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Nachtschimmen
Na het overlijden van hun moeder raken de tweelingzussen Marina en Susannah DeBreem van elkaar vervreemd. Terwijl Susannah een succesvolle carrière opbouwt als binnenhuisarchitecte in Philadelphia, zoekt Marina de eenzaamheid van het platteland waar ze is opgegroeid.
Als Marina op gruwelijke wijze wordt vermoord, is Susannah ten einde raad. Ze wordt verscheurd door schuldgevoelens. Waarom heeft ze Marina´s noodkreten genegeerd? Dan begint ze plotseling allerlei ongewenste attenties te ontvangen van een anonieme persoon. Het blijken dezelfde `cadeautjes´ te zijn die haar zus kort voor haar dood kreeg...
Susannah durft niemand meer te vertrouwen, zelfs niet het rechercheteam dat zich met de zaak bezighoudt. In paniek vlucht ze naar een plek waar ze veilig denkt te zijn. Maar schijn bedriegt...
Als Marina op gruwelijke wijze wordt vermoord, is Susannah ten einde raad. Ze wordt verscheurd door schuldgevoelens. Waarom heeft ze Marina´s noodkreten genegeerd? Dan begint ze plotseling allerlei ongewenste attenties te ontvangen van een anonieme persoon. Het blijken dezelfde `cadeautjes´ te zijn die haar zus kort voor haar dood kreeg...
Susannah durft niemand meer te vertrouwen, zelfs niet het rechercheteam dat zich met de zaak bezighoudt. In paniek vlucht ze naar een plek waar ze veilig denkt te zijn. Maar schijn bedriegt...
284 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2003
6 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Lucretia Grindle
10 books70 followersLucretia Grindle was born in Boston Massachusetts and grew up spending half her time in the United States and half her time in the UK. Continuing as she started out, she still splits her time, but now calls the coast of Maine home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 29, 2019
I was recently completely bowled over by Grindle's later novel
Villa Triste
, and so was naturally eager to try her other work. My hopes were amply satisfied by The Nightspinners. It's a very different novel, but it's every bit as superbly written.
Susannah and Marina grew up as identical twins on a small farm somewhere remote in the middle of the American South. At the time the children were convinced they were so close together they could read each other's minds -- could talk to each other without speaking in a process they called nightspinning.
But then they grew apart. Marina had a mean streak that Susannah largely lacked. By the time the novel starts Susannah is living on her own in Philadelphia after a recent major bust-up with her fiance, making a reasonable living as a restaurant designer. She hadn't seen and barely spoken by phone to Marina for years before that dreadful night, eighteen months ago, when Marina was savagely murdered. The case is still unsolved, but it's known that for a year or so before her death Marina was being stalked: anonymous late-night phone calls where the caller didn't speak, the word "BITCH" scratched into the side of her car, deliveries of flowers -- all that sort of thing.
And now history seems to be repeating itself. The same murderous stalker has seemingly transferred their attentions to Susannah . . .
There are some genuinely scaring moments in The Nightspinners, moments that may have you shamefacedly checking under the bed before you continue reading, but the reason they're so effective is because of the tremendous atmosphere that Grindle, seemingly effortlessly, builds up. It's as if one of the great Gothic novelists had turned their hand to writing a murder mystery.
Susannah is our first-person narrator throughout, and it's through her account that we see what a pettily vicious little piece of work Marina was; we also, though, realize that Susannah herself isn't quite the delight she might think herself to be -- she too can be catty and vindictive. Aside from that, it's from Susannah that we learn of the events of the sisters' shared childhood, often through some event in her present sparking off a stream of memories. In this way the author conveys to us the traditional twin timelines of such tales without, in a way, our ever leaving the present: ironically for a novel focused on twinhood, Grindle thus offers us a single narrative rather than two. It's all most beautifully woven together and done so subtly you're hardly aware of it.
