I read Moshfegh's first novel EILEEN and while I enjoyed the first half, I fundamentally felt the ending was cheap and disappointing. I would say that DEATH IN HER HANDS is a less disappointing experience but it is not one that I would classify as particularly joyful. The prose is clean and well intentioned, the take on crime fiction is interesting, but there is a cold aloofness that I fear either appeals to you or does not. Ultimately while I enjoyed some of the elements of the novel (the opening is arresting; the protagonist's voice is assured; there is growing sense of paranoia that is effective), it was not a book I enjoyed as a whole. I wanted more to happen - not answers, necessarily, but perhaps more urgency, another set piece. For me the novel was neither bad nor good, rather an exercise in taste that didn't really agree with me.

An elderly woman, Vesta Gul, finds a note in the woods and then sets about trying to solve what she believes to be a murder mystery. Beautifully written but not primarily concerned with plot, the book explores life, loneliness, and betrayal.

First off, this is my 3rd OM novel & another exciting exploration of what is possible in fiction. Vesta, the MC, lives isolated in the woods in a dilapidated cabin with her dog. Her grasp on reality is tenuous with most of the darkness coming from within Vesta’s herself as she tries to solve the mystery of the note & Magda's fate. The book is very much centred on Vesta’s thoughts and although she isn't very likeable she is an intriguing, complex character. The construction of the novel is clever and although some parts were slightly overwritten in my view it was an absorbing read.

Vesta has moved to a lakeside cabin, once an old girl guide outpost, in the middle of a wood with her new dog, Charlie, after the death of her husband, Walter. The novel begins with her and Charlie on a walk. They discover a note in the undergrowth:

‘Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.’

Vesta, who is in her 70s, has moved to be free of the constraints of her life with her husband whose undermining and irritatingly gentle misogynist approach to their marriage becomes increasingly clear as the novel progresses. Since her move she has acquired Charlie – something Walter would not have tolerated – and embraced the earth, soil and isolation of her home. She has got muddy, eaten and drunk what she likes and written herself to do lists in which every day is pretty much like the last.

But the note introduces mystery. Who is this Magda? Who killed her? Where is the dead body? Who wrote the note?

Vesta becomes obsessed with uncovering these mysteries, and for want of spoiling the plot, ends up rewriting the world around her in her attempt to review her world through Magda’s eyes.

I found the novel pleasingly puzzling. While I enjoyed Vesta’s ever decreasing circular investigation, the sense of menace and threat building from the people who live nearby and from the wild nature in which she lives, I wasn’t always sure what to make of Vesta’s disintegration into a world in which fiction and reality collide – perhaps a state more true to daily life than we’d like to admit.

A beguiling novel, I found myself too haunted by an event towards the end of the novel involving Charlie (I won’t spoil it, but dog-lovers you might need to prepare yourselves) for the impact of the last paragraph to really take hold. Death in Her Hands is exactly that. Vesta, by holding the pen, holds the control. But can writing really help us take the reigns of our lives? Undoubtedly written with elegance and intrigue, read the novel and decide for yourself.

This is definitely not a book that will be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic twist on the thriller/mystery genre, and I loved how different it read.

While on her normal daily walk with her dog in the forest woods, Vesta comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with a frame of stones. "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body". Vesta subsequently finds herself playing detective and becoming increasingly obsessed with Magda.

Sitting at just over 250 pages long, this isn't a very long book, yet it managed to pack a punch. I had grown a little tired of the use of an unreliable narrator in thrillers, but I thought it was exceptionally well-executed in this case. Vesta was such an interesting character and I loved following her throughout the story. We became trapped in her mind and thought processes, which provided a really interesting reading experience. The ending was incredibly ambiguous, which I personally enjoyed, but I think that some other readers may dislike how open things were left and the lack of closure. Things did get a little confusing in places, as events would escalate with very little warning.
As a whole, I really liked this book and am now very interested in reading other work by Moshfegh. I do think it is a book that will divide people, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved Ottessa's last novel (which I read during lockdown when being so restful and relaxed seemed impossible, despite the similar circumstances) but I think I enjoyed this even more. Cleve, well-plotted, suspenseful and written with flair.

