The Newcomer

Last updated
The Newcomer
Author Laura Elizabeth Woollett
LanguageEnglish
Genre Crime fiction
Publisher Scribe
Publication date
2021
Publication placeAustralia
ISBN 1925938921
OCLC 1237631737

The Newcomer is a crime fiction novel written by Australian author Laura Elizabeth Woollett. The novel follows a Paulina, a young woman looking to start anew on an Fairfolk Island, who ends up murdered, as well as Paulina's mother Judy as she attempts to solve her daughter's murder.

Reception

Sue Turnbull called it a "stark, confronting and as compelling as a car going over a cliff in slow motion" and an "unsettling book about a vulnerable young woman who is her own worst enemy." [1] Bec Kavanagh of The Guardian wrote that the novel "does a lot in its short pages, weaving together a story of grief and unhappiness with a compelling crime narrative." [2] Zoya Patel, writing for The Canberra Times opined: "This is a pacey book that will leave the reader reflecting and unpacking it for days after reading, and that shows the versatility and potential still to be uncovered in Woollett's ability as a writer." [3] Laura Kroetsch of the Herald Sun called it a "gritty thriller is really a story about the dangers of sex, small places and careless youth." [4]

References

  1. Woollett, Laura (30 July 2021). "Inspired by real events, Newcomer tells the story of a victim in the making". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  2. Kavanagh, Bec (2 July 2021). "The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett review – murder in a Pacific island paradise". The Guardian . Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  3. Patel, Zoya (21 August 2021). "Mourning an unlikeable murder victim - or not". The Canberra Times . Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  4. Kroetsch, Laura (18 September 2021). "PAULINA'S TROUBLED LIFE PLAYED OUT OVER TIME". Herald Sun . Retrieved 21 March 2025.