The Night Is Not for You

This wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story from Quotah (Bride of the Sea) opens with seven-year-old Layla, who dreams of owning a donkey. Readers follow Layla as she grows up and her innocence is shattered by a string of murders that upend her small town over and over again. Each time, it is a man who is killed, and each time, the scent of a different perfume lingers at the crime scene, convincing the community that the killer must be a woman. It is a perverse pleasure to try to unpick this mystery alongside Layla, who vacillates between believing the town’s whispers about a vengeful murderess who may be half-jinn and dismissing these speculations. Quotah dances on the line between supernatural and psychological horror and masterfully incorporates elements of folklore into the everyday pains of growing up as a young woman under patriarchy. The characters are well drawn, the suspense is taut, and a great final twist proves very fun. There’s a lot here to sink one’s teeth into. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency. (Oct.)