Amanda Cross (pseud. of Carolyn Heilbrun) In the Last Analysis (1964) A former student of Prof. Kate Fansler is murdered on the couch of her friend Dr Emmanuel Bauer. Kate refuses to believe that he is the murderer, and with the help of Reed Amhearst, Ass’t DA, and Jerry, fiancé of her niece, she uncovers enough facts to first cast doubt on Emmanuel’s obvious guilt, and then discover the actual murderer. The case involves identity theft, Freudian analysis, a host of literary allusions (one of which is crucial in solving the case), and a large dollop of somewhat laboured academic wit. The style is punctiliously grammatical and correct, which has the unfortunate effect of making all the characters sound alike.
However, the solution to the puzzle comes about plausibly, with just the right amount of bizarre coincidence. Cross gives us a believable Kate and only slightly less believable secondary characters. Towards the end, I decided I rather liked this entertainment, and looked forward to the second book (which I have started reading already; it’s better than this one.) ** (2005)
Please comment. Comments are moderated, so it may take a day or two for your comment to appear. Or send a mail to wolfmac@sympatico.ca If you quote, please also link to this blog. If you like this blog, please follow it. Highest review rating is four stars ****
The Pegnitz Junction (Gallant, 1982)
Mavis Gallant. The Pegnitz Junction. (1982) The title novella plus five short stories, all about post-war Germany. They have the ring of tr...
-
John Cunningham. The Tin Star (Collier’s, December 4, 1947) The short story adapted for High Noon . As often happens, the movie retains v... -
Today we remember those whom we sent into war on our behalf, and who gave everything they had. They gave their lives. I want to think ab... -
I heard the phrase recently. Can’t recall exactly when. It was uttered on a radio program, but I can’t recall what the program was about. Pr...
No comments:
Post a Comment