The Girl In Cell A: A tense and gripping suspense novel guaranteed to surprise and thrill, for fans of Show Trial

by Vaseem Khan

🎧Run Time = 12 hours and 46 minutes

A tense and gripping suspense novel guaranteed to surprise and thrill - 'the twist will floor you' — i newspaper

“An utterly absorbing story” ( Shari Lapena ) performed by a trio of narrators: Seventeen-year-old Orianna Negi was convicted of killing Gideon Wyclerc — but she remembers nothing. As forensic psychologist Annie Ledet digs into Orianna’s past, she uncovers secrets that could expose a far darker truth… “Complex, completely convincing characters, and a twist you’ll never guess. A masterful achievement” ( Alex Michaelides ).
‘Beautifully structured and peopled with unforgettable characters this is story-telling of the highest order: do not miss it’ DAILY MAIL

THE WORLD KNOWS HER AS THE GIRL IN CELL A.

Convicted of murder at seventeen, infamous killer and true crime celebrity Orianna Negi has always maintained her innocence.

BUT IF SHE DIDN’T KILL GIDEON WYCLERC…

Orianna has a blind spot over that fateful day: she can’t remember what happened. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is tasked with unlocking the truth.

....THEN WHO DID?

Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch , Amos. As their sessions progress, Annie reaches into Orianna’s past to a shattering realisation.... Scandal. Sex. Power. Race. And murder. Between guilt and innocence lies a fallen Eden.

‘A fabulous thriller where small-town America and the sins of its inhabitants make for a wonderful page-turner’ STEVE CAVANAGH

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

592 pages, Hardcover

Published July 8, 2025

About the author

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India and the upcoming Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. Vaseem is the current Chair of the UK Crime Writers Association.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The eponymous ‘Girl in Cell A’, otherwise known as Orianna Negi, was convicted of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc at the age of just 17. Gideon’s daughter Grace disappeared the same day and has never been found.

However, Orianna can’t remember what actually happened the day of the murder, but nevertheless maintains her innocence. And so it falls to Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet to unlock the truth, because if Orianna is telling the truth, then there’s a murderer walking free.

Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch, Amos. This is a town of secrets, a town with its fair share of scandals, sex, power, alleged incest and murder - and it’s not the first murder either! 18 years later Orianna is released and returns to Eden Falls determined to find out just who killed Gideon, and discover what happened to Grace.

This was a clever, well written psychological thriller which explores memory, truth, and lies in a small American mining town. The finger of suspicion had a real workout here, pointing out several suspects, but it turns out my finger was way off, pointing totally in the wrong direction!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *

[Erin]

ARC for review. To be published July 8, 2025.

DNF at 20%

Orianna Negi became a star within the world of crime when she, a servant’s child, was convicted of killing Gideon Wyclerc and, likely, his daughter, Grace when Orianna was only seventeen. She can’t remember anything about the night Gideon died and Grace disappeared.

Now she’s served her time in prison and she’s returning to her home town of Eden Falls, where the Wyclerc family rules, because she’s a masochist. Oh, no, wait, because she wants to find out what really happened. Girl, they stole half your life and they hate your guts, that’s what really happened. Take the L and try to salvage something. But because no one ever listens to me she goes back.

I had a horrible POTS flare followed by an equally fun round of bronchitis when I was trying to read this so I literally was reading maybe a couple of pages a day and just couldn’t get into it, plus, at nearly 500 pages I didn’t feel like I was making any progress at all, so I gave up on this one, so I’ll never know the real truth. Maybe it was good, but I wasn’t loving what I had read up to the point I stopped. Didn’t hate it, just wasn’t enthralled.

[Zoe Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie is a forensic psychotherapist tasked with making the decision to release convicted murderer Orianna. Told on then and now timelines we have “‘then” from Annie’s side and “now” from Oriannas.

Orianna was accused of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, on the day of the murder his 17 year old daughter also disappeared. Orianna returns to her home town of Echo Falls determined to find the answers from the past as she has no memory of the night of the murder and is convinced of her innocence. Hardly anyone from the town is pleased she is back but she is set on uncovering what happened that fateful night.

This is a mystery with all the thrills, It literally had me pointing fingers everywhere, there are a lot of characters in the story but the author does a fantastic job of subtle reminders of whose who so it’s really easy to follow still. The writing was brilliant, very clever and alot of background in the story, it gave me feels of ‘The girl with the dragon tattoo’ and ‘shutter island’.

Murder, rape, racism, incest and affairs galore. Easy 5 star read for me. Definitely recommend. Outstanding book. Bravo to the author!

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for me eARC.

