One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.
I have no clue where I got Through a Glass, Darkly by Helen McCloy but it must have been a book sale or thrift shop. It’s a British imprint which I don’t know until I read it.
Dr Basil Willings girlfriend, smart and clever Gisela von Honenems, has taken a new job at a boarding school upstate. When her friend is forced to leave, ghostly visions appear, and people start dying, Gisela decides it’s time to seek Dr Basil Willing’s help!
I had never heard of this book or author before reading this and I had no idea what it would be about or that it was part of a series. Basically I had no clue about anything about this book. But I loved it!!! written in 1950, this book reminded me of PD James’ work, especially the Cordelia Grey mysteries. This book had a noir-ish aspect, but also a high society detective aspect. It was set partly in upstate, partly in Manhattan, and on the Jersey shore, which is awesome! Although I guessed the ending, it was the kind of mystery that you don’t mind guessing and finding out you’re right bc you want to know the motivations and the “how did they do it?” motivations. One of my favorite parts of this book was that there was a paranormal or supernatural facet, which I totally wan’t expecting and this characteristic of the book was what really kept me guessing. I might have felt very invested bc I had never heard of this author or lead detective. I was really delighted by how this book was written and really surprised that this author is mostly unknown. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes detective mysteries like those written by Agatha Christie or PD James, those who like mysteries with a paranormal bent, readers looking for a new series to follow, and those interested in female authors of the 1920s-1970s.
Have you ever heard of Helen McCloy? I very much want to read more from her!
This book was featured in my October Wrap Up.