Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by jlmb
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine
5.0
Wow! That was surprisingly good! I've read several of the author's Inspector Wexford books and they are fine, solid mysteries but nothing "wow". This book on the other hand - talk about masterful plotting. It is impressive, how intricate and weaving the the structure of the story is, without being confusing or pretentious. Lots of authors try to develop such plot structure, but few succeed.
The setting - 1930's & 1940's England rings so true, so vivid. The descriptions of the meals using rations, the cobbled together clothes, the lack of new toys for children....it's all spot on. I particularly enjoyed the bit about Eden's toiletries, comparing it to what 1980's/current women would have (the book is written in 1986).
This isn't a traditional mystery. The reader knows within the opening pages about who was murdered, who murdered them & that the murderer was hanged for the crime. What follows is the why and the how. Vine/Rendell develops the story masterfully, adding information at just the right time.
I almost didn't read this book because I wasn't a huge fan of the previous books I've read from her. I am so glad I decided to give her one more shot!
The setting - 1930's & 1940's England rings so true, so vivid. The descriptions of the meals using rations, the cobbled together clothes, the lack of new toys for children....it's all spot on. I particularly enjoyed the bit about Eden's toiletries, comparing it to what 1980's/current women would have (the book is written in 1986).
This isn't a traditional mystery. The reader knows within the opening pages about who was murdered, who murdered them & that the murderer was hanged for the crime. What follows is the why and the how. Vine/Rendell develops the story masterfully, adding information at just the right time.
I almost didn't read this book because I wasn't a huge fan of the previous books I've read from her. I am so glad I decided to give her one more shot!