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Review Date: 6/28/2010
Helpful Score: 5
Set in the Scottish Islands, this suspenseful, literate mystery is very evocative of the tense times during the Cold War, and also a vivid portrayal of the new "working girl" mentality of the breakthrough era of the 1960s. The main character is intelligent, worthy of respect for her abilities, and capable of seeing her way through difficulties. The author has researched the geographic area very thoroughly and writes of it through the eyes of one who has lived in the area, and felt its stark beauty, not merely read about it. It is high-minded and thrilling, an ideal book for a reader who wants suspense without graphic depictions to haunt you. Ann Bridge is a very under-rated author, whose work deserves much more attention and acclaim.
Review Date: 5/7/2012
Very well-written! This is a crisp, vivid depiction of a slice of recent social history that has fallen away barely noticed. In the 1950s and 60s the game of Bridge was a social phenomenon,and a Bridge Club was a daily hub of visitation. The main character here is a woman fallen through the cracks of the social revolution, who is observant, a little acerbic, with a remnant of the old stiff-upper-lip character. Plenty of characterization and a neat suspenseful plot - lots to enjoy in this book!
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