The Choice

April 27, 2020
Joanna, the protagonist of this uneven thriller from British author McAllister (The Good Sister), is walking home late one night from a London bar, where a man physically forced himself on her, when she hears footsteps behind her on the deserted street. Fearing the man is after her, she turns and pushes him down a flight of outdoor stairs. As he lies face down in a puddle, Joanna hesitates. Does she call for help or run away? The narrative then splits into two possible futures. In the chapters headed Conceal, Joanna flees and faces the consequences of keeping her dark secret, including bearing responsibility for a death. In the alternating Reveal chapters, her life unfolds as if she called for help and the police charge her with a crime. The intriguing setup compensates only in part for a lead without a distinctive character, though the closing chapters and the epilogue do offer some redemption. Others have done a better job with a similar premise. Agent: Felicity Blunt, Curtis Brown (U.K.).

Starred review from April 15, 2020
At the start of this smart, ferociously paced novel, Joanna Oliva stands at a crossroads. She's been frustrated with her job as a mobile library clerk in London and spends a night out drinking lamenting with her friend Laura. But then a man in the pub starts to bother them, and Joanna decides to leave. The friends separate, and Joanna rushes home, aware she's being followed by a dark presence. When she turns to confront her attacker, she pushes him, and he goes flying down a flight of stairs. Now Joanna is the perpetrator, and she has a choice: should she turn herself in or run? The narrative splits in two, with chapters labeled "Conceal" or "Reveal," as McAllister explores the paths that spiral out from Joanna's fateful decision. She weaves Joanna's backstory through both parts so that the reader gets a full picture of her and her relationship with husband Reuben. The clever, fresh structure of The Choice, first published in the UK as Anything You Do Say in 2017, will keep thriller enthusiasts glued to the pages as they flip by.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)