Dangerous to Know

Margaret Yorke's books are a treasure, a model of the cozy English mystery, but they are not simplistic. She always manages a twist.

The author, Margaret Yorke, is a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association. What she has writes are not so much a mysteries, but psychological thrillers. She is adept at showing how small flaws in the character lead to crimes. The setting is generally a small, seemingly idyllic town, but is rotten underneath with hidden secrets. In this novel she examines the horrors of spousal abuse -- but also the horrors,dangers and implications of doing nothing, of "not getting involved." Yorke is an elegant writer, who pulls you into the interior lives of her characters. I have found them difficult to put down.

This book was excellent. It was so unpredictable - I never would have guessed the ending. A real page-turner!

This book comfortably moves along in chapters of its major characters' descriptions rather than the usual chronological sequence of events found in most books. This allows the reader a full understanding of each character and his/her motives instead of bits and pieces here and there. The last 1/3 of the book was a complete surprise as I wondered why a new character was introduced and the story's revelations took me by surprise. Thank you Ms. Bradford. I would love to hear from you.

Yorke takes a look at one of the most insidious forms of domestic violence -- emotional abuse. It is a perceptive look at emotional abuse written under the guise of a mystery