“With her latest novel, Moshfegh pushes the boundaries of psychological horror while commenting on the genre itself in ways that are both humorous and terrifying.“

Walking her dog in the woods, an elderly woman finds a handwritten note on the ground, held down by rocks. It reads: “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.”

But there isn’t a dead body. The woman doesn’t know what to do about this. She’s new to the area, a widow, and she doesn’t know anybody.

Obsession consumes the woman. Who was Magda? She begins to imagine what happened to her. She creates a list of imaginary suspects and their motives, and begins to see connections in the world around her. The mystery fades away, and becomes a sinister inevitability.

She must discover if there is a reasonable explanation for all of this, or something much more dangerous.

Why we’re excited about this book:

Ottessa Moshfegh is a bestselling writer from New England who now calls California home. Author of Eileen, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, McGlue, and a collection, Homesick for Another World, Moshfegh’s work has been shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction with Eileen. With her latest novel, Moshfegh pushes the boundaries of psychological horror while commenting on the genre itself in ways that are both humorous and terrifying. Marie Claire says: “Perhaps the most jarring genre of fiction is the kind that takes you deep into the gradual unraveling of a person’s mind. Moshfegh does a masterful job with Death In Her Hands, which follows a protagonist who believes she’s solving a murder. The book moves seamlessly from suspenseful to horrifying, retaining the reader’s attention all the while.”

Forthcoming from Penguin Press, Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh releases 21 April 2020 and is available for pre-order now.

BOB PASTORELLA

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