Author: Ruth Rendell
Genre: British / Thriller
Status: Read
Presence of Cats: None
Butterball Says:
On how many occasions have I lamented living so much of my life without ever having read a Ruth Rendell mystery? I suppose one might say I'm making up for lost time by reading every one that crosses the Mystery Cats' desk.
Today I inform you of my latest read, a book perhaps more in the style of a thriller than a classic murder mystery. I say "thriller" only because we, the reader, watch the crime play out in its entirety. We are aware of the culprit, we are aware of the crime... or, at least, we think we are... until the grand finale, when everything changes.
Make Death Love Me boasts a copyright date of 1979--a mere 40 years ago, and yet we are immediately aware of all the changes that have taken place between that time and this.Alan Groombridge works in a small bank in a small town. Every day, he removes 3,000 pounds from the safe and fantasizes about stealing it. He could easily live on that money for a year, he figures--a clue that we are gazing into the past, for what feline could live on 3,000 pounds these days?
When the bank is robbed, Groombridge sees this as his opportunity to escape with his coveted 3,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the bank robbers flee with cash and Alan's young coworker, Joyce.
We spend the majority of the book watching the situation go from bad to worse for our bank robbers and their hostage. At the same time, Alan Groombridge reinvents himself in London, commits a slight bit of identity theft, and lives out his fantasy.
Hark! Has nobody died? Isn't this book entitled Make Death Love Me? Indeed it is. Why so, if it is not a murder mystery? Where is this death we've been promised?
Ahh, now, that would be telling! I shan't give away the ending by revealing who dies, or how. You will simply have to read Make Death Love Me for yourself to enjoy the intriguing narrative leading to death.
