It is hard to give an idea of the plot because Lippman structures it so well that almost anything would be a spoiler. It is a very cleverly constructed noir tale, reminiscent of James M. Cain (who is briefly and slyly referenced in the text). People’s true identities and motivations emerge, develop and change slowly as the story progresses; I was completely gripped and thought it a masterclass in storytelling. We are left guessing about many things for a long time, but never in an overt, cliffhanger way, just in the way that characters would be when they don’t know exactly what others have done or who they really are.
The characters themselves are very well drawn and completely convincing, as is the small-town atmosphere. There are unexpected developments but they all make complete sense. There are no clumsy Shocking Twists, which may disappoint some readers; personally I found it rewarding and rather psychologically profound in places.
I can recommend this very warmly and, after a bad start with Dream Girl, I will certainly be reading more Laura Lippman.
No comments:
Post a Comment