whose mother seems to vacillate between indifference and cruel criticism. Since her mother refuses to tell her anything about her past, Iris decides to do some snooping while the older woman is on holidays. She discovers that not only does she have a half-brother, Ray, her mother never mentioned but that he is in a institution for the criminally insane for a particularly heinous crime. She decides to visit him and discovers that he has autism. She is convinced of his innocence and decides that she will represent him in an appeal. This decision will have dangerous consequences for both herself and Ray.Girl in the Dark by Dutch author Marion Pauw is told in alternating voices between Ray and Iris and is, for the most part, one hell of a compelling psychological thriller. The characters are well-drawn especially Ray and the pacing keeps the story moving at a good clip. The plot and storyline worked very well and kept my full attention right until the big reveal at the end. Admittedly, I didn’t see it coming but that’s perhaps due to the fact that it felt a bit contrived. Still, the novel kept me engaged and entertained and, if the ending failed to live up to the rest of the book, it was a very enjoyable journey getting to it. This is the first book by this author translated into English but I will definitely be looking for more of her work in the future.3.5
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Iris Kastelein, part-time lawyer in an established firm and mother of a three-year-old “difficult” son, makes a startling discovery in the course of her work with one of the firm’s clients. As Iris investigates, she finds more questions than answers, and, despite her mother’s repeated requests for her to stop probing into the background of the man she’s just discovered is her half-brother, she continues to search for answers. Will her search gain her the information she needs or is she risking everything for the truth?Told by Ray and Iris in alternate chapters, the story unfolds slowly. The characters are well-defined and the chapters with Ray offer a strong sense of place. Iris’s frustration with Aaron is a bit more difficult to understand; his issues are obvious and readers may wonder why Iris never consults his pediatrician about them. The big plot twist reveal near the end of the book feels rather contrived; astute readers will figure it out long before it occurs. Translated from the original Dutch by Hester Velmans, the story is well-told and compelling despite a translation that sometimes seems a bit stilted.Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although it is tightly and carefully plotted there are rather too many coincidences in this novel for me. The final naming of Ray Boelens' father is really just the last in a long list of them.The plight of an autistic lad whose mother cannot cope with his behaviour, and who is wide open to suggestions made by others, is well done, as is the security that his sea water fish tank offers him.However the circumstances of the murders for which Ray was convicted and then institutionalised were not well investigated, especially the readiness to accept his own word for his involvement. The novel does highlight the vulnerability of people like Ray.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a suspenseful read. Unfortunately, I found it a bit lacking. The characters seemed shallow and the switch of narrative from different viewpoints felt unnatural. I enjoyed the premise of the book, and loved the twist at the end, but I really struggled through the change in narration. Would recommend this as a psychological thriller.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw4&#9733's"A single mother and lawyer, Iris has a colorful caseload, a young son with behavior issues, and a judgmental mother. She also has a brother—shocking news she uncovers by accident. Why did her mother lie to her for her entire life? Why did she hide the existence of Ray Boelens from her?Curious about this sibling she has never known, Iris begins to search for long-buried truths. What she discovers surprises—and horrifies—her. Her older brother is autistic—and in prison for brutally murdering his neighbor and her daughter. Visiting Ray, she meets a man who looks heart-breakingly like her own son. A man who is devoted to his tropical fish and who loves baking bread. A man whose naivete unnerves her. There is no question that Ray is odd and obsessive, unable to communicate like the rest of us. But is he really a killer?"My ThoughtsThe reader will in turns feel pity for Ray and at times will feel admiration while alternating between guilty and not guilty every few chapters. Girl in the Darkis a compulsive, page-turning, dark thriller about lies, murder and dogged determination. If you enjoy psychological suspense stories about dysfunctional families, or twisted endings...and I have to say I never expected the ending that I got... then you'll definitely want to read this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good story. Reminded me of Triptych, and not a little. I am almost sure Pauw was inpired by Karin Slaughter, except she leaves out the gory bits. Therefore, I don't agree with the publisher, I wouldn't call this book a thriller at all. I liked the unexpected ending and I admire the way she ties all the loose ends together. I disliked the unneeded romance and the attempt of making a non-thriller a thriller at the last pages.