A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE A BODY – LAURA MARSHALL
Book Publish Date: 04 July 2024
I don’t usually side with anyone but the protagonist. Blame it on first-person narration, it drags you into loyalty. But this time? I was all in for Sissy, the sharp, no-nonsense mother of the main character. If this book had a heartbeat, she was it.
Sissy made me laugh out loud with her dry wit, her shameless manipulation, and her ability to use age and trauma like weapons. She wasn’t just a side character, she was the flavour.
This book isn’t for people craving elaborate murder scenes or twist-heavy plots. The murder exists, yes, but in the background, because it’s told by someone who didn’t commit it. What you get instead is layered storytelling, complex family dynamics, and a pace that doesn’t give you a second to check your phone.
Chapter 10? Mentally, I’m still there. Traumatic? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. It forces you to see the protagonist from new angles, and gives context that quietly shapes the rest of the book.
There was a moment later in the story, when Sissy stages a scene to get her grandson back, and I had to stop and go ‘Ofcourse Sissy did that’. It was such a “you either hate her or you love her” kind of move. I was clapping for her, not going to lie.
This book dragged me straight out of a two-week reading slump. It’s the kind of story you read in oversized pyjamas, with snacks, while making mmhm noises every few pages. If you’ve been feeling stuck or uninspired, this is the reset button you didn’t know you needed.
Should you read it?
Yes.
Mood: Dark & Definitely Funny.
Loved this one? My last read was just as twisted. [Here’s my take on Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi.]
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