It’s always a treat when a literary writer we love tries their hand at a thriller, and Rebecca Makkai does it so well with I Have Some Questions for You. Bodie Kane is a podcaster whose passion for true crime dates back to the ’90s, when her boarding-school classmate was murdered. Decades later, Bodie’s drawn back into the salacious story when she returns to campus as a visiting instructor—and two of her students revisit the case.
Makkai has never shied away from hot-button topics in her novels, and she uses the mystery-at-an-elite-school premise to explore issues of race, class, criminal justice, and our cultural fascination with pretty dead girls. Veteran narrator Julia Whelan’s clear, conversational delivery is perfect for this tightly plotted and thought-provoking novel, capturing Bodie’s increasing dread, anger, and confusion as her world is turned upside down. This is a gripping listen.