LIT by Anna Woods

Anna Woods has won awards for her short stories, but now she has produced her first novel, LIT, and what a fabulous book! Her debut is a literary suspense novel, a slow-burning, elegant and atmospheric read.

The architecture practice LIT in Auckland is in financial ruin, and the three partners, Gin, Billy and Clary are in turmoil. Billy was supposed to be dead – he promised Gin before he disappeared out of their lives - but Gin starts catching glimpses of him while she tries to care for Clary, his fragile ex-girlfriend. This is a tangled trio with long-standing business relationships, but also a fractured personal life, and all of them are hiding secrets.

The pressure is mounting. LIT is drowning in debt, and Gin is hiding her role in Billy’s disappearance, while Clary is becoming increasingly distant and seemingly mentally unwell. Added to that is a journalist hounding Gin about a former client and possible fraud. While they work on a business submission that could save their foundering company, Gin feels increasingly stressed and paranoid.

This is a novel about gaslighting, control and obsession, as the characters are forced to confront a shocking past that refuses to stay buried. Twisty and thought-provoking, LIT has well-crafted characters and a feeling of claustrophobia as the tension mounts.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Echo Publishing