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Do Evil in Return
Girls like Violet often came into Dr. Charlotte Keating’s office. Violet wore a wedding ring, but then they all did. They bought them at the dime store just before the appointment. And Charlotte’s response was the same each time: firm but sympathetic refusal.
But there was something about Violet. Perhaps it was her cheap clothes, or her forlorn predicament; perhaps it was her air of terror and grief. Charlotte went to visit her…and found instead a shabby rooming house full of sinister characters, all of whom claimed that Violet was gone and had left no forwarding address. All too soon poor Violet was found—and a chain of events began which would subject Charlotte to a harrowing ordeal like none she’d ever experienced!
But there was something about Violet. Perhaps it was her cheap clothes, or her forlorn predicament; perhaps it was her air of terror and grief. Charlotte went to visit her…and found instead a shabby rooming house full of sinister characters, all of whom claimed that Violet was gone and had left no forwarding address. All too soon poor Violet was found—and a chain of events began which would subject Charlotte to a harrowing ordeal like none she’d ever experienced!
Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
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About the author
Margaret Millar
122 books178 followersMargaret Ellis Millar (née Sturm) was an American-Canadian mystery and suspense writer. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, she was educated there and in Toronto. She moved to the United States after marrying Kenneth Millar (better known under the pen name Ross Macdonald). They resided for decades in the city of Santa Barbara, which was often utilized as a locale in her later novels under the pseudonyms of San Felice or Santa Felicia.
Millar's books are distinguished by sophistication of characterization. Often we are shown the rather complex interior lives of the people in her books, with issues of class, insecurity, failed ambitions, loneliness or existential isolation or paranoia often being explored with an almost literary quality that transcends the mystery genre. Unusual people, mild societal misfits or people who don't quite fit into their surroundings are given much interior detail. In some of the books we are given chilling and fascinating insight into what it feels like to be losing touch with reality and evolving into madness. In general, she is a writer of both expressive description and yet admirable economy, often ambitious in the sociological underpinnings of the stories and the quality of the writing.
Millar often delivers effective and ingenious "surprise endings," but the details that would allow the solution of the surprise have usually been subtly included, in the best genre tradition. One of the distinctions of her books, however, is that they would be interesting, even if you knew how they were going to end, because they are every bit as much about subtleties of human interaction and rich psychological detail of individual characters as they are about the plot.
Millar was a pioneer in writing intelligently about the psychology of women. Even as early as the '40s and '50s, her books have a very mature and matter-of-fact view of class distinctions, sexual freedom and frustration, and the ambivalence of moral codes depending on a character's economic circumstances. Her earliest novels seem unusually frank. Read against the backdrop of Production Code-era movies of the time, they remind us that life as lived in the '40s and '50s was not as black-and-white morally as Hollywood would have us believe.
While she was not known for any one recurring detective (unlike her husband, whose constant gumshoe was Lew Archer), she occasionally used a detective character for more than one novel. Among her occasional ongoing sleuths were Canadians Dr. Paul Prye (her first invention, in the earliest books) and Inspector Sands (a quiet, unassuming Canadian police inspector who might be the most endearing of her recurring inventions). In the California years, a few books featured either Joe Quinn, a rather down-on-his-luck private eye, or Tom Aragorn, a young, Hispanic lawyer.
Sadly, most of Millar's books are out of print in America, with the exception of the short story collection The Couple Next Door and two novels, An Air That Kills and Do Evil In Return, that have been re-issued as classics by Stark House Press in California.
In 1956 Millar won the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, Best Novel award for Beast in View. In 1965 she was awarded the Woman of the Year Award by the Los Angeles Times. In 1983 she was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
Millar's books are distinguished by sophistication of characterization. Often we are shown the rather complex interior lives of the people in her books, with issues of class, insecurity, failed ambitions, loneliness or existential isolation or paranoia often being explored with an almost literary quality that transcends the mystery genre. Unusual people, mild societal misfits or people who don't quite fit into their surroundings are given much interior detail. In some of the books we are given chilling and fascinating insight into what it feels like to be losing touch with reality and evolving into madness. In general, she is a writer of both expressive description and yet admirable economy, often ambitious in the sociological underpinnings of the stories and the quality of the writing.
