Book Review: A Hitchcock-styled homage filled with old-school thrills

Daniel Mallory, who goes by the literary moniker of AJ Finn, takes all these ingredients and stirs up a heady stew with his debut novel, The Woman in the Window, which channels the ethos of Alfred Hitchcock from the word go. The plot revolves around Anna Fox, a child psychiatrist, and in a twist of fate, an agoraphobic, who cannot step beyond the confines of her house. 

Interestingly, her pastime involves binge-watching black and white classics of the Master of Suspense. It comes as no surprise that she soon finds herself in the thick of one. 

Like James Stewart’s protagonist in Rear Window, Fox is also an avid photographer with a borderline voyeuristic interest in the lives of her neighbours, particularly one family. And then something happens. The novel portrays Anna’s rapidly declining grasp on reality as she attempts to uncover the truth behind what she thinks is a murder… or maybe it’s just her imagination. Finn’s novel has already garnered huge praise from stalwarts in the genre such as Stephen King, Jane Harper (The Dry) and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl). 

It constantly throws readers for a loop with chapters punctuated by cliffhangers that bring about a heightened sense of anxiety, that makes the book unputdownable.    

The author manages to pull the rug from under your feet and raise the stakes at opportune moments. This reader’s patience was rewarded with a final twist that turned the narrative completely on its head. Minutiae are thrown into fresh relief and this is where Finn’s book delivers its payoff and homage to Hitchcock. 

Word of advice: Don’t sleep over this dark fable. It’s got just about the right combo of old school thrills to keep you hooked for a quick weekend read.

Price: Rs.399