Book Review: Night Driver by Marcelle Perks

My last few reviews have definitely been more on the cheerful side. But don’t worry, I haven’t gone soft. I’m back with a book so dark it will make your skin crawl.

Night Driver* by Marcelle Perks is focused on heavily pregnant Frannie, an English woman living in Germany. Frannie tries to inject some independence into her failing marriage and impending motherhood by learning how to drive. She decides to drive by night when the roads are quieter to build up her confidence. It is during one of these night drives that Frannie encounters Tomak, a Polish motorcyclist looking for his missing sister. Suddenly, Frannie is caught up in a world of shady nightclubs, prostitutes, organ trafficking and, worst of all, a serial killer.

This book really gave me the creeps. That is a good thing, of course! What made it even creepier for me is the fact that I am a foreign woman living in Germany and I have actually been considering learning how to drive here. Might put that on hold for now… Still, I am familiar with the loneliness that can come with living abroad and I certainly know how the open Autobahn can chill you to the core. Even if I didn’t share some (slight) similarities with Frannie, the language of this book was more than enough to make me feel and almost experience the horrors that occur.

Night Driver has the same grimy underground setting as Tubing and the feelings both books gave me were similar. However, even if Night Driver focuses heavily on prostitution, it doesn’t have the erotica that Tubing has. What Night Driver has that makes for a more nail-biting read is the sense of anticipation. As different chapters focus on different characters, we not only see Frannie’s mayhem unravelling, but we also see just what killer Lars is up to. It makes it worse knowing what Frannie is up against and what her possible ending could be.

Frannie and Lars are my favourite characters in this book but not because they are likeable. Lars, for obvious reasons, and Frannie because it is frustrating how she puts herself deeper into this underground with what seems like little regard for her unborn child. No, why I like these characters is because of the contrast they apply, good against evil. In fact, none of the characters in this book are really in any way likeable but they all but they all add something of value, especially club owner Hans and prostitute Dorcas.

Overall, I can’t do much other than totally recommend Night Driver. It had me glued and I would 100% love a follow-up. If you want an extra bit of a thrill, read it at nighttime like I did.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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