Please See Us is a psychological thriller that zings with anticipation. Set upon the very atmospheric backdrop of down-and-out Atlantic City, two young women struggling with their own disenchanted realities must come together to stop a serial killer, before they become targets themselves.
If you like your thrillers to be non-stop, filled with emotional turmoil, and unafraid to comment on hard-hitting societal aspects, then here’s your next read. Author Caitlin Mullen doesn’t let up throughout her novel: instead, she makes it clear just how tough women still have it in certain male dominated circles. By utilising multiple female perspectives—hearing from both the living and the dead—this book really packs a punch, whether you’re ready for it or not.
So, let’s talk about the three things that this novel did really well: setting, tone, and writing style.
Please See Us is highly immersive, which is predominantly due to the vivid setting—a few chapters in and the rough boardwalk appears under your feet, and the heat of summer begins to dampen your skin.
As she compares the false cheer and slow decline of tourism in relation to the dark underbelly of the city, Mullen ensures the audience doesn’t forget the harsh setting in which we meet our two main protagonists. With Clara, a young, broke physic looking to escape, and Lily, an ex-art gallery woman running from a personal tragedy, the harsh backdrop of the city prompts the characters to ruthlessly face their decisions head-on.
Then there’s the utilisation of tone throughout the story. At times passive, at other times provocative in nature, the overall lasting impression of attempting to overcome one’s powerlessness in a city that inspires failure is one of this story’s most powerful attributes. Simply put, there is no way to read this book without feeling both hopeful and crushingly devastated.
Although at times the usage of tone seems a little heavy handed, it still feels necessary, making it clear that to be a woman in this story is a deadly gambit. With more and more Jane Does being added to the marsh that borders part of the city, the need for escape becomes stronger and stronger, and the overall tone of this story becomes more ominous at every turn.
And finally, there’s Mullen’s writing style: it’s beautifully lyrical while also straight to the point. This, paired with the choice of splicing chapters from the perspectives on the Jane Does with those of Clara and Lily, creates a story that is hard to let go of, even long after you’ve finished reading.
This book certainly accomplishes what it sets out to do, both thrilling the reader and transporting them into a sinister reality. Atmospheric, beautifully written, and heart-wrenchingly realistic, Please See Us is a chorus of women’s voices demanding to be heard. With this being her debut novel, Mullen is definitely one to watch.
Please See Us is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In this sophisticated, suspenseful debut reminiscent of Laura Lippman and Chloe Benjamin, two young women become unlikely friends during one fateful summer in Atlantic City as mysterious disappearances hit dangerously close to home.
Summer has come to Atlantic City but the boardwalk is empty of tourists, the casino lights have dimmed, and two Jane Does are laid out in the marshland behind the Sunset Motel, just west of town. Only one person even knows they’re there.
Meanwhile, Clara, a young boardwalk psychic, struggles to attract clients for the tarot readings that pay her rent. When she begins to experience very real and disturbing visions, she suspects they could be related to the recent cases of women gone missing in town. When Clara meets Lily, an ex-Soho art gallery girl who is working at a desolate casino spa and reeling from a personal tragedy, she thinks Lily may be able to help her. But Lily has her own demons to face. If they can put the pieces together in time, they may save another lost girl—so long as their efforts don’t attract perilous attention first. Can they break the ill-fated cycle, or will they join the other victims?
Evocative, eerie, and compelling, Please See Us is a fast-paced psychological thriller that explores the intersection of womanhood, power, and violence.
