notesurfer 's review for:

Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith

3.0

dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Deep Water is as methodical and patient as its narrator. It does drag at times due to the litany of dinner parties and internal monologues, but the payoff is a unique take on a "sympathetic" killer. By positioning multiple ethical dimensions against a close-knit social circle Highsmith explores the ambiguities of fault, trust, and revenge. To fully appreciate this book you have to love the 50's wealthy small-town setting a lot more than I did, but it's still well worth reading for fans of slow-burn psychological murder.