Miss Melville Returns: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: More farce than mystery
Review: Miss Melville does indeed return, and is as witty and sincere as she was in the original. Unfortunately, her supporting cast doesn't live up to her high standards. Jill, her agent, is just not credible enough for her role in Miss Melville's life, and Alex has lost a lot of his charm. Other characters introduced in the original have not been fleshed out to the extent that made "Miss Melville Regrets" a virtuoso perfomance. The story holds together despite these failings. The plot, especially as regards deceased artist extraordinaire Darius Moffet, is undeniably a farce, yet plausible in the New York art scene Smith depicts. Overall a good story, despite the weakness of the characterizations.

Rating:
Summary: More farce than mystery
Review: Miss Melville does indeed return, and is as witty and sincere as she was in the original. Unfortunately, her supporting cast doesn't live up to her high standards. Jill, her agent, is just not credible enough for her role in Miss Melville's life, and Alex has lost a lot of his charm. Other characters introduced in the original have not been fleshed out to the extent that made "Miss Melville Regrets" a virtuoso perfomance. The story holds together despite these failings. The plot, especially as regards deceased artist extraordinaire Darius Moffet, is undeniably a farce, yet plausible in the New York art scene Smith depicts. Overall a good story, despite the weakness of the characterizations.