Listening Walls

Rating:
Summary: Superlative thriller
Review: This fairly obscure thriller writer -- wife of Ross MacDonald -- probably deserves wider recognition. "Listening Walls" is a deftly written piece of truly twisted story-telling that becomes harder and harder to put down the longer you read. The last 20 pages turn everything completely upside down, like something out of Philip K. Dick -- and whatever you do, don't read the last sentence ahead of time! Great characters and masterful story-telling, with tantalizing bits of info dropped here and there, and plenty left out to keep you reading till the end. Millar also has some of the finest similes I've read since Raymond Chandler. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars (my usual enthusiastic rating!) is that I felt that plot was a bit TOO complex and manipulative, as though Millar were pulling too many strings and not giving her characters enough freedom. That's often a problem in the mystery genre, but it doesn't detract from this otherwise highly entertaining piece of work. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Superlative thriller
Review: This fairly obscure thriller writer -- wife of Ross MacDonald -- probably deserves wider recognition. "Listening Walls" is a deftly written piece of truly twisted story-telling that becomes harder and harder to put down the longer you read. The last 20 pages turn everything completely upside down, like something out of Philip K. Dick -- and whatever you do, don't read the last sentence ahead of time! Great characters and masterful story-telling, with tantalizing bits of info dropped here and there, and plenty left out to keep you reading till the end. Millar also has some of the finest similes I've read since Raymond Chandler. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars (my usual enthusiastic rating!) is that I felt that plot was a bit TOO complex and manipulative, as though Millar were pulling too many strings and not giving her characters enough freedom. That's often a problem in the mystery genre, but it doesn't detract from this otherwise highly entertaining piece of work. Recommended.