Have you ever come across psychological thriller books that smell thrilling and spooking? You must be wondering, how could I smell a story. Well, you would understand it after reading the novel Linger, When You’re Gone by Chitra Padmana. And mind you, the smell of the story and its characters still linger on my mind while I pen my thoughts about the same.
Straight away from the first word of the novel, you would plunge into a sinister atmosphere. A dreaded feeling would engulf you, reciprocating the feeling of fear felt by the character who would die soon. I had to stop reading for a while to let the feeling of dread go away. Such is the power of words built by the author.
Linger, When You’re Gone narrates the story of Miris and her dead boyfriend, whose smell and memories haunt her. The death of her best friend Veenu forced her to come out of her depressive world and plays a vital role in unraveling the mystery behind her death.
The story has so many fragrances of emotions. The bonding of Miris with her friends smelled like freshly baked bread. Care and love which Miris received from her adoptive family smelled like a bunch of bloomed Lavender flowers. Then there was the smell of fear which was predominant with frequent occurrence throughout the story.
The entire story was cleverly crafted around the heightened smelling ability of Miris. It added the much-required freshness to the storyline and alertness to know how things will take a turn. Also, the way the author created eeriness and something sinister-to-happen kind of atmosphere was superb to read. The confusing beginning resembled the chaotic mental condition of Miris. But the narrative settles down as she finds a purpose. The book continues to be complex but interesting.
The Verdict
Linger, When You’re Gone was a thrilling and chilling read, both at once. It was like a fresh smell of earth after the rain mixed with some weird, ominous smell of fear. You should read it if you like psychological thriller books. You can consider it one of the good psychological thriller books 2021.
