THE STRANGE CASE OF JANE O. by Karen Thompson Walker is a psychological/science fiction/paranonal novel that I felt the reader has to be in the right mindset to wrap their mind around.

Psychiatrist Henry Byrd had an appointment with Jane, but she doesn’t stay long before she leaves. And then she goes missing and is discovered a day later in a park, having gone into a disassociative fugue state. 

I did like the first person perspective from Henry, but the reader finds out he has his own demons. I started doubting his narration at points, which held me back from being fully invested. He becomes obsessed with Jane O. to a degree that seemed much more than a psychiatrist should be. 

Jane’s perspective is from letters to her son as she is trying to piece together what’s happening to her. 

I think I expected to be more of a straight thriller than this was. It does start off that way, and then the other elements threw me more than I expected. I did end up thinking about them quite a bit, much like a movie that has sci fi elements that I try to overlay my primitive logic on to make sense of in my own brain. 

This novel was unique, and I do give it props for that, but I’m not sure I was the best audience for it. I think Blake Crouch fans who also like more mainstream thrillers might be the sweet spot reader for this book. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review. 

3.5 stars

It publishes February 25, 2025.