The Secret Talker

A Novel

by Geling Yan

On Sale: 05/04/2021

The Secret Talker

Enlarge Book Cover

The Secret Talker

A Novel

by Geling Yan

On Sale: 05/04/2021

Format:

About the Book

Combining the dark twists of The Silent Patient with the unsettling beauty of The Vegetarian, a tense, gripping, and wholly original psychological tale of a woman with a secret admirer—who is hiding secrets of her own.

Beautiful, diligent, and passive, Hongmei is the perfect wife to Glen, an intelligent and caring college professor. But her quiet life in Northern California fractures when a mysterious person begins e-mailing her, pulling her into an enthralling and frightening game of cat-and-mouse. Who is stalking her? And how does this mysterious stranger know her deepest, darkest secrets?

As Hongmei is forced to confront her own dark past in China, the façade of her idyllic life is laid bare. Increasingly desperate and self-destructive, her one hope is to turn the tables on her tormentor. Investigating the stalker's own secret history may irrevocably tear her marriage and her world apart—a risk she must take to regain control of her life.

Critical Praise

"The Secret Talker is a profound meditation on love, the difficulties of communication and the agonizing joy and brutality of commitment."  — New York Times

"A riveting tale of suspense. . . . Yan’s pacing is impeccable as she delicately but inexorably builds toward a thought-provoking finale. Readers of tense literary fiction will find much to like." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[A] masterful tale driven by Yan’s brisk pacing and evocative writing and details that pulse with truth. . . . An adventurous and emotionally engaging story, which ultimately unlocks the transformative power of listening and honesty for recovery and redemption from tribulations of the past." — New York Journal of Books

"A suspenseful, intriguing tale of a woman in her psychological crisis." — The Millions

"Geling Yan has crafted a slow-burn psychological thriller in The Secret Talker . . . a cat and mouse game that will keep you guessing to the last page." — CrimeReads

“With simple but powerful prose, Geling Yan evokes electrifying scenes of great cruelty and sensuality.“  — San Francisco Chronicle

"Searing and delicately brutal, [The Secret Talker] strikes at the heart of what makes a relationship implode."
Popsugar

"The combination of emotional intimacy with long-hidden secrets often makes for a compelling thriller, and The Secret Talker delivers ...For readers looking for a brisk and neatly plotted mystery, this novel has plenty to offer."
Words Without Borders

"The Secret Talker bring[s] the mood of an existential novel to a hair-raising thriller. Yan is a fan of stories where interlopers disrupt stable relationships — among her screenplay credits is an adaptation of ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses.’ But she also sees a third party as a way to patch a fractured relationship. ‘Whatever roles human beings played by day, if they didn’t have a moment like this when they could reveal themselves, they’d surely be driven mad,’ Yan writes. And her hero is intriguingly close to that edge.” — Washington Post

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Product Details

  • ISBN: 9780063004030
  • ISBN 10: 0063004038
  • Imprint: HarperVia
  • On Sale: 05/04/2021
  • Pages: 160
  • List Price:29.99 CAD
  • BISAC1 : FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
  • BISAC2 : FICTION / Thrillers / Domestic
  • BISAC3 : FICTION / Contemporary Women
  • BISAC4 : FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological
  • BISAC5 : FICTION / Thrillers / Historical
  • BISAC6 : FICTION / Thrillers / Political
  • BISAC7 : FICTION / Literary
  • BISAC8 : FICTION / Thrillers / Supernatural
  • BISAC9 : FICTION / Thrillers / Technological
  • BISAC10 : FICTION / Thrillers / Legal

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