Veena’s review of Quiet In Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Thriller published by Berkley 23 Feb 21

On a dark, stormy night socialite Nina Rai disappeared with a quarter million dollars. Her son, Aarav, is haunted by memories of his mother’s love, a scream on that fateful night, and a cleanup effort of the family living room, making him believe, despite his father’s claims of stolen money, that the senior Rai had a hand in his mother’s disappearance.

Told mostly through Aarav’s viewpoint, Nalini Singh takes readers on a psychological thrill ride that will leave you with goosebumps on your arms and feverishly turning the pages to find the truth not just of that night long ago, but the stories that are still playing out beneath the placid surface of the exclusive cul-de-sac which Aarav calls home.

Once his mother’s body is discovered hidden in the nearby forest entombed in her car, Aarav is obsessed with finding the truth of what happened that fateful night and who’s responsible. In his obsession, Aarav is stirring up a hornets’ nest of secrets and lies that are buried beneath the placid surface of the exclusive neighborhood where his father still makes his home. There is no doubt that the cul-de-sac and some of the relationships and families will no longer be the same once the dust settles.

Aarav is a self-proclaimed sociopath who wears many faces and respects few and loves even less. The only meaningful relationship that he seems to have is with his young stepsister. His paranoia and sketchy memories make for a chilling tale as he tries to piece the clues together and throw bones in the way of the police detectives working the case.

Ms. Singh is a fabulous storyteller.  This story further illustrates her range and virtuosity. Told from the viewpoint of a tortured adult who questions his own sanity at times, but is feverishly determined to get to the truth of what happened that distant, stormy night when his mother disappeared, the story will keep readers on edge even as they try to keep track of all the moving parts of the story.

An absolute winner with enough twists and hairpin turns to keep the reader guessing.

Grade: A

Summary:

My mother vanished ten years ago.
So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.
Thief. Bitch. Criminal.
Now, she’s back.
Her bones clothed in scarlet silk.
 
When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband. But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighborhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that’s housed the same influential families for decades.

The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier. And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night ten years ago. Her son Aarav heard a chilling scream that night, and he’s determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance…but  no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.

Even the dead aren’t allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

No excerpt available.