Bright Objects

Starred review from April 8, 2024
A young widow, a mysterious astronomer, and a doomsday cult collide as the arrival of a once-in-a-lifetime comet transforms tiny Jericho, New South Wales, into a global hot spot in Todd’s intoxicating debut. As grieving and guilt-stricken narrator Sylvia Knight approaches the second anniversary of the car crash that killed her husband, Christopher, and left Sylvia seriously injured, the only thing keeping her afloat is finding the hit-and-run driver who shattered their lives. But a seemingly chance encounter with Theo St. John, the charismatic American discoverer of the impending comet, at the funeral home where she works, surprises Sylvia by stirring her interest in him—and perhaps even her attraction. She has little bandwidth, however, to dwell on those feelings between planning the grand funeral mystic Joseph Evans wants for his late mother and doggedly pursuing her hit-and-run investigation with the help of Christopher’s cop friend. When Sylvia and her mother-in-law, Sandy, attend a meditation group Joseph runs, she discovers that Danny Ward, the only witness to the crash, is among Joseph’s inner circle. Sensing a lead, Sylvia encourages Sandy to continue joining her at the frequent, increasingly intense sessions, despite strong warnings to the contrary from Theo. As Sandy is sucked into Joseph’s orbit and her own feelings for Theo grow, Todd skillfully ratchets up the suspense on the way toward a stunning climax. The result is a lyrical and inventive literary mystery from an author whom readers will hope returns far sooner than any visiting comet. Agent: Janet Silver, Aevitas Creative Management.

March 26, 2024
Sylvia Knight works at a funeral home—the same one that buried her husband after an unsolved hit-and-run. Two years on, she has given herself ‘permission to finally leave this planet’ and decides she will take her own life on the anniversary of his death. Coincidentally, this is also the date that the St John comet will be visible to the naked eye, with its epicentre above Sylvia's small NSW town. A chance encounter with the comet’s namesake, the astronomer Theo St John, causes Sylvia to deviate from her path at the same time as she is drawn into the orbit of mystical guru Joseph. The comet’s approach casts a strange spell over the town, heightening existing tensions and bringing long-held secrets into the light—‘the comet seemed to be revealing us all to ourselves and each other, in our various registers of fear, hope, and hubris’. Sylvia’s narration is rather baroque, which could have detracted from the 1990s setting, but instead it serves to ratchet up the atmosphere, one oppressive detail at a time. Todd’s representation of the bereft widow is incredibly moving as Sylvia journeys from being ensnared in rage and obsessed with finding the truth to becoming more at peace with her discomfort. Bright Objects is a meditation on grief, trust, belief and justice that brings to mind Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries and Jacqueline Bublitz’s Before You Knew My Name.

September 13, 2024

Todd's ethereal debut follows Sylvia Knight, a funeral home worker and young widow grieving her husband's untimely death in a hit-and-run crash two years earlier. Sylvia, who was wounded during the crash, feels cheated by her husband's death and her own survival. She is furious at the justice system for not finding the person responsible for her husband's death and even resents the comet that was in the sky the day her previously happy life came to an end. Now another comet is approaching, and Sylvia plans on ending her own life and finishing what started on that fateful night. However, the comet brings with it a mystic and an astronomer, both of whom will change her life and possibly bring new light into it. Narrator Casey Withoos offers a subdued performance, drawing listeners into Sylvia's tide of contemplative grief. VERDICT Though it's billed as a literary thriller, listeners should instead expect a slow-burn, reflective consideration of loss and grief kindled by romance, with the science of comets and astronomy occupying as much space as the mystery. Still, this is a solid addition to any fiction collection and is especially recommended for those dealing with loss.--Richard Winters

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