[Locket · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is frustratingly lengthy and long winded. Mercifully, at least, it has very short chapters.
The writing is poetic and romanticised but I found this very overpowering.
The boredom comes with repeated descriptions of everything being wolf like and everyone wearing shorts and t-shirts.
The dialogue is far past reality, everyone is extremely hostile but yet exposes their secrets freely to someone they dislike.
Despite the revelations, again the humdrum is maintained as it feels as though these conversations between the characters don’t actually help us to learn anything or provide anything interesting.
And then the twist comes. And…. It’s disappointing. I won’t reveal the spoiler but this twist is the one arc I absolutely cannot stand in literature or films. It’s been beaten to death with overuse and awful misinformation about mental health conditions.
Sadly I cannot recommend this novel at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

[Payal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a riveting psychological thriller, if a tad long and repetitive in parts. Told from the perspective of two women, one the eponymous “girl in cell A”, the other the psychologist tasked with figuring out if she’s fit for parole, the book is essentially a murder mystery. Did Oriana really shoot her father in the face 17 years ago, or is there a murderer who walked free. There are any number of possible suspects, but what really happened that day? Why is there a hole in Oriana’s memory during the key event?

Some sections of the book felt repetitive, and I think it could have been a tad shorter. However, there is a twist that I definitely didn’t see coming (though it did answer a few questions I had). I’m also not entirely sure why bits and pieces of the psychologist’s personal life were thrown into the narrative when they had no bearing on the story.

I might look up Vaseem Khan’s other books. Refreshing to find a South Asian-origin author who’s writing “different” stuff.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

[Coffeecats_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous read!

I just finished, and I am in shock...
I thought I understood what was happening and who killed who... then it wasn't the person I thought... and then the last few chapters just... what???
I need some time to process! (Mind-blowing twist indeed!)

First time reading a book by the author, but not the last. The writing kept me engaged from the first few chapters. It is an incredible debut in the psychological thriller genre by the author.

Recommended! Thank you, Netgalley, for my ARC ebook. Will be buying the physical copy when out.

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to Hodder and Netgalley for my ARC copy of this in exchange for a review!

i enjoyed this thriller and it’s quite different to other thrillers that i’ve read. i was so confused at the ending and it still had me questioning what happened.

i reckon the book could have been about 150 pages less whilst still getting the main plot across. there were lots of characters to remember and get my head around so i would recommend reading this book in big chunks to fully grasp it.

overall, a good psychological thriller

[Kelly (Little.shropshire.reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really wasn't for me. I just couldn't connect with the story or the main character. This led to me not wanting to puck it up and keep reading. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish this one. I don't think it needed to be so long. I was just underwhelmed by the ending. I almost dnf'd it. I think if it wasn't an ARC, I would have.

A positive I didn't guess the twists. I had a theory that it was going to go one way, and it didn't.

Thank you, Hodder and Stoughton, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Ani ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read The Girl in Cell A because of the intriguing synopsis and glowing reviews. At first, I got completely swept into the story of Orianna, a woman who has spent 18 years in prison for the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, a powerful man from a powerful dynasty in her hometown. Now, she’s being evaluated by forensic psychologist Annie Ledet to determine if she’s fit for release.

The chapters alternate between Annie’s point of view and Orianna’s investigation after being released, slowly uncovering the truth of what happened that terrible day. It’s a story about family, legacy, power, and scandal, and it really should have been a winner for me.

My main issue was the length. I didn’t check how many pages it had before starting, but after reading it for many nights, I started to feel a bit desperate when I realized I wasn’t making any real progress. The book just went on and on, and I gradually started losing interest. Orianna wasn’t a particularly charismatic lead, and I didn’t understand at first why we were getting Annie’s perspective either, she wasn’t interesting enough to justify it.

By the time I reached the final section, which I’ll admit had a solid twist that made sense within the story, I no longer cared much about the outcome. And I really didn’t like the last chapter, which was full of overexplanations and an unnecessary recap of everything that had already been revealed. Sometimes, leaving things open is more than okay.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a massive departure for Vaseem Khan. His first novel set outside India and his first psychological thriller. He's done a fine job. Hoping we see more of this side of his storytelling talent in the future.

The Girl in Cell A is Orianna, a young woman being assessed for probation by psychologist, Annie Ledet. Orianna has been in prison for 18 years, found guilty of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, a man who had been revealed as her father on the day of his murder. Orianna has consistently maintained her innocence but has no memory of the murder. Is the memory loss selective or genuine and is Orianna really a victim of wrongful imprisonment? And can Annie unlock Orianna's memories.

