Reading this book made me realize I'm really getting old, and feeling it. I have a high opinion of Michael McDowell's writing, especially his two gothic horror tales The Elementals and Cold Moon Over Babylon (as well as Blackwater.) I still thought the writing in this book was good, but I found the leading characters somewhat tiresome, especially the woman, who I thought was immature, self-centered and unlikeable. The mystery was okay and I'm sure I would have found the whole thing more entertaining (there are some clever witticisms) back in 1982 when it was written. Now the whole jump-into-bed-with-any-hot-man-around atmosphere is chilling, knowing that AIDS was on the horizon and hit towns like "P-town" pretty hard.

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