The Skylight: Quick Reads 2021

A fine addition to the Quick Reads library! Simone knows more about the couple downstairs than they realise; from her bathroom window she can see straight into their kitchen through the skylight. Spying on her neighbours becomes something of a habit she can’t break but, like people who listen at doors, watchers can find out things they’re certainly not expecting . . . I was delighted to be asked to review this as part of the Quick Reads 2021 launch; I wish I could have read more than one of the terrific books on offer but, as always, time constraints dictated that I could only manage The Skylight but I hope to catch up with the others in future. This is a wonderful idea which I’m happy to support. Don’t for one moment think that this is any less of a read than others by this author; Louise Candlish delivers a short, sharp and succinct story with a surprising finish. I was very quickly drawn into Simone’s life – apparently, there are a lot of houses with skylights in their kitchens these days and they never give a thought to being overlooked by their neighbours – although I suspect they may very well do just that once they read this story! A gripping read all the way through; while perhaps not strictly correct, it was easy to sympathise with Simone and, up to a point, to justify her actions. Smartly plotted and beautifully written, this is an absolutely cracking read and one which may well play on my mind for some time to come. Absolutely, definitely, a five star read and worthy of my highest recommendation.

The Skylight is a novella by British author Louise Candlish. Simone doesn’t like her neighbours. Alina and Gus Hunt are just too perfect a couple. They used noisy, inconsiderate builders for their fancy extension; the work went on far too long. But now the new skylight into their kitchen gives Simone a glimpse into their lives from her top floor bathroom, so she keeps an eye on them, surreptitiously gets to know them quite well. Her partner, Jake never uses that bathroom, so the view is hers alone. But what she sees one night, while Jake is working late, is a shock. That Alina needs to be taught a lesson, she decides, but Simone will bide her time. A little selective mail sorting, and she has a plan…. Short but powerful, a chilling read.

When I fall into one of those awful reading slumps, I often turn a short story to climb back out. On this occasion, The Skylight was my book of choice, and I’m glad I read it. The story worked perfectly as a short, and while I felt I wanted more, I think turning it into a novel would have reduced the feeling of tension. Louise Candlish’s style of writing lends itself perfectly to suspense, and I could feel the tension building throughout. While I had a pretty good idea of the direction things were going, the story occasionally hits with an unexpected turn to keep you guessing. You find out about Simone’s childhood, but anything more would have been superfluous. Overall, The Skylight is a well written story with the perfect level of suspense, as expected from anything written by Louise Candlish. I recommended this quick read to any mystery and suspense reader and although I don't tend to give short stories five stars, I have for The Skylight.