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A Case to Answer |
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| A Case to Answer by Margaret Yorke Little, Brown & Co. 326 pages, 2000 ISBN 0316 851922 Reviewed by our South African Editor, Merilyn Tomkins adams.west@saol.com - Adams Bookshop, Durban, SA Margaret Yorke is the Winner of the 1999 CWA (Cartie Diamond Dagger) Award for crime fiction. The day that Jerry Hunt met Charlotte Frost was the day he decided to go straight. Jerry had been running a successful scam with his mate Pete - Jerry sweet-talking the householder at the front door, while Pete broke in at the rear - but something about Charlotte's smile made him take stock of his activities. He had been to prison once and had firmly decided not to repeat the experience. In many ways, Charlotte too would like to pull away from her past. Widowed after two years of marriage, her second husband's family still mistrust Charlotte although this does not stop them from imposing upon her. When Imogen Frost's parents separate, the troubled girl is sent to stay with her. By chance, Imogen meets Jerry and persuades Charlotte to let him renovate her garden. Slowly, past lies and previous deceits begin to unravel, and on a night none of them will ever forget, Charlotte disappears. Margaret Yorke knows all about human nature, weaknesses and follies, vanities and ambitions, as well as real, unadulterated evil. Her expert dissection of village life reveals a society uneasy with itself as new forces encroach upon tradition. A novel of subtle suspense and creeping tension, A Case to Answer is effortlessly crafted crime fiction, where human vulnerability leads to secrets, lies and tragedy. A compelling and unsettling read. |
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