The Quiet Space Between Us, a review by Joanna

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The Quiet Space Between Us

NA Cooper

Bloodhound Books

Published February 8, 2023

243 pages

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The Quiet Space Between Us is a psychological suspense novel set in a world destroyed by an unnamed virus, by an author who is new to me. I usually like post-apocalyptic stories, and was intrigued to know where this was going to go, only to be disappointed by the reveal. Itā€™s difficult to say too much about why without spoilers, but letā€™s just say the switch in genres was not what I was hoping for.

Ida lives alone in the Welsh countryside, visited only by her fiancĆ© Cal, who insists she must stay there to avoid the infection which has decimated the population, while he works in London to try and save the remains of society, returning intermittently to bring supplies. Hungry, lonely and bored, she lives for the brief interludes with him, but when her house is damaged in a storm, Ida reaches out to the only other person around, a scary looking loner. As a tentative friendship begins, Ida will discover a shocking truth that changes everythingā€¦
This was well written, but very slow – almost nothing happens in the first third, itā€™s all Ida growing vegetables, doing puzzles, and pining for her man. Sheā€™s an annoying wet blanket, but as we learn more about her past, things start to make more sense. Then the big twist happens and the book gets more interesting – there is finally some suspense, before it peters out to a frustrating ending. Many readers have enjoyed this Ā lot more than I did, and the events are mostly believable. Recommended to those looking for a variation on the domestic suspense genre, and who donā€™t mind the heroine being so feeble she needs a man to rescue her.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.

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