Ottessa Moshfegh's greatest skill is her ability to put the reader inside the head of the most insane women of all time.
Death In Her Hands is a metaphysical thriller about a widow, Vesta, who discovers an ominous note that points to a crime but no body. Captivated by the sinister mystery, Vesta becomes quickly obsessed with solving the death of a woman, "Magda" who is named in the note.
Moshfegh's style includes minimal dialogue and a strong emphasis on the neurosis of her central figures. After reading Moshfegh's debut novel, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, I wanted to make a return to her work. There are noted similarities across her work: a descent into the extremes of the human mind. At the end of Death in Her hands, we are left with more questions than answers:
Who is Magda? Was she even real to begin with? Is Vesta so raptured in her loneliness that she has fabricates a murder mystery out of thin air?
The strength in this book is Moshfegh's ability to weave a story out of nothing. There are no clues in this mystery, no leads, no suspect, no apparent victim. Only a strange note. But Vesta's internal conflict shrouds the world in grief, confusion, and a desire to understand the lonely world.
As Vesta attempts to solve the crime, she reflects on her relationship with her deceased husband, Walter. Though Vesta spends hours ruminating on the possible identity of the fictionalized "Magda", we gather clues about the life the old woman led with her husband. Growing increasingly disturbed by Walter's invasive presence, the audience is left to solve the mystery of their relationship. What starts innocuously enough unravels into an account of a deeply sinister and emotionally abusive relationship.
Despite the slow pacing, Death In Her Hands explores dimensions within our own. The reader is meant to feel like we have one foot in this world and one foot in the twisted mind of Vesta. If you're looking to question your existence, you've found the right place to do so.
4/5
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