April 27, 2015
Lythell (After the Storm) effectively interweaves the perspectives of two women in this well-written and creepy, though familiar, psychological thriller. Kathy Hartman has just begun working as the editor at Britain’s “most prestigious architectural magazine,” and is struggling to balance the heightened professional demands with motherhood. Unbeknownst to Kathy, things are only going to get more stressful. One of her staff, Heja Vanheinen, is still obsessed with Kathy’s husband, Markus, her former lover. Heja, who was a well-known television personality in Finland, has insinuated herself into Kathy’s life and begins a campaign to undermine her, both professionally and personally. When Kathy leaves her keys in the office, Heja sneaks them out to make a copy. Able to enter Kathy and Markus’s home whenever she likes, Heja derives a sense of power and control from watching Kathy asleep and vulnerable. The arc of the plot offers few surprises, though Lythell is adept at maintaining suspense as Heja’s net tightens around her prey.