She Treads Softly: You Should Have Told Me

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

You Should Have Told Me

You Should Have Told Me by Leah Konen
1/3/23; 400 pages
Penguin Random House

You Should Have Told Me by Leah Konen is a highly recommended novel of domestic suspense.

Janie and her partner Max have a newborn daughter, Freya. Janie is struggling with the responsibilities of having a newborn, including the constant nursing, lack of sleep, doubts about herself, and postpartum depression. Max has tried to support her and help with Freya, but one night, when he promised to take care of Freya and let Janie get some sleep, Max disappears. Janie wakes up to Freya screaming (crying) and can't find Max anywhere. Janie takes care of Freya's needs and then looks around the house for Max.

When she calls family and friends later no one has heard from him, but they don't seem too concerned. A mutual friend, Liana comes over to help Janie with Freya. However, when Janie learns from the police that a woman was murdered at a neighborhood bar and that Max was last seen there, she is determined to find out what happened. Janie begins to look into what happened that night.

The novel is set over several days and the chapters are opened with the time. This was an effective way to keep track of the time, which new mothers studiously have to do, and help increase the tension as the time Max is gone increases. I wouldn't say the novel is a thriller; it is more domestic suspense. Janie is concerned about Max's disappearance and is sure he is innocent of any nefarious activities. Max's family and friends feel the same way and are sure Max will be back soon. Janie's best friend is less sure.

The depiction of a new mother with a baby is realistic. Talking about nursing Freya, changing her, comforting her, is continuously mentioned in detail in the novel which some readers will understand and others will find annoying. You will need to suspend disbelief about some of Janie's actions and the idea that postpartum Janie could uncover information that the police wouldn't have already discovered. Max is really an unknown character without a lot of development as his appearance is so brief in the beginning of the novel.

The ending was more interesting and moved faster than the rest of the novel. I guessed most of what would happen but there were a few surprises. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.