Her Every Fear By Peter Swanson

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

London-based Kate Priddy experiences bouts of anxiety that often explodes into full-blown panic attacks after an abusive boyfriend beat her, locked her in a closet and then committed suicide by shooting himself. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston whom she has never met, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments for six months, Kate sets aside her apprehension and accepts as it offers her an opportunity for a fresh start.

But the morning after she arrives in Boston, Kate was shocked to learn that Corbin’s next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been gruesomely murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own. She meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan told her he had seen Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he has denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.

When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence but she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment and accidentally learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? What about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jet-lagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself, so how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?

The story is told from multiple point of views, which I enjoy and which is done well, definitely adding an element of uncertainly, and which made me wonder which, if any, of the narrators was reliable.

Her Every Fear consumes my attention as it is an addictive and chilling read. It’s a well-written tale of voyeurism, obsession and murder.