In a Nutshell: Quirky and unusual. Compelling in a befuddling way. BUT this wasn’t a psychological suspense as advertised. My experience fell a little flat as I went in with the wrong expectations. Will work better if read as a literary drama with a dash of dark humour.

Story Synopsis:
Eighty-three-year-old Dorothy Fiske is widowed, but she hasn’t allowed her age or her marital status to dim her passion for old Hollywood movies and expensive jewellery. She has lived a glamorous life in Los Angeles with a rich husband and famous actors as neighbours. Her only disappointment is that she never had children, for which she knew her husband Eugene was to blame. Other than that, she has lived life on her own terms, and continues to do so.
Sixty-six-year-old Ruth works as a health care aide for senior citizens. (Well, those who are much senior to her.) She had lost her earlier job at a nursing facility when residents started dying under her care, so she now targets lonely women from wealthy families and indirectly convinces them that they need her in their lives. Her latest prey is Dorothy.
When Dorothy hires Ruth as her “lady’s maid”, they begin their mind games on each other, which lead to some strange accusations and unexpected discoveries.
The story comes to us from a limited third-person perspective of the key characters.

Well, if you are looking for a quirky literary fiction that blends in dark humour with some serious themes and layered characters, this is the book for you. Unfortunately, the blurb claims that this is a psychological suspense. I really can’t figure out how this counts as psychological suspense when the psychological elements are restricted only to the mutual manipulation by Ruth and Dorothy, and the suspense track is barely there. Also, sadly for me, I guessed the “suspense” much early in the plot, so even that challenge was dampened.

Dorothy and Ruth are sketched in such depth that I couldn’t decide whether I should abhor them or feel sorry for them. Both of them are survivors in their own way, even though their familial and financial circumstances are almost a contrast to each other’s. It was entertaining to see older characters behave almost like immature teenagers trying to one-up each other surreptitiously. Old age is often called a second childhood, and these two prove it, but in all the crazy ways.

One thing I especially enjoyed were the chapter names. While a few of the chapters are named after the character they focus on, most of the chapters have something or the other to do with colour. Thus we get titles such as ‘Atomic Tangerine’, ‘Tickle me Pink’, ‘Jungle Green’ and so on. The colour in question gets a role to play in that specific chapter, though it is hardly ever blatant. I love it when authors play smart with their readers.

Another thing I liked was how the author interspersed Hollywood pop culture so seamlessly into her plot, though none of her main characters had any direct connection with moviedom.

There are plenty of themes in the book, some of which could have been much more triggering had they not been explored through hints than through direct detailing on the page. In that sense, the writing is quite intelligent. The author doesn’t throw all her cards on the table at once; rather, she builds up various segments of the jigsaw in isolation, and it takes a while for the overall picture to make sense.
(Note: I can’t detail out the triggers as all of them are major spoilers, so in general, if you are sensitive about any topic related to childbirth or sexual abuse, do proceed with care.)

The character detailing of the main and secondary characters and the role they play in the storyline makes it clear that this is a character-driven work. The plot is secondary. If you are the kind of reader who enjoys plot-driven works, this isn’t for you.

As I mentioned earlier, I went into the book with wrong expectations. A psychological suspense and a literary fiction are pretty much opposites in terms of pace, plot development, and thrills. So I had to recalibrate my presuppositions multiple times until my read-o-meter was set to ‘lit fic’ instead of ‘psych suspense.’ This took away from my overall experience.

Furthermore, the story ambles back and forth across times and characters. I read this in an overly hectic week, so my drained-out mental capacity found it tedious to go with the flow. This isn’t a book you ought to pick up when you want something quick and thrilling and easy on the mind. And as I *was* looking for something quick and thrilling and easy this week (such as a psychological suspense 👀), it’s safe to say that I picked up this book at the wrong time.

Lastly, I didn’t like the ending much. While it does offer closure and doesn’t leave any major thread hanging, it still feels incomplete somehow. I don’t know how to explain it further.

