pickA young Swedish girl takes the job of carer to John, who is suffering from a mysterious disorder which necessitates his being heavily medicated by his ghastly mother. More Gothic than strictly crime, this is perhaps not absolutely top-drawer Vine but as well-written and gripping as one would expect.
Ruth Rendell‘s character building is honestly a little bit astonishing. I want to live in her pseudo-gothic novels. For some reason I‘ve torn through a handful of her books, but I creep through this one. I think I just don‘t want to come to the conclusion!
I feel like the holidays are always a good time for books about dysfunctional families. The Cosways (an elderly mother, four grown daughters, and a reclusive son they've labeled "mad") live together in a sprawling old mansion. When two of the daughters fall in love with the same man, it's the fuse that lights this insane powder keg. These characters are hyper-real-- and hyper-crazy. Family thrillers aren't usually my thing, but this was very fun!
The Minotaur | 
