Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The Susan Effect
Peter Høeg · 2017
72/100
👍 Worth It
Peter Høeg brings his literary instincts to a high-concept thriller — a woman who compels people to confess their secrets gets pulled into a government conspiracy — and the result is strange, layered, and often dazzling. The Mail on Sunday named it Book of the Year 2017 for good reason. But be warned: the violence is explicitly brutal in places and the adult content is real, so this is firmly for grown readers who want their thriller to make them think as well as turn pages.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
⚠ Parent note — our reviewers flagged: Protagonist infidelity and sexuality rumination · Reviewers specifically note ultra violent action sequences (brutal) · Mature themes including political darkness and moral ambiguity · Not suitable for younger readers or sensitive audiences. We still scored it 72; these are context for your family, not an automatic skip.
📚 Buy the book ↗📱 Read on Kindle ↗🎧 Listen on Audible ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety65
Substance / usefulness78
Craft & writing77
Originality70
Evidence & accuracy83
Hype vs delivers76
Age-fit79
👁 Human-eye gut-check73
Penny’s verdict72
Cross-pollinate