From Whiting Award-winning author Jen Beagin comes this breathtaking sequel to the edgy and hilarious Pretend I’m Dead, continuing the story of Mona’s battle to put her ghosts to rest and carve out her own corner of happiness

From Whiting Award-winning author Jen Beagin comes this breathtaking sequel to the edgy and hilarious Pretend I’m Dead, continuing the story of Mona’s battle to put her ghosts to rest and carve out her own corner of happiness

Mona is twenty-six and cleans houses for a living in Taos, New Mexico. She moved there mostly because of a bad boyfriend – a junkie named Mr Disgusting, long story – and her efforts to restart her life since haven’t exactly gone as planned. For one thing, she’s got another bad boyfriend. This one she calls Dark, and he happens to be married to one of Mona’s clients.

Dark and his wife aren’t the only complicated clients on Mona’s roster, either. There’s also the Hungarian artist couple who – with her addiction to painkillers and his lingering stares – bring back painful memories of Mona’s childhood. As she tries to get over the heartache of her affair and the stirring currents of her traumatic past, Mona ends up on an eccentric, moving journey of self-discovery that takes her back to her roots, finally offering a glimpse of a future that could one day be hers.

With Vacuum in the Dark, Jen Beagin has created another gem of a novel, constantly surprising, laugh-out-loud funny and utterly relatable. Following on from the highly acclaimed Pretend I’m Dead – ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine on acid’, according to one Goodreads reviewer – this is an unforgettable, astonishing read from one of the freshest voices in fiction today.