Just as the current movie “The Housemaid,” based on the book by Freida McFadden, has hit theaters, the same author has penned a thriller now available at bookstores. “The Intruder” is a complicated page turner weaving vengeance and deep hurt.
Casey (whose last name is concealed on purpose until the end of the book) is a single woman approaching middle age and living alone in the middle of the woods, her nearest neighbor living a half mile away. Her neighbor is Lee (whose last name is also concealed until the end of the book). Lee is friendly and thoughtful, frequently paying Casey welfare checks. But despite Lee’s obvious good intentions, he makes Casey uncomfortable for reasons she can’t put her finger on.
There is also Rudy, Casey’s negligent landlord who is delinquent in addressing necessary repairs to her cabin, including her roof on the verge of collapse. The problem with the roof is even more urgent at the beginning of the story, as a major storm is gathering. Rudy promises to fix the roof the following week and Casey can only hope she weathers the storm.
What happens next is that in the midst of the storm, Casey is sure there is a person lurking outside her cabin. It turns out to be a young teenage girl whose shirt and carrying bag are saturated in blood. The girl goes only by the name of Ella but Casey learns her first name is Eleanor. She is certain the girl has been abused and in danger if she is returned to from wherever it is she has come.
The story is laid out with chapters shifting back and forth highlighting Ella’s orderals at home and school and the night she spends with Casey (who is concerned for Ella’s safety). At school, Ella has one friend, a troubled boy named Anton who exhibits behavioral problems beyond his control. He is in constant fights and is just as often punished with detention.
Ella too is not without problems at school. She is a fairly good student but does not relate well to her peers, as she is plagued by poverty and poor hygiene. Her home life isn’t any better, as her mother is negligent (to say the least). The mother keeps the home in poor condition and maintains a habit of hoarding which renders noxious fumes.
It’s obvious early in the story that violence is involved. As stated, Ella is saturated with someone’s blood. Casey wants to notify authorities but the storm has knocked out phone service. And she doesn’t bother owning a cell phone, as it’s impossible to get a signal in the woods. Casey is content to allow Ella to stay the night and figures to follow-up the next day to further assist Ella.
The chapters to the story revert to the previous days leading to Ella’s appearance outside Casey’s cabin. Ella and Anton are both the target of bullies at school and the situation culminates in Anton’s attack of a girl tormenting Ella. Anton inflicts serious injury on the girl and is taken into custody, costing Ella the companionship of her only friend.
But this is only the story in a nutshell. The subplot is that Ella does not know her father is or was and her mother refuses to provide her any information. Ella is determined to learn the identity and even the whereabouts of her father. On two occasions, she believes she has found her father, only to learn she is mistaken.
In the meantime, there is the spectacle of Ella’s blood soaked clothes and carrying bag. Casey discovers that Ella has a knife and fears the girl has used the weapon on her mother. At this point, a spoiler alert is necessary. The reader is thrown for an unpredictable loop at the climax of the story. And if you believe this story cannot have a happy ending, you’re right for the most part. Though it’s not the disaster which seems inevitable, the ending is somber and melancholy.
“The Intruder” is a quick read and the product of a gifted writer. But the details are ugly. If you’re fine with trauma and like suspense, “The Intruder” is for you. If you can’t stand the sight of blood, and the sight comes jumping off the pages, skip “The Intruder.” Reading should be enjoyable and not a tool to bother one’s senses.
John O’Neill is an Allen Park freelance writer.
