CHRISTENA APPLEYARD

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

(HarperCollins £12.99) IT’S rare that a book manages to be both thrilling and deeply moving. But this tale of a young, alcoholic, agoraphobic New York mother who sits watching her neighbours from the window of her trendy Harlem house pulls it off.

She claims she has witnessed a woman being murdered — but nobody believes her.

There are deliberate echoes of Alfred Hitchcock films such as Rear Window, as well as more recent thrillers including The Girl On The Train.

But Finn borrows only to produce something truly original and special.

Gradually, we learn the devastating reasons behind her drunkenness and why she can’t leave the house. The cliff-edge chapter endings and spectacular finale leave you wanting Finn’s next book immediately.