At the start of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Dublin, Ciara and Oliver meet in a grocery store queue and decide to move in together to bypass social distancing restrictions. The narrative uses three distinct timelines—the initial meeting, the weeks spent in isolation, and the present-day discovery of a decomposing body in Oliver’s apartment—to reconstruct their brief relationship. As Garda detectives investigated the scene, the plot reveals that both protagonists are hiding their true identities and motivations. The story focuses on how physical isolation provides the perfect cover for a predator to operate without outside interference.
Readers who enjoy closed-circle mysteries and procedural thrillers will find this a clinical examination of how extreme circumstances facilitate deception. It appeals to those interested in the psychological pressure of confinement and the logistical challenges of crime scene investigation during a public health crisis. The reader walks away with a specific perspective on the dangers of anonymity and the way situational urgency can override personal safety instincts. It functions as both a time capsule of a global event and a study of opportunism.
Practical, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
