Tangerine

Why people recommend it

Tangerine by Christine Mangan is a psychological and social thriller set against the sun-drenched and suffocating atmosphere of 1950s Morocco. In an episode of The Book Review titled What to Read About North Korea, broadcast on July 18, 2024, Alexandra Alter discussed the novel as a prominent debut that had generated significant excitement. Alter pointed to the book as a standout release among contemporary psychological suspense fiction. The story follows Alice Shipley and Lucy Mason, two college roommates with a troubled and complicated shared past who unexpectedly reunite in Tangier. As Alice attempts to start over with her new husband, Lucy's arrival sets off a chain of unsettling events that blur the lines between reality, memory, and paranoia. Mangan's narrative draws heavy inspiration from classic suspense tropes, evoking comparisons to the works of Patricia Highsmith and Daphne du Maurier through its exploration of toxic friendship and identity. Alter's mention on the podcast underscored the buzz surrounding the novel's atmospheric setting and twisty plot, marking it as a notable entry for readers interested in atmospheric thrillers that examine the dark complexities of human relationships and the inescapable weight of past secrets.