The author’s second novel, rather sinister in tone. A (mysterious) companion is employed by a madwoman, who is subsequently poisoned, apparently by her husband, who has already been tried for his sister - in - law’s murder. Solidly entertaining, although the author tries too hard to be “artistic” in the Sayers / Mitchell vein (literary chapter headings et al.), and so comes across as being slightly pretentious; and the scenery occasionally gets in the way of the plot. The excellence of characterisation and the interest of the plot are more than adequate compensation for these flaws. What remains a disappointment is the solution: although ingenious, it is not quite convincing, suffering from the needless use of accomplices.
Nick Fuller
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