This goes a long way toward making up for earlier disappointments. Different author, of course, but a stand-alone from the writer of series mysteries. Also granting that I have never managed to get too far into one of King's Sherlock Holmes books - but I'll try them again one of these days.
This one could be related to one of King's Kate Martinelli books. I spent most (all) of the book convinced that Rae was the eccentric aunt of Kate's partner Lee who lures her to her isolated island to recover from her injuries received in the first Martinelli book. I even went back into the Martinelli books to find the reference to the woman by name - and it wasn't her. Still, I think that Aunt Agatha must have preyed on King's mind until she wrote a story about a half-mad woman who saved her own life and sanity by going to live on an island in the San Juan chain.
Wonderful book. A beautifully twisted story of dysfunctional families, repetitive history, and murder. King's insight into depression is very convincing, and her attachment to the Puget Sound area is becoming more apparent all the time. Although Martinelli is set in San Francisco, the third book takes place largely in Washington state. Also, this is the second of her books in which an artist is featured - and the work described in persuasive detail. Wrap all that with intriguing characters and a satisfying plot and conclusion - what more could one ask?
No comments:
Post a Comment