A fascinating psychological thriller that kicks off against the backdrop of the Second World War. I almost knocked a star off because the writing is a little emotionally exaggerated in places (I read the original French) but decided that was forgivable and in keeping with the era and cultural context. The key to this book is suspense, and it's very successfully created and intensified through the engaging and small cast of characters and the atmosphere of a country on the verge of invasion. Our protagonist, Flamières, is hired to keep an eye on Madeleine, the wife of an old friend, because she has been behaving in a worrying manner. Jumping ahead to the second part and without giving too much away in case you somehow haven't seen Hitchcock's Vertigo yet, the reader begins to wonder where it's all going and may start to doubt the plot, but it all comes to a shocking and devastating finale that ties up the loose ends...more like a slipknot than a nice Christmas gift bow.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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21 January, 2021:
Finished reading
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21 January, 2021:
Reviewed
