The Undoing of Violet Claybourne

Critchley (One Puzzling Afternoon) delivers an artful, gothic-tinged mystery about a young woman’s tragic entanglement with her friend’s wealthy family. In 1999, Gillian McCune (née Larking) is sorting through her possessions when she comes across a diary from 1938. Inside are entries that recount a visit to Thornleigh Hall, the childhood home of Gillian’s former boarding school roommate, Violet. The diary moves Gillian to return to Thornleigh for the first time in 60 years, though she’s initially hesitant, owing in part to the suicide of a young woman named Laura. Flashbacks chronicle Gillian’s first visit to Thornleigh and flesh out her friendship with Violet, whose companionship helped fill the hole left by Gillian’s dead mother and cruel father. Critchley gradually ratchets up suspense, piecing together the details of a death at Thornleigh that forced Gillian to take part in an elaborate cover-up. The author maintains an intoxicating air of melancholy and foreboding throughout, and brings the mystery to a satisfying—if not entirely surprising—resolution. It’s an immersive, chilling treat for suspense fans. Agent: Hayley Steed, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Mar.)