This Way Out [Hardcover]

Sheila Radley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 1989

This story traces the descent of an upright husband and citizen into blunder, terror, nightmare and murder.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this third Inspector Quantrill psychological thriller, set in rural England, a decent, frustrated man meets a dynamic stranger who embodies the explosive force of his pent-up rage. Derek Cartwright and Hugh Packer share a similar dilemma: both are saddled with elderly in-laws whose presence seems to be ruining their lives. Sadistic bully Packer wants his father-in-law out of the way so he can acquire the old man's fortune. Cartwright, on the other hand, convinces himself that his motive is altruistic: he wants to free his wife from the burden of caring for her mother, a task she assumed in expiation for her guilty sense of relief when the couple's handicapped daughter died. Packer quickly realizes the possibilities and involves Cartwright--against his will--in a murderous plot in which each will kill the other's resident in-law. When Inspector Douglas Quantrill ( Fate Worse Than Death ) enters the case, his canny knowledge of human nature escalates the tension. Radley illuminates the ease with which an almost innocent slip can be a fateful step that inexorably slides into hell.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A psychologically intriguing treatment of a murder in absentia, Radley's latest illuminates the repercussions of Derek Cartwright's wish that his mother-in-law were dead. Derek and wife Christine, recently (though unhappily) freed of the burden of a handicapped daughter, now find themselves housing Christine's irritating mother. After a chance encounter with a similarly encumbered but truly evil businessman, Derek starts losing control of events. Well-thought-out plot, bitterly ironic situations, and deeply involving texture make this English village worth a visit.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons; 1st edition (November 20, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684191253
• ISBN-13: 978-0684191256
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,581,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars disturbingly well-written, November 15, 2006

By 

Ray59 (White Haven, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Sheila Radley wrote a number of contemporary British mysteries in this series, all featuring the same detective. They are all really enjoyable psychological crime novels that I highly recommend.

This particular novel is the most unusual. I think it may have been the last book in the series (to date) so I would not recommend starting here for someone who has never read this author.

I found this novel compelling reading, but the psychological study of the killer in this instance is so convincing that the story did not leave me in a comfortable frame of mind. This book really gets you inside the mind of the killer -- but with a disturbing difference.

The killer is not your typically savage bad guy. He is actually portrayed very sympathetically. The man makes a series of bad decisions and feels growing panic as he commits his crime and it is subsequently discovered by the authorities. The author put me so much into the mind of this somehow sympathetic killer, that I really felt his remorse over what he had done, and felt his mounting panic as his whole life falls apart with the investigation.

A very powerful book. But be warned, this is not an uplifting or light piece of entertainment. It is a vivid cautionary tale about the thin line that can separate a killer from your average, rather harmless individual.