Charlotte County Florida Weekly

A cautionary tale unfolds in a gemlike psychological thriller

FLORIDA WRITERS



 

 

¦ “Under My Skin” by Lisa Unger. Park Row Books. 368 pages. Trade paperback original, $16.99.

Lisa Unger’s craft is so astonishing that it makes me want to cry tears of appreciative joy. Tears are also prompted by the harrowing situation of Ms. Unger’s main character, Poppy, as she tries to rebound from the hideous murder of her husband Jack. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Poppy blanked out for several days, coming to consciousness in a state of confusion. Her identity has been oddly transformed and her confidence shaken.

With the help of a therapist, she has made a lot of progress in the year since Jack’s death, but she is frequently tormented by strange nightmares that might be distorted memories. Are bits and pieces of the lost days pressing for recognition? There are also other patches of time she cannot recall. Moreover, she doesn’t trust herself to sort out what’s real and what’s the product of a dream-state.

UNGER

UNGER

Poppy’s goals are to fill in the blanks and bring Jack’s murderer to justice. Then to pick up the pieces of her life and move forward.

But her path to ht health is thwarted by her abuse of pills and alcohol. She sabotages Dr. Nash’s therapy by lying to her. In her attempts to regain control of her life, she resists the overtures of her controlling best friend, Layla. She also resists the overtures of her controlling mother.

Poppy needs to be in control; she needs to set limits on well-meaning intrusions on her autonomy. Pathetically vulnerable, she lives in a state of fear, believing she’s being tracked by a hooded man who might be connected to Jack’s murder.

Her attempts at gaining control show courage but also recklessness. Slowly, ever so slowly, she makes progress.

Important secondary characters include Detective Grayson, the NYPD policeman working the murder case, and a Neil, a man who makes metal sculptures. A shadowy figure from Poppy’s recent past, Neil is clearly an important part of her present. Both are protective of Poppy, but in very different ways and with different motives.

 

 

Poppy’s ordeal, her attempt to recapture the idealized memories of her married life, carries the unexpected strain of doubts about the true nature of her relationship with Jack, a relationship compromised by his responses to her two miscarriages.

Poppy and Jack were first and foremost professional photographers. They loved their artform and felt most alive when pursuing the perfect shot. They were adventurous. At some point, they became business people: They lived more predictably and made pragmatic choices. Ms. Unger, through Poppy’s reflections, suggests that, perhaps without knowing it, they traded their artistic souls for something far less essential to their individual natures and to their relationship.

It’s a cautionary tale.

So, there is a lot going on, including threats to Poppy’s life, in this gem-like stand-alone novel. Excruciating suspense, all-encompassing intimacy with Poppy’s chaotic inner state, masterful pacing and exquisite scene-building all serve to elevate Ms. Unger’s achievement beyond the genre label of psychological thriller. Revelation follows revelation to a remarkable climax. You don’t want to miss it.

Lisa Unger is one of those writers committed to appreciating her loyal fans. She does this in a variety of ways, including newsy emails, contests and book giveaways. A bit of special attention followers receive in “Under My Skin” is the cameo appearance of Jones Cooper, a major character developed over several novels Ms. Unger set in the mysterious upstate New York village known as The Hollows. Like yours truly, these readers will wear a smile of recognition for Unger’s special show of gratitude.

About the author

Lisa Unger is The New York Times and internationally bestselling, award-winning author of 16 novels, including the psychological thrillers “Die for You,” “In the Blood,” Darkness, My Old Friend,” and — more recently — “Ink and Bone” and “The Red Hunter.” Her books are published in 26 languages worldwide, w have sold millions  of copies, and have been named “Best of the Year” or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, Indie Booksellers, Goodreads and the Sun Sentinel, to name a few. Her essays have appeared in NPR, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Travel+Leisure.

Mrs. Unger lives in Florida’s Tampa Bay area with her husband, daughter, and Labradoodle. ¦

— Phil Jason, Ph. D., United States Naval Academy professor emeritus of English, is a poet, critic and freelance writer with 20 books to his credit, including several studies of war literature and a creative writing text.

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