The Deadly Space Between

Nothing is quite what it seems in this memorable novel by Patricia Duncker. To read the Editorial Reviews above (especially the "Publishers Weekly" one) is to learn too much about the novel before reading it. One of the merits of this novel is the surprises as the story unfolds. Another is the atmosphere, an unsettling creepy quality. This is not a book that made me comfortable -- especially the sexual issues -- but that's the point, and it's a book that becomes more compelling the more one reads -- especially as the mystery surrounding Roehm unfolds. A great strength of the book is the characters, who are very well drawn. There is some awfully good fiction coming out of Britain at present (see also Pat Barker's excellent "Border Crossing," for example) and this is another example.