Wall of Eyes -OSI: How Like an Angel

I love Margaret Millar's mysteries. She was married to Ross McDonald (detective Lew Archer) and was an influence in his writing, bringing a psychological aspect that permeates her own writing. I love her use of words. Her imagery sometimes seems so lush that I reread the sentences to see how she gets away with so much of it without seeming heavy handed. If you have lived in Santa Barbara, the settings may seem familiar, although not quite so much so as her husband's work. And yes, she was excellent with the surprise endings. I, too, read the last paragraph several times to absorb it. My other favorite Millar is "A Stranger In My Grave."

Be prepared to be fooled in an astonishing ending. I had to read the last paragraph three times. All the clues were there, but you are led down a variety of blind alleys each of which takes you farther from the eventual obvious truth. This book, based in California like Chandler, Hammett and Ross MacDonald, reminds one of what mystery writing ought to achieve and rarely does.