Review: In Another Light by A.J. Banner
In Another Light
by A.J. Banner
Thanks so much to GetRedPr for this gifted book.
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publish Date: October 5, 2021
Kindle Edition
252 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Thriller
Three years ago mortuary cosmetologist Phoebe Glassman lost her husband in a tragic accident. No longer the hopeful wife and mother she once was, Phoebe is disappearing into her grief and into the quietude of her job—restoring to the dead the illusion of life. Then the body of a woman named Pauline Steele arrives in the mortuary, and for Phoebe, everything changes.
Pauline is unmistakably Phoebe’s mirror image and bears an alarmingly familiar tattoo. Even more startling is that among Pauline’s effects is a faded photograph of Phoebe. Aided by an eccentric colleague, her curiosity sparked, Phoebe investigates her doppelgänger’s life and death—and uncovers surprising clues to a shared past.
Phoebe’s emotional journey soon leads to shocking revelations about those closest to her…and even herself. When she’s driven to the brink, how much of what she discovers can she trust?
My Review:
My fourth Banner novel and by far my favorite. Her books are quick reads at under 300 pages so it's easy to fly right through them. This novel sheds light on the process of grief and we get to deep dive into Phoebe's ups and downs as she struggles to deal with the loss of her husband and young daughter. I mean, if you worked in a mortuary and a woman shows up on your table looking almost identical to yourself and bearing a tattoo that you've seen on your husband's phone... well, wouldn't that get you spiraling?
Doppelganger books are always fun for me because you just KNOW something weird is happening. Secrets will be unleashed... curiosity doesn't just kill the cat. When Phoebe really loses it in one part of the book, my heart just went out to her. While love can make you do some crazy things, it has absolutely nothing on grief and I believe the author does a great job of showcasing that struggle. I definitely did not figure out certain parts of it and I certainly was unsure as to the credibility of what Phoebe was seeing. I applaud her tenacity but also cringe at some of her actions.. while also still understanding them..
Really the only thing that didn't quite work for me was the ending - and not in the whole ending part but in a teeny, tiny romance part that I felt was just unnecessary. I also felt like there were some plot holes but honestly, it didn't really take away from the read.
Go hug your loved ones.
★★★★
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