Dance With Me [Paperback]

Louise Doughty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, this is the tale of two women, each with her own particular ghost to confront - but who is haunting whom?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published in the U.K. in 1996, Doughty's intriguing psychological thriller weaves together the lives of two very different women. Outgoing, cynical and "promiscuous as hell," Bet Walker relates the "facts" in a deliberately affectless first-person narrative. Peter, her boyfriend of three weeks, has died in a car crash, having just altered his will and left his considerable fortune to her. Bet obviously needs to learn more about her mysterious boyfriend. She talks to his two best friends, Alex and Sophie, and gradually discovers the secrets left in Peter's house, which she has inherited. Bet's story alternates with the third-person account of shy, conservative Iris, who works alone in an oppressive office as an Internet "information consultant." Troubled by blackouts and sensing she is being stalked, Iris discovers that her workplace was an insane asylum during the Victorian era and is now haunted by past victims. Bet's narration has touches of humor, but Iris's fragile mental state is chillingly rendered, and the suspense and uncertainty mount as the two women's stories begin to converge. Doughty's final twist is agile and shocking. (Jan.)

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Louise Doughty is the author of five novels, CRAZY PAVING, DANCE WITH ME, HONEY-DEW, FIRES IN THE DARK and STONE CRADLE. CRAZY PAVING was shortlisted for four awards including the John Llewelyn Rhys Prize and FIRES IN THE DARK won awards from the Arts Council of England and the K.Blundell Trust. She is also a recipient of an Ian St. James prize and a Radio Times Drama Award. She has written five plays for radio and worked widely as a journalist and broadcaster in London, where she lives. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684868423
• ISBN-13: 978-0684868424
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,616,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Dance With Me Spins, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dance With Me (Paperback)

Promiscuous Felicity has fallen in lust with Peter. Suddenly, Peter is killed. In a matter of days, Felicity, whose relationship with Peter was based upon three weeks of great sex, finds herself the beneficiary of Peter's worldly goods, the origins of which are cloaked in mystery. Sandwiched between lust and money is plain, possessive Iris, the victim of Peter's unfaithfulness. Louise Doughty propels the reader through a plot that is entertaining yet difficult to grasp. The first quarter of "Dance with Me" reads like a mystery. In the second quarter the reader is led to believe that this is a ghost story. By the third quarter the reader is certain that this book is a psychological thriller. "Dance with Me" proves in the last quarter to be something entirely singular...a narrative with a fragile twist. Louise Doughty has a wicked sense of humor that spins the reader into a story that is constructed on several levels. It is elegantly written and told from the perspective of two very different yet very similar women. If you enjoy a clever plot, revel in a wicked sense of fun, and crave a story with some depth, then try "Dance with Me".