Nerve Endings

There is a trend in Canadian ­literature for novels to have at least one dead parent, a family secret or an incestuous relationship, and a moody undertone — bonus points for a harsh coastal setting. Lynn Coady’s latest novel, Watching You without Me, takes the expected CanLit gloom and gives it a new edge, transforming what could have been a slow and depressing tale of grief and loss into a deeply unsettling survival story. But this is more than just a thriller: it is a story of family, the challenges of caregiving, and loneliness, while also a cautionary tale about a man who turns out to be more sinister than he seems.

The novel opens after Irene, the mother of Karen, the narrator, dies of cancer. Karen is forced to return to her childhood home in Nova Scotia to manage Irene’s affairs and to get her mentally disabled sister, Kelli, squared away in a home. Having moved away to Toronto years ago, Karen is overwhelmed with guilt for abandoning her elderly...