Winner of the 2021 Edgar Award for Best First Novel In this sophisticated, suspenseful debut reminiscent of Laura Lippman and Megan Miranda, two young women become unlikely friends during one fateful summer in Atlantic City as mysterious disappearances hit dangerously close to home.Summer has come to Atlantic City but the boardwalk is empty of tourists, the casino lights have dimmed, and two Jane Does are laid out in the marshland behind the Sunset Motel, just west of town. Only one person even knows they're there. Meanwhile, Clara, a young boardwalk psychic, struggles to attract clients for the tarot readings that pay her rent. When she begins to experience very real and disturbing visions, she suspects they could be related to the recent cases of women gone missing in town. When Clara meets Lily, an ex-Soho art gallery girl who is working at a desolate casino spa and reeling from a personal tragedy, she thinks Lily may be able to help her. But Lily has her own demons to face. If they can put the pieces together in time, they may save another lost girl--so long as their efforts don't attract perilous attention first. Can they break the ill-fated cycle, or will they join the other victims? A "beautifully written, thoughtful page-turner" (Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists), Please See Us is an evocative and compelling psychological thriller that explores the intersection of womanhood, power, and violence.
I would like to thank Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) and NetGalley for sending me an Advance Reader’s Edition. Because I did find the book “captivating and thrilling,” I am happy to offer this review.
This is Ms. Mullen’s debut novel, and it is a page-turner. Please See Us is a crime drama about a serial killer...my favorite book genre. There are millions of books about serial killers out there, so it is hard to write an original one. Ms. Mullen managed to create for me a story that I had never read before. Nice work! I loved the chapters interspersed throughout the book written from the victims’ points of view.
While I have heard stories about Atlantic City, I have never visited there. The description of the city became a story in itself for me. I could picture it as I read.
Initially, I had some trouble with the two protagonists (Clara and Lily). I found their situations...while very different...combinations of bad luck and poor decision-making. As I continued to read, I decided that my initial observation was too harsh. After all, bad luck is no one’s fault, and who in their late teens to early twenties makes all good decisions? By the end of this book, I was pulling for them both. Truly, that hasty judgment is the only negative thing I have to say. I truly liked this book.
For me, the most disappointing thing that can happen in a crime drama is for me to know “whodunnit” before the reveal. The first character offered up as a logical culprit had better not turn out to be the bad guy, and he wasn’t. That cannot be considered a spoiler, right? This character was actually my favorite character in the book. He is interesting, deep, and well-developed. He might just need a book of his own.
The end is not what you might expect. I hope you like it. I did.
Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4 solid ones
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.