Overall, I’d still recommend this intricate indie read, but not to those looking for thrills. It is clearly a literary drama, and will work only for those who enjoy complicated characters, slow-burn plotting, and character-driven storylines. The author certainly writes well, and I do want to try her future works. I just hope that those blurbs are accurate representations of the content.

3.25 stars. (Would definitely have been higher by 0.5 stars had I not wanted a psychological suspense as was promised to me.)

My thanks to Slippery Fish Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Palisades”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

If you like Old Hollywood era stories and multigenerational novels, you might enjoy "The Palisades." I liked the characters in this, especially the relationship between the caretaker and her patient.

This book has a slow start narrative that it did pick up speed and once it did, I could not put down. This book sparked my interest from the beginning, as it made references to actors, films, books etc. I don’t usually read psychological thrillers, but I decided to start reading this genre and this is one of the books I choose.

This is a brilliant debut novel by author Gail Lynn Hanson that captures celebrity fandom with dark twists and turns.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Slippery Fish Press for the ARC.

This was quite a strange book! It follows a woman in her sixties called Ruth who targets wealthy Dorothy, befriending her and becoming her “lady’s maid” so she can hopefully inherit her house.

It’s just as dark and twisted as it sounds, with a dangerous friendship building between the two women. Dorothy is just as awful as Ruth is, revelling in the famous people she’s met and supposedly befriended and looking down on people for the way they dress and act. It was kind of endearing how much I hated both of them, and the tension between the pair kept me gripped throughout. Personally didn’t think the racist language from Dorothy in one small section was necessary as I thought she was perfectly drawn without it, but everything else was done well. I particularly liked Dorothy’s need to adhere to old-fashioned social rules and Ruth’s reaction to this. So many tense moments throughout!

There were quite a lot of twists and reveals which I didn’t expect - I wasn’t expecting their lives to be so entangled. It was quite subtly done though, which was quite jarring, and I found myself having to reread passages to understand the links between the characters. I kind of wanted these moments to be more dramatic, but I still found their storylines to be very cleverly interwoven and thought the structure was fantastic.

Overall, an enticingly atmospheric thriller with a unique storyline and two unforgettable protagonists. Thank you to NetGalley and Slippery Fish Press for the e-arc!

This was definitely an interesting read! Overall, the characters in this book are peculiar and intriguing but I found the plot moved a bit too slowly to keep me invested the entire way through. I found the elderly cat and mouse game between Dorothy and Ruth to be funny, but at times rather creepy and scary. I’m interested to read more of this author’s work!

This was a very strange, twisty, dark, psychological tale about a rich elderly woman and her odd maid. There’s old Hollywood, ulterior motives, murders, delusions, and a lot of flashbacks. I could not put it down! A few loose ends might set up a sequel and if so, I’ll definitely be back. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for this ARC.

Dorothy Fiske, eighty-three, adores movie stars, jewelry, murder mysteries, and men. At twenty-five, inspired by Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury, she moved to Los Angeles from a religiously strict Midwestern home. Despite the glamour, Dorothy, heartbroken, was childless. She blamed her sweet, unambitious husband, Eugene, claiming his sperm was weak, but Dorothy knows the truth. Ruth, a sixty-six-year-old home health aide, fears eviction from her LA apartment due to her unusual, antisocial behavior. Previously fired from a nursing facility for residents dying under her care, Ruth targets Dorothy, a widow from a wealthy family in Pacific Palisades, California. Lonely yet prideful, Dorothy hires Ruth as a "lady's maid." Ruth accepts the position and masterfully entwines herself into Dorothy's life because she wants to live in Dorothy's house, alone.

Firstly, this is not an easy book to read. It starts quite slowly and takes a while to get into I found. It’s saved by some stunning character profiles and descriptions. It mixes fact with fiction well too. I did find that I got a bit lost in the timeline as it flits backwards and forwards in what seems like a random fashion. It’s well written and constructed but, at times, I found myself skipping a few paragraphs to move the action on when it slowed. The story seems to get a little disjointed and wanders into a level of description which slows the flow. Not sure how I would categorise this book but it wasn’t for me.

