The Night in Question

In Fletcher’s (Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew) latest, guilt connects a victim and an amateur sleuth, creating a rare, moving style of genre-blended mystery. When Renata, a manager at an assisted-living facility, falls from a third-story window at the home, 87-year-old Florrie is sure this was attempted murder. She refuses to let her missing leg stop her from pursuing leads and won’t stop hoping that Renata will awaken from her coma. As Florrie and fellow resident Stanhope investigate, they discover a painful secret from Renata’s shadowy past. Listeners learn that although Florrie has seen much joy in her life, she too has been marked by a traumatic event that left her believing she’s unworthy of love or forgiveness. Narrator Jenny Funnell has a storyteller’s voice. She is the neighbor who charms with warm yet surprising tales, reminding listeners that even quiet grandmothers once had full—and sometimes shocking—lives. Funnell’s riveting delivery of the novel’s twinned tensions of murder and emotional heartbreak is nearly impossible to pause.