Irish author Liz Nugent knocks it out of the park with her latest novel, “Strange Sally Diamond” — a story about a woman coming to grips with a dark and mysterious past. Fans of “Room” and “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” will want to listen up here, because this book is for you.
Our lead character, 43-year-old Sally, lives on an isolated farm with her aging father, a retired psychologist. He jokingly tells her that when he dies — and he knows it won’t be long now — she should just take him out with the trash. Sally, a neurodivergent woman due to the trauma of her early childhood, takes everything literally and does just that. She incinerates him, or tries to, and before long the neighbors smell something foul and decide to investigate.
This puts Sally at the center of attention — a place she fears more than anything. For the past several years, on the rare occasion when she’s out and about, Sally has pretended to be deaf just to avoid conversations with townspeople. But an innocent mistake with the disposal of her father’s body leads her down a rabbit hole that reveals forgotten memories and long-held secrets about her past.
This novel is a literary mystery-thriller mashup that’s super dark and disturbing. But what makes it special is Sally Diamond herself, a character who brings heart and even humor to an otherwise tragic story. If you plan to read it, don’t read too much about it first. Just go in blind and savor the ride.
The audiobook is especially captivating, with a cast of excellent narrators and several chill-inducing moments. “Strange Sally Diamond” is one of my favorite reads of this year.
