The Daughter In The Cellar
She had kind eyes. Motherly. I noticed her watching me on the train ride to my college reunion—the one I was already dreading because of my ex. So, when our route was unexpectedly diverted, her offer of a ride felt like a godsend. Until I woke up in the freezing darkness of a steel cage. She wasn't my savior. I was her target. And now, she insists I'm the daughter she always wanted. She had kind eyes. Motherly. I noticed her watching me on the train ride to my college reunion—the one I was already dreading because of my ex. So, when our route was unexpectedly diverted, her offer of a ride felt like a godsend. Until I woke up in the freezing darkness of a steel cage. She wasn't my savior. I was her target. And now, she insists I'm the daughter she always wanted.
- Violet Green - Magistrate, 57
- Florence - Violet’s captive, 27
- Jackson - Violet’s golden retriever
- Tom - Violet’s neighbor, 72
- Theo - Florence's step-brother
- Macro - Florence’s father, owner of Florenzi’s Italian Deli
- Sylvie - Marco’s wife, Theo’s mother
- Celia - Charity shop manager, Violet’s friend
- Stephen - Celia’s husband
- Josh - Florence’s ex-boyfriend
- When Florence’s train stops early due to bad weather, she accepts a ride from Violet.
- Violet takes Florence to her house in Sherborne.
- Violet serves Florence casserole with sleeping pills in it and Florence wakes up in a cage in Violet’s basement.
- When Florence doesn’t show up for her shift at Florenzi’s, Marco calls the police.
- Over the last fourteen years, Violet has kidnapped and killed three other young women - Lizzie, Leanne and Emily.
- Florence believes they all died after losing the will to live.
- Violet has dinner and drinks with Florence every night and believes they are forming a strong mother/daughter bond.
- Florence tells Violet that she recently slept with Josh, only for him to reveal that he was engaged to her best friend.
- Violet tells Florence that she is the mysterious pebble painter who paints inspiring words on rocks and leaves them around town.
- Florence starts painting rocks for Violet to distribute.
- She copies artwork she made as a child, hoping her father will find one and put the pieces together.
- Marco travels to Sherborne to ask around about Florence.
- He finds some of the rocks Florence painted in Celia’s shop and recognizes the artwork as hers.
- Florence gives birth to a baby girl she names Anna.
- Florence knew she was pregnant but she was in denial.
- Violet puts death cap mushrooms in her portion of the meal and eats one last meal with Florence.
- Violet lets Florence leave.
- Violet is arrested for the kidnapping but dies shortly afterwards.
- Unbeknownst to Violet, Tom used to visit the women Violet had locked up; Lizzie and Leanne thought he was a ghost, but Emily knew he was real.
- Tom killed Lizzie and Leanne by poisoning their food.
- He killed Emily by strangling her.
- Tom was aware that once the women died Violet fed their bodies to his pigs.
- 10 weeks later: Florence visits Violet’s grave because she had grown to love Violet and misses her.
Violet kidnapping Florence and locking her in the basement sets a tense stage for this thriller. The premise hooked me right away, and the medium-paced story is told from several different points of view, all unfolding in the present tense. This narrative choice gives the terrifying scenario a strong sense of immediacy, and the medium-length chapters keep the suspense moving steadily forward.
Florence was a tough character for me to connect with. Her mood swings so wildly from one moment to the next that it feels jarring rather than like an intentional response to being held captive. In one scene she is aggressively lashing out at Violet, and moments later they are trading jokes as if nothing happened. It left me confused about how Florence really felt about being held captive and made her sections a bit hard to relate to.
Despite my issues with Florence's erratic behavior, the overarching suspense held my attention. There are several twists near the end and the conclusion wrapped things up quite nicely. If you like multi-POV thrillers, complex captor-captive dynamics, and present-tense suspense, then you will enjoy this book.
- Violet - Dead - Poisoned herself with death cap mushrooms
- Florence - Alive - Back home with her new baby, Anna
- Lizzie - Dead - Poisoned by Tom
- Leanne - Dead - Poisoned by Tom
- Emily - Dead - Strangled by Tom
- Kidnapping
- Car accident
- Murder
ISBN: 9781805736608
Publication Date: July 16, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
