The Woman in the Attic | Emily Hepditch
On the coast of rural Newfoundland, Ana's mother has lived her life in near total isolation. When Ana returns to the lonely saltbox house to prepare her mother for the transition into assisted living, her childhood home is anything but welcoming. Dilapidated from years of hoarding and neglect, the walls are crumbling, leaving Ana's wellness crumbling along with them. While packing her mother's things, Ana discovers a trap door to the house's attic, the one she believed for most of her life had been permanently sealed shut. Blinded by curiosity, Ana enters the attic and unexpectedly finds an intact bedroom. She begins to dig around in the drawers of the furniture and, in a trunk under the bed, discovers a guest book for a mysterious bed and breakfast, a wad of cash, and a bloodstained jacket. Horrified, Ana begins to scramble for answers, combing the house for clues that may lead her to the truth. Ana must navigate through the violent outbursts of her senile mother, the prying questions of a nosy hospice nurse, and the rage of the coastal wind that threatens the structure of the house. Piece by piece, she assembles a picture of her mother's not-so-distant past--a twisted tangle of infatuation, murder, and identity theft. The Woman in the Attic is a tense and claustrophobic psychological thriller wrought with suspense. It will leave you on the edge of your seat and wary of the unused spaces collecting dust in your home.