Here One Moment
“You won’t necessarily win against fate, but you should at least put up a fight.”
Too much time had passed since I’d last braved the psychological thriller world, and what better way to jump back in than with Liane Moriarty’s newest release? In her tenth novel, Here One Moment, this renowned suspense writer reminds us that we will ALWAYS be ten steps behind her.
Some context…
The flight should be unremarkable, the only extraordinary thing being a long delay (which, let’s face it, is nothing special these days.) This is a mundane trip for most of the passengers, until a woman—initially unexceptional in appearance and behavior—begins announcing unsolicited predictions for each of them: their age and cause of death. Most people brush off her strange comments, assuming she is out of her mind or having some sort of psychotic episode due to dehydration (this, of course, is the only explanation for a person of a certain age to act unusually). However, the six passengers whose deaths are apparently right around the corner do not have the luxury of dismissing her. What had seemed like a fever dream turns into a nightmare when three of her prophecies tragically come true only months later. Then, no one can stop talking about “The Death Lady.”
As more time passes and death looms over them, these six individuals find themselves grappling with harrowing questions: Can fate be fought by free will? And will these choices save them or trigger their own demise?
Some thoughts…
Nobody does a red herring quite like Liane Moriarty. For every decoy she plants, she subtly drops a true clue—buried in seemingly insignificant details. Needless to say, her craftsmanship is mind-blowing. Although its gripping plotline is the novel’s biggest selling point, Moriarty’s dry humor deserves immense applause. She manages to seamlessly weave her famous wit into even the darkest scenes, leaving the reader not only asking, “What will happen next?” but also, “What will this woman say next?”
Closely following the lives and minds of seven distinct characters, it seems impossible for readers to connect with and care deeply about each one. But if you’re Liane Moriarty, anything less is unthinkable. I found myself fully invested in their lives, dreams, fears, and even their families. In this novel, not a single page is wasted. Every sentence furthers your understanding of the protagonists, each careful word bringing you closer to them.
While I understood death to be a major theme of this book, I was surprised by the nuanced portrayal of grief. Covering everything from overlooked responsibilities, like having to cancel a loved one’s gym membership, to painful epiphanies, like realizing they will no longer answer your phone calls, Moriarty explores the feelings of losing someone on both micro and macro levels. She forces readers to reflect on their daily lives and acknowledge the blessings they’ve stopped appreciating. Simultaneously gentle and candid, she demonstrates that when we treat life as just another routine, we are bound to see it break.
A clever mix of mystery and philosophy, this captivatingly cryptic novel will leave you with no choice but to turn every page.
RATING: ★★★★★
