I read this book years ago and remember it being a thrilling, suspenseful story. When I picked it up to read it again I couldn’t recall the details of it – only that it was a keeper. I’m happy to say it remains one after a second reading. I didn’t expect it to be quite as good the second time. Sometimes books just don’t hold up. But this one still managed to give a good ride despite some very minor flaws.
In this wonderfully creepy book the main character, Jenny, is a struggling mother of two young girls. She meets Erich, a man who seems to be her ultimate Prince Charming. After this rich, handsome, and sensitive fellow whisks her off her feet to live in his mansion she discovers he’s far from the man she expected. Her new husband is manipulative, abusive and possibly something even worse. Jenny’s feelings of being stalked, paired with her dawning realization that her children are in danger, comes across with visceral impact. It made me feel positively uneasy.
It’s a fast read, and although it starts off slow it does build momentum quickly. Towards the end it’s hard to put down. There are many scary occurrences. When Jenny finds the painting, the horror is detailed so well that I could see it perfectly. The writing is accessible and the dialog is fast-moving, with easily digestible chunks that enhance the suspense and push the story to its frightening climax.
This is a good suspense book despite its old-fashioned heroine. I had some minor problems with Jenny that I’m pretty sure didn’t bother me years ago, relating to how weak, naïve, and just plain unlikely she is. Jenny tolerates many of Erich’s growing eccentricities for much longer than I found realistic for this day and age, but then again, this book was written a few decades ago. It’s hard to imagine a modern woman accepting such dependence and isolation and being completely romantically focused on her man despite annoyances such as his continual talking about Caroline. I just had a hard time seeing past that, especially when she’s sick during her pregnancy. On the one hand she’s hard to root for. But on the other hand, reading about what happens to this old-fashioned innocent woman as a result of her rushing into a relationship with someone she barely knows is very suspenseful – scary, inevitable, shocking. The book managed to hook, then disturb me for a second time. It has an effective combination of romance and mystery, and it held my attention throughout.