Preeta Chag

Pub by: Hodder & Stoughton

The world knows her as The Girl in Cell A.

Convicted of murder, she hits the headlines from a small American town, Eden Falls. But she proclaims herself –not guilty. Orianna, the Girl in Cell A, claims to have no memory of what transpired at the murder site and professes innocence.

This is my first novel by Vaseem Khan, and I am hooked.

The first chapter draws you in like a honey trap. Each word is skillfully crafted to arouse curiosity and engage the reader, whetting the appetite to turn the pages on and on.

The book reads through two characters: Orianna Negi, the celebrity criminal, and forensic psychotherapist Annie Ledet, who is brought in to determine whether Orianna is speaking the truth.

The book also spans two time zones. One is in the jail recounting Oriaana and Annie’s narrative. And the second is when Orianna is out on a payrole in Eden Falls trying to uncover the truth behind Gideon Wyclerc’s murder.

The book is fast-paced, and each character is well-etched and intriguing. The prose is chilling and so very lyrical at places, bringing alive the settings and emotions of the character.

“In the distance, the dark velvet of the night sky meets the rising landscape, merging with a shallow band of trees that abut the estate’s exterior wall.”

“People talk of heaven being a pearly white, but to my mind, heaven is a mix of blues and greens, sky and trees. Hell is grey. The grey of a cell block; the grey of a prison yard.”

It is a taut narration, weaving a story of wealth, power, greed, lust and love. Portraying the inner secrets hugged by a small American town, each character of the town is described vividly, making it come oh-so alive.

With unimaginable twists and chilling moments, this book is unputdownable.

It is Vaseem Khan’s first psychological thriller, and I am interested to read more.