In a Mississippi small town, Harriet, bossy and bull-headed, aided by her devoted playmate Hely, undertakes to solve and avenge the murder of her nine-year-old brother which happened 12 years ago. Unlike Tartt's first novel, The Secret History, this one concentrates more on depth of character and atmosphere than it does on plot. Its rich, unhurried prose makes one forget that nothing much has happened for ages and when something does, it's suspenseful and credible.
(Siobhan Thomson - bwl 19 June 2003 ) |