Take one dash of Evelyn Hugo’s old Hollywood glamour, add a few drops of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, mix in the darkness of du Maurier’s Rebecca and the gothic morality of Dorian Gray, and sprinkle with the twisted family dynamics of Lisa Jewell novels… the result may just look like ‘The Palisades’ by Gail Lynn Hanson.


I can’t stop thinking about this dark, swirling, unsettling, thought-provoking read. The themes of childhood trauma, infertility, connecting with animals more than with people, and determining what’s real or fake (whether jewellery or memories) are woven throughout this tale, which is told in non-linear form.


I do think the novel started slowly, but by about a third of the way through my expectations were subverted and I was hooked by the wonderfully descriptive writing style. I couldn’t wait to find out how everything connected and how things would end for the two unlikeable, determined, destructive women at the centre of the narrative.


This book is a different genre to most of the stories I choose to read, but I’m glad I took a chance based on the eyecatching cover and intriguing blurb on the NetGalley listing because I know this one will stay with me for a while. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book was a strange one, I won't lie - it had a slow start which, when paired with the sometimes hard to follow almost stream of consciousness writing style and an early scene with unexpectedly grotesque medical details, had me thinking I'd DNF this if not for committing to review it. This was a good lesson in sticking it out, though, as the narrative did pick up speed towards the halfway mark and I ended up finding a good amount to like about it.

The psychological suspense aspect of it was what drew me in, and is where this book stands out with the unusual and refreshing choice to have older POV characters. Dorothy, 83, is a rather shallow person who, unable to have the child she wanted so badly, settled instead for just...hanging out at home with a husband she finds adequate, and admiring her collection of jewelry. Ruth, 66, had an early life marked by trauma and then spent the next several decades letting it make her worse (hey, fair enough). She too has an eye for jewelry, and their combined obsession made it even clearer to me that, as someone who doesn't really get the point of sparkly rocks that you wear and then take off but mostly don't wear, it's just not much deeper than a common and crow-like affinity for collecting glittery things.

These two characters come together to treat each other abusively in different ways (condescending cruelty! straight-up theft!), which propels the narrative forward by playing on the same urge that has you slowing down to look at a car crash except with less sympathy. It's a terrible situation! Glad it's not me! They get what they deserve, and what they deserve is each other. Good character work ultimately (mostly) overcomes the meandering writing style and rounds this one up from a 3.5 to 4 star read. I won't forget these two!

First up, this novel will not suit everyone. But if you like quirky reads that don't fit a mould and can't be pigeon-holed (sorry!) then take a punt on this. If you are drawn to dark tales with complex relationships and twisty, clever storylines, pick this up. It's melancholy and shocking and has content that could trigger some readers. But for those who can handle it, the reward is a saga woven through the lives of some fascinating and often bizarre characters. It's a little bit literary, but not so much as to turn me away. It's not fast paced, but I couldn't put it down. There were little puzzle pieces regularly thrown to the reader and the twists were intelligent and clever. I still had questions at the end, but not in a frustrating way. I found it to be one of those stories you keep going over in your head afterwards.

Bravo to the author and good luck writing something else so original and unique.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book that I can't put down and delivers an ending full of surprises, and this one was just that! Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC of this twisted and interesting tale with imperfect characters whom I was rooting for one minute and despising the next.

The story centers around affluent elderly living in the Palisades and a female caregiver named Ruth who comes into their lives by conveniently appearing. Ruth comes from a troubled past which has clearly contributed to her view of the world, as well as to her current precarious mental state. As the book progresses, the reader learns more about these experiences and their ties to these seemingly innocent seniors.

The storyline also piqued my interest with tales of Old Hollywood, expensive jewelry and Angela Lansbury, so much to enjoy! If you enjoy dark twists and endings that surprise, this may be one for you!

This was such a wonderfully done mystery novel, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and thought it worked well overall. I loved that the character moved due to Angela Lansbury and enjoyed the overall concept of this novel. Gail Lynn Hanson does a great job in writing this and can’t wait for more.

I thought this was a charming book.

It sparked my interest from the beginning, as it made references to many things that I enjoy - actors and actresses, films, books etc.