The only weak point of the novel -- and we're talking relatively here -- comes in the final chapters, where the villain is unmasked and then there's an overlong coda. I felt we could have had a little more on the motivations and compulsions of the killer and quite a lot less of the "Thank You and Good Night" section. There's the slightest of suggestions in that latter section, though, that Susannah's problems might not yet be over . . .
All in all, a splendid novel. More Grindle is in my future.
Susannah and Marina grew up as identical twins on a small farm somewhere remote in the middle of the American South. At the time the children were convinced they were so close together they could read each other's minds -- could talk to each other without speaking in a process they called nightspinning.
But then they grew apart. Marina had a mean streak that Susannah largely lacked. By the time the novel starts Susannah is living on her own in Philadelphia after a recent major bust-up with her fiance, making a reasonable living as a restaurant designer. She hadn't seen and barely spoken by phone to Marina for years before that dreadful night, eighteen months ago, when Marina was savagely murdered. The case is still unsolved, but it's known that for a year or so before her death Marina was being stalked: anonymous late-night phone calls where the caller didn't speak, the word "BITCH" scratched into the side of her car, deliveries of flowers -- all that sort of thing.
And now history seems to be repeating itself. The same murderous stalker has seemingly transferred their attentions to Susannah . . .
There are some genuinely scaring moments in The Nightspinners, moments that may have you shamefacedly checking under the bed before you continue reading, but the reason they're so effective is because of the tremendous atmosphere that Grindle, seemingly effortlessly, builds up. It's as if one of the great Gothic novelists had turned their hand to writing a murder mystery.
Susannah is our first-person narrator throughout, and it's through her account that we see what a pettily vicious little piece of work Marina was; we also, though, realize that Susannah herself isn't quite the delight she might think herself to be -- she too can be catty and vindictive. Aside from that, it's from Susannah that we learn of the events of the sisters' shared childhood, often through some event in her present sparking off a stream of memories. In this way the author conveys to us the traditional twin timelines of such tales without, in a way, our ever leaving the present: ironically for a novel focused on twinhood, Grindle thus offers us a single narrative rather than two. It's all most beautifully woven together and done so subtly you're hardly aware of it.
The only weak point of the novel -- and we're talking relatively here -- comes in the final chapters, where the villain is unmasked and then there's an overlong coda. I felt we could have had a little more on the motivations and compulsions of the killer and quite a lot less of the "Thank You and Good Night" section. There's the slightest of suggestions in that latter section, though, that Susannah's problems might not yet be over . . .
All in all, a splendid novel. More Grindle is in my future.
February 15, 2011
Lucretia Grindle wrote one of my top ten books last year - The Villa Triste. This one was totally different, but I loved it. To start with, I wasn't at all sure what genre I was reading - could be southern memoir, could be something with a ghostly occult edge? It then steps up into a gripping murder mystery/thriller, very edgy, exceptionally well written, and it had me on the edge of my seat. A most unusual read, and really highly recommended.
June 7, 2020
I could justify giving this a one star, but 1/4 of the book got me interested and there are some intriguing elements, Soo.. it’s not irredeemable, just overall kinda a mess.
1) it takes forever to get going. The first half is very boring, the third quarter is good, and the fourth quarter goes back to suck..
Because SPOILER!
2) ..there’s no way to know who the murderer is. Like, you gotta give some hint, some trail, that readers can follow. Or just make it a full character piece. But this does neither- it has a kinda shallow character narrate her life going through the different people it could be. They all seem like potential suspects, and then the reveal is just random. There’s no cohesion either in attempt at a character, message, or an engaging whodunit.
3) the writing style- lotta first person slow summary, not a fan.
4) the protagonist- she just doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, and if that’s intentional, if it’s a message regarding her dead sister or her shock and sadness.. that doesn’t really come through. There’s no writing supporting that besides a therapist that disappears a few pages in. It just feels very surface level as opposed to actually clarifying that characterization.
