In the Seeing Hands of Others by Nat Ogle

Nat Ogle's startlingly original debut is an extremely compelling, genre-bending read

Book Review by Kerri Logan | 11 Jan 2022
  • In The Seeing Hands of Others
Book title: In the Seeing Hands of Others
Author: Nat Ogle

Comprised solely of documents from the accuser and the accused, In the Seeing Hands of Others by Nat Ogle is a startlingly original debut whose events unfold around the centrepiece of a rape investigation. Corina is a young nurse working on a renal ward, dealing with her mother’s deteriorating health and her strained relationship with her brother. Cameron is Corina’s ex, a wannabe actor with a complicated past and the man whom she has accused of rape. From emotional blog posts, and frustrating police interview transcripts to unintelligible text messages, the events which unfold reveal all the nuanced faces of the two protagonists in a multi-viewpoint way that is utterly unique and forces the reader to answer confronting moral questions about empathy and who is deserving of it.

While the unusual format takes a while to get used to, this is an extremely compelling and genre-bending read that seamlessly blends a thrilling criminal investigation with the delicate, emotional and very human story of recovery and learning to live life again after a traumatic event. In the Seeing Hands of Others is a story of assumed guilt, proclaimed innocence and the murky grey place in between the two. Suspenseful, dramatic but with just the right sprinkling of uplifting moments, this is an inventive debut that is a sure-fire conversation starter.

Cover of In The Seeing Hands of Others by Nat Ogle


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