I felt very connected to the characters, and I really liked the connection between Dorothy and Ruth. I felt quite nostalgic while reading it, in places, it reminded me of a Ruth Rendell or Barbara Vine book, and she is one of my comfort authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Since I live near and love Pacific Palisades, I yearned to immerse myself in the inner world of this beautiful area and catch a glimpse behind closed doors of the people that live there. I struggled to feel satisfied reading this book and kept waiting to hit a stride that never connected for me. Some of the references and comments made by the main character felt lost on me and I didn't understand how it contributed to the character or the overall story. Despite waiting for more, I appreciated the exploration of isolation and loneliness that felt present for all of the characters.

I love people who are slightly delusional just to keep themselves sane, especially from a distance. This was one of the random thoughts that popped up in my head while reading this book. Being in the head of these characters and seeing them develop was probably my favourite part of my reading experience.

We follow Dorothy (83) and Ruth (66), who both live in LA and who both try to deal with their past and unfulfilled desires. Dorothy married rich, but mainly desired the the life that came with it and dreamt of Hollywood and being friends with the stars while longing for kids that never came. Ruth grew up in a foster family and dreams of being rich and the kids she lost. Both love murder mysteries, jewels and money.

Ruth works for elderly people who need a care giver and her ultimate dream is working for Dorothy. Gradually as the story unfolds we learn why.

I wouldn't want to have people like Ruth and Dorothy in my life, but Hanson builds these characters so well that you start to like them. Understanding where their behaviour comes from almost makes you pity them both.

You also feel something is going to happen, yet it's hard to guess what it will be. There is so much fake honesty and manipulation that it isn't clear at times what is true and what's a lie or desillusion... This psychological thriller will wake up your inner Agatha Christie and still you will be wrong.

Although this book was definitely intriguing and creepy…it was super strange. I also found the writing style to be quite odd at times. This book may benefit from further editing as the plot/story is unique.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197131652

"Dorothy Fiske, eighty-three, adores movie stars, jewelry, murder mysteries, and men. At twenty-five, inspired by Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury, she moved to Los Angeles from a religiously strict Midwestern home. Despite the glamour, Dorothy, heartbroken, was childless. She blamed her sweet, unambitious husband, Eugene, claiming his sperm was weak, but Dorothy knows the truth. Ruth, a sixty-six-year-old home health aide, fears eviction from her L.A. apartment due to her unusual, antisocial behavior. Previously fired from a nursing facility for residents dying under her care, Ruth targets Dorothy, a widow from a wealthy family in Pacific Palisades, California. Lonely yet prideful, Dorothy hires Ruth as a "lady's maid." Ruth accepts the position and masterfully entwines herself into Dorothy's life because she wants to live in Dorothy's house, alone. The Palisades is a deliciously spun psychological suspense brimming with dark humor in which two women develop a peculiar relationship amid a miasma of Ruth's disturbing memories and Dorothy's pervasive delusions of old Hollywood. Poverty and privilege mingle, companionship turns bizarre, and identity is questioned as the women desperately try to fulfill their shared yearning for motherhood."

Grey Gardens with a California twist.

I really enjoyed this unusual, dark, twisty story, which was quite not what I expected. So well written and the characters were great and brought me through a range of emotions from sympathy to empathy, revulsion and incredulity. The various story-lines came together very cleverly. Kept me engaged to the end and I will keeping a lookout for this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The Palisades is a sometimes dark, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic book with very unlikable characters wound together in a fairy tale of a story except the good guys don’t always come out on top because there really aren’t any good guys!
I liked the decline of the women, Ruth and Dorothy and the people, animals and ghosts they took down with them. It was a good read with a satisfying ending.

What a delicious take on psychological thrillers! We follow Ruth, a woman in her sixties who is obsessed with a woman named Dorothy. Ruth is obsessed with Dorothy's home and becomes her maid so she can begin becoming part of her life. Both characters seem to have some form of mental illness that causes both stories to seem incredulous and almost confusing (in the best way, it adds to the story!) the further along you go. It was such a fantastic read and I certainly look forward to more from this author!