The story is split into Orianna's story as she returns to her home town, Eden Falls as she tries to prove her innocence; Annie's interviews with Orianna in prison which give us the history of the powerful Wyclerc family and Orianna's part in it; and finally the conclusion of both the story and Annie's findings.

I confess to getting a bit confused with all the characters but they do eventually sort themselves into the main players. As we got to the end I was somewhat irritated by the conclusion but then there's a wonderful twist in the final pages.

It is impossible to compare this book to anything Vaseem Khan has written previously (and I've read everything) because it is so very different. Read it with an open mind. The twists and turns of the story will keep you guessing. Try not to get too hung up on all the names because they will resolve themselves. I'd just advise you to sit back and enjoy the trip into small town America where noone is quite as they seem on the surface.

Definitely recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl in Cell A, Orianna, was convicted at seventeen for the murder of Gideon Wyclerc. Found dead in his cabin, Gideon was murdered…and Orianna was found unconscious at the scene with her prints all over the gun that was used to kill him.
Orianna has always maintained her innocence. She claims to have no memory of the moments around the killing, and refused to plead guilty as she was convinced someone else had killed Gideon and his daughter, Grace.
Now, years after the event, Orianna has agreed to meet with Anne Ledet, a forensic psychologist, to try and regain her repressed
We follow the progress through both the eyes of Ledet and Orianna. This dual narrative makes for fascinating reading, particularly as the strands come together and we start to gain a fuller picture of what is taking place.
Definitely one that’s best to go into with no more detail than we’re given. An absorbing read, and highly recommended.

[Kyreadsthrillers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had an intriguing setup, a true crime celebrity accused of murder with no memory of the night it happened. As a forensic psychologist digs into her past, secrets tied to power, race, and family slowly unfold.

It’s definitely a slow burn, and the book felt longer than it needed to be. There are a lot of characters to keep track of early on, which can be confusing, but once you get the hang of it, the story becomes easier to follow.

The themes are strong and the mystery kept me curious, but the pacing dragged and some moments didn’t hit as hard as they could have. Still, it’s a layered story that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with a deeper focus.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

WOW! That was some read! This is an outstanding piece of story telling. Beautifully written with an engaging cast of characters that almost pop into life from the pages. Tense, gripping and very clever Vaseem Khan has written a truly riveting read that will take you on journey which twists and turns as the plot unravels. Set in the then with Annie and the now with Orianna it will at times seem confusing but stick with it because the end is nigh on brilliant. Loved loved lived it!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This book was insane! I suspected EVERYBODY! Did I kill Gideon?! The trust issues are real.
Think Shutter Island level of unreliable narrator. It worked sooo well.
The characters were all really well thought out with their own personalities and lives going on. Orianna and Annie in particular as they were out two voices.
This was just so clever and I really enjoyed every twist and turn.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc!

Pub date- 1st of May 2025.

[Mira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eden Falls, population 2000.

The town has long been the stronghold of the Wylercs - a family who has made their fortune in mining, and owns the town.
Orianna Negi - the 17 year-old mixed race daughter of their housekeeper is accused of murdering two of the members of this beloved family.

The only thing is that she claims not to remember anything from the day she was found unconscious, next to a corpse and a gun with her fingerprints all over it.

This story alternates between Orianna’s perspective in the present day, and that of a forensic psychotherapist named Annie Ledet, who is tasked with assessing Orianna while she’s in prison.

This is a big book but has a large font and moves quite quickly so not as long a read as you might think.

It explores dissociative amnesia and the perils of trying to strip fiction from fact, in an attempt to get to the truth.

The story is full of suspense, twists and turns. It is quite an interesting read - a psychological thriller.

A good solid mystery - not something that will blow your mind completely - but with some pretty good twists.

I finished this in 1.5 days so safe to say I’d recommend it!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rob Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vaseem Khan's move into suspense thrillers is a triumph with this novel. Plenty of twists and turns keep you guessing and then... that ending. I hope he writes more of this genre!

[Charlie Morris (Read, Watch & Drink Coffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's start with the elephant in the room - and I do mean elephant! 592 pages for a thriller, woah! It's definitely a whopper. And actually, that's my only negative of this book, and something I say quite frequently. Because no book needs to be 600 pages long! Every book I have read that is over 450 pages, could have been better if it were shorter. So there, that's my little rant out of the way! Because everything else about this book (apart from a slight dip in the middle due to a slower pace) was fantastic! In fact, I'm really tempted to get over myself and up my rating to a full five stars, so I'm sure that will happen soon, because it really is a standout read.

