Nine Lives

The originality of "Nine Lives" lies in the fact that it is not a mystery in the conventional sense. We know from the start who the killer is, as he relates his murders in a journal. Donald Dorrick's victims are all psychotherapists and they are all killed in the same manner, garrotted with a guitar string. Donald leaves no clues behind and, though the police investigation by the amiable, persistent and ever-baffled Inspector Wilkins, will appear perfunctory to the point of incredibility, to readers of crime fiction this is quite clearly intentional. Interest is directed not to the crimes but to the characters: the character of the killer, Donald, and his wife, Verry. They have had a happy marriage, Verry cherishing in particular memories of holidays on the beach at Margate with their twin sons Mathew and Martin. Verry is the ideal wife for a serial killer: she asks no questions, and therefore need be told no important lies. For her, he is "my Donald", a loving husband and adequate provider. The oddity, which is also the question the reader is encouraged to ask, is that, while, admitting cheerfully to the murders, he declares repeatedly that he is "innocent". When Verry visits him in prison Donald's first remark is, nearly always: "You do believe I'm innocent, don't you?" The novel is not really about murders. The killings are necessary incidents. It's more about love in its many different forms: love that can corrupt and deform, love that asks no question even when it should, love that is both protective and self-protective. And it is all done with such a light touch that readers may not realise how truly serious the novel is till you have finished it, and then pause to reflect. The book is beautifully narrated by Di Langford for ISIS Publishing.