Her by Mira V. Shah

 

Her by Mira V. Shah.

Published in paperback 23rd November 2023 by Hodder Books.

From the cover of the book:

YOU WANT TO BE JUST LIKE HER. BUT DO YOU REALLY KNOW HER?

Rani has always felt like an outsider. First growing up among her white, wealthy peers. And now next to her successful, child-free friends. From the tiny rented flat she lives in with her family, she imagines being the kind of woman who owns the beautiful house across the street.

Then Natalie moves in. With her expensive clothes, adoring husband and high-powered job, she has everything Rani wants, and Rani can't help but be drawn to her new neighbour.

But as the two women strike up a friendship and begin open up, Rani wonders - is Natalie's perfect-seeming life too good to be true?

***********

Rani's life has not turned out quite as she was expecting. Living in a cramped flat with her husband and two small children, she feels just as much an outsider as she always has, and longs for the things that seem to have come so easily to her single, white friends. Every day, she looks longingly at her dream house across the street, wondering what it would be like to live there. So, when a pair of glamorous newly weds move into it she cannot help herself becoming fascinated by them.

The young bride, Natalie, represents everything Rani wishes she could be. Beautiful, with a high-powered legal career, and a wealthy husband who adores her, Natalie seems to be living the perfect life. Rani is determined they must meet, but when an unlikely friendship sparks between them, she glimpses something else going on beneath the glossy image that the couple portray to the world...

At first sight Rani and Natalie are two very different characters, living wildly opposite lives. However, when Shah lets you see behind closed doors on both sides of the street, you begin to realise there is a lot more to this situation than meets the eye. Both women feel they are living a lie, and Shah uses this to cleverly mix up threads of relatable domestic drama from Rani's side of the tale, with an unsettling psychological thriller plot about Natalie's past. 

This novel gradually burgeons into a story that is rife with elements of mystery, and as the twists and turns unfurl, you find yourself rapidly flipping the pages to ferret out the truth. Even though I did see some of these twists coming, Shah still knocked me sideways with some lovely little surprises, which I really enjoyed. Along the way, Shah has a ball spinning the consequences of envy, rage, and manipulation throughout everything that happens, and she examines a bevy of complex themes around mental health, controlling relationships, unresolved trauma, and identity. Both women's stories throw up topical issues, but Rani's tale is particularly affecting, as her experiences allow Shah to do an excellent job of exploring self-worth, different facets of racism, and the conflicting emotions that come with motherhood - lots that will resonate widely here, I think.

I loved the journey from slow-burn creep to fast-paced thrills and spills in this book, and Shah's writing style is both engaging and entertaining. Highly recommended if you like a psychological thriller that will hold you fast to the bitter-sweet end!

Her is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Hodder books for sending me a copy if this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Mira V Shah is a writer, former City lawyer turned legal editor and the proud owner of three good dogs. She is the daughter of Indian African parents and lives in North London with her husband and the pack – merely a few miles from where she grew up, although she often dreams about retiring in Italy should her intermittent lottery entries prove successful.

She wrote her first ever novel in 2020 during the first UK lockdown after studying on the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course. HER is latest thriller from Hodder & Stoughton in March ‘23 (e-book and audio) and November ‘23 (paperback).