An Air That Kills / Do Evil in Return (Stark House Mystery Classics) [Paperback]

Margaret Millar (Author)

Book Description

Series: Stark House Mystery Classics | Publication Date: August 31, 2006

Two classic mysteries originally published in 1957 and 1950, with a new introduction by Tom Nolan, author of Ross Macdonald: A Biography.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Although Millar has long been an acknowledged master of psychological suspense (she received the Edgar Award in 1956 and the Grand Masters Award of the Mystery Writers of America in 1983), many of her books have vanished from libraries. Stark House redresses this problem with the reissue of two of Millar's classics. Both originally appeared in the 1950s, and although some of the references (or lack of--the word abortion is never used in a novel that revolves around one) seem arcane, Millar's focus on disturbing undercurrents in relationships can still send chills. An Air That Kills, published in 1957, centers on an unhappy marriage, the wife's plans for escape, and the disappearance of her lover, her husband's best friend. Do Evil in Return traces the downward trajectory of a young woman with an unwanted pregnancy and the woman doctor she seeks out. Classic Millar. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Millar's best by far, which means that it is very good indeed." --South Bend Tribune

"One of the most impressive additions to mystery literature." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Wonderfully ingenious." --New Yorker

"One of the most impressive additions to mystery literature." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Millar's best by far, which means that it is very good indeed." --South Bend Tribune

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Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Stark House Press (August 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933586095
• ISBN-13: 978-1933586090
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely surprised; absolutely delighted, February 17, 2008

By 

Jeff (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Air That Kills / Do Evil in Return (Stark House Mystery Classics) (Paperback)

I wish there were a 6 stars option in this rating system. If so, Millar's two novels would get 6 from me.

I've been a big Ross MacDonald fan for a few decades. The Dalton Case, Black Money, The Underground Man, and his many other Lew Archer books are finely wrought evocations of the evils that men do staying persistent through many generations.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Kenneth (MacDonald's) real name) Millar's wife was the better writer of the two. It's no accident she won and Edgar in the mid 1950's and was voted a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in the 1980's.

I like three things about these two books quite a bit. First of all, her plot resolutions sneak up on you. In both An Air That Kills and Do Evil in Return, there is a keen distinction between what you think is going on and what is actually happening. Even forewarned that this is the case, you're surprised at the end.

Secondly, Millar can stitch up the essence of a character better and more quickly than almost anyone. I won't spoil her best lines for you by quoting them here, but suffice to say that a creative writing professor could not get through these books without highlighting dozens of passages.

Finally, I like the strong sense of place one gets. Her descriptions of the Canadian north woods or 1950's Santa Barbara are very evocative.

Stark House is to be commended highly for bringing these two fine works out in one volume. For anyone who enjoys mysteries, I urge you to go buy this book and pass the word on. Finding Millar is a rare treat. I'm now going to read a handful more of her works to see if she is consistently this good. I certainly hope so.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1950s Noir by Leading Lady Mystery Writer Ages Well, August 12, 2007

By 

Ed Lynskey, "author of ASK THE DICE and THE Z... (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Air That Kills / Do Evil in Return (Stark House Mystery Classics) (Paperback)

Props to Stark House to reprint two of Margaret Millar's 1950s noir titles, AN AIR THAT KILLS (1957) and NO EVIL IN RETURN (1950), collected into a single volume. Critic and biographer (including one on Ms. Millar's husband, Ross Macdonald) Tom Nolan also contributes as insightful overview on these two novels, and Ms. Millar's body of work as a mystery writer). AIR concerns a pill salesman named Harry Beam and his wife Thelma who discovers she is pregnant. She names Ron Galloway, a married friend, as the father which causes much consternation in 1950s Toronto society. Before long, Ron is found dead in his convertible, presumably a suicide over his anguish. Thelma emerges as a schemer with big plans in mind for her child. The narrative takes several original twists. Ms. Millar's writing remains first-rate, including her stark metaphors (as nifty and apt as Ross's) and seamless dialogue. Though some of the attitudes come off as quaint and dated by today's standards, the story is a chilly, affecting, and dark noir by a prolific writer at the top of her game. Recommended.