Helpful Score: 1
I almost gave up after about 20 pages but went ahead. I found it necessary to read but not enjoyable. I didn't like any of the characters and cannot imagine recommending this one. It seemed like a formulaic film noir script without all the great dialogue. I also didn't like Mr. Ripley but adored Rules of Civility.
Helpful Score: 1
I love a story that takes me back to the era of the 20's. I find life was so interesting then. Speakeasys, gangsters, champagne, and dining at huge fancy hotels. Ms. Rindell presented a beautiful cinematic, provactive and funny page turner. The main character Rose, works as a typist for the police department recording criminal confessions. Shes swept into a friendship she soon finds out isn't going to be good for her thus the heart of the book. For me the book was exciting, suspenseful, and well written. If you are interested in a read based in this era you will probably enjoy this one. I enjoyed it alot.
This novel is set in NYC in the 1920's prohibition era when speakeasies and flappers abounded. It is narrated by Rose, a drab, self-righteous typist in a police precinct when the "other typist," Odalie, is hired. Initially Rose is wary of Odalie with her confident, charming flamboyance. Gradually, Odalie wins Rose's friendship, and Rose leaves her shabby boarding house to move into Odalie's exclusive apartment where she begins to enjoy Odalie's lifestyle of extravagance and excess. Seen only through Rose's perspective, this beautifully written book unfolds slowly and is intriguing because nothing is as it seems as the plot progresses.
