The Wayside

September 6, 2024
In Wolff's psychological-thriller debut, a mother becomes so unmoored by her son's death and with disproving the determination that he died by suicide that she loses self-control. In a daze from memorial formalities, Kate takes an extended hiatus from work, inhabiting her son's campus apartment in search of answers. She hopes to assuage her tremendous guilt about their distant relationship by scrutinizing the contents of his journal, attending his classes, and ruminating about their recent conversations. Kate immerses herself in Jake's environment, trying to fathom some mysterious aspects of his life. A second death, a mysterious club, and threatening messages solidify Kate's suspicion of murder. Kate's understandable grief morphs into dangerous and erratic behavior that quickly wears out her welcome with the local authorities and college administration. Kate's unreliable narration is tempered by occasional clarifying flashbacks from Jake's point of view. Some elaborate metaphors and awkward scenes nudge the novel toward melodrama, but fans of academic mysteries like Donna Tartt's Secret History and Alex Michaelides' The Maidens will feel compelled to seek this out.

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