The Dark House : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Page-Turning Fun
Review: Did I love this book? No, but it certainly kept me up past my usual bedtime for a few nights trying to read another page because, no matter how predictable or coincidental the plot sometimes seemed, the story was voyeuristically compelling and rarely boring. I'd recommend it to anyone who appreciates a fresh mystery (although I kept thinking of David Lynch's Blue Velvet, especially early on). The characters were pretty well drawn and I rarely wondered what their motivation was, which I think is key to this type of novel. Don't expect The Dark House to win any literary awards, but don't be surprised if the person on the beach next to you this summer gets sunburned because they don't want to stop reading long enough to put on sunblock.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: Sedgwick's character is a perverted boring loser. Worst book I've ever read--well, almost read. Talentless. End of story.

Rating:
Summary: A+ For Suspense
Review: This book is awfully good for a first novel. Suspense is hard to create! And Sedgwick does it like a pro in "The Dark House." For page after page we read on because questions are burning in our minds. And with each chapter we plunge deeper into the darkness with more questions. To me it matters not that the resolution is somewhat less than satisfactory. Because it always is. The question, the mystery-- these things urge us on. This is a stylish mystery. With great suspense. And it's set in Boston, New Hampshire and Vermont. I recommend this highly and look forward to Sedgwick's next novel.