THE WORLD KNOWS HER AS THE GIRL IN CELL A.
Convicted of murder at seventeen, infamous killer and true crime celebrity Orianna Negi has always maintained her innocence.
BUT IF SHE DIDN’T KILL GIDEON WYCLERC…
Orianna has a blind spot over that fateful day: she can’t remember what happened. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is tasked with unlocking the truth.
….THEN WHO DID?
Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch , Amos. As their sessions progress, Annie reaches into Orianna’s past to a shattering realisation…. Scandal. Sex. Power. Race. And murder. Between guilt and innocence lies a fallen Eden.
Best known for his cosy crime Baby Ganesh Agency books and the Malabar House historical crime fiction series, both set in India, The Girl in Cell A marks an intriguing change of style for Vaseem Khan. Set in small-town America, this twisty thriller still has the astute characterisation and vivid sense of place I've come to expect from his books but is a much darker, grittier read.
At just seventeen, Orianna was convicted of murder and became notorious world-wide as the Girl in Cell A but even after eighteen years in jail, she maintains her innocence and claims she has no memory of Gideon Wyclerc's tragic last day. Most of the narrative follows Orianna's perspective as she returns to Eden Falls to uncover the truth but there are also chapters throughout which are told from forensic psychologist Annie's point-of-view. Orianna is a fascinatingly opaque character; on first meeting her, Annie is informed that a year ago, she snapped another woman's fibula in two. However, she is rather vulnerable at times too, and as Annie notes, her years in prison have left her emotionally and socially immature. It's also evident throughout that she is angry and hurt by the way she was treated by others in Eden Falls and so her skewed recollection of events remains questionable even after she attempts to piece together the fragments of her memory.
Eden Falls itself is a deceptively picturesque small town which is run by the powerful Wyclerc family and teeming with dark secrets. Its persistent grip on Orianna becomes poignantly apparent thanks to Vaseem Khan's rich, atmospheric descriptions of the setting and its malignant past. None of the characters are particularly likeable, including Orianna herself but the shocking revelations and confessions which cast suspicions on many of the townsfolk also occasionally elicit our sympathies in this nuanced, thought-provoking mystery. Guilty or not, there can be no doubt that Orianna was let down by the town's inhabitants, even those who should have most protected her and it's little wonder that she should seek solace in her more positive memories of the place. Meanwhile, Amos, the ruthless, overbearing patriarch whose cruel, manipulative behaviour has long shaped not just this sinister town but also the toxic, dysfunctional Wyclerc family itself, has a different side to his character too.
Annie is a lesser character but still important as she gradually attempts to encourage Orianna to confront her suppressed memories and like many before her, she becomes obsessed with this damaged, complicated woman. Although her professional interest means her preoccupation with the case is understandable and perhaps inevitable, she also represents the public's fixation which we often see captured by high-profile true crime stories. As she questions Orianna and considers her own responses to this complex, harrowing tale of greed, racism, jealousy and guilt, Vaseem Khan cleverly compels readers to reach their own conclusions despite us knowing we are never in full possession of the facts.
Chock-full of secrets, twists and red herrings, The Girl in Cell A is a brilliantly sinister thriller where nothing and nobody can be trusted, right up to the mind-blowing last page. An outstanding read and one I very highly recommend.
The Girl in Cell A is published by Hodder and Stoughton, purchasing links can be found here.
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