Another of Joyce Carol Oates psychological thrillers under the name Rosamund Smith, this one is the unsettling story of regular guy Terence living a regular life in an affluent New Jersey suburb with his wife and children, who one day gets called for jury service. Even before the trial starts he catches a glimpse of gypsy-like Ava-Rose Renfrew and becomes obsessed with her. How that plays out is the subject of this suspenseful and clever novel, which keeps the reader guessing (well, this reader, anyway) as the twists and the turns of the narrative develop in often unexpected ways. All the characters Terence meets through Ava-Rose are enigmatic and off-beat and as we only see them through Terence’s eyes we can never be sure exactly who they are or what their motives are. Does he see simply what he wants to see? Is what he is experiencing simply in his head? He’s certainly in danger of losing all that he holds dear – but is he also losing his mind? This is an entertaining and unusual tale of obsession, and I very much enjoyed it.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

There is a LOT that goes on in this book. It is one weird twist after another. I would have to say that Ms. Oates is a master at thriller writing!! I am just sorry that I was so late to the game in finding her. Great author

Link to the review to be added to review shortly..