5) and what the heck was the night spinning about? It’s like the idea is dropped halfway through- commit to it or cut it out. Wasn’t crazy about the concept, personally, but then S. King has made me follow crazier ideas and I love his stories.
Not the worst book I’ve ever read, and the third quarter of it actually grabbed my attention, but overall? Just seems kinda a meandering mess.
1) it takes forever to get going. The first half is very boring, the third quarter is good, and the fourth quarter goes back to suck..
Because SPOILER!
2) ..there’s no way to know who the murderer is. Like, you gotta give some hint, some trail, that readers can follow. Or just make it a full character piece. But this does neither- it has a kinda shallow character narrate her life going through the different people it could be. They all seem like potential suspects, and then the reveal is just random. There’s no cohesion either in attempt at a character, message, or an engaging whodunit.
3) the writing style- lotta first person slow summary, not a fan.
4) the protagonist- she just doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, and if that’s intentional, if it’s a message regarding her dead sister or her shock and sadness.. that doesn’t really come through. There’s no writing supporting that besides a therapist that disappears a few pages in. It just feels very surface level as opposed to actually clarifying that characterization.
5) and what the heck was the night spinning about? It’s like the idea is dropped halfway through- commit to it or cut it out. Wasn’t crazy about the concept, personally, but then S. King has made me follow crazier ideas and I love his stories.
Not the worst book I’ve ever read, and the third quarter of it actually grabbed my attention, but overall? Just seems kinda a meandering mess.
June 24, 2025
This book had a strong hook and a lot of potential. The premise, being stalked by someone who may have murdered your sister, is chilling. Early on, the book taps into that unease effectively. The setup is strong, and I liked how the suspect pool was handled. From the protagonist’s apartment building to the police force, there was a real sense of not knowing who to trust.
That said, I felt like the author held back from leaning fully into the suspense. There are definitely gripping moments, but just as the tension begins to build, the narrative often switches gears, slowing the pace, stretching into tangents, or drifting away from the central threat. I’m all for giving characters depth, but here it sometimes came at the cost of atmosphere and momentum.
The protagonist’s reactions also felt overly analytical. At a time when I would expect fear and uncertainty to be front and center, her emotional responses seemed oddly muted by organisation and planning. I wanted to see more unraveling, more genuine vulnerability, especially as the danger escalated. It felt the author wanted to explore the protagonist's sister more than the character in the present, the character the reader should be engaging with in the story.
Still, the characters felt real and the overall structure was solid. It’s a well-written book in many ways, just not as tense or emotionally charged as the premise deserved. A decent thriller, but with the concept and hook, it could have been a great one.
That said, I felt like the author held back from leaning fully into the suspense. There are definitely gripping moments, but just as the tension begins to build, the narrative often switches gears, slowing the pace, stretching into tangents, or drifting away from the central threat. I’m all for giving characters depth, but here it sometimes came at the cost of atmosphere and momentum.
The protagonist’s reactions also felt overly analytical. At a time when I would expect fear and uncertainty to be front and center, her emotional responses seemed oddly muted by organisation and planning. I wanted to see more unraveling, more genuine vulnerability, especially as the danger escalated. It felt the author wanted to explore the protagonist's sister more than the character in the present, the character the reader should be engaging with in the story.
Still, the characters felt real and the overall structure was solid. It’s a well-written book in many ways, just not as tense or emotionally charged as the premise deserved. A decent thriller, but with the concept and hook, it could have been a great one.
August 12, 2016
Twins Marina and Susannah are identical, they look alike and they can communicate without speaking. However as they get older Susannah finds their life stifling and escapes causing an estrangement between them which is never repaired as Marina is murdered. Now Susannah finds that Marina's killer is stalking her. I liked this but felt there was so much more to look at in this book. Not your typical serial killer book, had hints of Donna Tartt.