Millar often delivers effective and ingenious "surprise endings," but the details that would allow the solution of the surprise have usually been subtly included, in the best genre tradition. One of the distinctions of her books, however, is that they would be interesting, even if you knew how they were going to end, because they are every bit as much about subtleties of human interaction and rich psychological detail of individual characters as they are about the plot.
Millar was a pioneer in writing intelligently about the psychology of women. Even as early as the '40s and '50s, her books have a very mature and matter-of-fact view of class distinctions, sexual freedom and frustration, and the ambivalence of moral codes depending on a character's economic circumstances. Her earliest novels seem unusually frank. Read against the backdrop of Production Code-era movies of the time, they remind us that life as lived in the '40s and '50s was not as black-and-white morally as Hollywood would have us believe.
While she was not known for any one recurring detective (unlike her husband, whose constant gumshoe was Lew Archer), she occasionally used a detective character for more than one novel. Among her occasional ongoing sleuths were Canadians Dr. Paul Prye (her first invention, in the earliest books) and Inspector Sands (a quiet, unassuming Canadian police inspector who might be the most endearing of her recurring inventions). In the California years, a few books featured either Joe Quinn, a rather down-on-his-luck private eye, or Tom Aragorn, a young, Hispanic lawyer.
Sadly, most of Millar's books are out of print in America, with the exception of the short story collection The Couple Next Door and two novels, An Air That Kills and Do Evil In Return, that have been re-issued as classics by Stark House Press in California.
In 1956 Millar won the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, Best Novel award for Beast in View. In 1965 she was awarded the Woman of the Year Award by the Los Angeles Times. In 1983 she was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews
December 28, 2024
Set in Southern California, DO EVIL IN RETURN is a mystery/domestic suspense novel first published in 1950. It was considered very controversial at the time because the victim in this case is a young woman seeking an illegal abortion.
Protagonist Dr. Charlotte Keating is torn — she wants to help Violet but doesn't want to break the law. Violet runs away in frustration, but later Charlotte tries to track her down to see if there's some way to improve her circumstances. Unfortunately it's too late for Violet, and Charlotte's interference puts her career and safety in jeopardy.
The mystery was twisty and surprising. I thought I had it figured out, but no! Some of the language and attitudes are dated, of course, but I thought that Charlotte was a compelling heroine.
Protagonist Dr. Charlotte Keating is torn — she wants to help Violet but doesn't want to break the law. Violet runs away in frustration, but later Charlotte tries to track her down to see if there's some way to improve her circumstances. Unfortunately it's too late for Violet, and Charlotte's interference puts her career and safety in jeopardy.
The mystery was twisty and surprising. I thought I had it figured out, but no! Some of the language and attitudes are dated, of course, but I thought that Charlotte was a compelling heroine.
May 10, 2023
04/2019
From 1950.
I really liked this. A satisfying mystery with a female doctor as the protagonist. Great dialogue and details.
I liked it so much I would rate it my second favorite out of her books I have read, after Ask For Me Tomorrow (from 1976).
From 1950.
I really liked this. A satisfying mystery with a female doctor as the protagonist. Great dialogue and details.
I liked it so much I would rate it my second favorite out of her books I have read, after Ask For Me Tomorrow (from 1976).
February 18, 2019
It's of its time, but god I love Margaret Millar
October 3, 2021
Pues he decidido empezar un reto al que me apunté leyendo mujeres autoras de policiaca y he comenzado por una autora muy prolífica pero totalmente olvidada (cómo no)...la mayoría de la gente la conoce por ser la mujer de...Ross Macdonald (pseudónimo de su marido y que se hizo famoso también escribiendo novela policial, por cierto que comenzó a hacerlo tras el éxito de su esposa)
Esta primera novela que he leído de ella me ha gustado mucho, olvidaos de leerla si buscáis tramas adictivas o con coherencia al límite...eso no lo vais a encontrar... pero sí vais a ver unos temas bastante valientes como son el aborto y el adulterio y una gran profundidad en la psicología de los personajes. Y bueno, debo decir que ha sido un gustazo que me haya sorprendido el desenlace, la verdad.
