By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun
Published in February 2025, All Shall Mourn is the much anticipated third and final instalment in Australian author Ellie Marney’s “None Shall Sleep Sequence”.
It is noteworthy that, after the success of its predecessors None Shall Sleep and Some Shall Break, the publisher (one of the Big Five) decided to drop this book, so that Marney had to publish it independently.
The decision makes sense, as the first two instalments in the sequence were promoted as psychological thrillers for older teenage readers.
In those two books, Marney deliberately and carefully directed our attention to the emotional and psychological impact of violent crimes, and not to detail and/or sensationalise any gory details.
However, for a series of books exploring the emotional and psychological transformations experienced by the victims, investigators and perpetrators of such crimes, there is ultimately no way to avoid confronting the violence head-on.
So, content warning: All Shall Mourn is definitely more suitable for “new adult” and even older readers.
The story begins with Simon and his twin sister Kirstin on the run, and we finally understand why this sociopath and serial killer is described as “chillingly manipulate, frighteningly intelligent, and wholly insane”.
Indeed, as the twins’ past is revealed, we cannot help but care for Kirstin, who is as much a victim as her brother’s other preys.
Meanwhile, unsurprisingly – and much to the joy of Marney’s numerous fans out there – Emma and Travis finally get together as a couple.
Travis nearly died at the end of Some Shall Break and is now slowly recovering, but he simply cannot let Emma go alone to help the FBI hunt for Simon and Kirstin.
So the perfect team returns and, this time, Emma and Travis are able to compensate and complement each other in their thoughts and deeds.
Unfortunately, the FBI and their associated law enforcement departments are once again underestimating the enemy at hand, and this time they are paying the worst price for their mistake.
The story is all about relationship and responsibility, as well as individual agency and choice.
We see Travis taking more initiative, with Emma learning to take a step back and gain some perspective.
In sharp contrast to their mutual love and support, Simon’s ruthless domination over everyone else only leads to betrayal and self-destruction.
To conclude the trilogy, there is a sense of everything being wrapped up here, as we revisit some of the most impressive characters and settings in the series.
Although the scope of the plot in All Shall Mourn expands beyond the FBI’s jurisdiction and reaches as far as Morocco and Mexico, Marney’s meticulous research and her capacity to sustain tension and suspense remains the same throughout all three books.
This reviewer would recommend the “None Shall Sleep Sequence” to any mature reader desiring a captivating read.
