Scan barcode
tomhill's review
4.0
The Barbara Vine novels feel so much more accomplished when read alongside Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford series or really any of the other Rendell novels I've read. While the Wexford books usually provide a satisfying mystery and are well-written, they lack any real psychological suspense or insight into their characters. The fact that Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine was capable of this and just so often chose not to do it, is disappointing for me as a reader, although she was always competent and inventive. This isn't quite as good as A Dark-Adapted Eye, but it is dealing with a different, if no less fascinating topic: how does one deal with a crime in their past? How does a person move though the present with this secret, and what does the ease with which they live their life say about their character? Reminded me of the film Crimes and Misdemeanors in that way. Also, at what expense does one try to maintain a picturesque, largely imagined existence? (a la The Secret History).
More...