In Imani Thompson's debut audiobook Honey, narrated by Chloë Sommer, listeners are drawn into a darkly entertaining campus thriller set at Cambridge University. The story centers on Yrsa, a young Black undergraduate supervisor pursuing a sociology PhD, who is disillusioned with the men in her life—colleagues, lovers, and those who abuse her trust and that of her friends. She is also weary of her students, who display "the mix of boredom, doubt, arrogance that stares back at her. The blond flops of hair, Macs covered in stickers, non-discreet texters [when] she’s explaining – like not all lecturers here will – how the world works."
A fatal encounter with deadly intent
Early in the audiobook, Yrsa comforts a devastated colleague, Nina, who has been sleeping with her married professor, Richardson. Not only has Richardson reneged on his promise to leave his wife, but he has also been using Nina's research and passing it off as his own. Later, when Yrsa encounters Richardson and notices a bee crawling on the edge of his lemonade can, she furtively flicks it into his drink. The resulting sting triggers a fatal allergic reaction. As Richardson lies dying, Yrsa declines to help and instead develops a taste for deadly retribution.
Themes of feminist and race theory
With shades of Promising Young Woman and My Sister, the Serial Killer, Thompson's novel cleverly weaves feminist and race theory into its narrative. Sommer's narration brings wit and verve to the story, boldly examining what happens when a woman on the edge loses her moral compass and takes drastic action. Yrsa reflects, "To kill and get away with it. There’s something spectacular to it." The audiobook, available via The Borough Press, runs for 10 hours and 55 minutes.
Further listening recommendations
For those interested in related themes, two other audiobooks are recommended. Looking at Women, Looking at War by Victoria Amelina (William Collins, 9hr 52 min) is an unfinished account of the conflict in Ukraine, published after the author was killed by a Russian missile. It chronicles the outrages against her country and reports on the work done by Ukrainian women to survive and obtain justice, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky. A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern (Macmillan, 12hr 5min) is a frank memoir in which the former prime minister of New Zealand reflects on her challenging premiership, including dealing with the mosque attacks in Christchurch and steering the country during the pandemic, read by the author.
