A terrible car accident left playboy and thriller writer Aarav Rai with a broken leg and holes in his memory, and he is forced to move back to his father's house to recover. While there, his mother's car is found in the forest, proof that she did not run off and leave him ten years ago. The ultra-rich suburban neighborhood Aarav grew up in hides a multitude of secrets, but from his balcony, he has a better view than most of what is happening behind closed doors--except for his own, because his father is still bitter about his late wife's independent nature and won't discuss the fight they had on what turned out to be their last night together. Aarav uses his self-proclaimed sociopathic tendencies to charm information out of people, but his mind can't process what he finds, and readers will be left wondering if he's keeping the biggest secret from himself. Singh perfectly conveys the sleek architecture amid an unforgiving New Zealand forest, while the fuzziness and paranoia of Aarav's narration make this an unsettling thriller that deserves a wide audience.

The discovery of Nina Rai's vehicle in the bush of Waitakere Ranges Regional Park kick-starts this paranoia-fueled domestic thriller from New Zealand author Singh (A Madness of Sunshine). Ten years earlier, free-spirited Nina went missing, along with $250,000 that her domineering husband, Ishaan, had stashed in his safe. Ishaan told everyone Nina was a thief who abandoned her family, but her devoted son, Aarav, suspected foul play--a theory that gains credence when the police find Nina's skeleton in her passenger seat, wearing the clothes in which she disappeared. Aarav--now a 26-year-old crime writer--is certain someone in his parents' Auckland cul-de-sac is responsible, and since he's staying with his father while he recovers from a car crash, he decides to dig. The ensuing investigation uncovers myriad suspects, together with troubling gaps and inconsistencies in Aarav's own memories. Though the plot feels unfocused thanks to overabundant red herrings and some half-baked twists, Singh sustains tension throughout, delivering a lushly written, multilayered mystery that will keep readers guessing. Susan Isaacs fans, take note. Agent: Nephele Tempest, Knight Agency. (Feb.)