Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

The introduction to Sally Diamond as a character is indeed a strange one, but not totally incomprehensible if you look at it from a purely logical and analytical standpoint. Which is exactly how Sally comes to attempt to dispose of her father's body, following his peaceful passing in his sleep, the same way she does other items whose purpose has been served ... in the garbage. After all, her father told her to do this. No reason why she wouldn't — or shouldn't — have taken him at his word. Now Sally is the subject of media and police attention, also understandably so from the standpoint of a regular, average, everyday citizen.

Unfortunately, this has thrown Sally into the middle of a crisis of identity, as a past she knew nothing about comes to her doorstep. Having lived mostly in isolation, both self-imposed and encouraged (or not discouraged) by her father, Sally has to try and navigate these new discoveries and reorient herself into a society of which she remains distrustful and who, in turn, feels the same about her.

Nugent's writing style is a nice balance of character exploration and propulsive page-turning intrigue. While the story isn't plot-driven, it is also not light on plot, with plenty to explore through flashbacks and ephemeral material, as well as another point of view that enters the novel's narrative. There are no plot bombshells or significant revelations, but rather a fantastic coming together of a timeline that is expected and earned.

P.S. The UK (with the Wednesday Addams-esque dress on its cover) and the US (with the garden blur on its cover) editions have different endings. The US version contains an extra chapter that features a letter that does not appear in the UK edition. I think it could significantly impact the reader's enjoyment and interpretation of the ending and what that means for the characters in the book. So — reader be ... aware.