Letters from Carthage [Hardcover]

Bill James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

A fresh and original take on a mystery within a mystery - Fresh from the inner city, Vince and Kate are new to the suburbia of Tabbett Drive, delighted to have accessed this middle-class paradise. They've even found the neighbours remarkably friendly Jill and Dennis Seagrave seem particularly affable. However, Kate begins to detect all is not as it seems with the Seagraves. Can it be that beneath the fagade of this perfect suburban calm lie secrets as dangerous as any inner city? Is everything is anything as it seems?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best known for his long-running Harpur & Iles series, James again proves himself a sharp and subtle stylist in this scary psychological thriller based on the short story "At Home," from his collection The Sixth Man (2006). The Carthage of the title is a posh house in the suburbs of an unnamed British city where Jill and Dennis Seagrave live, two doors down from a couple of newcomers to the neighborhood, Vince and Kate, who have fled the blighted inner city. Dennis is a broker and a gifted topiary artist; his wife is attractive and friendly. The novel unfolds via letters and Kate's diary, and the first hint of trouble in paradise comes in a letter from Jill to her mother in which she describes Dennis: "like any human being, however marginal, he loves to believe there are positive aspects to his personality." Can this marriage—and these lives—be saved? (Mar.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* James comes up trumps yet again with this uniquely plotted story that proves quite a change of pace from his Harpur and Iles series or other stand-alone crime novels. Vince and Kate have just moved from the inner city to Tabbett Drive, and to these two neophyte suburbanites, it seems like a little slice of heaven. Kate in particular is enamored of the next-door neighbors, Jill and Dennis Seagrave, whose lovely home, Carthage, is exactly the kind of house Kate hopes to own one day. Dennis is "something in insurance," but his true calling is hedge sculptures of giant deer, seagulls, even hedghogs. Jill is sweet, if slightly strange. But the golden couple has dark secrets, which are revealed in a series of letters to and from Jill, her mother, Dennis, his brother, his old girlfriend, a neighbor, and Jill's counselor, while Kate's own diary entries highlight her growing sense of puzzlement about what's real, what's made up, and who Jill and Dennis really are. James knows how to pick the perfect turn of phrase and uses this gift to evoke dark hilarity, turn everyday situations into bizarre fantasy, and bring a sense of menace and foreboding even in the midst of seemingly comic situations. Readers will be riveted from page 1 by this brilliant and thoroughly entertaining mix of horror and thriller. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727864602
• ISBN-13: 978-0727864604
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,541,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a GREAT book!!!, October 22, 2007

By 

Amy Leemon (North Fond du Lac, WI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters from Carthage (Hardcover)

This is written in a series of letters from Jill and Dennis Seagrave to their relatives and friends. She writes that she is afraid of him - so afraid that she has her mother send her letters to a neighbor so he won't see them. He writes that he is worried about her and asks for advice. As their friends and relatives reply, more and more is revealed about Jill and Dennis. It's hard to tell who is telling the truth. When Jill isn't heard from in several weeks, Dennis tells everyone that she has a very bad case of the flu. True? Not?

There is no way you will figure this one out. The plot twists come suddenly and then they twist again. The ending is thoroughly satisfying and surprising.

This is a REALLY good read.