Cellar, The: A Novel

The Cellar is the thirteenth full-length novel by British author, Minette Walters. Fourteen-year-old Muna's life changes the day that ten-year-old Abiola fails to return home after school. The presence of the white police detective investigating the disappearance of the Songoli's youngest son, as well as the family liaison officer and Hausa-speaking interpreter means that Muna is not beaten, abused, dressed in rags and forced to sleep in the cellar.

Muna knows that Yetunde Songoli stole her from the orphanage in their home country, and has lived like a slave to these well-to-do immigrants ever since. She feels the blue eyes of the white woman in trousers looking into her brain and worries she will know what Muna is thinking. Yetunde exhorts her to pretend she is the Songoli's daughter, and Muna is unsure if she can trust the detective with her own truth, or what might be her fate if she did. The police do not stay forever, but nor does Muna's life go back to what it was.

Walters once again proves her expertise with the genre of psychological thriller in this tale. There are few characters and the story is not complex, but there are twists and surprises that compel the reader to turn the pages. This is a dark tale, a tale of cruelty and of revenge, and perhaps, of possession. A gripping read. 4.5 stars