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Serious Intent
Despondent over his alcoholic wife's violent mood swings, Richard Garrett becomes drawn into an unlikely friendship with his female neighbor, driving his wife into a jealous rage. By the author of Dangerous to Know.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
5 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Yorke
86 books53 followersMargaret Yorke was an English crime fiction writer, real name Margaret Beda Nicholson (née Larminie).
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 9, 2010
Interesting, interesting book. It took me a little while to get pulled in -- I'd say that there are 4 main characters, each with his or her own intertwining story -- but I'm glad I stuck with it. The hopes and comforts of childhood contrasted with the routine and loneliness of old age, the pain of being in a disastrous marriage, the desperation of feeling deprived and taking "what's due" -- all pulled me through to a painful yet liberating conclusion. This wasn't an easy read, but Yorke has a way with character and plot that I can't help but admire.
March 31, 2009
So, far Margaret Yorke never disappoints. In this one, as in all the others, we get such a great picture of the personalities of all her characters as well as a real feel for life in an English village.
November 19, 2008
I always enjoy a good Margaret Yorke book and this one didn't disappoint! The lives of three families interact with some disastrous results. Her books always end with a happy feel good ending.
May 14, 2022
This is a decent read with an intricate plot and very well developed characters. Marigold Darwin is a bit of a legend in this book, and I found myself having strong feelings (good and bad) towards many of the characters as they were that well written. However I personally found we were introduced to a lot of characters at the beginning, and I did get confused with who's who, although this is most likely a reflection of my post-chemotherapy brain as opposed to confusing writing.
Though the book was a little slow in places, the twists and storyline kept it entertaining. Definitely worth a look.
Though the book was a little slow in places, the twists and storyline kept it entertaining. Definitely worth a look.
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June 27, 2023Yorke builds character relationships, revealing the good nature and the undertones of evil and sinister thoughts, to a crescendo where murder results. The victim was a surprise. The ending fulfilling.
July 6, 2023
Bit drab
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews