CUL-DE-SAC

by John Wainwright ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 22, 1984

Wainwright in a quieter, much more readable vein than usual--as he tells the story of John Duxbury, through alternating diary excerpts and third-person accounts. A self-made businessman success, Duxbury deeply loves his son/partner Harry but is suffocating in a loveless marriage with frigid, self-absorbed Maude. And though her fall from a cliff while they're vacationing is called misadventure by the coroner, fellow hotel-guest Raymond Foster insists that it was murder--that he actually saw Duxbury deliver the fatal push. But why did Foster delay in reporting what he saw? And can he be trusted as a witness? Those are the ponderings for local police chief Briggs--who dispatches Harry Harker to look into Duxbury's background before an attempt is made to reopen the case. Harker is a nervy, tenacious bloodhound; he leaves shattered illusions and lives behind him; and there's a Lady or the Tiger finish for readers to muse over. Somewhat contrived--but the most thoughtful and absorbing Wainwright puzzle in several years.

Pub Date: May 22, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION