Half Light

by Frances Fyfield

Elisabeth is a picture restorer. This gives her the solitude and independence she needs—living and working alone in her flat. Despite her skills and reliability, Elisabeth undercharges for her work—valuing the worth of the paintings rather more than she values herself. Her ambitions are beauty to look upon, unintrusive friendships, and complete privacy. But when a mysterious and obviously wealthy man commissions her to restore his fabulous collection, an uncharacteristic combination of curiosity and financial need prompts her to accept his offer. Elisabeth soon realizes her error, as the past and the present combine to make privacy her nemesis. As she becomes a hostage to her patron, her lover and her friend realize they know nothing about her, or where she might be.

Genres: Crime, Mystery

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Aka Frances Hegarty.

Frances Fyfield is a criminal lawyer, who lives in London and in Deal, by the sea which is her passion. She has won several awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger.

She grew up in rural Derbyshire, but spent most of her adult life in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. She was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English at Newcastle University and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. She also worked for the Metropolitan Police.

Years later, writing became her real vocation. She also writes short stories for magazines and radio and is occasionally a contributor to Radio 4, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave.

Reviews

[P.R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately I simply haven't been able to cope with this, despite having enjoyed many Frances Fyfield books in the past. This is laboured, gloomy and verbose. Life is too short.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book that made me actually contribute to Goodreads. Fantastically written is the main reason for reading this book , though the story and character of Elizabeth is complex yet believable.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This so perfectly fitted the bill to match the mood of a short story I'm attempting to write. Not for the first time do I learn from Frances Fyfield's ability to beautifully craft a tale of tension and interesting, eccentric characters, while being simultaneously well-entertained.

[Maya Morikawa · Rating 2 out of 5]

No

Not for me,a very disturbing book,so I guess well done.
But I never want to read another like it.Managed to finish it but never enjoyed it.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I finished it so that's something. I found it difficult to read though and didn't enjoy it at all. I found the writing stilted - there were whole sentences I didn't understand - not the words but the meaning behind the words, the intent if you like. Maybe it was because I wasn't engaged. Thinking about the plot, it certainly held promise but failed to deliver.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this book at the beginning, due to the author's writing style; some of the phrasing felt very cumbersome. I persevered, however, and was eventually able to get past it and start diving into the story. Overall it was an interesting mystery, although I'm not sure that I actually liked any of the characters, and I found the ending to be slightly confusing and unsatisfying.