Relentless Suspense Beneath the Surface 

Kristina Gallo has a talent for writing stories that feel deceptively lean, yet leave a lasting psychological imprint. The Mermaid from My Nightmare is no exception — a tightly wound psychological thriller that wastes no time pulling the reader under.

From the first pages, the tension ticks upward like a taxi meter running through unfamiliar streets — relentless, unforgiving, and impossible to ignore. Gallo’s prose is concise, controlled, and quietly menacing, allowing unease to build naturally rather than relying on spectacle.

What elevates this novel is its cast of interwoven characters. Every person who crosses paths with Marcia Oliveira — the enigmatic “Mermaid” — is sharply drawn, their backstories revealing fractures, secrets, and motivations that deepen the mystery. The lives of Marcia and Marcos, Luciana and Antonio, Marina and Sergio, and Dijana are intricately connected, each thread tightening the narrative knot.

Suspicion is masterfully misdirected. While I was convinced I had identified the culprit behind Marcia’s murder, the conclusion proved me wrong — delivering a genuinely shocking and satisfying twist that recontextualizes everything that came before it.

At its core, this is a story about the lingering consequences of infidelity, guilt, and buried choices — how the past refuses to stay submerged, and how certain encounters can haunt a life long after they’ve ended.

Chilling, efficient, and compulsively readable, The Mermaid from My Nightmare is a psychological thriller driven by atmosphere rather than excess. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate suspense that seeps in slowly — and stays.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read the Goodreads review here.