When Vesta, a widow living in an isolated area with just her dog for company, finds a note in the woods referring to a dead woman named Magda, she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of Magda’s murder. With single minded determination, she creates a cast of characters for herself, different players in the Magda’s demise. She discovers ‘clues’, draws conclusions and becomes entirely devoted to solving the case - even though there is no evidence that Magda ever existed. Gorgeously written, with a fabulously complex narrator.

For me, Ottessa Moshfegh's two earlier novels were difficult to read: the protagonists were very unlikeable but the plots and the quality of the writing made me read to the end. This book is different: it gripped me like a detective story. But although the title suggests that it could be a detective story - or a homage to the genre, or a satire on the form - it unfolds into what I think is an elderly woman's slow fall into dementia.

At the start of the book, Vesta Gul is living alone in an isolated cabin with her dog Charlie. Walking in nearby woods one day, she finds a mysterious note that suggests that a murder has taken place. Vesta decides to investigate but only gets as far as a vague online search at the library in the nearest town: she is sidetracked by the idea of marshalling evidence by writing a novel and invents the victim and her background in considerable detail, as well as people involved with her. But at this point the book takes a darker twist as Vesta begins to impose these invented characters on people she encounters in real life, leading the reader to question everything learned so far about Vesta.

Her grip on reality seems to dwindle, against the background of her memories of her unhappy marriage. Grief for her late husband may have precipitated her mental decline but her memories paint an increasingly nasty picture of Walter. And the final incident makes one question whether even Charlie really existed. Although I admire the writing and the structure, a very disturbing book.

(Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.)

this book was disappointing, very different to moshfeghs other works. I would still reccommend this to fans of ottessa moshfeghs work but be warned it is not as good or up to par.

This is the kind of book I have a hard time reviewing. It’s like a pair of jeans that look perfectly fine, are well crafted and would probably be perfect for someone else, but they’re just made in a style you know doesn’t work for you.

So it was with this book. There’s nothing wrong with it. Ottessa Moshfegh is clearly an accomplished writer, but this one just didn’t tickle my fancy. I went into it hoping for a mystery/crime angle but instead all I got was a lot of confusion, being torn between sympathy for the protagonist/narrator and mild irritation.

The story is narrated by 70-something Vesta Gul, a widow who’s moved cross-country with her new companion, a dog called Charlie. Thanks to a note that she finds on a walk in a nearby woods, she conjures up scenarios regarding the death of a girl while examining the psychologically abusive relationship she’d submitted to for decades with her husband. Soon reality and imagination blend together and cumulate in a rather tragic ending. An examination of ageing, gaslighting and reinvention of self, this book certainly tries to cover a lot of ground, but just didn’t do it for me.

[trigger warning: animal abuse]

Otessa Moshfeg has created yet another dark and compelling novel, whose unlikeable central character is offset by a sly humour. “Death in Her Hands” has her most unreliable narrator yet who attempts to solve a mystery by creating a detective story narrative of her own. And is the mystery she has stumbled upon a mystery at all? Alone in the cabin in the woods with only her dog for company, widowed Vesta gives us glimpses of her past married life as she entwines herself in the story of a dead girl who nobody knows.

An eerie, beguiling, metaphysical and subversive take on the traditional murder-mystery genre, told through a compelling though markedly unreliable narrator. Once again, Moshfegh has created a character who is largely unlikeable, and yet I was ultimately really drawn and endeared to her. The plot unfolds in such a wild, original way, with moments of very genuine distress, unease - even fear. A fantastic read!

Loneliness and self-imposed isolation are themes, as in all of her work. While I didn't like it quite as much as My Year of Rest and Relaxation, I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys quiet, off-kilter novels.

This was not what I was expecting based on the blurb. What I found instead was a stream-of-consciousness style bumbling of a retired widow living in the middle of nowhere with her dog. I found myself wondering on a few occasions either "why should I care?" or "is this actually going anywhere?".

If you're after a mystery-thriller, I would skip this as it was much more ethereal and dissatisfying as a consequence. If you are looking for something off-beat that's more a commentary on loneliness, old age, death and mental illness, it might be for you.

