Emma Stonex’s The Sunshine Man is a tense and compelling psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge from start to finish. When Birdie Keller learns that Jimmy Maguire, the man responsible for her sister’s death, has been released after eighteen years in prison, she sets out from her quiet life to confront her past—and perhaps settle scores. Armed with a pistol and a burning desire for justice, Birdie’s journey to London becomes a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Stonex masterfully explores the murky depths of family secrets, betrayal, and the human capacity for both violence and forgiveness. As Birdie and Jimmy circle each other, their stories weave together into a web of unresolved pain and hidden truths—each hiding their own skeletons. The author’s storytelling prowess shines through with its atmospheric tension, layered characters, and unpredictable twists that keep the reader guessing until the very last page. The Sunshine Man is a thought-provoking, emotionally charged novel that offers a raw look at the scars left by trauma and the lengths people will go to find closure—or revenge.

Emma Stonex, whose The Lamplighters captivated me with its eerie, immersive prose, returns with another psychologically rich thriller—this time diving into the murky depths of vengeance, guilt, and the ghosts of the past. The Sunshine Man opens with a line that immediately seizes your attention: "The week I shot a man clean through the head began like any other..." From there, you’d expect a breakneck, high-tension revenge story, and while the novel delivers on atmosphere and emotional weight, it takes its time getting there.

Birdie Keller, a woman hardened by grief, sets out on a mission to kill Jimmy Maguire, the man who murdered her sister eighteen years earlier. Meanwhile, Jimmy—newly released from prison—senses he’s being hunted, forcing both characters into a tense, psychological dance. Stonex alternates between their perspectives masterfully, peeling back layers of trauma, societal neglect, and the cyclical nature of violence.

Where The Lamplighters thrived in its taut, mysterious pacing, The Sunshine Man leans more into slow-burning character study. The first half meanders at times, with dense introspection that occasionally stalls momentum. I’ll admit, I struggled to stay fully engaged early on, debating between 3 and 4 stars as I read. But Stonex’s sharp observations about class, justice, and the weight of memory gradually pulled me deeper.

The recurring motif of yellow—not as sunshine, but as something faded, jaundiced, ominous—brilliantly underscores the novel’s themes. And while revenge drives the plot, the real tension lies in whether these broken people can escape their pasts. By the final act, the story gains gripping urgency, culminating in a resolution that feels both inevitable and deeply human.

If you go in expecting a fast-paced thriller, you might find the pacing uneven. But if you appreciate nuanced character work and a haunting exploration of guilt and retribution, The Sunshine Man is a rewarding, thought-provoking read. After much deliberation, I’m rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4—it’s not perfect, but it lingers in the mind long after the last page. Stonex remains a writer to watch.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for providing me with an early digital copy of The Sunshine Man in exchange for my honest review!