This Gilded Abyss combines sapphic romance, underwater horror, political intrigue, and relentless tension into an addictive fantasy adventure that left me desperate for the sequel.
I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction. Most of the time, you’ll find me buried in fantasy, science fiction, or mythology-inspired stories. So whenever I step outside my comfort zone and pick up a contemporary novel, it really has to grab my attention.
Thankfully, Through Our Teeth by Pamela Harris did exactly that.
Part mystery, part thriller, and part social commentary, this novel delivers an intense, claustrophobic story that feels like an escape room crossed with a locked-room murder mystery. With unreliable narrators, mounting paranoia, and a cast of characters you can’t fully trust, it kept me constantly questioning what was really happening.
A Dead Friend and a Dangerous Plan
The story follows Liv and her friends Kizzy and Sherie, who are convinced that Brendan—a beloved high school basketball star destined for the NBA—played a role in the death of their friend Hope.
Hope’s death was ruled accidental, and many people believe she took her own life due to her struggles with depression and mental illness. But her friends aren’t convinced.
Determined to uncover the truth, they lure Brendan to an unfinished smart house owned by Liv’s mother. Their plan is simple: confront him and force the truth into the open.
Then everything goes horribly wrong.
When the power fails, the house enters lockdown mode, sealing everyone inside. Cut off from the outside world, the group quickly realizes they aren’t alone.
Someone is hunting them.
And one by one, people start dying.
An Atmosphere Thick with Suspense
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its tension.
The locked-house setting creates an immediate sense of claustrophobia. The characters are trapped, isolated, and unable to trust one another. Every new discovery only raises more questions.
When the group uncovers a room filled with photographs, memorabilia, and evidence connected to Hope, they realize this wasn’t their trap at all.
Someone else orchestrated everything.
The mystery becomes increasingly layered as readers are forced to question not only who is responsible for the murders, but whether Hope’s death was truly a murder in the first place.
The novel constantly keeps readers off balance, making it nearly impossible to predict where the story is headed next.
The Power of Unreliable Narration
Liv serves as the primary narrator, but she’s far from reliable.
She’s grieving. She’s anxious. She suffers from panic attacks. And perhaps most importantly, she still has complicated feelings for Brendan.
Those emotions constantly color her interpretation of events.
As the story unfolds, Liv begins revisiting her memories of Hope, Brendan, and the friendship they all shared. Those memories often contradict what she believes she knows, forcing both Liv and the reader to reevaluate everything.
Was Hope a victim?
Was Brendan abusive?
Was Hope truly struggling more than anyone realized?
Or is the truth far more complicated?
The novel never offers easy answers, and that’s one of the reasons it works so well.
Exploring Complex Social Issues
Beyond the mystery itself, Through Our Teeth tackles several difficult themes with surprising nuance.
The story examines domestic abuse, victim blaming, grief, mental illness, and the challenges many women—particularly young Black women—face when trying to have their voices heard.
One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is its willingness to explore uncertainty. The characters believe they’re fighting for justice, but as more information comes to light, they are forced to confront the possibility that they may not know the whole story.
The result is a narrative that encourages readers to question assumptions and examine how easily perception can become distorted by grief, loyalty, and personal bias.
An Agatha Christie Vibe for Modern Readers
While reading, I couldn’t help but think of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
The isolated setting, the mounting body count, and the constant uncertainty about who can be trusted all evoke that same feeling of paranoia.
Every character becomes a suspect.
Every death creates new questions.
Every revelation changes the reader’s understanding of the situation.
The novel expertly plays with those classic mystery elements while updating them for a modern audience.
Final Thoughts
Through Our Teeth surprised me.
What initially appears to be a straightforward mystery quickly becomes a layered exploration of grief, truth, perception, and justice. The locked-room thriller elements create relentless tension, while the social themes add meaningful depth to the story.
Most importantly, the novel never allows readers to become comfortable. Every character feels suspect. Every memory feels unreliable. Every answer seems to raise two new questions.
I spent the entire book second-guessing everyone—and I loved it.
If you’re looking for a thriller packed with suspense, morally complicated characters, and enough twists to keep you guessing until the very end, Through Our Teeth is absolutely worth picking up.