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February 27, 2013I was disappointed that many of the details I considered plot leads ultimately meant nothing. On the upside, I didn't see the ending coming quite as clearly as in other books.
September 22, 2013
This was very hard to get into, but when it picked up, it definitely picked up. I didn't really like the ending, though. It makes you wonder if there is or should be a sequel.
June 4, 2020
This book was difficult. It had an amazing premise but the unfolding story was bulky and awkward at best. The main character seems to flit from one situation to the next where she's either unwelcome, uncomfortable, or unable to handle herself in any kind of social situation. There are also a few parts of the story (once it's ended) that don't make much sense in hindsight. There is a sequence that makes it seriously appear that only the police could have had the information necessary to know where she'd disappeared to but yet it just kinda dissolves after the fact like it never happened. The main character is just angsty, at best, and not really relatable either.
I finished it but I'm not looking for anything else from this author.
I'm just glad the book was given to me and I didn't spend money on it or anything.
Not a total snooze fest but just BLAH.
I finished it but I'm not looking for anything else from this author.
I'm just glad the book was given to me and I didn't spend money on it or anything.
Not a total snooze fest but just BLAH.
July 23, 2024
Honestly this was a generous 3 stars, if anything I would probably rate it a 2.5 stars if I could. It really wasnt that interesting and was kind of slow up until about 1/3 of the way through the book and at that point it was too far gone and I wanted to finish the book still. Luckily it did get better after the first 100-120 pages or so, I personally wouldn’t really recommend this book to others because there’s just so many other books that I actually would recommend. I also thought the author was not but at times explained too much detail to things that didn’t matter. I do understand descriptive writing, but it was just about things that didn’t really matter much, so it kind of made it mundane and a little boring at times and found myself skipping over a lot of parts on some pages because it didn’t matter.
August 29, 2019
Did not want this to end! Really enjoyed it.
Susannah’s twin sister is murdered and it looks like she is next! There were many layers to this book which made it interesting and page turning;why wasn’t Susannah and her twin Marina speaking? What happened when they were younger to cause them to grow apart? Who is the killer? Will Susannah get with Beau or be killed?! I enjoyed the back and forth if when they were younger and then present time.There is also the added mystery of missing Charlie. Susannah was mean to her twin and could be unlikable at times.I would have liked some telepathic conversations between the sisters.
Susannah’s twin sister is murdered and it looks like she is next! There were many layers to this book which made it interesting and page turning;why wasn’t Susannah and her twin Marina speaking? What happened when they were younger to cause them to grow apart? Who is the killer? Will Susannah get with Beau or be killed?! I enjoyed the back and forth if when they were younger and then present time.There is also the added mystery of missing Charlie. Susannah was mean to her twin and could be unlikable at times.I would have liked some telepathic conversations between the sisters.
March 15, 2018
Het verhaal was redelijk goed en spannend.
Maar wat me op een gegeven moment een beetje ging tegenstaan, waren de lange beschrijvingen.
Bijvoorbeeld: Een kamer waar men zich in bevond werd soms beschreven over anderhalve bladzijde, maar was niet van belang in het verhaal.
Dit gebeurde heel vaak. Dat kon in mijn ogen dan wat korter of minder.
Maar oké, ik ben geen schrijfster. :-)
Al met al een aardig boek.
Maar wat me op een gegeven moment een beetje ging tegenstaan, waren de lange beschrijvingen.
Bijvoorbeeld: Een kamer waar men zich in bevond werd soms beschreven over anderhalve bladzijde, maar was niet van belang in het verhaal.
Dit gebeurde heel vaak. Dat kon in mijn ogen dan wat korter of minder.
Maar oké, ik ben geen schrijfster. :-)
Al met al een aardig boek.
