Customer Reviews

A STRANGER IN MY GRAVE

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Margaret Millar is somewhat of a hidden treasure among American "mystery writers." (She was originally from Canada, but her many years of living in California with her writer-husband Ross McDonald give us Americans a claim on her). What makes her unusual, and special, within the genre is the way so many of her novels subtly and eloquently examine the emotional toll taken on people by the small things that haunt their lives, create inner conflict or despair.

But also joys. While I've only read less than half of her novels thus far, every one of them shows rich detail of the interior lives of some of the characters. Many of the books deal with the subtle distinctions between economic classes, races and haves vs. have-nots. Nothing is simple within the lives of her characters, and often the most downtrodden get the most compassion, though never in an overt or obvious way.

A STRANGER IN MY GRAVE lands squarely in the center of most of her themes. Like many of her books it's set in San Felice, California (a fictionalized version of her home of Santa Barbara). Her cast of characters span backgrounds from the upper middle-class suburban white people to Mexican-Americans in various degrees of economic success or failure. All of Ms. Millar's books have strong or interesting women in central roles, and this one is no different. There is also a beleagered detective whose somewhat troubled personality grows on us.

There are vivid and unusual types throughout the book, especially among the Latina women, and Ms. Millar shows great understanding of the problems of being poor, of being excessively religious, of being trapped in a certain kind of false behavior to maintain a marriage, of being discriminated against because of one's race, and of being an alcoholic (there is a fascinating a vivid portrait of one alcoholic central to this book). There are no villains, because everyone is ultimately shown to be human, despite their flaws and how much effort the sustenance of their own humanity and dignity sometimes takes.

But lest this sound like a depressing book, it is not. While it doesn't achieve the kind of poetry that certain of her other novels approach (of the ones I've read, THE IRON GATES and THE CANNIBAL HEART seemed the most poetic), it still has an impressive degree of understanding and compassion for people, a compelling narrative and a rich array of characters whose personal musings make for fascinating reading. Like life, there are loose ends which don't all clean up quickly. But she always captures a bit of truth about our existence -- it's not tidy, it's not always within our control, but there is always the possibility of a little redemption or a small choice that can make a difference.

It's interesting to note that while her books from the 1940s seem very progressive and contemporary, some of her books from the late 50s and early 60s seem to capture that whole post-war repressed-housewife-rigid-code-of-suburban-behavior so well that they seem much more dated than her earlier books. But for people old enough to remember those rigid mores, they'll recognize them here. It's like the dark side of what sitcoms of the period showed us.

One could fairly call Margaret Millar a feminist writer, both because of the strong complex women in all of her books, and because in her books from this period, she is rattling the cage of the limitations of the suburban housewife, what is expected of her, what troubles her. Many of her books contain women who break free of conventional restraints to become more of who they really feel they are. In her novels, much of the "grayness" comes from adhering to convention, and much of the vividness comes from explorations of women (and also some of the men) attempting to transcend circumstances, at no matter which economic level they dwell. For this reason, as well as for her general talent in weaving fairly complex tapestries of mystery and secrets that seek to be revealed, she should be more widely known, and perhaps someday will be.

If you've not read any Margaret Millar books before, you could do worse than A STRANGER IN MY GRAVE. It is a solid offering from this talented writer. It's perhaps not the most exhilarating of her novels, but it is strong, compelling, and eminently worth your time.

Enjoyed tremendously--I am part of a mystery book club at borders once a month in Henderson, NV. Characters were fascinating, ending was very surprising, theme of racial prejudice was well presented.
I am a retired librarian sitting on the other side of the fence now.