Another amazing book by Ottessa Moshfegh, I was so excited to read this and I wasn't disappointed. A fantastic combo of horror, dark comedy. Great!

An alluring, odd and gripping book that has a good mixture of dark humour and an unreliable narrator

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh is an intriguing, claustrophobic and dark read about loneliness, ageing, grief and death.

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh tells the story of Vesta, a 72-year-old widow who lives in a cabin in the woods and finds a note while walking her dog which states that a woman called Magda has been murdered, although there is no sign of a body. In spite of this, Vesta becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Magda.

I really enjoyed Moshfegh’s debut novel Eileen, and Death in Her Hands has a similarly dry and cynical tone. Despite the premise, it is far from being a straightforward crime fiction whodunnit. The ending was very open and ambiguous, which I found slightly frustrating, but not surprising given Vesta’s thought processes throughout her investigation which starts to blur with events in her own life.

Thanks to Vintage for the ARC (and I’m so sorry it’s taken over 2 years for me to review it!).

Dark and disturbing, "Death in Her Hands" subverts the murder story with an elderly female protagonist who strives to solve a murder that lacks a body. Strange and subversive but probably less innovative than it strives to be.

I found myself reading a particularly engaging, thoughtful book with Death in Her Hands, only to have it snatched away with a climax that felt shoe-horned in and used simply for some cheap shock value. I cared more about the interior monologue of the protagonist than drama for dramas sake and alas this ending ruined what had been an exceptional reading experience.

.In Death in Her Hands, Moshfegh explores the character of Vesta, a widow who has moved to a new area after the death of her husband. The story begins when she finds a note when she's out walking her dog. It reads, 'Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body'. But there is no body. Vesta becomes obsessed with the note and finding out what has happened to Magda.

As you would expect from Ottessa Moshfegh, this is a dark and strange book focused on the inner life of an unusual female protagonist. There is plenty of mystery in the book, but it often comes from unexpected places. It's not a thriller in the traditional sense, it's extremely tense and atmospheric but it's not plot heavy and is quite a slow read. However, it is worth persevering with as the story unravels and gets darker and darker as we follow Vesta's journey.

Perhaps uneasy lurking in the shadows of Moshfegh's success with My Year... This novel is still a cracking shot at the genre of which it doesn't really belong. But at the same time, she never is an author about belonging. Well worth the read.

I loved the fact that Vesta, the protagonist of this story was a 72 year old woman. Whilst walking her dog, Vesta discovers a note with the words: "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body." So begins an unusual whodunnit, with Vesta as sleuth. It becomes a journey into Vesta's mind, and has a darkness to it. Possibly not everyone's cup of tea, but I very much enjoyed it.

I like this author a lot, she’s got a really interesting point of view and makes the story seem fascinating even if much doesn’t happen. It held my interest and was memorable.

Stunningly lyrical, and perfectly ideal for me as I'm a huge fan of Olga Tokarczuk's excellent novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead which this really reminded me of. Obsessed with the mythology of a murdered girl, Death in her Hands is a surprisingly thoughtful book that mulls on the state of this one woman's slackening grip on reality and the all-consuming drive for purpose and control over one's own narrative.

I was totally absorbed by Moshfegh's first book and while this book didn't quite live up to it, I still found it a compelling and engaging read.

This just wasn't for me. It wasn't at all what I expected. I found the character unlikeable. An isolated, bitter old woman living at the edge of reality. The book was slightly creepy in parts, but not enough to sustain my interest. I also could have livd without the description of what happens with the dog. Grim,

A twisted, genre bending detective story about a 72 year old widow who has recently moved across country after the death of her husband and after finding a note in the woods sets out to solve the puzzle of a murder with no body. It is not secret that Moshfegh is an incredibly talented writer and this book is no exception, atmospheric and slow moving Death In Her Hands is a distinctive and engaging mystery.

Ottessa Moshfegh has a distinct brand of cynicism and humour, which can take a while to settle in to but is refreshingly honest. The plot centers around a murder mystery beginning with an intriguing note found in a forest by elderly widow - Vesta - out walking her dog. Once again Ottessa creates distinct characters who seem bare in their flaws, whilst simultaneously inviting the reader to question the reliability of the narrator.

I've been a fan of Moshfegh's work since Eileen was released some years ago. This enjoyment grew again with My Year of Rest and Relaxation. I was not disappointed with Moshfegh's turn at crime fiction. This book is engaging in a way that I often find lacking in crime fiction. The writer's talent, to me, knows no bounds. I'll look forward to reading more Moshfegh in the future.

I really wanted to like this book as I adored My Year of Rest and Relaxation but I'm afraid I just couldn't get into this, It's probably that I didn't connect with the subject matter but I was sorry for it.

Ah, Ottessa… A writer who can do almost no wrong in my eyes. Chances are, if you’ve read any of Ottessa’s other works, you have already decided whether she is for you or not. And Death in her Hands is another sublimely gothic portrait of interiority. Don’t come here for tightly weaved thrillers or detective novels – Ottessa sets out to turn the tables. Her novels are psychological portraits.

In Death in her Hands, we are with Vesta Gul, a 72-year-old widow who has retired out to a cabin in the woods to see out her days, wrestling with the legacy of her controlling husband and a sense of a life unlived. Yet Vesta’s quiet days are thrown into turmoil when she comes across a cryptic message left in the forest - “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.”

Only there is no body accompanying the note. Or anywhere to be seen. And so Vesta, a woman bereft of a focus and ambition and without any experience, launches into a private investigation of her own. Who was Magda? And what happened to her?

But what is revealed to us is not Magda’s fate but Vesta’s life – a life of missed connections and lost opportunities. Beautiful and haunting.

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, so I was really stoked to of gotten the ARC of her new book Death in Her Hands from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I didn't like it nearly as much as I hoped I would.

A unique take on a mystery where elderly newly widowed Vesta and her pet dog discover a note on a walk in the forest - "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body." The rest of the story follows Vesta's internal monologue as she imagines and attempts to find the origin of the note and the murdered Magda in her small town.

This book is very strange, and usually I adore very strange but it just didn't grip me like I needed it to. Definitely check it out if you like weird fiction as I think it hits a certain niche perfectly, just not my 'weird fiction' niche.

You would like this book if you like internal monologues, stream of consciousness, unreliable narrators and character studies. If you enjoyed the protagonist from Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, or the confusing narrative of I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid or Ottessa Moshfegh's other books this might be right up your alley!

This is the sort of book that I can't decide about. On one hand, I thought it was brilliant, but on the other hand, I don't think I liked it! It tells the story of an elderly woman, living alone in the woods, who encounters a note when out walking her dog. The note says, 'Her name was Magda. No one will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body' What follows is a spiraling narrative following our protagonist as she attempts to discover what happened to Magda. There is something very unsettling about the tone of the book, like a veneer of respectability over a sordid neighbourhood that I think Moshfegh writes incredibly well. This is also, at times, genuinely funny and the voice of our protagonist is strong and distinctive throughout. It's also nice to have an older woman as the focal point, which is something of a rarity. With all that being said, I thought that some of the choices made about this character left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, this is a really skillfully constructed narrative, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.