Offered as a Hammer novella, you may well expect a substantial amount of supernatural horror, however a more rational yet none the less uncomfortable and captivating read awaits. The story is told from Muna’s viewpoint, held as a slave, abused and kept in the dark, she still has a cunning intelligence and quietly bides her time. The simplicity of the writing reveals a truly complicated and at times distressing subject matter. The ending is left on a note of uncertainty, your thoughts scrabble for purchase as they are pushed off a cliff of understanding. The author writes with a true level of compassion without hiding the cruelty explored in this creatively taut, original and chilling read. ~ Liz Robinson
From the internationally bestselling crime writer Minette Walters, The Cellar is a harrowing, compulsively readable novel about a family of African immigrants, the Songolis, and the dark secret they keep hidden in the depths of their seemingly respectable British house.
On the day Mr. and Mrs. Songoli's younger son fails to come home from school, fourteen-year-old Muna's fortunes change for the better. Until then, her bedroom was a windowless cellar, her activities confined to cooking and cleaning. Over the years, she had grown used to being abused by the Songoli family?to being a slave. As Scotland Yard swarms the Songoli home following the boy's disappearance, Muna is given a real bedroom, real clothing, and treated, at least nominally, as a daughter. But her world remains confined. She is not allowed to go outside, doesn't know how to read or write, and cannot speak English. At least that's what the Songolis believe. Before long, it becomes clear that young Muna is far cleverer?and her plans far more terrifying?than the Songolis, or anyone else, could ever imagine.
Minette Walters is one of the world's bestselling crime writers and has sold over 25 million copies of her books worldwide. She has won the CWA John Creasey Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award in America and two CWA Gold Daggers. The Swift and the Harrier is her third historical novel. She lives in Dorset with her husband.
From the internationally bestselling crime writer Minette Walters, The Cellar is a harrowing, compulsively readable novel about a family of African immigrants, the Songolis, and the dark secret they keep hidden in the depths of their seemingly respectable British house.
On the day Mr. and Mrs. Songoli's younger son fails to come home from school, fourteen-year-old Muna's fortunes change for the better. Until then, her bedroom was a windowless cellar, her activities confined to cooking and cleaning. Over the years, she had grown used to being abused by the Songoli family?to being a slave. As Scotland Yard swarms the Songoli home following the boy's disappearance, Muna is given a real bedroom, real clothing, and treated, at least nominally, as a daughter. But her world remains confined. She is not allowed to go outside, doesn't know how to read or write, and cannot speak English. At least that's what the Songolis believe. Before long, it becomes clear that young Muna is far cleverer?and her plans far more terrifying?than the Songolis, or anyone else, could ever imagine.
The Cellar features in the following genres: Crime and Mystery, eBooks of the Month, Shorter Reads, Horror and Supernatural Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations, Fiction: special features
The Cellar is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Cellar was written by Minette Walters and published by Mysterious Press an imprint of Grove Atlantic
The Cellar has 192 pages
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