The book is described as Mare of Easttown meets Succession, both of which I loved. And for once, it does live up to that tagline, as I couldn't resist staying up until 1am to binge-read it and get to the big reveal!

I would actually compare it more to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, though, with the secluded location and the powerful family running the town, all with an uncomfortable hint of incestuous nature in the air. The atmosphere is fantastic, and I was really pulled in by Khan's beautifully descriptive narrative.

It's hard not to say too much about this book without spoiling it because it is one that all comes down to its final chapters. And wow, my mind was blown. It took me a while to get my head around what I really thought of it all, but I quickly realised that the revelations answered all of my questions, and I thought it was very cleverly done.

It has definitely been one of my favourite reads this year, and it's definitely a book that you'll want to get in on the hype for!

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* The Girl In Cell A by Vaseem Khan. One word - bravo. This is psychological fiction and/or crime literature at its finest. What a book!

Orianna was locked up for murder 18 years ago. We join her across 2 timelines, one in prison with a mental health professional trying to untangle Orriana’s guilt or innocence and in the other in the small town where the crime happened in an attempt to find the truth.

I am blown away by how good The Girl In Cell A is. I love Vaseem Khan’s Malabar House series and a standalone is a huge risk for an author and also a bit of a risk for the reader. However, Vaseem has taken his writing to new heights. The characters are drawn spectacularly. I was rooting for some but swung from loathing to liking and back again with others. The plot zips along but in the measured way of Tana French and Chris Whittaker. The twists keep on coming right until the end and the intrigue levels could not be higher. This is a book that is so well written that it is effortless to read (a real skill) and impossible to put down. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a source of some concern to me that several of my favourite writers of novels and mysteries set in India have decided to write books about completely different places. I was intrigued to see how Vaseem Khan would handle the challenge of writing a whodunnit from the point of view of not one but two contemporary female American characters.

Would it be a compliment to his flexibility to say that I kept having to remind myself that this very accomplished novel came from the man behind the Baby Ganesh and Persia Wadia/Malabar House novels?

Of course, Khan is actually a British author and I can understand his urge to break out of his Indian storytelling niche, but I did wonder why he chose small-town America over a UK setting.

He did well. Very well.

The tale is of a murder in a small town with a dominant family influencing everything that happens in Eden Falls. A young woman was found guilty of murder and sent to jail. But did she really do it?

I’m not going to give you any clues. Too many books are spoilers and this plot requires protection.

If you also review it, please do the same.

[Susie Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orianna Negi was convicted of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc when she was 17, but claims she can’t remember what happened that day. On the same day that Orianna was found unconscious next to the Gideon’s body his daughter Grace went missing, and while she was never tried in connection with the girl’s disappearance, everyone knows Orianna was to blame.

Two decades later, psychologist Annie Ledet is brought in to help Orianna recover those memories in anticipation of her release. During her time in prison she’s become somewhat of a celebrity, the subject of many podcasts and true crime documentaries - but did she do it? And if she didn’t, who did?

There’s a lot going on in the novel, dual timelines, complex characters and themes around power, privilege, race and justice. It’s quite a hard book to review without giving spoilers but if you’re a fan of unreliable narrators, mysteries, and small town America then this could be one for you!

[Kennedy Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley, Vaseem Khan, and Mobius for this ARC in exchange for my review!
Though it is lengthy for a thiller, this story in its whole was extremely fast paced and attention grabbing. This story swaps points of view between teenage killer (now adult) Orianna Negi and forensic psychologist Annie Ledet.
Because of the length of this book, Annie's chapters felt unnecessary at times, but overall did create the sense of Orianna being an unreliable narrator. Her chapters are necessary in tying the end of the story neatly together however.
The last fourth of the book had me back and forth trying to figure out 'who-dunnit' and the last 2 chapters had me shocked! I still don't know what I believe in the end!
This story is full of religion, rape, incest, old money, and racism, and will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.
Overall I truly loved this book and will be recommending it to others!

[Chloe - maggie_books92 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

If I'm honest, I struggled to get through this book. It felt very long winded - the story could have been around 350 pages with a lot of questions and information removed and it would have been perfect.

There were a lot of characters to keep up with & the 'Then' & 'Now' for Annie & Orianna became a little bit confusing at the end.

What I will say, is the ending was good & different to other thrillers I've read! It still left it a wee bit uncertain though, which I'm not a fan of.

I love thrillers but, I'm really sorry, this just wasn't for me.

