3.5 stars
I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few books by Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine, so this caught my eye.
Philip is an absolutely run-of-the-mill man: decent looking, recently out of college, working in a field he pretty much likes and with dreams of bigger things, living with his mom and sister, just out of a relationship because he wasn’t ready to/couldn’t commit as fully as his ladyfriend wanted him to. You know, regular guy.
His relationships with his mom and two sisters — all of whom have their shit going on, especially because we’re given to understand his late father was probably a whole lotta fun but not terribly stable or reliable — are developed enough to give us some insight into ol’ Phil but NOTHING can explain his refusal to acknowledge the countless red flags coming his way.
He meets Senta, a bridesmaid at his sister’s wedding. She’s the groom’s cousin, so Philip’s side of the family didn’t know much about her previously. She’s got an air of manic pixie dream girl, but with some witchy vibes thrown in. Philip is entranced. They hook up immediately, and wouldn’t you know it? She turns out to be batshit crazy.
She declares their love (yes, love, on like, day one) to be the greatest love ever in the whole history of the whole wide world, and she knows it’s perfect and forever, and they need to really really really prove their fierce devotion to each other. By killing someone. Two people, in fact, because it’s one each. “LOL you so crazy!” Philip thinks. But, no.
Well, yes, but she’s also serious. Hilarity ensues, or depravity or whatever, and we’re off to the What Would You Do For Love? races. Philip is so thoroughly under Senta’s spell that he plays along with what he thinks is her game until he finally can’t.
This book was fun, also harrowing at times, and maddening in that Senta the psychopath is so over the top, as is Philip’s cluelessness. Taking 1/2 a star because of that and a whole star because it gets draggy and the end was unsatisfying. It’s interesting enough that I finished it, though.
