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Nine Days to Evil by Nancy Glass West. Softcover, 5.5" x 8.5".
Booklocker, P.O.Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402, USA. Fax: 207-262-5544. Phone: 207-262-9696. E-mail:ngwest@sbcglobal.net: Publication Date 2004. 310 pages, ISBN 0-9747705-0-7. Price $16.95
Official site: http://www.booklocker.com/books/1518.html
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Nine Days to Evil by Nancy Glass West starts out as an unexpected mysterious event with a promise of something great. The dramatic message before disappearance of Meredith's husband, starts building up gradually with the reader fed the discrepancies in his behavior. Then as the countdown starts clicking, we are gradually prepared to accept that something is wrong in the whole relationship. The parent's assessment of the son-in-law also is showcased as a build-up to how deceptive sociopaths are in their circles of influence. Then we are introduced the analysis of Shakespeare and his inspiration from humanity, even if during the Elizabethan era, there were no epitaphs attached to such character-profiles. We are led to Othello and how he was manipulated by Iago, because of his implicit faith in the latter - as a friend, to suspect and even murder his beloved Desdemona. The corruption of trust in the play, the simple misrepresentation of facts, deeds and relationships, through the eyes of a manipulative sociopath is compared and we are prepared for the comparisons to the cast of our protagonists.
...The book is a good introduction to psychology through Shakespearian characters and plays. That would make a lot of sense, since Shakespeare sought inspiration from humanity and human nature, and some of the circumstances of his play-scenarios from people and character traits do require extremes of personalities reflected in his cast of characters ...
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We are also exposed to an underlying deceit and dangerous crime from another city resurrecting in the same city because one of the suspects skipped before she was arrested from the previous scene-of-crime. She goes hunting for a kindred sociopathic/ psychopathic disorder personality in the gynecologist community, and finds the husband of the heroine of the story as a willing, danger-and-thrill seeking partner that she needs. It does help that she is a very seductive and voluptuous woman, well brought out by her relationship with Key, the husband's gynecologist-partner, and this concept is introduced as flashback in the middle of the story to re-introduce the husband and where he has been, and what he is up to, ever since he went missing. Meredith's classmate, Agatha, and detective Sam Vanderhoven are interwoven by their past involvement with the sociopath Iris and the latter's role in Sam's wife and child's death, similarities being continuously drawn between their situation and the characters in Othello.
The book is a good introduction to psychology through Shakespearian characters and plays. That would make a lot of sense, since Shakespeare sought inspiration from humanity and human nature, and some of the circumstances of his play-scenarios from people and character traits do require extremes of personalities reflected in his cast of characters (however these stereotypes are his impressions, or may have been the source of our own stereotypes!). All in all, a well crafted story introducing a host of characters and circumstances that many can identify with or appreciate and empathize. And above all, a very plausible scenario.
...The writer has excellent ideas and sub-plots, it is only in the execution on paper that it loses its crispness. Somehow one gets the feeling that in trying to emphasize the importance of her revelations and associations of her cast with Shakespeare and abnormal psychology, her novel slips into more of a demonstrative - casebook....
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Unfortunately, as a crime novel, and a thriller at that, somehow one needs determination to continue to see it as a thriller or a murder-mystery novel. Oh the elements are all there; the mysterious attack on Claire, wife of Key- Conrad's partner, and various other mysterious sudden events, like the shadowy sedan following Meredith, etc. But somehow there seems to be something missing - that gripping-feel of a nail biting thriller that it is purported to be. It has the potential, but somehow each new revelation somehow does not build up. Even though the anticipatory preparations are there to prepare for, and create links - prior to each revelation, like for instance, the actual account of what happened to Conrad, even after his car being found empty, and exposés on Conrad's psychological profile from Meredith's perspective, as she studies abnormal psychology and Shakespeare, somehow each revelation pop up in a somewhat 'damp' canvas.
The writer has excellent ideas and sub-plots, it is only in the execution on paper that it loses its crispness. Somehow one gets the feeling that in trying to emphasize the importance of her revelations and associations of her cast with Shakespeare and abnormal psychology, her novel slips into more of a demonstrative - casebook. All in all it seems that the book, despite its potential, is not pursuing any strong lines or reasoning with conviction. It may also be from a lead character who, is seen to be vacuous and vacillating. Unfortunately life is full of such persons, I grant her that, and cannot fault her selection of the character of Meredith, since these are the persons who would make the persona of Desdemonas and Othellos.
I laud her originality and ideas, but am somehow disappointed by its lack of crispness in narration, and wish her all the best in her subsequent efforts in similar realms.
-George Paul
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-George Paul George Paul is an avid reader, thinker and commentator. Born and brought up in India, he now lives in Singapore and earns his living as a forensic pathologist - one of the numerous professions he could have chosen for living, given his fertile mind. He can be contacted at George_PAUL@HSA.gov.sg |
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Interview with Nancy Glass West.
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