Book Review: The Only Child by Kayte Nunn
Book Review: The Only Child by Kayte Nunn
27 September 2022
Australian-based author Kayte Nunn has written a superb thriller in The Only Child, according to reviewer Peter Mazanec.
The Only Child by Kayte Nunn is a gripping thriller that alternates between two timelines. The first is set during the coldest recorded winter in 1949-50 on Orcades Island at Fairmile, a clapboard mansion overlooking the Puget Sound in the US Pacific Northwest.
Fairmile functions as a Catholic home for unwed mothers and is where the story unfolds of Brigid, a young woman forcibly sent there after falling pregnant.
The second takes place in 2013, following Frankie Gray, a police officer who decides to return to America after working in Australia to join her mother, Dianne, on Orcades Island. Dianne is in the midst of restoring the house at Fairmile to open an inn. Frankie is also desperate to rekindle her relationship with her estranged daughter, who has also come to stay for the summer. When a brutal murder of a nun happens in the local nursing home, Fairmile’s murky past comes to light, and it is up to Frankie to find the truth.
Nunn has produced a superb thriller with The Only Child. It is beautifully written and suspenseful. The character development is done well for such a short book, and the descriptions of the island thoroughly capture the mystery and moodiness of the story.
Another highlight is the perfect pacing of the narrative – there was never a moment where it felt slow. The narrative is nicely punctuated by the switching timelines, heightening the tension and revealing just enough to keep you hooked as the plot unfurls.
My only criticism is that the plot was a tad predictable, and readers may be able to guess the outcome early. That said, it is a brilliant book and well worth the read. Perfect for a cold, wet afternoon!
Available at good bookstores.
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