A New York Times Best Thriller Pick for 2022
Bestselling author Adam Hamdy returns with The Other Side of Night, an utterly unforgettable tale of love, loss and redemption.
When disgraced former police officer Harriet Kealty discovers a plea for help in the margins of a second-hand book, she sets out to unravel a mystery that quickly leads her to confront some uncomfortable ties to her own life, including her ex-lover Ben.
Following the deaths of his close friends, Ben became an adoptive father to their orphaned son Elliot. But Harriet suspects that Ben knows more about these deaths than he’s willing to say…
What starts as a simple investigation becomes something entirely different in this moving story that will open hearts and minds as it answers the question: what would you do for one more moment with someone that you love?
As I continue to catch up with reviews of books I read earlier in the year, I'm delighted to be sharing my thoughts on The Other Side of Night today. Many thanks to Adam Hamdy and Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the novel.
I finished The Other Side of Night with tears in my eyes but a book which explores life and love in such an original way left me with a real challenge. How on earth am I supposed to express what makes this such a special read without giving anything away?! It's a lovely problem to have, however, and I'm grateful to have spent time with this perceptive, thought-provoking novel.
As the author of a number of crime thrillers, The Other Side of Night is a very different book for Adam Hamdy but all the ingredients which made his previous novels so exciting are still present. After an intriguing prologue which takes the form of a preface written by a novelist called David Asha, the first part of the story follows Harriet Kealty. It quickly becomes apparent that she is a disgraced former police officer and after being vilified by the media and trolled by members of the public, she is in a bad place. A plea for help in the margin of a second-hand book may seem like an unlikely place to start an investigation but Harri needs to find herself again and in that context, it makes sense for her to try to find out more.
This is really a story about how our lives become connected and intertwined and Harri's complicated relationship with Ben is fascinating. They only had three dates together before Ben abruptly called time on their love affair but it's clear there's a deep bond between them – which makes the consequence of her actions even more agonising. She learns that Ben is the guardian of a young boy called Elliot but after digging into the deaths of his parents, she uncovers some disconcerting details which seem to suggest Ben is hiding some dark secrets. The marrying of a compelling mystery with the emotional baggage shared by the two main protagonists ensured I raced through these pages but as much as I love a tense thriller, it's the latter part of The Other Side of Night which really makes this such a memorable, heartfelt read.
As well as being a gripping mystery and a moving romance, The Other Side of Night is also wonderfully inventive speculative fiction and Adam Hamdy explores concepts which are both incredible and yet entirely believable. As a long-term Doctor Who fan, there are elements to the storyline here which were like nectar to me but although familiar, it never felt derivative. As the intricately layered plot gradually gives up its secrets, I wanted to go back to the start to spot the clues I missed; the clever weaving together of all that takes place is breathtakingly good.
There are some esoteric topics described here but the science behind the revelations is really only the catalyst for what, at its heart, is a captivating, beautifully written paean to the power of love. Adam Hamdy's unique look at grief and hope is poetically melancholic and yet profoundly life-affirming. It's a story that deserves to be savoured more than once and I will undoubtedly return to it in the future. A stellar read.
The Other Side of Night is published in the UK by Pan Macmillan. Purchasing links can be found here but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
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