A pesar de que Millar escribió más de 30 novelas, antes de fallecer ya había pasado al limbo de las damas del crimen olvidadas...y me apeteció darla a conocer un poco más. Os animo a buscar información sobre ella y sus inicios en la literatura (creo que hay un artículo de El mundo bastante amplio). Una autora que aunque nació canadiense, obtuvo también la nacionalidad estadounidense y bueno, por lo que he visto, sus novelas tienen ese aire norteamericano de la típica novela negra americana.
"No le gustaron demasiado los detectives, en el sentido de que no estaba dispuesta a pasar demasiado tiempo con ellos. Los creaba y luego los olvidaba. Margaret Millar no fue una dama del crimen del montón. Sí, creó a inspectores, pero también a psicólogos, abogados, fiscales y corredores de bolsa a punto de jubilarse, e incluso, como ocurre en el caso de 'Pagarás con maldad' (RBA), la última de sus historias recién recuperada, doctoras que practican abortos y que se ven involucradas en la muerte de una de sus pacientes. Pero ese no es su único secreto."
Esta primera novela que he leído de ella me ha gustado mucho, olvidaos de leerla si buscáis tramas adictivas o con coherencia al límite...eso no lo vais a encontrar... pero sí vais a ver unos temas bastante valientes como son el aborto y el adulterio y una gran profundidad en la psicología de los personajes. Y bueno, debo decir que ha sido un gustazo que me haya sorprendido el desenlace, la verdad.
A pesar de que Millar escribió más de 30 novelas, antes de fallecer ya había pasado al limbo de las damas del crimen olvidadas...y me apeteció darla a conocer un poco más. Os animo a buscar información sobre ella y sus inicios en la literatura (creo que hay un artículo de El mundo bastante amplio). Una autora que aunque nació canadiense, obtuvo también la nacionalidad estadounidense y bueno, por lo que he visto, sus novelas tienen ese aire norteamericano de la típica novela negra americana.
"No le gustaron demasiado los detectives, en el sentido de que no estaba dispuesta a pasar demasiado tiempo con ellos. Los creaba y luego los olvidaba. Margaret Millar no fue una dama del crimen del montón. Sí, creó a inspectores, pero también a psicólogos, abogados, fiscales y corredores de bolsa a punto de jubilarse, e incluso, como ocurre en el caso de 'Pagarás con maldad' (RBA), la última de sus historias recién recuperada, doctoras que practican abortos y que se ven involucradas en la muerte de una de sus pacientes. Pero ese no es su único secreto."
May 6, 2024
An intriguing drama about a successful doctor named Charlotte whose life becomes thrown into turmoil after turning away a young pregnant girl seeking an abortion. The more Charlotte seems to poke around, the more tragedies and doubts about her own affairs begin to appear. Once I was sucked into the story, I gladly sank to the finish line with it. Detective Easter was an interesting character. Although his determination to win the heart of Charlotte eventually wilts him into being a sullen child, he remained competent and compassionate at his job.
June 12, 2012
Kinda creepy
Like walking through a graveyard on a cold night with a full moon, tombstones throwing dark shadows and you hear a sound like somebody stepping on twigs, but when you call out, nobody responds, but the sound stops and everything is quiet except the screech of an owl in the distance and something nearby quietly breathing.
Yeah, like that
Like walking through a graveyard on a cold night with a full moon, tombstones throwing dark shadows and you hear a sound like somebody stepping on twigs, but when you call out, nobody responds, but the sound stops and everything is quiet except the screech of an owl in the distance and something nearby quietly breathing.
Yeah, like that
March 24, 2023
I enjoyed this very much but like in some of her other books I’m totally bewildered by a male character (here Easter) totally totally falling in love with a female character at first sight for no reason with no discernible chemistry or connection between them… it’s like suddenly it becomes a badly paced romcom? But despite this I still really liked the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2012
3.5 stars.
Props to Ms. Millar for lulling me into complacency by making me think I had the whole evil plot worked out, and then surprising me in the last pages! For some silly reason I wasn't expecting her to do so at all.
Props to Ms. Millar for lulling me into complacency by making me think I had the whole evil plot worked out, and then surprising me in the last pages! For some silly reason I wasn't expecting her to do so at all.
