Helpful Score: 5
Set in the Scottish Islands, this suspenseful, literate mystery is very evocative of the tense times during the Cold War, and also a vivid portrayal of the new "working girl" mentality of the breakthrough era of the 1960s. The main character is intelligent, worthy of respect for her abilities, and capable of seeing her way through difficulties. The author has researched the geographic area very thoroughly and writes of it through the eyes of one who has lived in the area, and felt its stark beauty, not merely read about it. It is high-minded and thrilling, an ideal book for a reader who wants suspense without graphic depictions to haunt you. Ann Bridge is a very under-rated author, whose work deserves much more attention and acclaim.
