{Available March 3, 2020} Please See Us is an absolutely breathtaking debut novel. More of a mystery than a thriller, we follow two main characters in Atlantic City – a teenage psychic struggling to make ends meet and a young woman who has moved back home following a traumatic personal event.
Mullen absolutely NAILS the atmosphere here. I could feel the summer heat and humidity. I could see the rundown and condemned parts of the city – everything felt dull and gray and gritty. The seedy, faded casinos and motels just add to the overall icky and hopeless feeling of this book, which is a testament to the quality of the writing. There is some REALLY good writing here.
I love how Mullen examines the different types of women who end up as victims throughout the story. They come from different backgrounds. They have different thoughts and feelings. Each has a personal journey that led them to Atlantic City and, ultimately, to their deaths. The chapters that focus on the “Janes” are some of the best, and some of the hardest to read. After one towards the end, I found myself needing to pause for a moment before diving back in to the rest of the story.
There are some DARK themes explored here (I mean, besides the obvious…) but every piece feels absolutely necessary to the story.
Thank you Gallery Books for sending me this ARC!
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