Heather, the Totality Lib/E

In a landscape of despair, stuck in the logjam of the dull round of work, marriage, and raising a child, other emotions can command so much attention. This beautifully structured, spare study is Chekhovian, noirish, and quietly fraught. The minimal writing style is beautiful, and the tension is so carefully modulated that the aesthetic of rising unease is oddly comforting. But there is dread in the inevitable climax, and a thriller's tautness to the possible resolutions that steadily arise. A reader's delight - well-managed prose, excellent plotting, psychological suspense, and insightful character-building make this perfect for a winter night's reading.