A fantastically sinister thriller about gentrification, racism, a conspiracy, and the evil that lurks beneath real estate agents. I’m kidding about that last one (sort of). I was scared, creeped out, and horrified during the course of this quick read, where I forced myself to stay up into the wee hours to finish.

I loved both of the main characters and their relationship. They had a great dynamic and I enjoyed all of the scenes between them. They were both fleshed out and I found it effortless to picture them together or on their own. Cole can describe scene, interaction, and emotion without slathering on detail, which I think worked really well for this kind of thriller.

Without spoiling, I really liked the ending. I have seen some say it is too unbelievable, but I don’t think so. Evil and racism are at the forefront of the climax (I felt like there were 10 LOL) and we see a horror-movie rendition of the extremes of gentrification. Maybe a little bit over the top, but also maybe not. I don’t feel I can judge that. It might be interpretive to each reader.

While there are serious and important topics in this novel, there was also a good deal of humour and romance. It was an interesting combo to see a romance blossoming amidst this neighbourhood crisis, and also to see each character grapple with their feelings on their own and in one another’s eyes.

Originally I had given this a 4, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it. The more I thought about it the more I realized how clever it was. **SPOILER!!!** I was literally scared shitless during a scene where Sydney was in an Uber and the driver was strange, and the doors were locked and she couldn’t get out. As a woman travelling alone in cars, that is a fear of mine. There is also a scene where a man tries to get into her house posing as a worker. CUE PANT PEEING. **END OF SPOLER** Anyways, I think it was done really well and I will definitely be reading Cole’s other novels, regardless of genre.