June 1, 2019
Het boek is goed geschreven, de beelden goed gekozen, de taal soepel en naturel. Interessant zijn de mannen die steeds meer opduiken in het verhaal, buurmannen, verdere buren. De wanhoop van de ik-figure (..) is voelbaar. De intrige is wat minder interessant, te standaard, de gebeurtenissen presenteren zich als vanzelfsprekend, uitgezonderd de vermeende minnares van de tweelingzus. Maar desondanks met plezier gelezen.
November 7, 2019
I think lucretia grindle is a fantastic writer and would love it if she wrote something that’s not a murder mystery. I knew very early in the book who the killer was and how it would all unfold including that Shawn was sonny; that the medallion would reappear etc so it was frustrating every time the characters followed the wrong leads. Anyhoo still respect her writing skills and ability to develop characters and dialogue. Very easy and entertaining reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2020
I was pretty excited to start this book since it sounded like a really awesome story. But it took me a while to get into the storyline and get through the book.
The ending was quite surprising, really an unexpected twist. But a little disappointing as well to be honest. It could have been more straight forward instead of trying to switch between characters.
Overall a nice book to read in between books, but I can't wait to begin a new book after finishing this one.
The ending was quite surprising, really an unexpected twist. But a little disappointing as well to be honest. It could have been more straight forward instead of trying to switch between characters.
Overall a nice book to read in between books, but I can't wait to begin a new book after finishing this one.
January 28, 2019
The story was okay, I don't think I would read another novel by the author though. The novel was rather slow paced and the ending was kind of unbelievable. Not really sure if I bought the suspect's willingness to confess when he wasn't under duress.
January 6, 2017
First book of 2017!
Not terribly written, but it was just average. It really got better middle to the end when the whole "whodunnit" part came into play. I was constantly guessing.
Not terribly written, but it was just average. It really got better middle to the end when the whole "whodunnit" part came into play. I was constantly guessing.
January 15, 2020
Second of the authors books in the 2 book omnibus with The Faces of Angels. Similarities in storyline but still a good read. As with the last book I failed to see the killer.
October 1, 2020
J'ai trouvé long à démarrer
November 6, 2023
Not enjoyable.
February 1, 2010
Susannah and her twin sister Marina grew up in rural Georgia. Their silent communication to each other they called "nightspinning". As they grew older, Susannah, to establish her independence cut all ties to her sister. However, Marina is violently killed one night. She apparently was stalked and now through various signs, it appears the same stalker is after Susannah. The police appear impotent to stop the stalker and Susannah must try to discover who the murderer is to not only solve her sister's death but to prevent her own
July 31, 2013
Strange how I really loved and enjoyed this piece of work when 'The Faces of Angels' by the same author totally dismissed my interest from the first few chapters. I love the twin characters idea in this story and I grow to envy the kind of bond that a pair of twins share. It makes me long for a twin sibling myself. The writer did a good job of building the foundation of the twin relationship which is the core that held the story together. It was simply delicious!
June 5, 2011
The first half of the book was slow for me. I began to skip pages and almost didn't finish it. However, the last half became increasingly more suspenseful and I'm glad that I finished it. The writer's prose is poetic and she does good character development. I just got a little weary of so much back story without enough action.
March 24, 2015
I really like Lucretia Grindle's writing style. This book was very suspenseful and a little spooky, in the best of ways. She always does a great job of spreading the net wide enough to keep me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It is very hard to put her books down!
June 10, 2015
Die in Italien spielenden Romane von Lucretia Grindle mochte ich lieber. Sprachlich ist dieses frühere Werk schon sehr elegant und ästhetisch, inhaltlich jedoch fehlt mir etwas Tiefe, für meinen Geschmack zu viel American Drama Queen.
April 5, 2007
Twin sisters who can communicate via ESP, one is murdered and similar events begin to happen to the other sister. She tries to track down who it might be. . . a spurned boy from adolescence.
January 10, 2015
still thinking about it two days later, so deserves a four star rating
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March 20, 2013Ned. Titel: nachtschimmen
December 14, 2014
Awesome read !
August 14, 2013
Creepy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews