Meena has just moved into a secluded cottage in the countryside. Her only neighbour is Ada, an elderly woman who is both welcoming and strangely secretive. As the two grow closer, Meena discovers that Ada knows someone from her past. Panicked, she decides to leave—but soon realises that someone has already made sure she can’t. This is another title in the Quick Reads 2026 series. The plot is cleverly constructed, and I fell into several traps, convinced I had worked out the mystery, only to be proven wrong. The twists are satisfying, and the story builds tension steadily despite its short length. A gripping thriller that makes excellent use of the Quick Reads format.
“The stairs are narrow but there’s a rail. Meena hesitates. She feels as though she’s in a scene from a horror film. That she’ll take a step and invisible fingers will grip her ankle. Yank her down into the gloom. But then she reminds herself that she doesn’t believe in ghosts.
The living are terrifying enough.”