The Night Lagoon
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
by Jo Morey
SYNOPSIS
It's a liar's paradise
Wittering Lodge, Stann Creek, Belize
In the dead of night, lying in her father’s jungle lodge, Laelia watches her partner Aid sleeping – her mind racing with everything that’s brought her to this moment.
The heady Caribbean holiday when they first met.
The rum-fueled passion that, day by day, creeps into something darker.
The secrets she discovered in a hidden nook of the lodge, revealing a devastating past.
Above all, she thinks about the impossible decision she must make before dawn.
Does she stay silent and protect their newfound paradise? Or does she confront the lies which run as deep and dark as the lagoon – surfacing a dangerous truth from which there’s no return…
REVIEW
It's honestly hard to believe that this book is a debut! It's already such a unique and interesting take on a thriller but to then add in the extra layer of the protagonist's disability really made this a standout for me. About a year ago I lost all of my hearing in one ear and when some gradually returned, it returned with the added bonus of pulsatile tinnitus so when I read the forward and saw that the text throughout would be littered with gaps and missing letters to reflect what the character would hear as a result of her disability, I just thought it was fantastic. The way this was done was so effective and really added something different to the story as well as demonstrating how difficult it can be to live with issues like this. The story itself was a real escapist thriller. Set in Belize, the atmosphere was unlike any other thriller I've read as the landscapes, language and characters were so vibrant and resulted in a totally new reading experience. I read afterwards that the author had spent time in Belize which was obvious - there's no way you could invent the amount of detail and create such a realistic atmosphere from photos or Google! The descriptive, detailed slow-burn was the perfect writing style for the plot and having read this during a heatwave, I would highly recommend saving this book for your summer holiday pick - it made it even more immersive and effective.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JO MOREY is a graduate of the Faber Academy and the Curtis Brown Disability Mentoring Scheme. Finally giving in to her wanderlust, she took a break from her executive career to travel the world. She soon fell in love with Belize, a place that enchanted her like no other. And between the captivating beaches and remote beauty of the jungle, the seeds for this novel began to grow. Jo now lives in West Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs with her husband, Will, two boys and two Portuguese Water Dogs. The Night Lagoon is her first novel.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, @jomoreystory and Harper Collins - @harpercollinsuk for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0008713935
Pages: 416pp
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