I loved this book. The situation is so plausible, it's scary! This is an emotionally-intense, well-written novel, with well-rounded, believable characters. It's best to read the book without reading the reviews. Knowing what happens in the end, even hints takes away some of the pleasure of discovery.

A big thank you to the library staff who had this book as part of the "staff picks." I would have missed it otherwise.

This is a straightforward story about loneliness and dependence told in an unconventional way. It is both a crime story and a mystery. I enjoyed it.

Beautifully written, with an intriguing plot, this book was an impulse choice and a pleasant surprise.

This book is a rare mix of genuine suspense and deep emotion, centered on an authntically realized main character who we can identify with even though she embodies the worst fears most of us have about aging. I was thoroughly drawn in to the story and her predicament. Like other posters here I would have liked a happier ending, and am left with some questions I would have liked answered, but overall appreciate the emotionally rich experience this book offers.

This book is beautifully written but I am not someone who likes a lot of ambiguity and guess work in the stories I read. I found myself constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't. If you like this kind of story telling, this book is for you. Also the ending is just sad and makes me wish I hadn't read the book.

This is a gem. Great story that deals with the vulnerability of aging. Even though what is happening is clearer to the reader than the protagonist, it keeps you hooked to the end with questions about who and what is real; who can and cannot be trusted. These questions sometimes overshadow that this is in fact a sad tale.

The author provides a lot of detail as she weaves her story - at times it seems to wander because there is so much, when really it is just a two character story with a tiger (?) and some minor characters who round it out. It is a haunting tale in many respects, and the last 100 or so pages are the real story, so get there quickly...but you may already guess where it is heading - regardless, the author paints a good picture of Ruth and her life as a senior. I guess I expected more...play more on the what is real and what isn't aspect. Plus, it takes a grand time getting to the devastating conclusion , only to end it and tidy it up...wanted more there.

"This compelling debut novel mixes psychological suspense and elements of magical realism with fears of aging and isolation; Booklist refers to its "eerie aura of foreboding." It concerns Ruth, a widow living alone in an isolated beach house on the Australian coast, who hears tigers in her living room and allows Frida, a woman who claims to be a governmental care worker, into her home. Plagued by memories of her childhood in Fiji, Ruth is also uncertain that Frida is who she says she is - a concern that readers will also come to share."Fiction A to Z November 2013 newsletter http://www.nextreads.com/Display2.aspx?SID=5acc8fc1-4e91-4ebe-906d-f8fc5e82a8e0&N=700674

I read this book in a day and a half because I didn't want to put it down.
I hated the ending but it was inevitable I guess.