24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mystery Classic, April 5, 2005
Written by Vera Caspery in 1943, this mystery romance is sometimes overshadowed by the magnificent film it spawned starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. Otto Preminger's masterpiece is one of the finest mysteries in the history of motion pictures. But that should not detract from its original source. Quite simply, this is one of the greatest novels ever written in the genre. Caspery used an unusal narrative structure to create an atmospheric and involving mystery which has stood the test of time.
The story revolves around Detective Mark McPherson's investigation into the murder of Laura Hunt. McPherson has somewhat of a celebrity status within the department due to some front page cases he has been involved with. But he is unprepared for the high society circles Laura moved in, and Caspery lets us see through his eyes the affectations of the rich. It is a world where people begin their insults with endearing terms like darling, then proceed to use words the roughest seaman wouldn't use to tear you apart.
Laura's benefactor and sometimes companion, Waldo Lydecker, is the poster boy for such behavior. He uses his well known newspaper column to destroy all Laura's would be suitors. Only the man she was set to marry, Shelby Carpenter, was able to withstand the glare of Lydecker's poison pen scrutiny. But on the weekend before she was to be married, a knock on the door late at night, followed by a shotgun blast, cuts her life short.
Waldo Lydecker begins the narration, then McPherson picks up where he left off. It is during McPherson's narration we get to see events as they really are, and we understands his actions. Caspery creates a real atmosphere to scenes between Lydecker and McPherson. You can almost feel the breeze in the popular open air restaurant where they dine and hear the young woman going from table to table singing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. And you can sense McPherson's frustration with the pretty boy, Shelby Carpenter. Above all this, however, we fully understand how McPherson has fallen in love with a dead girl, because we have also.
Laura was different than these people, inspiring loyalty in her working-class maid Bessie. She shares a favorite book with McPherson and loves baseball. McPherson begins to wonder how a smart girl like Laura managed to surround herself with empty people, their arrogant morals and gutter ethics only surpassed by their lack of character. But Caspery is smart enough to let us see into a woman's heart as well.
On a rainy night in Laura's 5th Avenue walk up, while McPherson sits underneath her painting looking through her diary, something startling and unforseen occurs. It is one of the greatest twists in mystery history.
What Caspery does at this junction is turn an already great mystery romance novel into a mezmerizing mystery romance novel. We simply can't put it down at this point. It is a fantastic read and stands with a handful of others in the genre as one of the best ever written. It is timeless, as fresh today as it was in 1943. This is one book in the genre not to be missed.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
compelling mystery, May 20, 2000
A now-classic film noir was made from this novel - and it's one case where the book and the film are both wonderful, each in a separate way. The novel tells the story of the murder/mistaken identity/love story from the first-person viewpoint of each of three main characters - not exactly the same story, like "Rashomon," but picking up the thread where the previous narrator's re-telling of events left off. This is a terrific character study, well-crafted, beautifully written, that will send you back to the film for even more enjoyment.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When you see Laura..., May 25, 2005
I had been on a quest to find this book for 6 years when I found it at my faithful second hand store about 2 years ago. My husband heard the scream I don't remember doing and rushed to my aid. He says (I don't rememeber) I was standing there, clutching the book with a bewildered, enraptured look on my face. He smiled and quietly paid for the book that I was practically knawing on to get through it.
Its not like the movie, which in my oppinion is good. It doesn't diminish the quality of the movie, nor does it take away from its own merrits of suspence and excitement. I loved it. Vera Caspery made the characters more defined, the image of Laura became clearer as did those of Shelby, Mark, and Waldo.
Thanks Honey.
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