Novels of psychological suspense are at their most tense and heart-pounding when it comes down to a mother willing to do absolutely anything in order to protect her child. In The Unheard, Nicci French (the pseudonym used by husband and wife writing powerhouse Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) brings readers a fast-paced, tightly woven thriller with exactly this scenario at its heart.
Tess and her former partner Jason appear to be doing well at co-parenting their three-year-old daughter Poppy, but when Poppy comes home after one particular weekend with her father, she is acting oddly withdrawn. She gets her crayons and creates a picture for her mother of a very violent scene, but can only explain it with the understanding of a three-year-old. This simple drawing sets Tess on a collision course with Jason and his new wife as the reader quickly sees that there is nothing Tess will not do to find out just what Poppy may have seen or heard, and what repercussions that might have.
The majority of this story takes place over just a few days time, which often helps stories of psychological suspense maintain a fast-paced feel. When you see something earth-shattering happen on a Thursday but can immediately think back to Monday when everything was calm and normal, it helps build the feeling of urgency into the events and keeps readers glued to the page. Additionally, the cast of characters in this story, for me personally, felt exactly right. There weren’t so many people in Tess and Poppy’s social circle that the reader has trouble remembering one from another, but there also were not so few that it was immediately obvious who the villain would turn out to be. French gives us the perfect number of characters to be mindful of, and also gives each of them enough depth to be able to consider who might have been motivated to commit a terrible act.
Admittedly, there are a couple of tropes used here that some readers may have seen more often than they can enjoy. We have all seen stories with a woman who is convinced that something bad has happened but can’t get anyone to believe her. We also have seen many examples of the woman’s mental health being questioned long before her concerns or suspicions are taken seriously. In neither case is this used disrespectfully in The Unheard. Readers who know they are especially sensitive to either of those issues can make up their own minds about whether the presence of either could dampen their enjoyment of an exceptional novel of domestic suspense.
The Unheard is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
‘He did kill. Kill and kill and kill.’
Tess’s number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy’s father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe.
When she finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. Something that her young mind is struggling to put into words.
But no one will listen. It’s only a child’s drawing, isn’t it?
Tess will protect Poppy, whatever the price. But when she doesn’t know what, or who, she is protecting her from, how can she possibly know who to trust . . . ?
