::Review:: Marion by Leah Rowan

A twist on Hitchcock’s iconic classic Psycho—where the leading lady doesn’t die, but instead turns the knife on Norm, kicking off a crime spree that turns the silver screen victim into a heroine for our times.

NORMAN WAS HER FIRST.

Marion is in deep. She’s stolen money from the Manhattan ad agency where she works in a desperate bid to help her sister escape an abusive marriage, but the bus breaks down before she can make it to Saratoga Springs. It’s late at night, and the only place with vacancies is an old set of cabins on the outskirts of town. She pays for a room in cash, and ends up chatting with Norm, the young innkeeper who’s handsome, charming and a touch hung-up on his elderly mother. Back in her room, she steps into the shower, scrubbing off the late-summer heat, when the curtain is pulled back…

Norm Billings is there with a knife. He raises his arm to strike, but before he does, Marion knees him in the balls, grabs the knife, and stabs the life out of him. Now, she’s covered in blood, and she’s a woman on the run—not just a thief, but a killer, too. Where will she go? How will she save both herself and her sister? And what mysteries will she uncover as she does?

In Psycho, Hitchcock shocked audiences when he killed off his protagonist. But what if the leading lady had fought back? Marion offers an alternate history of the most famous dead blonde to ever grace the silver screen. Only this time, the knife is in her hands—and she’s no victim.

I heard great things about this book, and I was so excited to read it. My local library had it available via Libby and I decided it was going to be #betteronKobo. And it was.

This is my review of Marion: A Novel by Leah Rowan.

We start the story in “Marion’s” POV. Her sister recently came to NYC with bruises on her face, from her husband. When Marion says she wants to confront him, the sister declines. But then disappears when the MC is called to work. The MC doesn’t hear back from her sister, and wonders if the husband has hurt her again. She is tasked to take a big chunk of cash to the bank, but the bank won’t allow her to deposit in her boss’ account. So rather than take it home to an apartment that might be broken into, she decides to flee upstate to get to her sister.

“Marion” pays cash for her bus ticket, but she’s soon stranded in the middle of nowhere when the bus has some issues. She’s picked up by a police officer and deposited into the only motel with vacancy–the Billings Motel. There’s a big, rambling house above and a small office next to the cabins. Norm Billings, the manager, is all to happy to help her and invites her for dinner up at the house, provided she’s quiet and doesn’t awaken his mother who is resting. That night will change her life.

Not creepy at all, right?
A short time later, we are met with Hannah, a struggling adult who wants to be a PI, but whose parents are unconvinced. She takes a job and scouts ahead for clues, not wanting to wait for the weekend and for the clues to go cold. She lands in the same small town and discovers sheer carnage.

This was an awesome book. I really enjoyed this feminist re-imagining of Psycho, as Psycho is one of those classic films with so many themes that are still relevant–And Marion makes sure to underline those. I made sure to read this on my Kobo not only because it’s lightweight, but because I knew I wouldn’t have to charge it halfway through the reading. The cover is in color on the Kobo and with Overdrive support built into the Kobo, it’s easier than ever to get library books. I even wrote a few notes in the margins.

Would you read this book? Do you like reimaginings? What would YOU like to see reimagined?