[Trina Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighteen years ago Orianna Negi was convicted of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, She's always denied the charge
Her psychologist Annie, has to write a report to see if Ori is eligible for Parole, the chapters follow their meetings in the past and Orianna's story now as she has the unenviable task of convincing the small minded town of her innocence.
The Wyclerc family close ranks, apart from patriarch Amos who now wonders if Orianna is the killer or not.
I found this a slow burn novel, trickling clues throughout. I must admit to being surprised by the ending and I do think it could have been condensed into a shorter story but it is a clever read.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ 🌟
What a toxic place Eden Falls is, and not surprising when headed up by the Wyclerc family, who have so.e very suspect history in their past.
I raced through this book as I needed to know who killed Gideon, and it could have been anyone, could have been me, had I been there. He was vile.
On top of that what did happen to Grace?
Nothing that I expected, and I'm usually quite good at picking up the clues.
Surprises a plenty, great pacing, and an all round cracking read.

[Liz Mistry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was certainly a departure from Vaseem's usual books, but boy was it suspenseful and compelling.
With strong first person contradictory narratives, a setting drenched in old America small towns and family greed, secrets, lies and prejudice thrown into the mix, this is a deliciously intriguing 'all is not what it seems' psychological thriller that really messes with you're preconceptions.
Loved it from start to finish

[The Good Book Edit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl in Cell A is a gripping psychological thriller that drew me in from the very first chapter. It centres on Orianna Negi, a young woman convicted of murdering Gideon Wyclerc and a girl named Grace, both members of the powerful Wyclerc family in the fictional town of Eden Falls.

The Wyclerc family is riddled with secrets, and as these come to light, blame and suspicion shift constantly from one member to another. At the helm is Amos Wyclerc, the ruthless patriarch and a morally grey character who stood out to me as the most compelling in the book.

The story moves between past and present and is driven by Annie Ledet, the therapist assigned to work with Orianna. Initially, Orianna is guarded and reluctant to open up, but as the sessions progress, Annie slowly gains her trust. As Annie digs deeper, shocking revelations emerge and her belief about whether Orianna is truly guilty keeps changing based on the story Orianna reveals and the fragments of memory she recalls.

Orianna suffers from trauma-induced dissociative amnesia and remembers only pieces of the night of the crime, which keeps both Annie and the reader in a constant state of uncertainty.

Despite being over 550 pages long, I finished this book in two sittings. The short chapters keep the pace tight, and every detail feels purposeful. I did not even realise when I crossed the 400-page mark.

Although I usually dislike open-ended endings, this one worked for me and left me thinking long after I finished. I am glad I picked this up, and even happier that this was my first read of 2026. A highly enjoyable psychological thriller that I would strongly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Dev Joshi, Stephanie Cannon and John Chancer. Slight southern US accent but surprisingly fast speech I had to slow it down.

Orianna was sentenced for ki11ing her father. However she has dissociative amnesia so can’t remember. At the same time Grace disappeared presumed de@d thought to be at the hands of the same person. On her release she is determined to find out what happened to Grace.

We get the story from Orianna in both the past and present with input from Forensic Psychologist Annie Ledet.

Short chapters, but it’s sprawling, and not easy to keep track as there’s very little to differentiate the different voices when narrated by the main female narrator.

It utilises a trope which is my least favourite so this wasn’t a great fit for me, but that ending increased my rating.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The girl in cell A by Vaseem Khon, a girl goes to prison for a murder she doesn’t remember and at the same time the murdered man’s daughter goes missing. When Adrian gets out of prison she heads back home where gossip runs rampant and it’s mostly about her. Her parentage is muddy her mom worked for the richest family in town and she may or may not be related to her mother‘s employers. Oh really didn’t like this book I found it to be long winded and once she started with her grandpa I just was so over it by the time I got to who killed Gideon although I was shocked again I just wanted to close the book and move on with my life. I appreciate the free arc as I always do but I must be honest have I not gotten this book for free I probably would not have finished it. #NetGalley, #HotterInStoughton, #TheBlindReviewer,#MyHonestReview, #VaseemKhon, #TheGirlInCellA,

[Tom - Reader of Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

On paper, the premise is familiar: Orianna is serving time for murder, but the question of guilt hangs in the air. Unfortunately, what follows does little to elevate that well-worn setup. Originality is hard to achieve in this territory, but the bigger issue here is execution. The writing often feels loose and uninspired, draining tension rather than building it.

The heavy reliance on ultra-short chapters, a Patterson-style technique that only works when handled with precision, actively harms momentum. Just as scenes begin to develop intrigue, the narrative abruptly shifts perspective or timeline, breaking immersion. Unsurprisingly, the strongest chapter is also the longest, allowed space to breathe and resonate. Compared to Khan’s Q series, which shows real promise early on, this feels flat and undercooked. A largely dull read, despite flashes of what might have been.