November 5, 2018
Solid page turner but this earlier work is not quite at the level of Beast in View
December 26, 2023
"El viento arreciaba en la ciudad, vaciando las calles, desnudando los árboles. Era un viento loco y voluble que soplaba en todas direcciones simultáneamente. Charlotte tuvo la sensación de ser parte de él, de compartir su frenética confusión. No sabía dónde estaba Lewis ni dónde podría encontrarlo. Ni siquiera sabía si estaba vivo o muerto. "
Pagarás con maldad, (Do evil in return) 1950
Margaret Millar
Alianza Emecé
Selecciones del Séptimo Círculo
Traducción de Lucrecia Moreno
Lo que empieza con la visita inesperada de una mujer joven embarazada al consultorio de la doctora Charlotte Keating termina en una espiral de muerte, sospecha y locura en la que la doctora no puede evitar implicarse y que la llevará a descubrir la cara oculta de personas muy cercanas a ella.
Es una historia oscura, asfixiante y turbia, un retrato de la sociedad americana de posguerra muy lejana de la postal del "sueño americano".
Margaret Millar fue una escritora canadiense, más tarde nacionalizada estadounidense, autora de novela policíaca y de misterio.
Su matrimonio con el autor Ross Mcdonald ha oscurecido su interesante producción, de gran profundidad psicólogica en la que siguiendo una hábil trama de suspense, trata temas como la soledad, las convenciones sociales o la búsqueda de una identidad propia.
#pafgarásconmaldad #doevilinreturn #margaretmillar #leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras #leoclásicos #alnovembrellegeixnegre
Pagarás con maldad, (Do evil in return) 1950
Margaret Millar
Alianza Emecé
Selecciones del Séptimo Círculo
Traducción de Lucrecia Moreno
Lo que empieza con la visita inesperada de una mujer joven embarazada al consultorio de la doctora Charlotte Keating termina en una espiral de muerte, sospecha y locura en la que la doctora no puede evitar implicarse y que la llevará a descubrir la cara oculta de personas muy cercanas a ella.
Es una historia oscura, asfixiante y turbia, un retrato de la sociedad americana de posguerra muy lejana de la postal del "sueño americano".
Margaret Millar fue una escritora canadiense, más tarde nacionalizada estadounidense, autora de novela policíaca y de misterio.
Su matrimonio con el autor Ross Mcdonald ha oscurecido su interesante producción, de gran profundidad psicólogica en la que siguiendo una hábil trama de suspense, trata temas como la soledad, las convenciones sociales o la búsqueda de una identidad propia.
#pafgarásconmaldad #doevilinreturn #margaretmillar #leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras #leoclásicos #alnovembrellegeixnegre
September 7, 2025
What a disappointing ending. Hey, the stupid, weak, and neurotic wife in the way of our affair really was the bad guy all along! Now, as this is quite noirish, everyone sucks pretty badly (except the cop), but I really despise the victimized wife (whom he also attempted to strangle) being the fall guy. The husband sticks by her (she calls him Daddy in the end, a caretaker for the little doll of herself) despite being a no-good cheater, so our protagonist is left with nothing and no one (except the cop, someday) for a proper full-suffering ending. My face just fell when I realized we were doing the "woman with neurosis also has psychosis" thing again. That was a 2-star ending for a 4-star book (genuinely up until that 95% mark) so I'll give it grace with 3 stars. I really love Millar's style, at least. I don't know how else I would have liked it to end, but not...that. Maybe Vern in on it, somehow...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2021
This is a domestic psychological thriller, and I really like the main character Charlotte Keating. Her taste in men is questionable, and she is often too judgmental / harsh, but she's got her heart in the right place. The suspense was more-or-less predictable -if it's your first time reading Golden Age novels, you might be surprised, but anyone who's read enough of them knows what to expect. This being Margaret Millar, I knew the twist would come right at the end, and had it figured out halfway through the book.
If I'm honest - a plot-wise rather weak book, but well worth a read for the characters and their salacious lives.
If I'm honest - a plot-wise rather weak book, but well worth a read for the characters and their salacious lives.
March 8, 2022
A remarkable little book
This book only took two and a half hours to read. It is the story of a doctor having an affair with a married man. The complexities that arise from the relationship are a story that only Margaret Millar could tell. It moves fast. The characters are not what I was expecting them to be. My biggest disappointment is that I now have one less of Margaret Millar's books to read.
