Structurally this was much better than the first two; Fraser has found her ground in the genre, here, writing an actual mystery in which her detective investigates, set in a London social milieu that she can write both comfortably and believably. It had a taste of the guilty pleasure, her combinations of creative artists and those who live by promoting and publicising them, and she lays on the details of material culture, spending much time on clothing, decor, furniture and all, perhaps some short-hand I cannot read if one is British, or from the early 80s, or both.So -- structurally better, more in the genre, more confidently written. But there are some very problematic gender portrayals here, and I found the way in which Shore eventually loses sympathy for her female friend and begins judging her harshly very distasteful. Much in character for the time, but it did not feel as though it was written with vision; I do not think Fraser knew that Shore was being so harsh, but rather failed to see the nuance herself. (view spoiler)[ And, of course, any book which argues sincerely that a woman deserves a violent death, that she brought it on herself by being impossibly provoking, leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Chloe is portrayed as being excited by danger, even by violence, but where Fraser goes with this seems to be the idea that murder is only to be expected in such a case, and that really Chloe deserved what she got. It is strange, a story of disillusionment in a way; Shore begins believing that Chloe has a messy private life but an amazing mind that produces excellent work, and then the book deconstructs that, so that by the end Shore is disdainful of the whole woman, her mind and all, and the work is forgotten. Was Fraser trying to enact that in the novel? If so I do not do her enough credit, but instinct says no. (hide spoiler)]
Opening - 'At least you'll be very quiet up here,' said Chloe.Product Description: How well do we ever know our friends? When Jemima offers to flat-sit for her friend the last thing she is expecting is threatening anonymous phone-calls on her very first night. A vicious assault by Chloe's ex-lover the next morning forces Jemima to accept that she actually knows little about her friend's life. Fuming, she is determined to confront her. But then she discovers that Chloe never reached her destination.
What do You think about A Splash Of Red (2006)?
Bleeeach! I read this straight after her Tartan Tragedy, and I am soooo tired of reading this pre-AIDS period stuff... Young readers: be aware that in the 60s, 70s, and beginning of the 80s, it was perfectly acceptable to write of men who would be behaving discourteously if, upon first meeting a woman, they do not fondle her thigh, and a woman would be impolite if she didn't go to bed with him. Generally they would both then have a cigarette...Jemima Shore behaves - very coolly - like this in bo
—Janette