This is the first book written by Ottessa Moshfegh that I have read and, quite possibly, the last. There is nothing wrong with Death in Her Hands. In fact, someone more patient will certainly enjoy the tricksy fashion in which this book is constructed. It is not what I expected it to be but isn't that a good thing? We want mystery and the unexplained and this book delivers both in spades.

The premise made me curious - a mature, lonely woman, Vesta, finds a note whilst walking her dog that informs the reader that Magda is dead, the writer was not involved but Magda will never be found. Great stuff, right? I thought so, too, and it is if you don't mind spending the bulk of the book rummaging around in Vesta's cluttered mind space. Her history, life with her dead overbearing husband, her loneliness and general prejudices against everyone she meets all flows by in endless monologue like a slow moving train. There were a handful of interactions with other people but I am not convinced they actually happened. Most frustrating to me were her fictional stories she builds around the person that could be Magda and what may have befallen her. She gets hysterical over her constructed account of events and that tipped me into no longer caring. I have my theories as to why things unfolded as they did but given I didn't feel to invested I am willing to write them off. Someone with an interest in psychology and the general workings of the human mind will take away a lot more from this novel than I did.

Regret, grief and the nature of marriage

Walking her dog in the woods, elderly widow, Vesta, finds a note: 'Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body..'

So starts Death in Her Hands, leading the reader to expect a murder mystery, but Moshfegh twists and turns the genre. Slowly, softly, the tension builds as Vesta’s growing obsession with Magda illuminates her loneliness, bitterness and anger with life.

Moshfegh masterfully inhabits her character’s internalisation, withholding information until the right moment. Her supporting characters are menacing and David Lynch odd.

Atmospheric

Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh is both a darkly entertaining and thought-provoking story which may leave the reader speculating for some time after reading it. The central character of the story is a recently widowed elderly lady Vesta Gul who decided to move to an isolated cabin in the woods by a lake with her faithful dog, Charlie following the death of her university professor husband. During her daily walk with Charlie she finds a puzzling note, clearly written indicating that Magda has died and no-one will ever know who killed her. There is no body but it becomes Vesta’s mission to find out who Magda was and what happened to her. During Vesta’s investigations, she exposes her relationship with her husband and gets into a few tricky situations with the local police, the neighbours and the local gas station owner.

There is undoubtedly considerable symbolism at play in Moshfegh’s characters, though who or what they represent will likely be a topic of discussion for a long time to come.

I really enjoyed reading this short novel, but it will take me a while and reading some other reviews to understand what I have just taken in.
The story and the reader's understanding of the novel changes as it continues. Initially an elderly woman is walking her dog out in the woods, where she lives alone. She discovers a note that sets her off on an investigation of a possible murder.. but it becomes clear that living alone, she lets her imagination run away with her. Characters she meets may or may not be real. She assigns them parts in her murder mystery as she builds up a picture of the victim and the suspects.
I am currently reading another fiction book about the rules of crime fiction - Eight Detectives - and it's interesting because Ottessa breaks those rules and makes her story so much more interesting as a result.
We gradually learn about Mrs Gool's unfaithful husband and the longing and regret she has for lost love. Her main suspect she names Ghod, initially a monster who becomes the police chief. Pastor Jimmy is always on the radio.. there is definitely some symbolism linked to religion and its lack of sympathy for the lonely and elderly, who are the ones who turn to God for comfort.
Towards the end things become even more strange with a visit to her neighbours, feeling like something like the American Gothic painting by Grant Wood, and her dog turning on her, which may or may not have something to do with her wearing a camouflage outfit (so she can disappear entirely).

Lots to ponder and pick apart. An excellent book for a reading group!

Vesta is recently widowed and lonely. She was married to a controlling man and has upped sticks and moved to a secluded cabin in the middle of pine woods. She has a dog, Charlie, who is her sole companion.
One day, she comes across a note in the woods alluding to a murder having been committed. Up until then, Vesta has been leading a pleasant routine life with Charlie. What follows is an existential whodunit. Vesta starts to populate her (limited) external world with potential suspects and quickly loses touch with reality. I found it rather bleak and depressing.

This a clever little story about an elderly lady who finds a cryptic note in the woods while walking her dog. Not what I expected at all but I enjoyed this book with its dark humour and wonderful main character. A quick read and something a little different.