The Ingenue
A Novel
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3.5 • 19 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Named a Best New Book of December 2022 by Buzzfeed · New York Post · PopSugar · PureWow · E! Online · Amazon
A People Best New Book: "A dark tale of revenge."
"Exceptional. This surprising, exhilarating suspense-filled tale of revenge and redemption is hard to put down." ––Publishers Weekly (starred review)
My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.
When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's sudden death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?
Set against a post #MeToo landscape, Rachel Kapelke-Dale's The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Saskia Kreis, the 37-year-old heroine of this exceptional psychological thriller from Kapelke-Dale (The Ballerinas), was once a child piano prodigy, but her career petered out in her late teens. She now makes a mediocre living in New York City as a computer coder. Upon the death of her mother, author and illustrator Evelyn Harper Kreis, Saskia returns to Milwaukee, Wis., for the funeral, staying at Elf House, the mansion that had been in her mother's family for generations and that she hopes to inherit. She's shocked when she learns that her mother has willed the house to Patrick Kintner, director of development at the University of Wisconsin. The narrative switches between Saskia's present-day fight to retain what she believes is rightfully hers and sections revealing dark incidents from her adolescence. The plot builds to a conclusion that's inevitable but still surprising, exhilarating but also disturbing. Chapters often start with excerpts from Evelyn's 1990s book series, Fairy Tales for Little Feminists. These add substance to Saskia's own plight and her decision on how to continue her life's journey, and will resonate with readers in the post-#MeToo era. This suspense-filled tale of revenge and redemption is hard to put down.
Customer Reviews
Worth the read - could have been shorter
While I enjoyed the story woven in Kapelke-Dale’s second book, I struggled to finish “The Ingenue.” I found the middle part of the book lethargic & drawn out. I wanted to see how the author brought the story to a close, so I pushed through and am glad I did, because the ending was quite satisfying. I just felt like a good chunk of the middle could have been shortened to speed the pace of the book & enhance the thriller aspect at its heart.
Thrilling Story
Five Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is an exciting thriller about a young woman who returns home to find out her inheritance was left to her ex-lover.
Story Recap:
When Saskia Kreis returns to her childhood home for her mother’s funeral, she doesn’t expect to find out that her inheritance, the Elf House, was left to an ex-boyfriend, Patrick. The historic Elf House has been handed down from generation to generation and Saskia has grown up knowing the house would be hers one day.
Saskia and her father can’t believe her mother would not leave the home to Saskia. Even her father can’t understand her mother’s thinking, and even if she didn’t want to leave it to Saskia, they are both perplexed why she would leave the home to Patrick. With so many unanswered questions, Saskia is determined to find some answers.
My Thoughts:
I loved this fast-paced story and I could not put this book down until I found out why Saskia’s mother left the house to Patrick.
I like the way the author organized the chapters. It starts with a quick snippet from her mother’s feminist fairy tales and I thought this gave us a look into Saskia’s mother and how she thought. Next was a few paragraphs that took place in Saskia’s past and highlights how she became a pianist and how her parents supported her talent. I thought this gave us more suspense as Saskia’s past has clues to her mother’s motivation and we learn why Saskia abandoned her promising career. Next came the present-day section that details Saskia’s search to find the truth behind her mother’s bequest.
As I read, the suspense got more and more intense, and the ending was one I had to read twice as I couldn’t believe what happened, and it was a very satisfying end.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Ingenue to anyone who loves suspenseful fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.