This book only took two and a half hours to read. It is the story of a doctor having an affair with a married man. The complexities that arise from the relationship are a story that only Margaret Millar could tell. It moves fast. The characters are not what I was expecting them to be. My biggest disappointment is that I now have one less of Margaret Millar's books to read.
May 8, 2021
I liked the protagnist, Dr. Charolette Keating, who's love interest, big heart and worry get her into trouble. It's a 1950 psychological thriller, that looks at the outlawed abortion issue from several views at the time. The interesting dated characters end up dead or murdered and twist comes in the final chapter which is casually revealed.
January 31, 2023
Excellent noir with an unusual - for its time - intrepid female protagonist: A medical professional who is spurred to action after feeling guilt for denying an abortion to a desperate patient.
The male characters, including the romantic lead, are boundary trampling, patronizing, boors. Very jarring to read from a modern perspective.
The male characters, including the romantic lead, are boundary trampling, patronizing, boors. Very jarring to read from a modern perspective.
August 31, 2017
Viihdyttävä perusdekkari 1950-luvulta. New York Times Literary Supplement hehkuttaa: »Margaret Millar parhaimmillaan eli tämä kirja on yksinkertaisesti pakko lukea.» En ihan yhtyisi tähän käsitykseen kuitenkaan.
September 12, 2021
Margaret Millard at her most Margaret Millarish. Interesting three-dimensional characters, a seemingly simple plot that becomes more and more intriguing, and convincing dialogue, however fantastic the situations seem to be.
October 18, 2023
With a title like DO EVIL IN RETURN, how can you ignore? For me this was a page-turner. And the chemistry between the protagonists gave me butterflies in the stomach. The writing was solid (though the dialog of the "bad guys" was a bit James Cagney, but I love movies of the 40s). I love this book.
June 16, 2017
Loved it! Great mystery and characters with a great sense of humor.
October 24, 2019
Dark and unsettling thriller. I liked that I was never quite sure who was friend or foe or what I should be rooting for. The ending caught me by surprise, which is always satisfying. Very well done.
Read
September 6, 2023Quick, suspenseful read.
March 22, 2017
An entertaining story, boosted by Millar's wit and her power of description, but brought down by an unlikable love interest. I know this is of its time but I really wish Charlotte didn't give in at the end.
June 16, 2023
I’ve only recently delved into the broad, talented catalog of Margaret Millar. Her work is not as well known as it should be these days. Her mysteries are lean, compelling, full of oddballs, hungry or desperate or damaged characters pinned down in some corner of mid century suburban Southern California.
Great characters, one compelling chapter and plot turn after another. As any good mystery writer should do, Millar leads you down the garden path, then a twist. I’ve read several Millars now in the last couple of months, and she’s never disappointed yet.
Great characters, one compelling chapter and plot turn after another. As any good mystery writer should do, Millar leads you down the garden path, then a twist. I’ve read several Millars now in the last couple of months, and she’s never disappointed yet.
November 15, 2020
Es una gran novela policiaca, con verosimilitud, agilidad en su narrativa y personajes interesantes y bien construidos.
La novela se publicó en los años 50, aún así se siente vigente, y sorprende que se toque el tema del aborto desde esta perspectiva, con Charlotte como una médica que ayuda a otras mujeres a abortar y que de este modo, se involucre en el caso, pasando a ser ella quien funge también como detective, de cierto modo.
La novela se publicó en los años 50, aún así se siente vigente, y sorprende que se toque el tema del aborto desde esta perspectiva, con Charlotte como una médica que ayuda a otras mujeres a abortar y que de este modo, se involucre en el caso, pasando a ser ella quien funge también como detective, de cierto modo.
November 5, 2024
A library find.
January 2024.
Suspenseful.
January 2024.
Suspenseful.
April 23, 2024
A library find. April 2024.
Suspenseful.
Well written.
Don't miss.
Suspenseful.
Well written.
Don't miss.
March 22, 2013
Reads like a Hitchcock movie. Thrilling; keeps you guessing until the end.
Read
November 10, 2017Masterfully paced mystery, with a satisfying and unexpected ending. Millar has a gift for loony women, too.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews