Reptile Memoirs is a Norwegian crime debut by Silje Ulstein, translated by Alison McCullough. A tale of family secrets and the legacy of trauma, we follow deeply flawed and unreliable characters through the twists and turns of a child abduction. As secrets from the past begin to unravel, it becomes clear that something much darker is at play.
Ulstein weaves us intricately through multiple timelines and perspectives including that of the protagonist's pet snake, Nero. Liv and Nero have a creepily close and complicated relationship and getting inside the head of the snake adds a unique dimension that makes this novel so gripping.
There were parts of this thriller that made me physically wince in horror. It's shocking yet deliciously creepy, scratching at the darkest recesses of what creatures are capable of.
Review by Abi.
Reptile Memoirs was published on 17/03/22 by Grove Press.
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