A review by demottar
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell

3.0

I can't really decide how I feel about this novel. I loved the subtlety and narrative style for the first half, but grew tired of it by the end. The only major event that really occurs is revealed on the first page, and the rest of the novel is meant to explain the motivations for that event. While I typically enjoy novels like this, part of me felt the book lacked intensity because of this narrative tactic.

I also struggled to keep all of the minor characters straight in the beginning. That being said, I loved the "King Solomon" plot line that Barbara Vine played with, and the examination of close, maybe overly close, family relationships was fascinating. I would be willing to read other novels by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell), but this wasn't as gripping as I thought it would be.