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A review by efuaesaba
Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s: Laura / The Horizontal Man / In a Lonely Place / The Blank Wall by Sarah Weinman
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
This is 4 novels in 1 so can't be reviewed as a whole. I read three of them (skipping The Horizontal Man as I was advised it's transphobic).
Laura was the weakest novel for me, though the one with ongoing popularity. I struggled to finish it as it moved quote slowly though I did think the character's were very real and the mystery didn't become obvious too quickly.
In a Lonely Place was my next favourite. It's not a mystery because the POV is the murderer. It's a fascinating character study which just happens to use a murder and the circumstances around it to look closely at privilege and the particular arrogance which comes with being told again and again you are owed more. It's very unnerving. I'll never know what men like this think but I've seen their actions and the thought process/mindset aligns perfectly.
My favourite was The Blank Wall. It's from the POV of a wartime house wife who has bought so far into the idea of the perfect mother/wife/daughter she almost hates being a person underneath. But she also hates being perceived as nothing but a doll doing what's expected. Her frustrations, motivations, and struggles are all - if not relatable - vibrant and understandable. Everyone knows a little what it's like to be looked at but not SEEN. It's rendered wonderfully. It deserves a shout out for writing the supporting cast well too, you get both a sense of their actual personalities and the skew our narrator puts on them.
Laura was the weakest novel for me, though the one with ongoing popularity. I struggled to finish it as it moved quote slowly though I did think the character's were very real and the mystery didn't become obvious too quickly.
In a Lonely Place was my next favourite. It's not a mystery because the POV is the murderer. It's a fascinating character study which just happens to use a murder and the circumstances around it to look closely at privilege and the particular arrogance which comes with being told again and again you are owed more. It's very unnerving. I'll never know what men like this think but I've seen their actions and the thought process/mindset aligns perfectly.
My favourite was The Blank Wall. It's from the POV of a wartime house wife who has bought so far into the idea of the perfect mother/wife/daughter she almost hates being a person underneath. But she also hates being perceived as nothing but a doll doing what's expected. Her frustrations, motivations, and struggles are all - if not relatable - vibrant and understandable. Everyone knows a little what it's like to be looked at but not SEEN. It's rendered wonderfully. It deserves a shout out for writing the supporting cast well too, you get both a sense of their actual personalities and the skew our narrator puts on them.