🎁 Book Review: The Gift by Alison Gaylin (Kindle Edition, Hush Collection)
A taut, emotionally charged thriller that blends celebrity, psychic visions, and maternal desperation—Alison Gaylin’s short story delivers a chilling punch in under 30 pages.
🧠 Overview
Published in July 2020 as part of Amazon Original Stories’ Hush Collection, The Gift is a psychological suspense short story by Alison Gaylin, Edgar Award–winning author of If I Die Tonight and What Remains of Me. The story follows Lyla McCord, a famous actress whose eight-year-old daughter, Felicity, suddenly vanishes. With no ransom note and no leads, Lyla’s husband, Nolan, turns to a mysterious psychic whose visions may hold the key to Felicity’s whereabouts.
But Lyla is skeptical. Is the psychic a fraud—or is he revealing truths too terrifying to accept?
✨ Key Themes & Highlights
- 👩👧 Maternal fear: Lyla’s panic and emotional unraveling are central to the story’s tension
- 🔮 Psychic ambiguity: The medium’s visions blur the line between supernatural insight and psychological manipulation
- 🎭 Celebrity vs. reality: Lyla’s public persona contrasts sharply with her private vulnerability
- 🧠 Buried trauma: The psychic’s revelations force Lyla to confront long-suppressed memories, adding depth to the mystery
“With psychic powers comes the ability to open doors in her mind she’s always wanted locked away.” — Mystery and Suspense Magazine review
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.64/5 from over 6,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s tight pacing, emotional depth, and twist ending
- 🧾 Some felt the plot was rushed due to the short format, but most found it a satisfying and eerie read
- 💬 “A chilling piece that finds twists at every page turn… Lyla remains at the center of the story, with her own past driving the search for her daughter.” — Mystery and Suspense Magazine
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 28 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a psychological vignette
- 📚 Part of a collection: One of six stories in the Hush Collection, each exploring secrets, deception, and danger
- 🧾 Emotional intensity: Themes of child abduction and trauma may be unsettling for sensitive readers
🏁 Final Verdict
The Gift is a gripping and emotionally resonant short story that showcases Alison Gaylin’s talent for suspense and psychological nuance. With its eerie premise, layered characters, and haunting revelations, it’s a standout entry in the Hush Collection—perfect for fans of domestic thrillers and supernatural mysteries.
